2011 National Read a Book Day Shana Burton’s Catt Chasin

Today, September 6, 2011 is National Read a Book Day. The holiday is designed to encourage us to take time from our busy lives and relax with a great book. This year we have selected Shana Burton’s Catt Chasin’(Urban Books) as our 2011 Read a Book Day Pick.

Why did we choose this book?

Catt Chasin’ the story of Jamal Ford. He has narrowed his love life down to a science through the creation of his 30-Day Dating Plan, a guide intended to weed out the drama queens, gold-diggers, and baby mamas from his ideal: a part goddess, part sex kitten, and part Stepford Wife mate. The shallow, fun-loving 33-year-old knows he’s one of Charlotte, North Carolina’s most eligible bachelors, and he won’t settle for anything less than the trophy wife of his dreams.Catherine “Catt” Cason has never let anything slow her down. The brilliant chemist takes being labeled “the cute fat girl” in stride as she fast-tracks her way to a top position with her cosmetic company, Telegenic. While she would enjoy the love of a good man, Catt refuses to risk heartbreak again just to have a warm body at her side. Besides, why settle for the love of an earthly man when she is the fiancée of Christ?

When Jamal is paired with Catt to launch a new product for work, it’s loathe at first sight. She thinks he’s arrogant and incompetent; he thinks she’s a sanctimonious kill-joy. However, what each believes they want may not be what God knows they need. In this game of love, rules don’t exist, and no heart is safe. The Lord is speaking, but will they be too caught up in their own agendas to listen?

Doesn’t the sound like fun?

We will be talking about the book all September and chatting with the author, Shana Burton, too.

Would you like to join us?

To join us is an easy three step process:

1. Join us all month long on Facebook by clicking here (http://on.fb.me/bookmonth).
2. If you do not own a copy, click here to purchase one (http://amzn.to/cattchase )
3. Share http://amzn.to/cattchase with your friends on Facebook or Twitter/

 

Once you’re done, please check in here. Our Goal is to get 50 readers reading Shana Burton Catt Chasin on September 6 and throughout the month. That’s not a Hard Goal. Right?!

Thanks for participating!

Elegant Memorial Day Cupcake

This weekend I’m still undecided on what kind of cupcake to make for Memorial Day. I’m leaning toward a vanilla cupcake with blue butter cream icing and a strawberry wedge. While I decide I wanted to share some beautiful cupcakes you can try for Memorial Day.

Above are Flag Cupcakes courtesy of BakedBree.com.

My daughter wants a BlueBerry Cupcake so bad. This one from Steph  Chows looks right up her alley.  Here’s the recipe.

 

Betty’s Cozy Corner used a Paula Deen cake mix to make these beauties. The recipe is here.

Share your Memorial Day Cupcake ideas here. I may change my mind.

Sneak Peak and Excerpt of A Good Excuse to Be Bad Cupcake

Thursday I finally turned in Someone Bad and Something Blue to my editor. I took Friday off to relax my brain and read. I hope you all will help me write Book 3 (will begin plotting next week.) However, this morning I learned that you could read a sneak peak of A Good Excuse to Be Bad. It releases next month, so I’m pinching myself every day. Would love for you to check out and tell me how you feel. Here’s the link: http://www.amazon.com/Good-Excuse-Be-Bad/dp/0758259506

Also, mirandaparker.com is a community site. I built it so that you could register share your stories, books, book clubs, whatever with me and others who like the stories I write and the things I like. So register, tell yourself something about me and let’s have a good excuse to get to know each other!!

Still waiting on some cupcake ideas for my A Good Excuse to Be Bad Cupcake. My book release party is in July, so put your thinking caps on.

 

Miranda P

Mother’s Day Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes by Dee Stewart

My recipe is a modification of Paula Deen’s Key Lime Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting.  I ditched the frosting for my own key lime cream cheese frosting and graham cracker crust lining the cupcake liner and on top of the cake before iced. My modifications are in blue. Also note I’m on a low sodium diet so if salt is your thing, add it. So here goes…

From Paula Deen:

Cake Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 heaping teaspoon grated key lime zest
• 1 1/2 tablespoons key lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (Swan Cake Flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (I substituted 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt)
• 1/4 olive oil
• 3 limes

Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients (Not Paula Deen/Basic)

• 12 graham crackers, finely ground (1 1/2 cups)
• 5 tablespoons, unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup sugar

Dee’s Key Lime Butter Cream Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

• 1 (8 ounce) package Philadelphia reduced fat cream cheese

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• 1 tablespoon lime zest (from the limes we used in batter)

• 4 -5 cups powdered sugar Dixie Crystal

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, key lime zest and juice and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 5 parts total, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold the coconut into the cupcake batter.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill each liner with 1/2 of the pie crust then fill almost to the top with batter. Use an ice cream scoop to load the batter into the muffin pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops begin to brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer cupcakes to a baking rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the frosting. 

Frosting Directions (Dee’s):

• Beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy with hand mixer

• Add in lime juice and zest.

• Mix in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time.

Before you add the frosting add the rest of the graham cracker crust to the muffin tops then pipe the frosting on top.  I use the Wilton icing piper kit.  You can slice the remaining two lines and wedge them on top of the key lime icing.

For those of you boozy cupcakes I’ll share that recipe later. There’s a trick to getting them drunk.

Dee

Mother’s Day Brunch: Crab & Asparagus Cupcake

This Crab & Asparagus Cupcake recipe came from Cupcake Project. I made them last week and we enjoyed them all week. I thought it would be great, if you’re hosting a Mother’s Day Brunch at your home.

The Recipe is on Paula Deen’s site here.

I’m thinking of doing a Cupcake Fest for Mother’s Day. My own Keylime Pie Cupcakes, these cupcakes, and something with sugar flowers, or pearls….what would you add?

Paula Deen’s Crab & Asparagus QUiche Breakfast Cupcake

I wasn’t going to make another thing this weekend until I stumbled upon these beauties from Paula Deen’s website. So…. Here’s the link to the recipe. I’ll be at Publix in the morning.

Chick Magnet & 2 Bite Butterflies for Easter Cupcakes

Happy Easter! We’ve been making Easter Baskets and baking up an Atlanta Storm. These cupcakes come from the same vanilla cupcake batter. The chick magnet cupcake is a standard size cc with a dollop of my keylime cream cheese icing with a yellow peep on top of the dollop. My younger sister isn’t a fan of icing, but loves cake. She was our muse for the Chick Magnet Cupcake

These 2 Bite Butterflies recipe was given to us by my friend Cathy. We decided to make 2 bites, because Easter is one of those holidays where you can lose a tooth, if you’re not careful. Our butterflies are made from yogurt covered pretzels (Krogers have then on sale for $1.99 a box) and pastel almond M & Ms. Same Key Lime Icing. We had to refrigerate these puppies. The size is a hit. My mom ate them with two bites. pretzel and M &M included. Really.

If you want to do these with your kids. I prefer homemade batter with Swan Cake Flower,  Clabber Girl, etc, but for sake of time sift Pillsbury Butter Cake Mix (Kroger has it for $1 this week). Sift very well. Very well. Follow directions, but mix  liquids first then add in dry mix one cup at a time. Add some Wesson Canola oil or olive oil to your batter  ala Paula Deen. Cupcake will melt in your mouth.

Enjoy!

Girlee and Mom