http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/12/in-which-i-test-posterous.html

I'm testing http://posterous.com out, as a way of posting to Blogger from my phone, using email. So this is a test posting...

I'm attaching the "mass market" paperback cover for Fragile Things, which will be released in the US in February. It shows someone who looks like me with jam, or dreams, or ideas, squidging out of a book and all over him.

I finished a short story - technically, I suppose, a novelette, as it's 10,000 words - that I've been working on for much of the year. For most of that time, even through to the end of the first draft, a couple of weeks ago, I was convinced it was never going to work, would be a stunted, crippled little thing that was doomed to disappoint me. I knew it was missing something. What that something was occurred to me last week, exhausted after a yoga session in Boston, as my mind blanked, and later I wrote two short paragraphs in my notebook. Those paragraphs percolated and began to breathe, and I put them in and the story shifted, subtly, around them. The second draft took wing, and I found I was clear enough in my mind about what the story was that taking out things that weren't part of the story and putting in things that were was now easy, and the more I did it the better the story got, and now I'm happier with it than I've been with anything I've written for well over a year. It's called "The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains..." and it is not exactly a happy story.

Right...

Dear Neil,

Patrick Rothfuss is making the world a better place in a very tangible way with his charity run Worldbuilders 2009. (http://www.patrickrothfuss.com/blog/2009/12/worldbuilders-2009.html) My sphere of influence in this world is rather small, but you could, just by mentioning it in your blog, raise a lot of awareness and thus help a Very Good Cause. It would mean a lot to me, and no doubt a helluva lot more to Pat and the people that receive Heifer's help. Many thanks and much love,

a fan of Wonderful People,
Gaetan Verhegge

Consider it plugged enthusiastically. I sent Patrick a signed copy of the incredibly beautiful STARDUST Advanced Reader's Copy when he did this last year, and it got to him a little late, so he has that along with many other amazing and beautiful books to give to people who donate. Check it out.

Hi Neil,

Consider it spread.

Hmm. Okay. I'll email this in, now. Not sure how I can do the blogger labels, though. Let's see if it works.

Posted via email from Neil's posterous

Salty, poofy, chewy, and delicious.


These are amazing dipped in mustard. And even better with a nice cold pint.

( Recipe under here! )


I also think this would be a fun baking activity to involve kids in if you happen to have any around! Kids are really good at making dough ropes. :)

See more at The Cast-Iron Darling!

Cinnamon Buns with Cream Cheese Icing

These cinnamon buns made my entire house smell great.

Recipe can be at my blog.

This is a dutch speciality that we make around the 5th of december, to celebrate 'Sinterklaas' which is a lot like Santa Claus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas).

We have a Sinterklaas party at my work tomorrow and I baked so called 'gevulde speculaas' which is speculaas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculaas) filled with almond paste (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond_paste). I made one (well actually 4) in the shape of my companies logo...:)


( Read more... )

Hello all you wonderful bakebakebakers. I need some help!

A couple of years ago I met this girl who made these AMAZING cookies. I've googled and googled but I can't seem to find anything like the recipe--because this one was her own.

It's pretty basic so please don't laugh at me if the answer is right under my nose!

They were made of rice crispy, marshmallows, and peanuts but they were NOT rice crispy treats OR peanut butter balls or anything of that sort. They were very much like cookies, easy to make, and DELICIOUS. I plan on making them for Christmas so if any of you have a clue what I'm talking about I would be so, so grateful. Thanks in advance!

Kicking off my 12 days of cookies with these lovelies!
More at my blog HERE

( Read more... )

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/12/chilly-and-statuesque.html

Ah, I think, for a blog post I really need more than "Coraline has just garnered ten Annie Award Nominations, more than any other animated film". (Variety) (Congratulations to Henry Selick, to Travis Knight, Dawn French, Shane Prigmore, Shannon Tindle, Bruno Coulais, Christopher Appelhans, Tadahiro Uesugi, Chris Butler, and the whole Laika and Focus crew.) But I am feeling extraordinarily blank.

The weather just got cold, and dog-walking tonight was less fun than it should have been; I wore gloves, and solitary crystalline flecks of snow spun into the light of my flashlight-beam and vanished again into the dark. I took Maddy and her friend Anna-Rose to violin tonight, and yesterday I carried the beautiful E. H. Shepard ink-drawing I got myself to celebrate the award in to the framers to be framed. I'm concerned that we should have insulated the beehives by now.

This was a recipe for banana bread I nabbed from somewhere I can't recall, but I decided it's way more cake-like so I frosted it.. and what goes best on banana-chocolate cake? Well, banana-chocolate frosting! Obviously!


( more photos and recipe )

YUM.

these were so good!

( 1 more picture + recipe )

Okay, here's the deal. I'm having a cookie exchange at my place on Saturday. The thing is, though, is that all of my friends consider me to be a really good baker, so I want my cookie to knock their socks off. I know this is all due to pride, but I can't decide what to make!

My request to you: ONLY your very, very best cookie recipes. Something that really wows people. In other words, something that will cause all my friends to rant and rave over and thus stroke my ego. :D

Thanks!!!

I am very new to knitting, and have thus far made scarves, ties, and hats. Lots of hats. But it's getting colder, and I really want to try mittens! Apparently this pattern is easy, but I don't know how to do the thumb. So if anyone could help, I would really appreciate it! The more thorough, the better.

:D

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/easy-mittens-pattern

Hello!

I've just posted something about muffins but this is completely different: do you have any recipe for the best pie crust ever? The one you WANT to eat by itself and the one you WANT to lick the plate for. I have a feeling the crust needs a flavour for that - vanilla extract? Cinnamon? Please do share your ideas, I baked a pumpkin pie yesterday, the pie was good but the crust was very forgettable, I want a recipe I can use for a pie and freeze for many other pies.

Many thanks!

Heavy cream, egg yolks and sugar. Does it get any simpler than this?

( Clink! )

Everyone has their version of this cookie – from ingredients to name to shape, but the base is an almost shortbread-like cookie with finely ground nuts in the dough and then rolled in powdered sugar. And these are no different. My mom uses pecans and other than that, these are some of the easiest cookies ever. The only messy part is rolling them in powdered sugar, but hey – that’s a fun mess, right?

Tons more pics and info at my blog, jonesing for... ( Recipe behind the cut... )

This week sir_rosealot and I made a cake for a Christmas party. It was originally going to feature the ghost of Jacob Marley approaching Scrooge's house, but we found that sugarpaste people are very susceptible to the effects of gravity. Jacob kept getting squatter and fatter and more conical looking. It was a cake for a Sci-fi society, so we just decided to go with it.

( It's all edible! )

My sister is pregs so I want to make her a baby blanket. I found this article which says the best size for a swaddling blanket is 34"-36" square. I have two colors of Jo-Ann Sensations yarn that my wife isn't using anymore and I want to try the Royal Quilting stitch. I'm planning to knit up a square on US11 needles with this yarn. I know plenty of people with babies so I've spent some time around them, but I've never had a kid of my own and never had to take care of one so I have some questions about this plan.

1. Is one square yard about the right size for a baby blanket?
2. Is a blanket made with this yarn going to be too hot for a baby?

Actually I guess those are my only questions. Thanks!

Hi!

Does anyone have a delicious recipe for snowball cookies? I just got a huge craving for them!

I have a research project to finish up this week for school and it involves Bosnian food. One of the dishes I have decided to make is baklava. While trying to find a good recipe for this I have come across the fact that Bosnian/Serbian baklava is slightly different from what most of the 'normal' recipes are. So does anyone have any recipes for me that are specifically Bosnian/Serbian/Balkan baklava?

I considered this one but the reviews right on the page are making me reconsider.