A Baking and Books Post with Adrienne Mason

This Baking and Books post comes from Adrienne Mason, who is an awesome writer as well as the editor of Know: The Science Magazine for Curious Kids. 

Every Christmas we read Kevin Major's House of Wooden Santas. We love the wood carvings that are unveiled throughout the book and it's fun that you read a section of the story every night in December. It is the first book that comes out of the Christmas book box! But my absolute favourite is The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, written by Susan Wojciechowski and illustrated by P. J. Lynch. This book is beautifully illustrated and the story is so heart-warming. It makes me weepy almost every time I read it even though I know how it's going to end. I won't tell you much more than that. Run out and find yourself a copy! (For writers, this is a book that demonstrates the "show don't tell" technique of great writing.) 

There is food in The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, including gingersnaps. Here is our family's favourite gingersnap recipe. They are very yummy and easy to make. 

Adrienne's Gingersnaps

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon ginger

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

granulated sugar

Cream shortening, then add sugar, egg and molasses. Mix in flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Form teaspoonfuls of doug into round balls, roll in granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Have a great Christmas!

Adrienne http://www.knowmag.ca/

A Baking and Books Post from Helaine, Becker

A few years back I met Helaine Becker at a conference and she totally wowed me.  She's so much fun, and so are her books.  Just yesterday when I was browsing through the  bookstore with my Xmas list (yes, I'll be giving plenty of books for Xmas and I hope you will too) I came across A Porcupine in a Pine Tree which is a total hoot.   But Helaine has plenty more books to make you laugh.

When I asked her about recipes for my Baking and Books Posts, this is what Helaine had to say. "Mother Goose Unplucked is, I think, one of my “best” books – I love how all the very various ideas and activities in it all link together in a coherent, snarky way. There’s a lot of fun poked at Miss Goose, and her fairy tale friends! The recipes are a just a “Taste” of what’s in the book (I know, I’m terrible with puns, can’t resist them). Follow this link for Helaine's recipe. 

"My other favorite parts? The poem Smelly Smelly Cinderelly, and the comic strip, Old MacDonald’s Dog. "  As you can see, Helaine has the sure fired recipe for humor, so check her and her books out.