Weekend Tidbits {#7} What I've Baked Recently

I haven't done a Weekend Tidbits since last year, and I figured I might as well write up a short post since I want to talk about a recipe I tried out on Monday. I'll throw in some pictures below.

Since Monday was Memorial Day, I wanted to try out something I haven't done before as long as it wasn't too hard or time consuming. And I wasn’t finding what I was looking dormitory in my old stack of recipes—that's what the internet is for. I decided to try rough puff pastry again, since puff pastry takes so long to make from scratch. The first recipe I tried for rough puff pastry was at least a year ago and it turned out just alright. However, my internet search paid off, and I found another recipe that I ended up being happy with.

The pastry was light, flaky, and buttery, which is how it should be. It paired nicely with the left over strawberry pie filling I had sitting in my refrigerator.  I didn't do many changes since the recipe was already simple. I just cut the butter instead of grating it, and chilled the dough in the freezer to reduce the cooling time. You can check out the recipe here: Rough Puff Pastry. Suffice to say, I will definitely be making this pastry dough again.

My choice today is sugar cookie sleigh ride (the straggler tea left over from the holiday season). I'm trying to watch how much of this tea I drink, since it won't be available again till later this the year.

Weekend Tidbits {#6} Star Wars & Pumpkin Scones

You know, I just had to talk about the new Star Wars trailer released last Monday. (If you haven't seen it yet then CLICK HERE.) All I have to say is that this trailer has me excited for this movie because of the nostalgia, the feels, and the musical score for Star Wars by John Williams. December can't get here soon enough!

Anyway moving on. I've had scones before, but I've never tried pumpkin ones. And my question from this Musing Mondays post sort of inspired me to give them a try. I used this Recipe from Cooking Classy with the addition of walnuts and raisins plus a maple glaze instead of a pumpkin one. They were pretty simple to make with delicious results. Pictured to the left are how mine came out.

My choice of tea for today is peppermint.

 

{Links for Weekend Tidbits can be found on the Features Page.}

Weekend Tidbits {#5} The Sequel!

Wow, it has been some time since I did a Weekend Tidbit. So, as usual I'll talk about anything at all (Book, food/interesting news related) and at the very end I’ll name a place that I wish was a book setting and my choice of tea for the day. (Links for Weekend Tidbits can be found on the Features Page.)

On Monday August 10th, Kimberly Karalius and Swoon Reads announced the title and synopsis for her second novel, the sequel to Love Fortunes and Other Disasters. I'm really excited for it and can't wait to get a copy next year. You can check out the announcement post HERE 

About Love Charms and Other Catastrophes (Synopsis from Goodreads)...

Aspiring love charm maker Hijiri Kitamura is excited to be back in Grimbaud for her sophomore year-she's heard that several new love charm makers have set up shops in town, and she's eager to see if she can learn anything from them. Yet, the news of an upcoming charm making competition fills her with dread. Grimbaud has just started to recover from the tyranny of Zita's love fortunes and it would be too easy for the winning charm maker to step into Zita's shoes. The only solution is for Hijiri, with the support of her friends and fellow rebels, to win the contest herself.

Unfortunately, that's easier said than done, especially when Love itself has decided to meddle in Hijiri's life. Concerned that it's favorite charm maker has given up on finding a boyfriend of her own, Love takes matters into its own hands and delivers the perfect boyfriend to her in a gift-wrapped box...literally...

Don't forget to check out my review of the first book, Love Fortunes and Other Disasters, and my Interview with Kimberly Karalius.

Today's pick is Balboa Park, San Diego, California. This is one place I have been (the picture for my Goodreads account is one that I took). As usual, you can check out the Places I Wish Were Book Settings board over on Pinterest to see today's location.

My choice for today is Jasmine Green Tea, which is one of my favorite flavors.

Weekend Tidbits {#4} National Doughnut Day

When I originally thought of doing some kind of occasional weekend post, I already knew that it wasn’t going to be a weekly thing. It’s going to be, as I said above, occasional. All this post is about is the things I’m currently doing or maybe even look forward to. And at the very end I’ll name a place that I wish was a book setting and my choice of tea for the day. (Links for Weekend Tidbits can be found on the Features Page.)

Not much is really new besides the fact that I’ve done some baking, and I put together an interview that’s going to go up later in the month. Anyway, June 5th was National Doughnut day and instead of buying them, I decided to try a new recipe for making them. I have to say that I was really happy with the results—picture below. It was a vegan yeast doughnut made with coconut oil and coconut milk and I used the recipe from Spice Island Vegan, which you can view HERE 

It tasted as delicious as it looks, and it was just like a normal doughnut. Although, I did cut back on how long I chilled it, it still came out perfectly.

Today's location is Mostar, Bosnia. Its a beautiful city and I don't have anything else to say about it. Like always, you can see today's location on the Places I Wish Were Book Settings pinterest board.

My choice of tea for today is Gingerbread, not to be mistaken as just ginger. Its similar, but it's different enough.

Weekend Tidbits {#3}: That Time There Was A Humming Bird

When I originally thought of doing some kind of occasional weekend post, I already knew that it wasn’t going to be a weekly thing. It’s going to be, as I said above, occasional. All this post is about is the things I’m currently doing or maybe even look forward to. And at the very end I’ll name a place that I wish was a book setting and my choice of tea for the day. (Links for Weekend Tidbits can be found on the Features Page.)

I actually didn’t post a review last week, but I do have a couple that I want to finish writing this weekend. However, I did start the week out with a post about DNFing books which you can view HERE. I do have a book about cookies to read and review so I’m looking forward to trying out some of the recipes. Also, the giveaway to win a copy of The Wrath and The Dawn is still going. If you want to enter CLICK HERE

In other news, there is a humming bird nesting right outside the window of my house. I knew there was a nest there and I’ve seen the bird, but it wasn’t until yesterday that I finally got a picture of it actually in the nest. And it happened to be raining too. The left photo is farther out, but the bird is just below the middle of the picture. And the right one is a closer photo of the bird & the nest.

Today’s location is Gullfoss Waterfall, Iceland. Check out the Places I Wish Were Book Settings Pinterest board HERE to see today's place.

Today's choice is something that I haven't had in a while, and that is ginger. 

Weekend Tidbits {#2}: Review Copies, Homemade Things, & Waterfalls

When I originally thought of doing some kind of occasional weekend post, I already knew that it wasn’t going to be a weekly thing. It’s going to be, as I said above, occasional. All this post is about is the things I’m currently doing or maybe even look forward to. And at the very end I’ll name a place that I wish was a book setting and my choice of tea for the day.

Earlier this week I received two books for review. The first was Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science and the World by Rachel Swaby—a finished review copy from Blogging for Books. And the second was an eARC of A Book of Spirits and Thieves by Morgan Rhodes from Penguin First to Read. I decided to dive into Headstrong first, because occasionally I use nonfiction books as something like a palate cleanser in between so many works of fiction.

Another notable aspect of this past week is that I tried homemade peppermint patties made with coconut oil, and I have to say that I’m entirely a fan of them. The coconut oil was a bit expensive, but I did enjoy them. Here is the recipe that was used: Peppermint Patties.

My pick for the setting this week is Barron Gorge National Park in Queensland, Australia, specifically Barron Falls. I like the overall look of this location, and think it would make a great setting for a novel.

Today’s tea is Vanilla Chai.

Weekend Tidbits {#1}: Music, Movie Teaser Trailers, & Mint

When I originally thought of doing some kind of occasional weekend post, I already knew that it wasn’t going to be a weekly thing. It’s going to be, as I said above, occasional. All this post is about is the things I’m currently doing or maybe even look forward to. And at the very end I’ll name a place that I wish was a book setting and my choice of tea for the day.

So for this first post I’m going to talk about what I was doing last weekend. From Friday the 10th, all the way through Sunday the 12th, the music festival Coachella had a live broadcast on Youtube. I have to say that I genuinely enjoyed all of the music, and I got some reading in. I’ve discovered a lot of new artist that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise.  Needless to say, I've made a few purchases to add some of my new favorite songs to my playlist.

Visit Coachella’s youtube page HERE
You can find out more about Coachella on their website HERE

On another note, besides Coachella, the Star Wars the Force Awakens teaser trailer released on Thursday…oh my god, what can I even say about that? Well, it brings up a lot of memories and all I can really say is that I am looking forward to December.

You can check out that teaser trailer HERE

Grüner See (Green Lake) is a lake in Styria, Austria. I really do like this lake and I think it would make an interesting book setting.

It just seems like a mint kind of day. So Mint is my choice of tea for today.