Bookstore Dreams [FICTION]

I inhaled deeply, letting the dust of old pages fill me up with peace. I could spend forever perusing the tomes in this old bookstore, but the tour only left me thirty minutes for lunch. Then they dropped us off where this storefront was the first thing I saw, so I decided to feast on words.

As I wandered the aisles, figuring out the proprietor’s own unique organization system, a book caught my eye. Bound in thick leather so old that it had begun to flake, the book stood half as tall as any other book on neighboring shelves. Twice as thick, the word “Dreams” had been crudely stitched along the spine. I pulled it out, hefting it in my hand. I flipped it open to a random page.

“If a married woman dreams of her first love, her husband has been unfaithful.”

I snorted at this. How many marriages had that nugget of wisdom destroyed? I turned the page.

“If an unmarried woman dreams of dreaming, she may open the doorway to her mysteries for others to peruse.”

“What does that mean?” Even as I finished muttering, I yawned deeply feeling my eyes grow weary.

Unconsciousness carried me away. My instincts acted to preserve the book, pulling it into my chest in a protective embrace. 

A whistle sounded and I leapt to my feet. Before me, rows and rows of work desks stretched across the immense room. Upon each one, an industrial sewing machine whirred busily with a hunched figure focused intently on the fabric in their hands. Every machine except the one directly in front of me. I stared at it and the somber grey fabric piled on one side.

“Grace, get to work,” the woman beside me hissed.

I turned to look at her curiously before sitting obediently and carefully feeding the top pinned item through the machine. Halfway through the piece, I snorted.

“This is ridiculous.”

Someone nearby gasped in surprise or horror and the world around me wavered again. My hands rose to cross over my chest protectively as I surveyed my new surroundings. This time, I gasped.

A scarlet sky unfolded above me until it met the creamy foam of cresting waves that crashed on golden sands dotted with tiny diamonds. A nicker turned my head toward a unicorn standing beside me. I squeaked in wonder, taking on its gilded horn and immense wings. Attracted to the sound, it danced over to me, lowering its head to look into my eyes. Silver, blue, and gold shimmered within those orbs lips fanned outward to blow hair from them.

“What brings you to my dreams?” Though soft the voice resonated through me like a thunderclap.

I could only shake my head in wonder.

“Then you aren’t ready for my book, my dear.”

I frowned and looked down to the book in my arms. As I did so, something clattered behind me on the beach. But how could something clatter on sand?

“Miss, are you okay?”

I blinked my eyes a couple of times before they focused on the tiny man leaning over me. White hair escaped from the side of his head at wild angles as he anxiously ran his hair through it with one hand. The other gently patted my shoulder as his blue eyes peered into mine.

“Um…what happened?” I asked slowly as I hoisted myself slowly to a sitting position.

“You seem to have fainted,” he offered with concern.

“Oh.” I stared back at him, wondering if he had ever met the unicorn.

At the thought, I looked down into my arms for the unusual book, but the only book there proved to be a worn copy of “A Tale of Two Cities”. As I regarded it in confusion, the old man smiled at me. His smile let me know he about the book but that we would never speak about it…

Until the unicorn deemed me worthy.

~~~

Someday, I will be an empty nester and be so lonely I finally dig deeper into some of these fabulous ideas. Just wait a couple decades and we’ll finally know.

[REVIEW] Delusion

Peter Abrahams received a rave review from Stephen King. With that endorsement, I couldn't resist reading Delusion. The first page introduced me to a prisoner named Pirate who identified people by the sounds of their footsteps. The description of his person, including some infirmities one would expect for a pirate, affirmed my reading selection, so I settled in for an entertaining read.

A hurricane unearthed evidence that Pirate was innocent of the crime that sent him to jail. Since she was the eyewitness who sent him away for the murder of her boyfriend, everything Nell Jarreau knew dissolved into disorder . How could she trust anything if she couldn't trust her own eyes? Her doubts sent her searching for more information about what she witnessed twenty years earlier. While Nell tried to find evidence that would make her memories more clear, Pirate sought some form of retribution for the years he had lost.

Then a local reporter contacted both of them time after time in hopes of getting a scoop. Information she brought to light brought more questions for Nell and Pirate as their lives continued to intersect.

Nell's own amateur investigations produced more evidence that caused her to question who she could trust. She even grew distrustful of her husband, the local sheriff, as her memories blurred. Somehow, she found answers in places as far away as the Bahamas, but all the answers brought her back home and back to the place where she watched one man she loved die.

I found the flashback scenes interesting because the author referred to Nell as Nellie which softened her. Somehow this made her younger and more carefree. He also dropped enough hints to piece together where her memories end and delusions begin while weaving enough action into the plot to make you still want to read to the very last word.

Time to clean up some of my old posts, so here is one that never got posted because I never found a recipe to attach, so I shall post it as a solitary critique. Enjoy!

[BOOK] [RECIPE] The Black Pumpkin/Cookies

A dear friend invited me to participate in a spooky cookie bookie event. The idea is that we read a book a week, make a cookie that somehow goes along with the major theme of that piece, and share with the group. Recent events have convinced me that I will not be able to read a whole book each week and may barely be able to slap together a whole batch of cookies without becoming distracted. However, I can't resist the doing my best to join the fun. Since my reading backlog contains an anthology of spooky short stories, I decided to read at least one a week and find or create a recipe that loosely relates to the reading material.

Dean Koontz's The Black Pumpkin got me started on the path of reading and yum. Having read other works by this author, I know his writing to be solid though I am still wary of what content he might slip into the pages. I once read one of his novels that addressed disturbing topics that my innocent young mind still doesn't want to completely understand. While this short story also disturbed me, it featured the normal "bump in the night" kind of creepy as opposed to "mental illness" disturbing that still has me shuddering.

As this was a short story, I fear giving away too much. Thus I offer a few cryptic statements.  I would describe this piece as an allegory of the rottenness of a soul finally showing through the outer shell. It could also be called a cautionary tale about buying carved pumpkins from someone else instead of carving your own. Intrigued enough to give it a read?

Feel free to make some cookies to sweeten your reading as you dive in:



Blackened Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies

These were supposed to be spritz cookies (those uniform little shaped cookies that you whip out with a cookie press), but I had to take a break to feed my little pumpkin and putting the dough in the fridge made it uncooperative, so I altered my method slightly. It gave the cookies more of a terrifying misshapen look that goes well with the story.

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
cocoa
Nutella

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Cream butter in mixer for about three minutes.
3. Add sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Scrape sides of bowl a couple of times to fully incorporate the spices into the butter.
4. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and mix until fully blended.
5. Add flour and mix until dough forms.
6. This is where you can pop the dough into your cookie press and press out your perfectly shaped cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet. I scooped out 1 inch balls of dough and pressed them flat with a fork dipped in cocoa powder (just like you do to make traditional peanut butter cookies).
7. Bake the cookies for 6 to 8 minutes.
8. Allow to cool and fill two cookies with Nutella to make a yummy, dark-souled sandwich.

[REVIEW] American Taliban by Pearl Abraham

Reading American Taliban by Pearl Abraham confirmed suspicions that entered my mind as I grabbed it from the shelf. While her writing style was engaging, the content of this novel left me disappointed. Spoilers probably follow in the rest of my review, so be wary should you choose to read further.

The main character, John Jude Parish rides waves, skateboards, and lives off of his parents, who he refers to as Barbara and Bill. This last characteristic makes it hard for me to connect or sympathize with him. After an injury, he devotes himself to the studies had put off for his boarding interests. Almost instantly, he feels pulled toward the beliefs of some Muslims who befriend him. From there, he launches into a different world from the one in which he was raised, even traveling to Pakistan to immerse himself in the culture.

That's when the book took a couple turns that made me even less interested. Some characters in the book rationalized certain physical actions by saying that they are not forbidden by religious texts. While I have not studied the Muslim culture or read the Qu'ran, the events in question seemed out of context with everything I was ever told by Muslim friends. (I should point out that those who share my values about premarital romance may not want to read this book. I skimmed past the paragraphs that went into more detail--at least three that I recall. Was that cryptic enough? *blushes*)

Toward the end of the book, the author managed to lure me back into the story. She focused more on the heartache of Barbara and Bill. A mother's love can almost make you like an unlikable character but not quite. I did feel for Barbara though as she struggled with questions about who her son had become and where that had led him.

As far as structure of the book goes, I found the lack of quotes around pieces of dialogue a little off-putting. I am sure she meant to make a statement about how we train ourselves to expect certain things, but I do find dialogue easier to follow when each speaker's words are accented for me.

(This is where I should end it before I mistake myself for a guest lecturer on writing.)

[REVIEW] Ship of Theseus

Initially, I pulled this book from the shelf because it was shelved with books written by authors with last names starting with A, but the name on the spine read V. M. Straka.  I flipped through the pages and a pile of bonus features that had been tucked into a plastic pocket in the back of the book. Then, I put it down and started reading another book that I checked out at the same time...and another book...and another book....and another book. You get the idea.

I did a little research and found out that J.J. Abrams (sounds familiar) and Doug Dorst authored this novel. Those notes in the margins which horrified my book-loving heart are actually part of the book, giving the ADHD reader multiple plot lines to follow.

After reading all the way to the end, I feel like the book should have a guide for possible ways to read it. This may lead to SPOILERs, so you can stop reading now if you want (and pick up when the numbers stop but I fear spoilers live there as well):

1. I read each page as it came, including all the notes in the margin. If you want to try to read it chronologically, I suggest starting with the novel including the footnotes, then reading the black all capitals with blue cursive (first meetings on the page), then the orange and green (growing trust of the margin critiques), then the red and black (this seems to be after they meet in person), and black and black (they are sharing the same pen).
2. Since the book was borrowed from the library, I have no idea where the extra reading material which included some letters, many postcards, and a newspaper originally resided. I can't help but wonder if they were inserted in particular parts of the book. As I mentioned before, I read through them a while before I read the book. They made more sense after reading the book.
3. If I didn't have a huge backlog of books to be read, I would probably read through it again because I am sure I missed some nuances, but not the monkey. You can never miss the monkey. (See, I warned you about spoilers.)

My favorite plot clearly involves the monkey. A rough drawing of him even made its way into the margins. He adds a bit of whimsy at times and even creates some havoc along the way.

Of course, the main character of the novel is a mysterious man, who goes by "S" because he doesn't know anything about himself. As he pursues more knowledge about who he is, a mysterious woman appears time and again to haunt him. He continues to be torn by his desire to be reunited with her and a seemingly unrelated need to obey some unknown force or organization that sends him out on missions at each port. Even when it seems that he has escaped, some force always draws him back to the Ship of Theseus, which features a crew that offers him little comfort. In fact, due to a shared physical features, they probably just gave him nightmares.

Another struggle unfolds in the margins where two readers/scholars bond over the trials and tribulations faced by the mysterious "S", as well as other characters created by the equally mysterious Straka. Their own story takes a few thrilling twists and turns that they hint at in their margin conversations.

If my somewhat cryptic review has you asking questions, remember to look for this book under the name J. J. Abrams not V. M. Straka.

[REVIEW] [RECIPE] Esrever Doom

For those who love puns and humor, Piers Anthony delivers the giggles and wit that you seek. When I discovered one of his books at a yard sale over a decade ago, it entertained me completely, so when I saw Esrever Doom on display at the library, I grabbed it and raced to borrow it. (This insistence despite the two books I already had waiting for me at home.)

This novel features a mundane, much like you or me, who enters Xanth through a coma. Due to his dream qualities, he proves the perfect candidate for a quest. He must save Xanth from a strange curse that makes all the denizens of that unique realm see each other as the opposite of what they are. (In other words, I would be a tall, skinny elf who looks like she has never eaten to a cookie in her entire life.) An interesting assortment of characters get drawn into his quest, adding both color and intrigue. A zombie with renewed humanity, a couple interesting monster crossbreeds, and even a ghost join him for his adventures.

These interesting creatures also provide sexual innuendos that I don't remember from my previous delving into his writing. While he avoids graphic descriptions, I admit it takes me out of the story a little. Luckily, bad puns bring me back into a childlike state of mirth. I have to wonder how much time Mr. Anthony spends writing down puns and then figuring out how to insert them into the narrative. Every little pun adds to the story by providing supplies or tools for the questers while giving me a good laugh.

I aspire to develop such devotion to telling a good story. I need to make time in my schedule to read more novels that show me how to be a better writer...not to mention time to write. I know some of you are anxious for more [FICTION] and less [RANTING].

Cheery Pie

I shall make my own pun with a pie so delicious that it can cheer you up. Unfortunately, it doesn't grow on trees like the pies in the novel, so you have to put forth a little effort to get the benefit of its delightful flavor. You may want to add a little more sugar since I like tart pie to complement the scoop of eye scream I plop on top.

-2 pie crusts (enough crust to make one 2 crust pie)
-8 1/2 cups cherries, pitted and halved (or smaller if you prefer)
-1/3 cup cornstarch
-3/4 cup sugar
-1/4 cup lemon juice
-1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
-1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
-1 tbsp butter

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place one pie crust in pie pan and gently press into place.
3. Stir together cherries, cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg, and cinnamon over low heat in a thick-bottomed pan.
4. Allow cherry mixture to heat until it bubbles and juices begin to thicken. (You can skip steps 3 and 4, but I think the flavors mingle better this way.)
5. Pour into pie shell.
6. Cut butter into a few smaller pieces and place on filling.
7. Cover with second pie shell and gently press the two shells together. (You could also make a lattice work top crust if you have the time and patience.) Remember to make a few slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape and wrap the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or use a pie shield to keep them from burning.
8. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
9. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake an additional 40 minutes.
10. Allow to cool or you'll end up burning your tongue, which wouldn't cheer up any of the normal people.
11. Enjoy!

[REVIEW] Time Weaver by Shana Abe

I meant to post this in April, but my husband whisked me away to the high seas for a week and it threw off my groove. I can't complain though. Doesn't every woman want to be married to a pirate?

Or a dragon (drakon)?

Time Weaver by Shana Abe

Imagine if the hope of being able to fly lingered inside you, the ability to take the form of a winged serpent and conquer the skies. Imagine if that seed was not realized in you but in others of your kind. Then imagine that instead of flight you received a gift that can send you hurtling through time. This gift bestowed upon Honor Carlisle proves her blessing and her curse. This talent drew her back time and again to the same man, a prince among the enemies her people.

The story splits, twists, and turns to give the reader a peek into her psyche at every stage of her life. We see innocence driven away by love and loss, leaping through time to get hints of the end before the beginning has fully coalesced before us. The confusion that these leaps in time leave send us racing through to the next chapter, hoping to find answers. Shana Abe did wrap up the story in a way that made sense, but I feel there is much more to be told. Sadly, the local library only had this book in the series, so I shall have to move onto another book for next month. (But if you want to buy me other books in the series for Christmas in July, I won't be angry at you.)

Of course, one of the drawbacks to this book involved a song popping into my head every time I saw the cover. Guess which one.

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That's right: Gary Wright's "Dream Weaver". I can write a whole post connecting the two if I get ten requests (or even three), but I won't bore you with unsolicited insanity from my mind...not yet anyway.

[REVIEW] Collision by Jeff Abbott

Apparently in my hurry to make sure I posted this for Monday, I forgot to post it. No worries. The recipe is just as quick, easy, and delicious on days when you aren't wearing green.

During a lull in the storms, I ventured back to my local library. The second book on the shelf promised thrills, chills, and spills. It delivered. (I didn't actually spill anything, but some accidents happened in the book, so my rhyme stands.)

In Collision by Jeff Abbott, events throw characters together who are not as far removed from each other's lives as they think. A widower, a defense contractor, agents of various government organizations, terrorists, snipers, and innocent bystanders meet, reveal secrets, and even die. Promises are made and broken. Lives are ruined and left to be rebuilt outside of the watchful eye of the reader (unless there is a sequel...pause to research this...nope, but Jeff Abbott's website is quite helpful).

Abbott delivers excitement in quick little bites that make for a quick read. Each chapter reveals one more piece of the puzzle, making you keep turning the page in search of the next piece to bring clarity. (On a side note, the next book on the shelf is by the same author. Score for me, but I'll probably let you explore his further works by yourself unless you beg for another review.)

~~~

A couple of characters in the book were of Irish extraction and today is the day we celebrate leprechauns, so my recipe shall be my version of one I shared with friends at our green appreciation celebration on Saturday.

IRISH SODA BREAD

(Among other things, I keep forgetting to take picture. I also don't measure my seasonings, so you should use your own judgement if the amount seems off.)

1 cup buttermilk
1 pinch freeze-dried sweet basil
1 pinch freeze-dried parsley
1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Add the basil and parsley to the buttermilk and set it aside.
3. Gently mix together flours, salt, sugar, and baking soda.
4. Stir in buttermilk. (Dough should be slightly sticky.)
5. Sprinkle a little flour on the dough and gently form into 8 to 9 inch circle on a lightly greased baking sheet (or use parchment paper or silpat).
6. Make a cross across the top about 1/4 inch deep.
7. Bake for 20-35 minutes until dough is a light golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

[REVIEW] Graceland: A Novel

In order to keep my library card active not to mention my mind, I decided to begin checking out the books in the fiction section of my local library. I started with the very first book. Of course, I reserve the right to skip any book that has the appearance of a trashy romance novel. I may reject other novels that fail other as yet unspecified criteria.

My careful selection process landed the book Graceland: A Novel by Chris Abani. First, I should warn potential readers that I did skim past some sections that contained content that was a little too adult for me. While I am sure those scenes actually added to the story Abani tells, I found them disturbing.

The story follows a young man named Elvis as he struggles to survive in Lagos, Nigeria. Surrounded by characters with names such as Redemption, Sunday, Comfort, and Blessing, he needs all the promises offered by these names to survive in a harsh environment. Despite his own hardships, he finds time to help those around him.

The book, as a whole, made me realize again how much we take for granted. Most of us have more than enough to eat. We can find jobs if we look for them. Our families encourage us and help us to do our best. We don't look to a government that changes from military to civilian almost in the blink of an eye to guide us.

It also reminded me how important family can be. The main character clings to the scraps of memory he has of his mother to remind himself of who he is. He even intersperses recipes and information about indigenous plants between segments of the story.

After evaluating one of these recipes, I decided to make my own version. I didn't know what some of the ingredients were, so I substituted items. I also think I simplified the recipe by cutting out a step and using one less pan. I was surprised that my resulting meal was actually tasty, so feel free to give it a try.

SWEET POTATO SALMON SOUP (makes 2 servings)



3 tsp olive oil
1 frozen salmon burger (If you decide to use fresh fish, you may need to add salt.)
2 cups water
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
pinch of curry
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup frozen spinach
1/2 cup frozen chopped okra

1. Pour olive oil into medium saucepan. Heat. Add salmon burger. Allow to cook.
2. When fully cooked, cut into small pieces. Add the rest of the ingredients. Let come to a boil.
3. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Sweet potatoes should be slightly soft.
4. Spoon into bowl and enjoy.

[REVIEW] [RECIPE] Silver Borne

My last book of the season features werewolves, shapeshifters, and fae. With nanowrimo berating me for having too few words, I don't think I shall finish it by tonight, so I shall comment on the first two thirds of the book.

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs follows a cookie-baking, shapeshifting mechanic named Mercy, short for Mercedes. The author has carefully crafted her werewolf mythology but works on the assumption that people have read other books in the series, so I feel like I am playing catch-up. I wonder if readers of an ongoing series would appreciate optional prologues that sum up what they may have missed or forgotten from the previous books...

Anyway, as I unravel underlying facts about the world in which the characters live, I find myself more intrigued by the characters and more invested in seeing them survive the perils that plague them. Hopefully, the promise in the words I have read plays through to the end.

Keep reading, my friends.

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

I saw this recipe posted somewhere. I think my standard chocolate chip cookies are far better, but you can try it for yourself.

1 1/8 c whole wheat flour
1 1/8 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 c butter, softened
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c sugar
1 (3.4 oz) pkg instant vanilla pudding
2 eggs at room temp
1 tsp vanillla
2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine whole wheat flour, flour, and baking soda in small bowl. Set aside.
3. Cream butter until fluffy.
4. Add brown sugar and sugar and continue to beat until creamy.
5. Add the vanilla pudding mix.
6. Add eggs and vanilla, one at a time.
7. Add flour mixture and stir until fully incorporated.
8. Stir in chocolate chips.
9. Scoop out cookies onto silpat (or parchment paper) covered cookie sheets and bake for 11 minutes.
10. Allow to cool, if you can, and enjoy.

[REVIEW] [RECIPE] Shadow's Son

I read Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk for week two. This book has been hiding from me for a couple of years now, so I was pleased to uncover it when I went scouting for spooky books to read this month.

I actually met the author before I knew about the book. He visited the local Borders for a book signing and the leader of my writer's group encouraged us to come out and support a local author. I figured why not buy the book since I could get it autographed and brag to my friends that I knew him when...

Anyway, I bought the book and carefully placed it on my bookshelf to be read when I finished the book I was already reading. It was probably one of the "Wheel of Time" books, which means I had forgotten about my new acquisition when I reached the last page. When I remembered and went looking for it, it wasn't where I expected it to be. (Due to my lack of bookshelves, it somehow got squeezed between some books on French and other various languages.)

Now that you have a brief history of my disorganization, let's talk about the book. I shall try to avoid spoilers, but here goes:

The main character of this book, Caim, wraps himself in shadows of mystery to fulfill his job as an assassin. Other mysteries surround him that pull him in contradictory directions. He shifts between the shadows and the sunlight, I'll say to be cryptic and semi-poetic. True to my expectations, the book unveils worlds of intrigue. Despite being an outcast, low-born, and solitary, Caim proves to be central to many plots being woven by the people around him. Of course, his presence seems to bring lots of turmoil, which means lots of heart-racing action and plot twists to keep you reading...

The good news? The next two books in the series, Shadow's Lure and Shadow's Master, are already available (on Amazon), so you'll miss out on the annoying wait for answers if you buy all three of them at once. Or you can just start with the first one...

In the meantime, get in the mood to learn about the shadow's son by making something delicious:

Double Chocolate Shadow Cookies

(I found this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. These cookies are very similar to Thin Mints but not as crunchy. If you don't like mint in your chocolate, you can leave out the peppermint extract. You can also do half a batch with and half without, but you'll probably want to do the plain batch first and then add half the peppermint  extract suggested by the recipe since peppermint has great strength. I'd also sprinkle some crushed up peppermint candies over the mint ones to help tell them apart.)

Cookie:
1 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour

Shadow coating:
4 c semisweet chocolate chips (use 2 fresh, unopened bags)
1/4 c shortening
1/2 tsp peppermint extract

1. Beat butter until creamy.
2. Add sugar and blend together.
3. Add cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well-blended.
4. Add egg and stir until combined.
5. Add vanilla and mix.
6. Add flour slowly until combined. (I used my Kitchen Aid mixer, but if you are using a hand mixer, you may want to incorporate the last 1/2 cup by hand.)
7. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a log and wrap in cling wrap or wax paper.
8. Let chill in refrigerator until firm enough to slice (at least an hour).
9. When ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
10. Unwrap chilled dough and slice into 1/4 inch disks. Place disks about an inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
11. Bake 6 to 8 minutes. Edges should be firm.
12. Allow to cool on wire rack.
13. Open the bags of chocolate and resist the urge to eat them. Pour into microwavable bowl. Add shortening.
14. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir.
15. Repeat until chips are melted and smooth.
16. Add extract if desired and stir in completely.
17. Dip cookies into melted chocolate, gently scraping excess chocolate. You just want a thin coat.
18. Place coated cookies on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper. (Sprinkle peppermint candy pieces over the mint ones if desired.)
19. Place cookie sheets in fridge to allow coating to harden.
20. When coating has hardened, store in airtight container between layers of wax paper (if you and your lucky friends or family members don't devour them immediately).

[REVIEW] [RECIPE] Bones to Ashes

For the first book of the cookie bookie, I selected Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs. With "bones" in the title, I figured it passed the requirements for an October read. Luckily, a major theme of the book centered around a "ghost" from Temperance's past returning to reveal secrets.

Having read a few other books in this series, I was prepared for a completely different character than the one seen on Fox's Bones. If you choose to read the novels, treat them like an alternate universe. The literary Temperance possesses more warmth than our favorite television forensic anthropologist. Completely different characters surround her, particularly since she works in Quebec part of the year. This novel centers around numerous bodies that find their way to her attention. Though they are not all connected, some of the less-emphasized cases lead to information that solves the major case.

Since I majored in French (big shocking reveal), I also found amusement in reading through the lengthy bits of French she throws into her novels and then comparing them to the definitions and explanations that follow. She also shares information she came across during her research that sounds a little like history class but ultimately leads to a well-developed story. I don't want to say more since spoilers irritate me when I am about to embark on reading a mystery novel, so I shall move on to what's truly important:

Cookies!

As I started reading this novel, my mind reminded me of a delicious cookie bar I made once upon a time. These bars hail from Canada though not Quebec itself and they are quite addictive, so I figured I would go ahead and spoil myself. You should spoil yourself, too, but don't blame me when you end up in rehab.

NANAIMO BARS

Bottom Layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup sweetened or unsweetened coconut (shredded or flaked)
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans

Middle Layer:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 - 3 tablespoons milk or cream
2 tablespoons vanilla pudding powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

Top Layer:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Bottom Layer
1. Grease 9X9 inch baking dish.
2. Process coconut and walnuts or pecans in food processor until they are coarsely chopped. Mix with graham cracker crumbs. (If you are starting with whole graham crackers, this is a convenient way to crush them, too, but you might want to measure as you crush so you don't end up with too much dry concoction.)
3. Melt butter over low heat. When melted, add sugar and cocoa powder. Mix until combined.
4. Slowly whisk in egg until the mixture begins to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes. It is important to give the egg time to cook since these are no bake cookie bars.
5. Add vanilla and stir.
6. Add graham cracker mixture and stir until combined.
7. Press into the bottom of pan.

Middle Layer
8. Beat butter until smooth and creamy.
9. Beat in milk, pudding powder, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar until combined.
10. If the mixture remains too thick to spread, add a little more milk.
11. Spread over the bottom layer.
12. Let chill for 30 minutes.

Top Layer
13. Heat chocolate and butter in microwave safe dish for 30 seconds. Stir. Heat another 30 seconds if necessary. (If you use chocolate chips, use an unopened bag. Chips from an opened bag can have moisture in them that makes them uncooperative.)
14. Spread over the middle layer.
15. Chill for about 10 minutes.
16. Cut into small delicious squares.
17. Eat.
18. Enjoy.
19. Share with friends so you'll have someone to party with in rehab.