Jennifer Moorman's Blog, page 22

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Ewok Treat

Anna O'Brien works hard in Bea's Bakery, a bakery started in Mystic Water by her grandmother. Anna's creativity stretches and grows based on current trends in colors or tastes and also due to her customer's needs. She bakes all sorts of creations for birthdays, parties, graduations, and for everyday desires.I love the Star Wars franchise, and Anna knows this because we know each other pretty well. I asked if she could create an Ewok out of rice cereal, and never one to turn down a challenge,...

Cooking Through Fiction: The Sea of Monsters — Country-Fried Stymphalion Bird

Thomas Wolfe wrote a novel called You Can’t Go Home Again. I'm pretty sure this phrase isn't meant to be taken literally. Have you ever returned to a place only to find that it wasn’t exactly as you remembered? Maybe the grass wasn’t as green, the trees weren’t as tall, and the mist across the lake wasn’t as magical.Maybe the roller rink where you hosted your birthday parties was torn down and now it’s a pet store. Maybe the football stadium looks dingy, and you can’t imagine hiding with anyo...

Cooking Through Fiction: A Giant Problem — Hobgoblin Doughnuts

I like to think I’m a rebel, that I’ve bent the rules, swam against the stream, bucked conformity. I had a college professor tell me once that I was a square peg trying to pretend I could fit in a round hole. He didn’t mean this as a compliment. That screams rebel, right? Right?! Bueller?My sister would likely say that I am about as far from a rebel as a person can get. But I object! I’ve lived dangerously (I once ate escargot). I’ve tempted fate (I underage bungee jumped). I told an English...

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Mirror Glaze

The origin of the word mirror comes from the Latin word mirare meaning “to wonder at.” This brings to my mind mirrors used in fiction and how characters wondered at the reflections they saw. Alice steps through the looking glass into a wonderland. Harry Potter obsesses over the reflection of his parents that he sees in the Mirror of Erised. The Wicked Queen is consumed by who the magic mirror reveals to be the fairest in the land.One of the definitions of mirror is “an object that faithfully...

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": American Flag Cake

There are a couple of events to celebrate this week. First,Memorial Dayis coming up! Although I am thankful for our service men and service women all year long, this is a special time when we can remember, honor, and respect those who have served, worked, and fought for our freedom.The second event to celebrate is that I am going to see Graceland for the first time ever! My mom is a HUGE Elvis fan, so we're especially excited to take a tour like regular tourists and see the sights.If I were a...

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Lady Fingers

Having best girl friends is like having sisters. These girls know you, love you even though you’re crazy, and answer the phone when you call them at 3 a.m. for any number of reasons. They share inside jokes with you, they encourage you, and they can get away with making fun of you to your face.My best girl friends are lifesavers. They are a necessity in my life, but I can admit that girls aren’t always the easiest creatures to understand or to get along with. Girls can be competitive with one...

Cooking Through Fiction: The Lightning Thief — Blue Waffles

The teenage years can be awkward. Sometimes you have a bad perm and bangs that are full of so much hairspray not even gale force winds could move them. Sometimes you’re in desperate need of braces (which you get only after you’ve entered high school). Most likely all of these unfortunate events happened to me.Being a teenager is also difficult because it’s a time when you’re trying to figure out who you are while desperately trying not to stick out from your peers. During these times, you nee...

Cooking Through Fiction: The Wyrm King — Star Wars Pizza

Some items just go together. They’re soul mates. For example, peanut butter and jelly; chocolate and peanut butter; rainbows and unicorns; and cookie dough and slumber parties are all matches made in heaven.Today I’d like to add: Star Wars and pizza. Both are certifiably awesome. Who doesn’t love pizza? Who doesn’t love Star Wars? I’m sure those people exist who do not love either, but not in my house!InThe Wyrm King, Nick, Laurie, and Jules no longer have a house because the giants decimated...

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Blueberry Pie

One of my favorites movies isWhile You Were Sleeping, starring Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman. I can watch (and have watched) this over and over again. The comedic lines still make me laugh, the romance still gives me the butterflies, and I still get teary-eyed at the end when she admits she loves "the other son."One of the lines from this movie that comes to my mind often (mostly during times of disappointment or trials) is: "Life doesn't always turn out like you planned." I make lots of pl...

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Oreo Cheesecake

There’s a cozy feeling and a sense of nostalgia associated with creating desserts from scratch. Maybe it’s because of the patience needed to spend an afternoon making a tasty treat, stirring in love and anticipation, filling the house with the wonderful smells of sugar and chocolate. Or maybe it happens when you use your grandma’s recipe card that has a smudge of melted chocolate on one corner and you think of her making the same dessert years and years ago.Anna loves homemade desserts, and s...