Beth Cato's Blog, page 157
October 28, 2012
Sunday Quote features Kevin Costner. Yeah. go figure.
Words of wisdom for nascent NaNoWriters:
"Failure doesn't kill you. It increases your desire to make something happen." ~ Kevin Costner
October 26, 2012
Friday Finds: Books Edition
I read a lot. I write reviews of everything I read. In the past few months, I read two books that just absolutely blew me away. Maybe they will interest you as well.
Oct. 11th, 1943--A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.
When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.
As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage and failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?
To excerpt my review:
This book is devastating. It's one of those rare reads that made me half-sick to continue because I was so worried about the characters and what would happen and how they could survive.
It's a World War II story, but most of all, it's a story about friendship. There's a beautiful line about how meeting your best friend for life is like falling in love, and this is that kind of love story. These two young women are fierce and intelligent in their own unique ways, and against the backdrop of war, they are surviving in their own unique ways.
Another book that impressed me greatly was Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone. I received it as an Advanced Reader Copy from Tor; now, I've read a lot of ARCs this year, and a lot of them sucked. This one... this one absolutely delighted me because it was so unique.
A god has died, and it’s up to Tara, first-year associate in the international necromantic firm of Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao, to bring Him back to life before His city falls apart.
Her client is Kos, recently deceased fire god of the city of Alt Coulumb. Without Him, the metropolis’s steam generators will shut down, its trains will cease running, and its four million citizens will riot.
Tara’s job: resurrect Kos before chaos sets in. Her only help: Abelard, a chain-smoking priest of the dead god, who’s having an understandable crisis of faith.
When Tara and Abelard discover that Kos was murdered, they have to make a case in Alt Coulumb’s courts—and their quest for the truth endangers their partnership, their lives, and Alt Coulumb’s slim hope of survival.
Set in a phenomenally built world in which justice is a collective force bestowed on a few, craftsmen fly on lightning bolts, and gargoyles can rule cities, Three Parts Dead introduces readers to an ethical landscape in which the line between right and wrong blurs.
And from my review:
Three Parts Dead is fresh. It's epic fantasy blended with steampunk blended with the darkness and fast pace of urban fantasy. The characters are brilliant, nuanced, and deeply flawed. The world-building is bizarre to the point of being almost too weird, but it doesn't cross that line. Gods die in this world. Tara, the main character, is trained in necromantic law: she utilizes the magic of stone and stars to read the legal agreements of gods. When documents are legally binding, they are bound in magic; I have never come across the like in a fantasy novel.
Also, Tor deserves kudos for a beautiful cover that isn't whitewashed in the slightest.
Do these books pique your curiosity?
Have you read any great books recently? Tell me about them in the comments!
Oct. 11th, 1943--A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.
When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.
As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage and failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?
To excerpt my review:
This book is devastating. It's one of those rare reads that made me half-sick to continue because I was so worried about the characters and what would happen and how they could survive.
It's a World War II story, but most of all, it's a story about friendship. There's a beautiful line about how meeting your best friend for life is like falling in love, and this is that kind of love story. These two young women are fierce and intelligent in their own unique ways, and against the backdrop of war, they are surviving in their own unique ways.
Another book that impressed me greatly was Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone. I received it as an Advanced Reader Copy from Tor; now, I've read a lot of ARCs this year, and a lot of them sucked. This one... this one absolutely delighted me because it was so unique.
A god has died, and it’s up to Tara, first-year associate in the international necromantic firm of Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao, to bring Him back to life before His city falls apart.
Her client is Kos, recently deceased fire god of the city of Alt Coulumb. Without Him, the metropolis’s steam generators will shut down, its trains will cease running, and its four million citizens will riot.
Tara’s job: resurrect Kos before chaos sets in. Her only help: Abelard, a chain-smoking priest of the dead god, who’s having an understandable crisis of faith.
When Tara and Abelard discover that Kos was murdered, they have to make a case in Alt Coulumb’s courts—and their quest for the truth endangers their partnership, their lives, and Alt Coulumb’s slim hope of survival.
Set in a phenomenally built world in which justice is a collective force bestowed on a few, craftsmen fly on lightning bolts, and gargoyles can rule cities, Three Parts Dead introduces readers to an ethical landscape in which the line between right and wrong blurs.
And from my review:
Three Parts Dead is fresh. It's epic fantasy blended with steampunk blended with the darkness and fast pace of urban fantasy. The characters are brilliant, nuanced, and deeply flawed. The world-building is bizarre to the point of being almost too weird, but it doesn't cross that line. Gods die in this world. Tara, the main character, is trained in necromantic law: she utilizes the magic of stone and stars to read the legal agreements of gods. When documents are legally binding, they are bound in magic; I have never come across the like in a fantasy novel.
Also, Tor deserves kudos for a beautiful cover that isn't whitewashed in the slightest.
Do these books pique your curiosity?
Have you read any great books recently? Tell me about them in the comments!
October 24, 2012
Bready or Not: Halloween Party Bundt Cake
I saw this cake on Pinterest and said, "Whoooooaaaa." That's a Bill and Ted style "whoa." I mean, come on. Is this cake cool or what?
It turned out to be a cake that's very easy to make, though it does create a lot of dirty dishes (bowls! everywhere!). I used Americolor food dyes and loved the vividness of the colors. The cake just screams Halloween.
The one downside is that it tastes like a cake mix cake. I think when I make it again--I'm picturing a Christmas cake in red and green--I want to add some vanilla or espresso powder or something to decrease that chemical taste. I bake so much stuff from scratch, I can really taste that difference now.
But the folks at my husband's work didn't care. It was a CAKE. An acid-tripping cake, with amazing, oozing layers of frosting. Also, you don't use all the batter for the cake, so I made nine cupcakes and reserved extra frosting to top them in different colors.
No one went hungry that day, let me tell you.
Halloween Party Bundt Cake
Recipe from Cooking With Sugar. She also includes a video of how to make the cake.
Ingredients
- 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
- Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
- 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® Dark Chocolate cake mix
- Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
- Black food coloring
- Purple food coloring
- Orange food coloring
- 1 (12 oz) can Betty Crocker® Whipped Fluffy White Frosting
Directions
Heat oven to 325°F. Generously grease a 12-cup bundt cake pan. Make cake batters as directed on boxes. Divide the white cake into two separate bowls.
Add orange food coloring to one bowl and mix to the desired color. Then, add purple to the other and mix to the desired color.
Pour 2/3 of the chocolate cake batter into a bowl and mix with a few drops of the black food coloring. Discard the remainder of the batter or use it for cupcakes. (You only need 2/3 of the chocolate cake batter, because if you use the whole thing in won’t fit in the pan; in making cupcakes, I added in some of the dyed batter for fun. I cooked them as the cake cooled, and then I used some extra frosting for the cupcakes.)
Pour 1/2 of the chocolate cake mix into the bottom of the greased pan. Carefully pour the purple over the chocolate making sure you don’t stir it. Just pour it on top.
Then, carefully pour the orange batter over the purple batter and pour in the remainder of the chocolate.
Bake as directed on box or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; for me, this was about 50 minutes.
Cool the pan for 20 minutes then turn it upside down onto cooling rack that is placed over a cookie sheet. Cool cake completely.
Once cake is cool, equally divide your frosting into 3 bowls. Use the food coloring again to make one bowl orange, one purple and one black.
Microwave each bowl of frosting for a few seconds on high until it is smooth enough to drizzle over the cake. With a spoon, drizzle the black frosting back and forth around the whole ring in a striping pattern until you use it all. Then do the same with the purple and then the orange.
Store loosely covered and unrefrigerated (unless you're in Arizona, where it may melt on the counter). Cake can be made a day or two in advance.
OM NOM NOM
It turned out to be a cake that's very easy to make, though it does create a lot of dirty dishes (bowls! everywhere!). I used Americolor food dyes and loved the vividness of the colors. The cake just screams Halloween.
The one downside is that it tastes like a cake mix cake. I think when I make it again--I'm picturing a Christmas cake in red and green--I want to add some vanilla or espresso powder or something to decrease that chemical taste. I bake so much stuff from scratch, I can really taste that difference now.
But the folks at my husband's work didn't care. It was a CAKE. An acid-tripping cake, with amazing, oozing layers of frosting. Also, you don't use all the batter for the cake, so I made nine cupcakes and reserved extra frosting to top them in different colors.
No one went hungry that day, let me tell you.
Halloween Party Bundt Cake
Recipe from Cooking With Sugar. She also includes a video of how to make the cake.
Ingredients
- 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
- Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
- 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® Dark Chocolate cake mix
- Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
- Black food coloring
- Purple food coloring
- Orange food coloring
- 1 (12 oz) can Betty Crocker® Whipped Fluffy White Frosting
Directions
Heat oven to 325°F. Generously grease a 12-cup bundt cake pan. Make cake batters as directed on boxes. Divide the white cake into two separate bowls.
Add orange food coloring to one bowl and mix to the desired color. Then, add purple to the other and mix to the desired color.
Pour 2/3 of the chocolate cake batter into a bowl and mix with a few drops of the black food coloring. Discard the remainder of the batter or use it for cupcakes. (You only need 2/3 of the chocolate cake batter, because if you use the whole thing in won’t fit in the pan; in making cupcakes, I added in some of the dyed batter for fun. I cooked them as the cake cooled, and then I used some extra frosting for the cupcakes.)
Pour 1/2 of the chocolate cake mix into the bottom of the greased pan. Carefully pour the purple over the chocolate making sure you don’t stir it. Just pour it on top.
Then, carefully pour the orange batter over the purple batter and pour in the remainder of the chocolate.
Bake as directed on box or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; for me, this was about 50 minutes.
Cool the pan for 20 minutes then turn it upside down onto cooling rack that is placed over a cookie sheet. Cool cake completely.
Once cake is cool, equally divide your frosting into 3 bowls. Use the food coloring again to make one bowl orange, one purple and one black.
Microwave each bowl of frosting for a few seconds on high until it is smooth enough to drizzle over the cake. With a spoon, drizzle the black frosting back and forth around the whole ring in a striping pattern until you use it all. Then do the same with the purple and then the orange.
Store loosely covered and unrefrigerated (unless you're in Arizona, where it may melt on the counter). Cake can be made a day or two in advance.
OM NOM NOM
October 22, 2012
November Poem A Day
Where has 2012 gone?
November is next week. For many folks, that means the start of NaNoWriMo, but I'm not taking part this year. Instead, I'm continuing my other semiannual tradition: the Poem a Day Challenge over at the Writer's Digest Poetic Asides Blog.
The challenge is pretty straightforward. Robert Brewer provides one prompt each day. You write a poem, following whatever whim or tangent you desire. If all goes well, at the end of the month you'll have 30 completed works.
PAD takes place in April and November. I haven't done the statistical break-down, but probably about half of my poems from the past two challenges have been worth submitting to markets; it's also notable that the longer I do this, the more quality poems I produce. The majority of my poems accepted for publication were created during PAD.
Are you interested in taking on the challenge this November?
What do you foresee as being your biggest obstacles?
November is next week. For many folks, that means the start of NaNoWriMo, but I'm not taking part this year. Instead, I'm continuing my other semiannual tradition: the Poem a Day Challenge over at the Writer's Digest Poetic Asides Blog.
The challenge is pretty straightforward. Robert Brewer provides one prompt each day. You write a poem, following whatever whim or tangent you desire. If all goes well, at the end of the month you'll have 30 completed works.
PAD takes place in April and November. I haven't done the statistical break-down, but probably about half of my poems from the past two challenges have been worth submitting to markets; it's also notable that the longer I do this, the more quality poems I produce. The majority of my poems accepted for publication were created during PAD.
Are you interested in taking on the challenge this November?
What do you foresee as being your biggest obstacles?
October 21, 2012
Sunday Quote is loving this cool, mid-90s weather--it's all relative
“My ideas usually come not at my desk writing but in the midst of living.” ~ Anais Nin
October 19, 2012
Cucurbital 3 is out!
Back in June, I posted about fighting through fear of writing a story due to the hard science and the research involved.
That little story is now published.
"Overlap" is in the anthology Cucurbital 3, published by Paper Golem. Each of the stories utilizes three word prompts: madness, darkness, and mattress. My story is about determination and teleportation, and yes, a mattress.
Cucurbital 3 is available in various formats and prices. The Kindle copy is just $3!
Trade paperback on Amazon
Hardcover on Amazon
Amazon Kindle
Trade paperback on B&N
Hardcover on B&N
That little story is now published.
"Overlap" is in the anthology Cucurbital 3, published by Paper Golem. Each of the stories utilizes three word prompts: madness, darkness, and mattress. My story is about determination and teleportation, and yes, a mattress.
Cucurbital 3 is available in various formats and prices. The Kindle copy is just $3!
Trade paperback on Amazon
Hardcover on Amazon
Amazon Kindle
Trade paperback on B&N
Hardcover on B&N
October 17, 2012
Bready or Not: Candy Corn Cookies
A picture speaks a thousand words.
That picture is screaming things like, "ZOMG CUTE," and "OM NOM NOM."
I haven't done much with food coloring. I tend to stick with basic recipes. Sure, I like cookies with pretty icings and all, but those sorts of things tend to be time-consuming, too. I like that this recipe does something cool and different, but at the same time, it's easy. Works for me. Time is a noteworthy factor here since this recipe makes about 90 cookies.
I have read good things about Americolor food coloring gels, so I sought them out. I have to say, I was incredibly pleased with how the color turned out. It mixed in well and it didn't blanche while baking.
This was also my first time using sanding sugar. I almost didn't get it--like I need another thing to push around in my crowded cupboard--but I saw it was $1.99 so I decided to go for it. I was impressed at the beautiful shimmer. It definitely has a different *sparkle* than regular granulated sugar.
As cute as these cookies are, there's one other element in their favor: the taste. The orange zest and juice does something amazing here, taking these cookies well beyond the rank of "normal sugar cookies." They taste FRESH. Even the dough tastes delicious, more like candy than cookie dough, which is how it looks, too. This is dangerous since scraps are produced in the slicing stage. Darn. Can't let those go to waste.
I have also seen a variation of this same recipe using lemon instead, and I'd love to try that next time. And yes, there will be a next time. I really want to try this recipe in a Christmas tree version.
Candy Corn Cookies
Recipe from Baked Bree.
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) butter room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tablespoons orange juice
zest of one orange
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
orange gel food coloring
yellow gel food coloring
sanding sugar
Instructions
1) Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2) Add the egg, orange juice, orange zest and salt. Slowly add the flour and baking soda. Beat until combined. Divide the cookie dough into three and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Note: I used my kitchen scale, and each third of dough came to about 12 ounces.
3) Place the first third of dough into the loaf pan, pressing it evenly in the bottom. Add a few drops of orange coloring to the second third of dough and press that into the pan. Repeat with the yellow layer.
4) Wrap the cookie dough and refrigerate until firm, at least two hours or overnight. Unwrap it, pull it from the loaf pan, and portion into 1/4 inch slices. Cut the dough into triangles. [See picture.]
5) Dip one side of the cookie into the sanding sugar. Arrange on the cookie sheet, giving each cookie room to expand, and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 7 to 9 minutes. Watch them carefully--if the "white" section starts to turn color, take them out! Cool on rack.
Makes about 90 cookies.
OM NOM NOM.
That picture is screaming things like, "ZOMG CUTE," and "OM NOM NOM."
I haven't done much with food coloring. I tend to stick with basic recipes. Sure, I like cookies with pretty icings and all, but those sorts of things tend to be time-consuming, too. I like that this recipe does something cool and different, but at the same time, it's easy. Works for me. Time is a noteworthy factor here since this recipe makes about 90 cookies.
I have read good things about Americolor food coloring gels, so I sought them out. I have to say, I was incredibly pleased with how the color turned out. It mixed in well and it didn't blanche while baking.
This was also my first time using sanding sugar. I almost didn't get it--like I need another thing to push around in my crowded cupboard--but I saw it was $1.99 so I decided to go for it. I was impressed at the beautiful shimmer. It definitely has a different *sparkle* than regular granulated sugar.
As cute as these cookies are, there's one other element in their favor: the taste. The orange zest and juice does something amazing here, taking these cookies well beyond the rank of "normal sugar cookies." They taste FRESH. Even the dough tastes delicious, more like candy than cookie dough, which is how it looks, too. This is dangerous since scraps are produced in the slicing stage. Darn. Can't let those go to waste.
I have also seen a variation of this same recipe using lemon instead, and I'd love to try that next time. And yes, there will be a next time. I really want to try this recipe in a Christmas tree version.
Candy Corn Cookies
Recipe from Baked Bree.
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) butter room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tablespoons orange juice
zest of one orange
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
orange gel food coloring
yellow gel food coloring
sanding sugar
Instructions
1) Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2) Add the egg, orange juice, orange zest and salt. Slowly add the flour and baking soda. Beat until combined. Divide the cookie dough into three and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Note: I used my kitchen scale, and each third of dough came to about 12 ounces.
3) Place the first third of dough into the loaf pan, pressing it evenly in the bottom. Add a few drops of orange coloring to the second third of dough and press that into the pan. Repeat with the yellow layer.
4) Wrap the cookie dough and refrigerate until firm, at least two hours or overnight. Unwrap it, pull it from the loaf pan, and portion into 1/4 inch slices. Cut the dough into triangles. [See picture.]
5) Dip one side of the cookie into the sanding sugar. Arrange on the cookie sheet, giving each cookie room to expand, and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 7 to 9 minutes. Watch them carefully--if the "white" section starts to turn color, take them out! Cool on rack.
Makes about 90 cookies.
OM NOM NOM.
October 14, 2012
Sunday Quote has a concussed husband thanks to roller hockey
“Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil – but there is no way around them.” ~ Isaac Asimov
It's really hard to think of Isaac Asimov getting rejection letters.
October 10, 2012
Bready or Not: Pumpkin-Applesauce Bundt Cake
Brace yourself for something awesome.
This bundt cake is probably one of the best things I've made in months. Oh, I shall list the reasons:
- It's a bundt cake, so super-easy to make.
- It has all the tender texture of a pound cake.
- It tastes like a pumpkin pie.
- It's pretty darn healthy, with a can of pumpkin, applesauce, and a wheat flour blend.
- Slice it, freeze it, then bring it out for breakfast. Heat a slice in the microwave at about 30 seconds on both sides. Tastes hot and fresh!
The original version, linked to below, is also totally gluten-free and uses rice flour. I read through the comments to adapt my own recipe using white and wheat flour, and I added a lot more spices because several other testers described it as bland. My version definitely was not that, so I must have done something right!
This is, without question, a recipe I will make again.
Pumpkin-Applesauce Bundt Cake
Modified from original version by allergygrl on Food.com.
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup canola oil
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour the bundt pan.
2)Beat eggs till fluffy in a large bowl. Blend in sugar, pumpkin, applesauce and oil by hand or with a mixer on low just until combined. Don't over mix!
3) Add all dry ingredients, one at a time, blending together.
4) Pour batter into the bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. Check with a toothpick/fork to make sure it's done .
5) Let sit in pan for hour and a half, on rack, to cool. Invert onto a serving dish or cake dome and keep at room temperature. If desired, sprinkle with confectioner's sugar for serving presentation.
OM NOM NOM!
This bundt cake is probably one of the best things I've made in months. Oh, I shall list the reasons:
- It's a bundt cake, so super-easy to make.
- It has all the tender texture of a pound cake.
- It tastes like a pumpkin pie.
- It's pretty darn healthy, with a can of pumpkin, applesauce, and a wheat flour blend.
- Slice it, freeze it, then bring it out for breakfast. Heat a slice in the microwave at about 30 seconds on both sides. Tastes hot and fresh!
The original version, linked to below, is also totally gluten-free and uses rice flour. I read through the comments to adapt my own recipe using white and wheat flour, and I added a lot more spices because several other testers described it as bland. My version definitely was not that, so I must have done something right!
This is, without question, a recipe I will make again.
Pumpkin-Applesauce Bundt Cake
Modified from original version by allergygrl on Food.com.
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup canola oil
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour the bundt pan.
2)Beat eggs till fluffy in a large bowl. Blend in sugar, pumpkin, applesauce and oil by hand or with a mixer on low just until combined. Don't over mix!
3) Add all dry ingredients, one at a time, blending together.
4) Pour batter into the bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. Check with a toothpick/fork to make sure it's done .
5) Let sit in pan for hour and a half, on rack, to cool. Invert onto a serving dish or cake dome and keep at room temperature. If desired, sprinkle with confectioner's sugar for serving presentation.
OM NOM NOM!
October 7, 2012
Sunday Quote is enjoying a family visit this week
“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.” ~George Orwell
