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Food and Fiction baking, books, cake, contemporary fiction, food, recipe, romance, young adult

Food and Fiction: Simon Vs. the Oreo Cake

Olivia 4 Comments March 19, 2018

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda | Chocolate Oreo Cake

In Becky Albertalli’s novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, the main character Simon is obsessed with Oreos. It is his favorite snack and he loves to talk about them with his crush, Blue. So when I decided to make an Oreo Cake, I had to relate it back to this heartwarming novel. More

Book Reviews baking, baking recipe, books, contemporary, contemporary fiction, food, pumpkin, realistic fiction, recipe, romance, young adult

Food and Fiction: Levi’s Pumpkin Scones

Olivia 0 Comment November 22, 2016

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell | Pumpkin Scones

Inspired by a character in Fangirl, I decided to create pumpkin scones relating to the time Levi made a pumpkin flavored drink for Cath in the story. Instead of making the drink itself, I decided to take the inspiration of the pumpkin flavor to create a pumpkin scone that I believe Levi would be a big fan of.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan…

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words… And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

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Food and Fiction baking, books, fantasy, food, historical fiction, magic, recipe, six of crows, young adult

Food and Fiction: Nina’s Waffles

Olivia 4 Comments September 19, 2016

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo | Buttermilk Waffles

Leigh Bardugo is one of my top five favorite YA authors, so, when she released Six of Crows, I completely fell in love with the gritty story she created in the Grisha world. I connected with each character she introduced and loved how utterly badass they all were in their own ways throughout the story. I just knew I had to make a Food and Fiction post inspired by Six of Crows AKA one of my favorite new releases in 2015. I even asked Leigh Bardugo, on Twitter, what food I should make to reflect her character Nina Zenik, and she said waffles! Thus ensued me making delicious buttermilk waffles in the name of Bardugo’s fierce female character, Nina Zenik.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

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My thoughts

Six of Crows is a fantasy version of Ocean’s Eleven where a motley group of characters have to band together in order to pull off a seemingly impossible heist. It’s full of action, intrigue, diverse characters, and witty banter that you will not get enough of. Set in the fantastical Grisha world, Leigh weaves a tale of friendship and adventure in a dark setting that you won’t ever want to leave. This book will leave you spell bound and make you feel as if you are apart of Kaz’s crew with the way each character is so relateable. I adore this novel and cannot rave enough about it’s flawlessness.

TO SEE MY FULL REVIEW CLICK HERE

Food and Fiction baking, books, dessert, fantasy, food, magic, recipe, romance, young adult

Food and Fiction: Throne of Brownies

Olivia 5 Comments August 28, 2016

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas | Chocolate Mousse Brownies

I adore mousse and brownies. So when I found a recipe on Tumblr, mixing both of the desserts together, I knew I had to create this recipe. The moment I began baking this dessert I immediately began imagining Celaena Sardothien, from the Throne of Glass series, enjoying this yummy dessert because she has a major sweet tooth. She loves her yummy foods and this recipe was the perfect one to match the epic series that she is in.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king’s council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her … but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead … quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

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Food and Fiction baking, books, cupcakes, fantasy, food, harry potter, hogwarts house, magic, ravenclaw, recipe, young adult

Food and Fiction: Ravenclaw Cupcakes

Olivia 7 Comments July 28, 2016

Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling | Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

I adore anything that has to do with Harry Potter, so I decided to make a series of Food and Fiction centered around all four of the Hogwarts Houses (Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff)! The first house I wanted to create a dessert for was Ravenclaw because that is my Hogwarts House! Each house represents different personality traits, and Ravenclaw stands for intelligence, wit, wisdom, creativity, originality, and individuality.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling

Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy. He lives with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley, who are mean to him and make him sleep in a cupboard under the stairs. (Dudley, however, has two bedrooms, one to sleep in and one for all his toys and games.) Then Harry starts receiving mysterious letters and his life is changed forever. He is whisked away by a beetle-eyed giant of a man and enrolled at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The reason: Harry Potter is a wizard! The first book in the “Harry Potter” series makes the perfect introduction to the world of Hogwarts.

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My thoughts

I only recently read the entire Harry Potter series, when I found out that I was going to the Wizarding World in Orlando a few years ago, and I absolutely adore it. I can’t believe it took me such a long time to read this series, but I am so glad that I finally picked it up. The entire world that JK Rowling created within those seven novels entrapped me and made me wish that Harry Potter was real and that I could attend Hogwarts. I adore this series so much and I love how this series reminds me of cozy autumn nights cuddled under blankets.

Food and Fiction baking, books, fantasy, food, recipe, romance, young adult

Food and Fiction: Simon Snow’s Cinnamon Rolls

Olivia 0 Comment July 1, 2016

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Carry On | Bacon Maple Cinnamon Rolls

In Rainbow Rowell’s novel, Carry On, the protagonist, Simon Snow, is described to smell like bacon and cinnamon rolls. Immediately when I read that description, I knew I had to create a dessert inspired by this quirky novel in honor of Simon Snow. And thus bacon maple cinnamon rolls were made.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story — but far, far more monsters.

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My Thoughts:

Carry On is one of my most favorite books that I read in 2015. It was so whimsical, funny, magical, and exciting to read. Although it is a length novel, I sped right through the story of a clumsy Simon Snow trying to save the world while also falling for his arch-nemesis. This story had such unique characters and a gripping fantastical plot line that I did not expect Rainwbow Rowell to deliver so nicely. If you haven’t read Carry On, please do because it is such a lighthearted read that will warm your heart. More

Food and Fiction baking, books, contemporary fiction, recipe, romance, young adult

Food and Fiction: Lara Jean’s Snickerdoodles

Olivia 2 Comments May 12, 2016

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before | Snickerdoodles

In Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Lara Jean always makes snickerdoodles for her younger sister in order to make her happy. They both love to bake together and reading about them making cookies is the cutest thing ever!

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

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My thoughts

This book is the fluffiest and nicest contemporary novel. It is such a relaxing and funny read and I couldn’t get enough of it once I started it. Lara Jean and her sisters have the nicest relationship that I’ve read in a YA novel. I highly recommend it to YA contemporary lovers, especially younger readers who are just diving into YA.