I'm in a slump of some sort

 

I've been struggling with ideas lately. This happens when I'm overwhelmed at work.  Or over stimulated. Or lazy. I fall into a slump that is sometimes hard to get out of. 

My plan is to write up a brief review for a couple of books I've read the past month.  I'm hoping this pushes me in the direction of reading the other two books in the series. The series consists of four books written by Alice Hoffman, written about the Owens women through the generations.  

As many of us did, I fell in love with Practical Magic the first time I saw the movie, so so many years ago. It is now a quasi Halloween tradition as we watch it every October.  When I learned there were books, I was beyond excited to read them.  

I’m trying to get back into reading like I used to, back when I loved to read and get lost in a fantasy world.  I’d gobble up a book (or two) in a weekend.  Then law school happened and I’d read a couple hundred pages a night to prepare for class the next day.  Law school legit killed my desire to read anything.  I graduated in 2014. I was able to read a whole book (after starting it at least 11 times) in 2018.  Since then, I’ve read many books and the Practical Magic series is my latest grab. 

It is said that you can read these books in any order, because they all tie into each other but do not require reading one before the other.  Chronologically, however, the books flow are as follows:

Magic Lessons, set in 1664 tells the story of Maria Owens. 

The Rules of Magic, set in the 1960-70s, tells the stories of Franny, Jet, and their brother, Vincent

Practical Magic, is set in [probably] the 80s-90s and tells the story of sisters Jilly (Gillian) and Sally.

The Book of Magic, takes place after Practical Magic, involves three generations of Owens Women, including Sally's daughter, Kylie and involves the death of one of my favorite characters. 

I have read the first two books, Magic Lessons and The Book of Magic.  I was preparing to read Practical Magic and my dog ate the book.  Legit ate the book:

Record your journey

I've created more books! 

Are you looking to expand your mind? Delve into deeper thoughts? Dip your toe into the world of witchcraft?  The occult? Goddesses and Deities? These books will record your journey.

Book of Knowledge: A lined Journal, Diary, Grimoire, Notebook  (coming soon in a larger size and in blank and dot grid options).  YAY!  

Behold the Book of Knowledge – a 120 page journey into the realm of whatever you make it. This Book of Knowledge is your blank canvas for whatever mystical mischief you fancy. Document your not-so-serious magical mishaps, create your own incantations, creative spells, potion experiments, and doodles that may or may not resemble sigils or mystical creatures. Whether you're a seasoned witch or a magical newbie, this journal is your canvas for conjuring dreams and curiosities, your magical confidant. Flip it open, let the inner you flow, and may your spells be potent and your adventures enchanting.

Lilith Sigil: A blank Journal/Diary, Grimoire, Book of Knowledge, Notebook currently available in paperback and hard copy. (coming soon in a larger size and in lined or dot grid options). 

Lilith, a rebel, feminist, fiercely independent, a goddess, the original she-demon, not just Adam's first wife.  The Lilith book of magic helps you dive into your deeper self.  Lilith holds little something for everyone. Add your own instructions for spells, charms, or invocations. Write down your thoughts, feelings, wants and desires. Include recipes and instructions for divination. It is known by many names: book of spells, book of knowledge, magick/magic book, or simply a spell book, book of shadows, and of course Grimoire. Whatever you call it, it is yours to become whatever you you desire it to be.

• Record your dreams and thoughts and your feelings; Draw, doodle, track spells, recipes, and outcomes.
• Write your spells, charms, rituals.
• Draw your tarot layouts
• Create your sigils
• Each journal includes two pages of basic symbols/sigils and related information
  

Journals, Notebooks, Diaries - blank, lined, & dots for your thoughts

I've created several journals, notebook, diaries, burn books, whatever you want to call them.  They're fun and sassy and easy on the eyes.  Some are easily portable at 6" x 9", and others are 8" x 10". There are paper back and hard cover. I'm working on getting several updated so there is a blank, lined, or dot grid styles, available in both paperback and hard copy, as well as both sizes.  In the meantime, the following are ready for order:

 Thoughts and Pears (6"x9", paperback)

 

Hopes + Screams: A dumping ground for those thoughts that can't be hashtagged  (6"x9", paperback)

 

Corn I tell you something? (6"x9", paperback)

 

 

 

Bullet Journals. These come in paperback or hard copy. 

                                 

Bullet Journal (Pink) Paperback

Bullet Journal (Blue) Paperback

Bullet Journal (Pink) Hard Copy

Bullet Journal (Blue) Hard Copy

I also made an activity book.  Filled with word searches, mazes, Sudoku, tic tac toe, letter tiles, and a few other brain games. It's available in paperback and the it's currently on sale as a Kindle edition.   

  Oh look! Another Activity Book - paperback | Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

Feel free to shop around and please, follow my author page to get new release updates, and promotional or special offers.  Thanks as always for your support. 

 

Make you're own vanilla extract

Making your own vanilla extract is not difficult but it does take a minute.  Or 264,960 minutes if you're counting.

Need: 

Patience
About six months

Preferably two 8 ounce jar(s) with a tight lid(s)

12 to 16 vanilla beans/pods*

Vodka*

 

*good vodka. good beans/pods.

 

By good I mean not the cheapest out there. For my extract, I use Tito's or Five Wives (a local Utah brand). 

 

By good beans/pods, I also mean not the cheapest out there. There are Grade A and Grade B beans/pods and my understanding is that the Grade A are longer in size.  Grade B are slightly cheaper (and apparently recommended for making extract).  I have used both Grade A and B and do not have a preference. 

 

I have heard that the Madagascar Organic Vanilla and Tahitian Vanilla beans/pods are good. Both are Grade A. I haven't tried Tahitian.  I suggest trying a couple different kinds of beans/pods.  Maybe you can tell a difference in taste/quality, but honestly, I cannot. Me palate is not refined. I used a Grade B Madagascar Vanilla Bean from Amazon for my current batch and it's as good as any I've tried.  I get my vanilla on Amazon because it's better than what I can find at local grocers, and often slightly cheaper online.  Plus, I don't have to leave my house. #Winning

 

To begin, you want to wipe your vanilla beans with a damp paper towel to clean them. Make a slit down the side of the beans (you don't need to cut in half but it won't hurt them). Basically you're just opening them up to expose the vodka to the vanilla.  If any of the bean guts come out, just scrape them into your jar. The guts are the good stuff.

Add 6 to 8 beans (about 1/2 to 3/4 ounce/15g to 21g) to a clean, dry jar.  Cover the beans with 8 ounces of vodka. You can fold or cut the beans in half if they're too tall to be completely submerged.  Close tightly and give a good shake.  

Put the jar in the back of your cupboard or some other dark place where it will sit until you remember it again. The jar needs to be out of direct sunlight. 

Give your jar a vigorous shake every 6 weeks or so.  I usually shake mine on the first day of the month when I change my calendar (because the jar is in the same cupboard where the calendar hangs).  Set a reminder on your phone or just don't worry about it. But it'll be better vodka if you give it a shake routinely.  

Now the patience part. You need to let your vodka sit for AT LEAST six months before you use it.  The longer it sits, the better it tastes.  Some people say you can use the extract after two months. I believe those people are wrong. 

 

I suggest making two jars at once so you've always got a jar in use, and a jar brewing. During the holidays, we will easily use a whole 8 ounce jar so it's good to always have a spare. Especially when you're waiting months for it to be ready.  

 

Plus, I promise once you make your own vanilla extract and let it age 6 months to a year (the longer, the better), you'll never use store bought again.  It really is that good and your food tastes better for it. And you know exactly what's in it. 

Pecan Pie Cheesecake

 The marriage you've all been waiting for:

   

THE Pecan Pie Cheesecake.

I've also made this for a friend who is lactose intolerant using vegan cream cheese, dairy free sour cream, and vegan butter. NOTE: You must add more sugar to the cheesecake because something about missing lactose resulted in a less sweet cheesecake. I added an extra 1/3 cup sugar and that solved the issue. 

INGREDIENTS

Crust:
1 3/4 cup Ginger snaps
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup butter (melted)

Pie Filling:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup dark corn syrup
1/3 cup butter
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cup pecans (chopped but not fine)
1 tablespoon bourbon (or vanilla extract)

Cheesecake:
3 eight ounce pkgs cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350° Place oven racks so one is at the very bottom of the oven, and the next one as close to middle as you can get it. This will make sense later.

Begin with the crust: Add cookies to a food processor or blender and pulverize them into the consistency of sand. Add crumbs to a bowl and mix in sugar. Then add the melted butter. Mix well and transfer to a lined springform pan (NOTE: you can add parchment paper to only the bottom of your pan and grease the sides, or you can line the whole pan. It’s purely a matter of preference. Press the crumb mix into the bottom and sides of the pan (about halfway to the top).

Place crust in the oven on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes at 350°. Remove from oven and set aside.

Next make the pecan pie: Add the sugar, syrup, butter, pecans and bourbon into the pan. Mix in the beaten eggs. Make sure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed BEFORE you add heat. Otherwise you’ll end up with scrambled eggs. Once everything is mixed add heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down heat to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes. Trust me on this.

Remove from heat and pour the mixture into the crust and set aside.

Finally, you make the cheesecake: First, reduce the oven temp to 325°

Using your kitchen aid or electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until it is a creamy texture. Slowly add sugar and flour. When that is completely mixed, add the eggs one at a time, beating just enough to mix the egg. Next, stir or fold in (by hand) the sour cream and bourbon until completely mixed. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the pecan pie filling.

Bake in the oven for one hour. After one hour, turn off the oven (do not open the oven door). Just turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake there for another hour.

After hour two, remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a knife around the edges (if you didn’t line the edges of the pan. Cook the cheesecake for at least 30 minutes but overnight is better because the flavors have time to set and develop.

NOTES:

1. The bourbon. The alcohol will cook out. I routinely use bourbon in recipes calling for Vanilla extract if I’m out. I don’t find bourbon changes the taste of the recipe.

2. Bake your cheesecake on a cookie sheet. I do this for two reasons: spills and a barrier between the heat and the bottom of the cake pan.

3. Be aware of your altitude. I notice things take longer to boil/cook at a higher altitude.

4. Instead of a water bath I place a 3 quart casserole dish on the bottom rack of the oven and I fill it with hot water. It stays in the oven until you remove the cheesecake. I don’t do the full water bath method  because it never works for me. I’ve had the water leak into the custard/cheesecake and that my friends will ruin a day. And maybe cause tears if it’s already 3am and you’re still baking for the big holiday dinner tomorrow. Hypothetically.

The purpose of a water bath is to avoid cracks in the cheesecake and to allow for a more even bake. My cheesecakes do not crack. They’re creamy and delicious. And they’ve never baked unevenly.

5. I use a gas oven on convection bake. I have had electric ovens and non-convection ovens and the only thing to you need to know is whether your oven cooks hotter/faster than what a recipe normally calls for, and adjusting for that. Your cheesecake may still be jiggly when you remove it from the oven. That doesn’t mean it’s not done. You cannot check it with a toothpick, so just check the jiggle. If it jiggles everywhere, cook it a little longer. Only the middle should still have some jiggle.

You can also check with a thermometer in the dead center of your cheesecake. If the temp is between 150° and 160° it should be done. You’ll have a small hole in the top, but that’s not end of the world once you cut it. Or put a nut there. Whatever works.

6. Finally, this cheesecake does not need a garnish in my opinion, but if you’d like one that won’t give you diabetes (I’m looking at you Dulce De Leche) I've got a great Bourbon sauce:

Bourbon Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons Bourbon

Melt butter, sugar and heavy cream over low heat. Stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and SLOWLY add the bourbon. Stir completely. Serve warm. (You can make this without the heavy cream it is just a little runnier).

PS: This recipe makes a HUGE but shallow cheesecake (10” springform pan) or a thicker cheesecake in a 9" springform pan. BUT you can cut the recipe in half without loosing flavor/consistency. I do that and make one smaller cheesecake (6” springform pan), or two small cheesecakes (4” springform pan). I make a full batch, using the 4” pans to give away at Christmas. I can get 4 small cheesecakes from a full batch.

PPS: This cheesecake freezes well. I've eaten it after freezing for about 3 weeks and it was still delicious.

Images from https://stock.adobe.com