Jennifer Moorman's Blog, page 23

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Unicorn Ice Cream

Have you ever been so busy with day-to-day tasks, or madly marking jobs off your to-do list, or so buried in work that you don't even notice the winter changing into spring? You want tocarpe diembut you feel lucky to get out of the house with matching shoes? Spring bulbs are pushing their way out of the cold earth, and daffodils are waving their bright yellow blooms at you, but you're lost in your own tangled thoughts.Life in the bakery in Mystic Water keeps Anna busy–so busy sometimes that s...

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Pear Pi Day Pie

Mystic Water is a whimsical little Southern town where magic floats on every breeze and is baked into every treat. Some townsfolk might complain about small towns, saying everybody knows your business, your college professor will call your daddy and tell him you skipped out on class, and boredom lingers around every corner because there’s nothing to do.Many others will argue that Mystic Water is the perfect place to live, a place where anything is possible. One of the charming aspects of livi...

Cooking Through The Baker's Man: Dark and Stormy Ganache

I'm picky when it comes to rain. I like it in doses. I don't want days and days of rain, but I do like the occasional rain-filled afternoon.Rainy days make me think of naps beneath the Mickey Mouse twin-size quilt I used in my college dorm. Rainy days make me want to sit at my desk and write while periodically staring out the window, listening to the pitter-patter against the panes, staring at the rivulets running down the window.Chapter 6 inThe Baker's Manis titled Dark and Stormy Ganache. I...

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Dark and Stormy Ganache

I'm picky when it comes to rain. I like it in doses. I don't want days and days of rain, but I do like the occasional rain-filled afternoon.Rainy days make me think of naps beneath the Mickey Mouse twin-size quilt I used in my college dorm. Rainy days make me want to sit at my desk and write while periodically staring out the window, listening to the pitter-patter against the panes, staring at the rivulets running down the window.Chapter 6 inThe Baker's Manis titled Dark and Stormy Ganache. I...

Cooking Through Fiction: The Nixie's Song — Nick's Buffalo Chicken Pizza

I don’t like change (unless it involves the seasons). I’m a creature of habit. I’ll even admit that I don’t like change even when it’s for the better. I eventually adapt to the new situation or habit, but at first, I resist. I grumble. I whine.“Nothing endures but change.” HeraclitisBeyond the Spiderwick Chronicles, created by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, follows a new set of characters as they find out the faerie world is closer than they imagine. The story opens with Nick reluctantly gi...

Cooking Through Fiction: The Wrath of Mulgarath Crackerjacks

Remember when cereal boxes had awesome prizes inside? Decoder rings, those weird red viewfinder sheets, secret codes, masks you could cut out and wear, and mazes on the back of the box. Remember when you could disassemble the whole cereal box and make a board game or even a house? I remember one cereal box had a “ghost finder” inside. Zoinks! Did I ever test it out? Heck yes! Was it a success? What do you think?When I think of hidden prizes, I also think of crackerjacks. Although I wasn’t a f...

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Chocolate Caramel Bombe

When I got the idea to cook my way throughThe Baker’s Man, I wasn’t immediately thinking of how challenging some of the recipes would be. Today’s recipe is inspired by Chapter 5: Chocolate Caramel Bombe. At this point in the novel, Anna feels as though a bomb has gone off in the center of her life, and although she doesn’t know how to fix the damage, Eli is more than willing to help her. She’s just not sure if this is a good idea or a bad one.I’ve never made a bombe in my life, and once I sta...

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Hidden Heart Pound Cake

During the month of February, the bakery in Mystic Water becomes a whirlwind of crimson hearts, iridescent sugar pearls, and dark chocolate candies. The wind carries the scent of melting sugar, and the air sparkles like tossed pink confetti.The townsfolk come into Bea’s Bakery looking for what only Anna can bake, and they leave with boxes and bags full of treats that will lighten their hearts, put a spring in their steps, and renew hope in their dreams.One of Mystic Water’s February favorites...

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Love Letter Tuxedo Cake

The days leading up to Valentine’s Day are some of the busiest for Anna at Bea’s Bakery in Mystic Water. The sugar-sweet air in the bakery swirls out the door, enticing people from blocks away. They’ll stop mid-sentence and follow the scent of baked goods.The glass cases in the bakery are packed with fudgy brownies that warm your heart, sugar cookies that make you feel like a child again, and cupcakes decorated with hearts and glittery sugar and swirls of delicious buttercream.Townsfolk are e...

Cooking Through Fiction: The Ironwood Tree — Soft Pretzels

When I think of sporting events, I immediately think of the food I’ll want to eat when I get there even before I think of the game. I love going to live sports, and I’m excited when I have good seats (close enough to see the game without looking at the giant screens). But if I’m honest, I’m more interested in the food because some foods I eat only when I’m at sporting events.I’d like to say that my culinary tastes have improved during the years because as a child, I used to order those giant...