This Year in Reading (A Slow First Quarter)

I'm participating in the Goodreads reading challenge, which I've done for the past two years. I set my goal this year for thirty books, in line with my past results (2013 I read thirty-one books, 2014 I read forty-one). For 2015, I am already way behind schedule (five books behind, according to the helpful widget on my Goodreads profile.) According to my stats, at this point last year I had read eight books, and by this time the year before I had read five books. So far this year I've only finished two, but am almost done a third.

This year I've read:

Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower #5), 925 pages

Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower #6), 544 pages

The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower #7), 1050 pages, of which I've read 700 pages (so far).

So it's not that I haven't been reading, it's that the books I'm reading are super long, and I'm so into the Dark Tower series, that I kinda don't want it to end.

But I have to finish it! Not only do I want to know what happens, but a new book came off hold at the library (that still has multiple holds on it) and I have to read it within three weeks as books that have holds can't be renewed. I am so close to the end of the Dark Tower that I don't want to put it down to start something new...I just have to finish it so I can start something new. So I'm going to end this blog post and clock some time with Roland Deschain as he completes his quest for the Dark Tower, and I complete my quest of finishing this book series.

Viral Video That Made Me Laugh

I'm not really here today, so here is a viral video that made me giggle and clap my hands. I have a soft spot for Tom Hanks and Tom Hanks movies. I also really love well executed live performance skits with lots of changes. This was a lot of fun to watch.

Afternoon Treats From Ciboulette Et Cie #FoodPicFriday

I met some friends in Midland last week for some late afternoon beverages and treats. We went to Ciboulette Et Cie, which has a wide choice of in-house baked goods to try. This was only my second visit to Ciboulette (I posted about my first visit here), and I have to say I love their food. Plus I always wanted to try a homemade marshmallow (see below) and they had a few on display to choose from.

My friend Jen ordered a chai latte and a single-serving Baileys cheesecake. She commented that the latte was the best one she'd ever had.

Up close Baileys cheesecake. (The Baileys is an Irish cream flavour).

My friend Bobby got a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. It was as big as a small plate, so you know it was good.

I ordered a mint tea (with local mint, apparently), and a homemade mint marshmallow that was dipped in dark chocolate.

The marshmallow was awkward to eat (it was really big!), but don't worry, I managed. I might even try making them at home sometime. Especially love the chocolate dip. Nice touch.

The Cat and The Cupcakes

Gary has a strong love of sweets. She loves caramel corn, banana bread, muffins, and pancakes, to name just a few. I don't let her have these treats because (a) they're mine, and (b) she doesn't brush her teeth. I have never known a cat to like so many baked goods, and I have a theory that she is actually after the butter contained in them. This week she was very interested in buttercream frosting.

As I frosted my Mint Chocolate Swirl Cupcakes, Gary was sitting close by, eyeing any potential for the buttercream to become hers.

She does this adorable thing where she puts one paw on the table, a clear indicator of her intention, but also a sign of self control, as she holds herself back from getting entirely on the table (she knows she is not allowed on the table). But just her paw? Just a paw is fine, right?

Mint Chocolate Swirl Cupcakes

I was craving mint and chocolate so I made some chocolate cupcakes and swirled chocolate and peppermint buttercream for the decoration. I'd heard about the technique a few years ago, but never tried it because it requires three piping bags, and I don't usually have that many on hand. I got an 8-pack of them for Christmas, so now was a great time to give them a go.

I did a Youtube search and found a quick video that shows the basics of how to swirl the icing.

I made a small batch of butter cream frosting and divided it into two bowls, so I could make one half chocolate and the other mint. For the chocolate I added cocoa powder and vanilla, and for the mint I added green food colouring and peppermint extract. I ended up with about a cup of each flavour. The best part about making two kinds of icing is that there are twice as many beaters/bowls/and spoons to lick. I highly recommend swirl cupcakes for this bonus alone.

I put each colour in a piping bag and tied an elastic around the top.

Then I cut off the tips of the piping bags, and placed them side by side in a third piping bag, with a coupler and a 1M tip.

Then I just decorated like normal and got a very fun result.

The mint and the chocolate were amazing in swirl form. One bite was minty chocolate, another bite was chocolatey mint. Really fantastic. I would definitely try the swirl method again and am already thinking about fun flavour/colour combos for next time.