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Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life
AUTHORBUZZ: Discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win: Goto: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader
Dear Reader,
My husband and I are vacationing in the Smoky Mountains in Bryson City. We visited Bryson City three years ago and loved it. So we're looking forward to a delightful repeat performance, but we will be making one change this time. Our new vacation rule: no sprinkling bird seed on the deck of the vacation home we're staying in. Birds and cute little squirrels accepted our lunch invitation, but so did a huge black bear! A bear on the deck, only two feet away--once was enough for me.
Author Eileen Button has graciously offered to fill in for me today. Her book, The Waiting Place: Learning to Appreciate Life's Little Delays, is an essay collection that uncovers the beauty and humor hiding in life's dusty corners. She is also a weekly columnist for The Flint Journal.
You'll love her tasty column today and be sure to drop her a line. Eileen answers all of her mail, and she is giving away three copies of her book to readers.
Take it away, Eileen...
I made Suzanne's Skunk Beans before I knew they were called Skunk Beans.
My recipe, which is almost the same as Suzanne's (plus or minus a few slices of bacon--ahem!), was called Awesome Beans until Suzanne came along and edited the recipe from afar.
Today, my mind automatically corrects my "Awesome Beans" recipe to read "Skunk Beans" whenever I make them. Although we've never spent time in one another's kitchens, I think of Suzanne whenever I combine the ingredients. I wonder how she's feeling, what she's reading, and who might next receive her famous chocolate chip cookies.
I think this speaks to the power of books, especially memoir. Their stories connect us because all stories are shared stories, uniting us with those we may never meet but treasure nonetheless.
In honor of that connection, I'm sharing one of my favorite recipes for Apple Crack, which was given to me by one of my closest friends. Twelve years ago, Sarah was the first person to welcome my family to our new town, presenting us with the best lasagna I'd ever tasted.
Within weeks I invited her to make applesauce with me in my rented country kitchen. Although we barely knew one another, we spent six hours peeling, coring, chopping, boiling, seasoning, jarring, and processing two bushels of apples. By the end of that day, we were sticky from the fruit, our hair hanging limp and sweaty in our glazed-over eyes. And we were hoarse from talking.
"I think I hate you," I joked.
"I think I hate you, too," she joked back.
It was a friendship made in heaven.
Since then, Sarah and I have shared our stories, along with our love of books and expensive coffee. We've also shared a good many recipes, Apple Crack being among the best. She originally called it "Swedish Apple Pie," but we both agree that "Apple Crack" is more appropriate because of its highly addictive qualities.
(Note to readers: you've been warned.)
Today, Sarah and I are separated by almost 400 miles, a fact that still hurts my heart. Even so, all I need to do is combine Apple Crack's simple ingredients and she is instantly by my side. Friendship, especially when built on a mutual love for food and stories, never dies.
Apple Crack *
6-8 large apples
1 t. cinnamon
1 T sugar
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 sticks butter
2 eggs
1 dash salt
Peel, core, and slice apples and place in the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Thoroughly mix together the rest of the ingredients. (This is easiest done with your hands, but you didn't hear that from me.) Once mixed, batter will look (and feel) like cookie dough. Spread batter on top of apples. Bake at 375-degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Taste and be amazed!
* This recipe is best savored with friends.--Eileen Button
To enter the drawing for a copy of Eileen's book, The Waiting Place: Learning to Appreciate Life's Little Delays, send Eileen an email and finish the sentence, "I am waiting for ____________."
Send your email to Eileen at [email protected]
Eileen is an adjunct professor, a mom of three, a gardener, and a java junkie, Eileen's website is: www.eileenbutton.com
KIDSBUZZ: Email an author, sign up for their giveaway, and learn about great books for kids and teens about kids questions about themselves, a birthday surprise, and free will and destiny from Robie H. Harris, WHO HAS WHAT: All About Girls' Bodies and Boys' Bodies; Trout Fishing in America, CHICKEN JOE FORGETS SOMETHING IMPORTANT; and Amy Kathleen Ryan, GLOW. For a chance to win free books, meet this week's authors and more, goto:
http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz
* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE REAL STORY OF AH-Q AND OTHER TALES OF CHINA by Lu Xun. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/September11Classics
AUTHORBUZZ: THE RONIN'S MISTRESS by Laura Joh Rowland
A fresh take on the legend of the 47 ronin, a famous true story from Japanese history. In 1703, the 47 masterless samurai kill the man they blame for their lord's death. Investigator Sano Ichiro braves a firestorm of controversy while he solves the mysteries surrounding the murder. Why did the ronin wait two years for revenge? The truth about the vendetta hinges on the ronin leader's beautiful young mistress, and cuts straight to the heart of the samurai code of honor.
Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader Click on THE RONIN'S MISTRESS to read more. Author Laura Joh Rowland would love to hear from you.
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