Vegan Dessert: Intensely Chocolate Bundt Cake

This is the first dessert I've made from the recipe book, have your cake and vegan too by Kris Holechek. I bought the book in August and just today got around to picking a recipe and trying it out.

It is very tasty as is, but if I make it again I will test it before the called for 38 minutes, as I think it is slightly over-baked.  I might also remove the walnuts and double up the semi-sweet chocolate chips.  I mistakenly bought mini-chips but using them was easier than chopping regular size chips.  I reserved some of the chocolate syrup to pour over the first few slices.  I poked the heck out of the cake, but it just didn't absorb it very well.  It has a lovely texture, color, and aroma.  Hard to go wrong with chocolate, right?

Book Review: Mai Tai One On by Jill Marie Landis

Title: Mai Tai One On
Series: Tiki Goddess Mystery #1
Author: Jill Marie Landis
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Published: 07/01/2011
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books
Genre(s): Women's Fiction, Contemporary Mystery

DESCRIPTION

"Six months ago, if anyone would have told Em Johnson she'd end up divorced, broke, and running the dilapidated Tiki Goddess Bar on the magical North Shore of Kauai she would have told them to shove a swizzle stick up their okole.As if all that isn't bad enough, when an obnoxious neighbor with a grudge is found dead in the Goddess luau pit, suspicion falls on Em and the rest of the Goddess staff. With the help of a quirky dance troupe of over-the-hill Hula Maidens, Em and the cast of characters must ban together to find the killer and solve the mystery before the next pupu party. JILL MARIE LANDIS has written over twenty-five novels, which have earned awards and slots on such national bestseller lists as the USA TODAY Top 50 and the New York Times Best Sellers Plus. She is a seven-time finalist for Romance Writers of America's RITA Award in both Single Title and Contemporary Romance as well as a Golden Heart and RITA Award winner. She's written historical and contemporary romance as well as inspirational historical romance, and she is now penning The Tiki Goddess Mystery Series, which begins with MAI TAI ONE ON."

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MY THOUGHTS

I believe I was looking for a comical mystery in the league of the Stephanie Plum books. Although I feel it is not the same caliber of fun the Plum series is, it was good enough for me to finish. There were a few lines of dialogue that were cleverly "cute" and some of the characters were fairly genuine. Many were too over-the-top eccentric for my tastes, but others were likable enough. The mystery was on the light side, and an obviously unpleasant character turned out to be the murderer. So, not much of a whodunit. The Island culture and language felt like a friendly character making appearances throughout the book. All in all it was a cute bit of fluff and not a total bust.

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Gray Sky Morning

A Gray Sky Morning

Digital photograph of the Rappahannock River by Virginia Hill taken with a BlackBerry Style 9670 on 9/22/2011. Some Rights Reserved (please see Creative Commons License in the sidebar.)

Book Review: Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard

Title: Mr. Perfect

Series: Standalone
Author: Linda Howard
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Published: 08/09/2011
Publisher: Atria
Genre(s): Romantic Suspense 

DESCRIPTION 

"What would make the perfect man? That's the delicious topic that heats up the proceedings at a certain table of professional women at their favorite restaurant. What qualities would he have? Would he be tall, dark, and handsome? Caring and warmhearted—or would just muscular do? Jaine Bright and her three girlfriends start off with the basics: he'd be faithful and reliable, the responsible type, and have a great sense of humor.

But as the conversation picks up momentum, so do the quartet's requirements for Mr. Perfect as and they write down a tongue-in-cheek checklist that's both funny and racy. The next thing they know, the List, as it has come to be called, becomes an overnight sensation, spreading through their company like wildfire and grabbing the interest of local newspapers and television coverage. No one expected this avalanche of attention for something that began as a joke among friends. But the joke turns deadly serious when one of the four women is murdered...

The prime suspect in the case is the victim's boyfriend, who was one of a number of men who found the List sexist and offensive. An impenetrable alibi gets him off the hook, but a deadly stalker targets the three remaining friends. Now, with the help of Jaine's neighbor, an unpredictable police detective, the puzzle must be solved as the dream of Mr. Perfect becomes a chilling nightmare."

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MY THOUGHTS

Mr. Perfect is a little dated but still an excellent read with dynamic chemistry (verbal and physical) between the hero (Sam Donovan) and heroine (Jaine Bright). The friendship between the four women—Jaine, Luna, T.J. & Marcy, and the subsequent grieving felt absolutely genuine.

This book is probably the most well-rounded romantic/romantic suspense novel I have ever read. Linda Howard acquaints us with the characters at home, at work, at play, and while they experience a comprehensive range of emotions.

(Note: I read the paperback version in 2001 and 2005 and was thrilled when it was released as an eBook on August 9. This version I can keep!)

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Vegan Dessert: French Toast Muffins

From a recipe in The 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes by Kris Holechek these muffins are a maple and cinnamon delight.  I topped this first batch with the confectioner's sugar and cinnamon she suggested.  She also mentions a glaze of maple syrup and confectioner's sugar.  I definitely want to add some chopped walnuts the next time.  How yummy does that sound?