The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic

by Breanne Randall

Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting These will humble the eater and remind them of their roots, where they came from—you know. Carrots help you understand that to find fulfillment, you have to seek answers from your past, no matter how gritty it is. The salt and cinnamon ensure that those traditions and memories will be protected. Focus on positivity while baking, or they’ll turn out bitter. I adapted this recipe from my Uncle Sun, who brought back a bag of lunar white carrot seeds from his tour in Vietnam. Ingredients For the cookies 1 c. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon ⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg ½ tsp. ginger ¼ c. coconut oil melted and cooled to room temperature ½ c. dark brown sugar ¼ c. granulated sugar 1 large egg ¼ c. peach puree (can use baby food or just puree canned peaches) 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 c. shredded carrots 1 c. old-fashioned oats ½ c. sweetened coconut flakes ½ c. raisins For the frosting 1 oz. cream cheese at room temperature 1 c. powdered sugar 1 T. milk ¼ tsp. pure almond or vanilla extract Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper, and set aside. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside. 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine coconut oil and sugars, mix until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract, and beat until well combined. Next, add the shredded carrots and peach puree. Mix until com...

They passed Delvaux Candles & Curiosities, the sign outside swaying slightly in the wind. If you tilted your head just right, you’d swear the three candles burned into the old wood flickered like they’d just been lit. And then Sadie felt the pull as they neared Poppy Meadows Bookstore. She heard pages fluttering, calling to her. It was a siren song, one she usually couldn’t resist. The sign in the display window was painted with an open book that had bright orange California poppies sprouting out of the pages. The logo had always made her think of falling into a book the way Alice fell down the rabbit hole. Behind the glass, there were books in white enamel bird cages and hanging from the ceiling by invisible strings.

Rum Soaked Peach Muffins with Streusel Topping Careful with these. They incite euphoria and preserve only happy memories. Peaches are a symbol of youth and immortality. Walnuts symbolize the gathering of energy, especially in beginning new projects. Use this recipe sparingly or it’ll prove the worse for you. You’ve been warned. People who don’t listen to old folk’s wisdom are too stupid to pour piss out of a boot before they put it on. Ingredients For the muffins ¼ cup all-purpose flour 1½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ⅔ cup white sugar ¼ cup brown sugar 1 cup finely chopped peaches canned in syrup divided ¾ and ¼ ½ cup milk 1 egg ¼ cup vegetable oil 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp dark rum For the streusel topping ¼ cup all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons white sugar ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon cinnamon 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter Directions For the muffins 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a large muffin tin with 12 muffin cups. 2. Dump peaches into sauce pan and add brown sugar and rum, bring to a boil. Turn down to low until all liquid is reduced. Let cool. 3. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar to a large bowl and whisk together to combine. 4. Add ¾ c of the peaches and stir well to coat. 5. Add the milk, egg, oil and vanilla extract, and stir together with a rubber spatula just until the flour disappears. 6. Portion the batter out into the muffin cups evenly (about ¾ full). For the topping 1. Combine the flour, sugar...

Vanilla Jasmine Tea with Black Pepper and Cinnamon If you don’t like spice, you won’t like this. It’s a spicy floral tea that will give you the clarity to see what’s missing in your life while helping draw those things to you through good fortune. But remember, good fortune will only get you so far, and for the rest you’ll have to rely on your own wit and wisdom. Ingredients jasmine tea 1 vanilla bean pod 1–2 drops cinnamon bark oil 1–2 drops black pepper oil Directions 1. Scrape vanilla bean pod into pot of boiling water, strain, and use to brew tea. 2. Drop in cinnamon bark oil and black pepper oil. Enjoy. (To increase clarity and focus, diffuse 4 drops clary sage and 4 drops frankincense while drinking tea.)

There was lemon and lavender pound cake that had been baked in mini Bundt tins, if sleep was eluding you. Sadie served it with decaf Duchess Grey tea with extra milk and a generous dollop of clover honey.

Mint Julep Ice Cream Use this to clear out the past and start over by painting all past painful memories in a happier light. Don’t eat too much, or you’ll be forgetting other things too, until you’re a doddery old fool like me, who can’t remember what day of the week it is. Getting old really is a son of a bitch. Ingredients 1 c. sugar ½ c. water ½ c. bourbon 1 tsp. vanilla 2 c. milk 2 c. heavy cream 6 large egg yolks 8–10 large sprigs fresh mint (plus extra for garnish) Directions 1. Bruise the leaves of the mint leaves to release oils and flavors. Combine the sugar, water, and the 8 mint sprigs in a small saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let cool completely. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, then add the bourbon. 2. Combine the milk and cream in a large nonreactive saucepan, and bring to a gentle boil. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks together. Whisk 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture. In a slow, steady stream, add the egg mixture to the hot cream mixture. Continue to cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let cool completely. 3. Whisk the bourbon mixture into the cream mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap down against the surface of the mixture to keep a skin from forming, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. 4. Remove from the refr...