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Where you can purchase Wren Bay and Baking Book
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If you would like a signed bookplate, just send me a self-addressed envelope. Also please tell me who you would like me to sign the book plate to. Thank you
Storybook Woods
P O Box 288
Keyport, WA
98345-0288
Wren Bay reviews
Tarnished and Tattered Rosie's Ramblings
Homespun Living The Pleasures of Homemaking
Lazy Bee Farm Coffee, Tea, Books & Me
Lavender and Pearls Gracious Hospitality
The Blessed Hearth Life of the Unemployed
I have always loved vintage fashion. It is so feminine, pretty, lady-like. I love dress and heels with little cardigans. For the book signing, I wanted a 50's feeling outfit and was looking a vintage sweater clips. I looked and look and decided I did not want to pay $15.00 for one. In my usual rebellious, do-it-my-way attitude, I made my own. It was sooo easy and cheap (about $1.00).
All you need it alligator clips, a length of chain (an old necklace would work), jump rings, glue and old buttons or jewelry or some vintage finding. Really the sky's the limit.
Figure out the length of your chain you want and cut it. Attach the chain to a hole in the alligator clip with a jump ring. Then glue your button onto the front of the clip. That is it. Sooooo easy!!! Sweater clips are very trendy right now. With a pretty cardigan, it would make a perfect Christmas gift!!
I also want to give a thank you to my dear (sweet) friend Theresa and Art & Beth @ Glass of Many Colors Stained Glass Studio, for the beautiful glass wind chimes I won. I have to say, I did not know there was so many pretty types and colors of glass. I found it fascinating looking at them and they make such a beautiful sound. Thank you so much!!
It was a wonderful
book singing party full of
Laughter
Cakes
Seabold Hall
Me signing books
Wren Bay
Me signing
Fresh bay leaves for cooking for guest to take home
More signing
Vignettes
Signing
Treats
And signing!!!
Sorry for all the pictures of me but I did not think any if my friends would want their picture on my blog. I want to thank Mary, Linda and DiXymiss for the amazing photos they took for me!! And so many friends how helped me set up and take down. And just the general love and support for Wren Bay. It helps me to hear specifically what you love about Wren and if I write more, what character you want to know more about. The party was quite surreal and overwhelming for me but such a blessing. Thank you all who came, some even from another state, it means more than I can express. I hope you got enough to eat ;-)
Besides yummy cakes and tea, I created a wonderful punch. I wanted some kind of a spiced cider but cold. I came up with the idea of making a ginger/vanilla syrup and adding the syrup to the juices, then a bit of bubble water to cut the sweetness. It was really good enjoy!!
And now to announce the winner of Wren Bay is Tatting Chic, congratulations. I will e-mail you!! Thank you, thank you again for all your love and support. If you get Wren and deced to ever write a review, let me know and I will link it xoxo
Spiced Cider Punch
1/2 cup ginger vanilla syrup*
One 1/2 gallon jug apple cider
1 bottle of sparking cranberry cider
1 bottle bubble water
*Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean cut in half
1 thick slice of fresh ginger
In a sauce pan place all ingredients in a pan and let simmer on low 10 minutes. Set aside 1/2 hour to cool. Remove vanilla bean and ginger. Cut vanilla open and scrap out the beans into the syrup and mix together.
Punch
Mix the syrup, cider and cranberry juice. Taste and see if you like it and if it needs more syrup. Then add bubble water to your taste. I make the punch strong and sweet then add some bubble water to cut it. Enjoy
Yesterday I was looking for a dessert to sever with the roasted apple sauce (It is also in Wren Bay) I had just made. I love those pudding cakes where you make the batter and then pour the boiling water over them. The cake floats to the top and makes a sauce below. Well I found a maple version and it sounded perfect. I posted a link to the recipe on my facebook wall but when I went to make it I could see they were making the recipe wayyyyy harder than it needs to be. Sighh, I hate it when they do that. So I promised everyone on FB I would rewrite a simpler, healthier version of the cake. I figured I might as well share it with all of you. By the way I served the cake with the apple sauce and a dollop of greek yogurt on top. It was heaven xoxo
Maple Pudding Cake
1 ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose white flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ cup butter, half a stick
½ cup rapadura (which is a less refined sugar w/ a strong molasses taste) or brown sugar
½ cup buttermilk*
1 ½ cups water
½ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
Pre-heat oven 350˚F
In a sauce pan add water, syrup, vanilla and salt. Bring to a boil and set pan aside.
While water/syrup is heating, in a mixer cream together butter and rapadura. Add flour, baking soda and salt to butter and mix together. Last add buttermilk and mix. You should have a thick batter. Butter an 9x12 (or cake pan) baking dish. Spread batter on bottom of the pan. Pour hot water/syrup over the batter and set in oven for 30-40 minutes, until when the cake part is inserted with a skewer it comes out clean.
Let cake sit 5 minutes before serving.
*Cooking Trick
I was out of buttermilk and like touse a whole fat buttermilk. So I used heavy cream w/ a tsp. of cider vinegar. It worked great
Woohoo, this day is finally here.Thank goodness, akk!! Oh the book signing was amazing and I promise to share pictures, my spiced punch recipe and much more, when my brain is not mush. I was humbled beyond words by the love and support I and Wren received.
I want to share with you an image of what I think Wren looks like. As I wrote Wren Bay, this is who I saw in my mind, I am still tyring to pin down Devlin. I also had several songs I would listen to when I wrote. This is Wren and Devlin's song, You Picked Me by A Fine Frenzy. I have more songs and pictures I will share down the road. I think it makes the story more fun and helps create a little world. Which is what I want for you when you read Wren, a little mini-vacation.
I feel bad I can not sign books, so I came up with the idea I could make bookplate, sign them and send them to you. If you would like a bookplate, send me a self-addressed envelope to
Storybook Woods
P O Box 288
Keyport, WA
98345-0288
Just tell me who you want me to sign the book to. I would be thrilled to send you one. If I could include a slice of Wren's wedding cake too, I would ;-)
Here is some reviews that already have been written. Thank you so much for them and for all your support. Everyone of you have been so kind to me xoxo
PS, I have a feeling someone has written a review and I am missing it. If it is you, please let me know!!
imige by Amanda Pratt
Akkk, I am a little crazy getting ready for my book signing party. So here is some wonderful fall recipes (I wish I had thought of ;-) to enjoy. Remember to come back on Monday for Wren's coming out party. You can win a copy of Wren and there will be info.on how to get a signed bookplate.
I am off to ice 120 earl grey cookies {:-o xoxox
Pumpkin-Spiced Infused Vodka, great Christmas gift!!
October is when we have Apple Day. We do not have a specific day set aside, just a good, calm, happy fall day in October. A day where we are not rushed and can enjoy it. We tend to pick later in the month, becuase is gets darker earlier. Even though my daughters are teens, we still do apple day. You can read what we have done throughout the years here. Each year is a bit different but we always read how the apple got stars story. This year I think we will make Heather's gluten free apple cake (Heather I wish we could cook together!!) and some mini-caramel apples (brilliant Mari oxo) I am sure the girls will inform we what else we will do ;-P
So make sure you have an apple day. Even if you just light a candle and eat an apple. Just do something with your family to remember how blessed you are and to show your family you love them. It is days like this that make up the fabric of our lives (akk, that does sound like some commercial doesn't it?? Oh well you know what I mean :-P ) xoxo
This is my favorite kind of craft. Using something from nature in a whole new way. I am blessed to have at lest 6 different types of pine cones on my property. But I love these little fir cones. I thought for fall it would be fun to make jewelry. This was sooo easy just cones, glue and either a ring base or for a necklace I found a big button worked great. I just took some embroidery floss and string it through a hole and glued on the cones. The hardest part was holding the cones for 5 minutes or so, until the glue firmed up. This would be a wonderful project for children and great Christmas gift for them to make!!!
PS. Auberne` made the cutest toadstool ring from fimo!!
Hi. I wanted to share about Wren Bay's book signing party and her on-line coming out party.
First for anyone in the Seattle area (although I have a few people from OR and eastern WA coming) I am having a book signing/tea party October 16th on Bainbridge Island. Here is a link to a map. You can always email me for more info. There will be yummy treats from the book, candy-cane soaked chocolate cakes, earl gray cookies and Wren's wedding cake, a browned butter almond cake. All are welcome.
Also on October 18th is Wren's on-line coming out party. There will be a book give-away and information on getting a signed bookplate. For those who post about the give-away or write a review of Wren, I will enter your name twice. Just let me know. Thank you again for all your support xoxo
Good day everyone, I hope you are surviving this crazy weather. I wanted to write a thank you because the response to Wren Bay has been wonderful and overwhelming. I am getting the most supportive notes, her sales are great, some of you are even ordering multiple copies at Christmas gifts (one person ordered 12 copies, thank you xoxo). I am just humbled. Thank you so much. If you are on Facebook, I have created a Fans of Wren Bay page. Occasionally I will have info. about Wren and extras. For example last week, I share a way to bling up Mary's roasted apple sausages and rosemary potato recipe.
Also I wanted to share I have redone the cover on my baking book (long story). I was calling it my petite-magazine but now I do not think my original idea will work for me. I do have more books in mind. Actually have a craft/cooking book hand-n-hand I am working on. But we will see what I can get to. So I have renamed this book Storybook Woods Baking Book. I can assure you it is the same book you have ordered in the past just with a new front and back cover and a new name. I would hate for someone to order this, thinking it is something new, when they had the old one. Tomorrow I will have a bit more Wren news ot share but then I promise I will post about something that has NOTHING to do with WB, I promise xoxo
