Edible Crafts » Book Reviews

GIVEAWAY! Sugarlicious Cookbook and a Supercute Prize Pack

meaghan mountford — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:53:58 +0000

Yes, I put myself on my own book blog tour! Because I wanted to include all of you. Without this fabulous gig and every one of you, dear readers, I might not have delved so deeply past my cookie decorating background into so many other cute and clever treats.

And if you haven’t heard the news, then where have you been? I talk about it way too much. I published a book and it’s on shelves this week. It’s called Sugarlicious. It’s all about decorating cookies, marshmallows, cupcakes, cakes, cake pops, petits fours and candy clay. You can read all about it HERE.

I’m giving away a copy of Sugarlicious AND this supercute Prize Pack my superawesome publisher created. It includes a Sugarlicious apron, oven mitt, spatula, recipe booklet, and Post-Its, all for you.

This is a quick giveaway, a giveaway blitz as it were, since I have to hurry along to the next stop on the blog tour. So act fast! But if you miss it, click HERE to see the other stops on the tour. And CLICK HERE to enter the Sugarlicious giveaway hosted by CraftGossip that goes all month long.

THE GIVEAWAY

Awesome Sweets from Awesome Ladies

meaghan mountford — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:58:30 +0000

I’ve been neglecting posting all morning here because I’ve been swamped writing up my own huge, long post over at my other blog. Because the bestest bloggers ever threw me a surprise virtual book release party today! My book, Sugarlicious, hits the shelves today, and this is what these ladies did for me. I cried all morning. I’ll be back posting tonight when the craziness ebbs. In the meantime, here are a bunch of links for you:

melting snowman cake by Kathia of Pink Little Cake

doughnut cookies by Sue of Munchkin Munchies

“marshmallow” cake pops by Katrina of In Katrina’s Kitchen

hee hee, mixed tape cookies by Jenn of Clever Girl

froggy cuppies straight from the book by Trisha of Sweetology

a whole book signing scene!! in pink! by Paula of the Vanilla Bean Baker

my teddy bear loves me cake by Loren of the Baking Sheet

Thank you ladies!!! I love you all.

And by the way, have you SEEN THIS GIVEAWAY!!!

The wonderful and supportive team behind Craft Gossip is giving away FIVE copies of Sugarlicious. WORLDWIDE! Find the giveaway details HERE.

Coming Soon… Push-up Pops

meaghan mountford — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:05:33 +0000

With all these great books by bloggers coming out, I need to clear some more space on shelves. Just when you thought there was no new clever sweet left to decorate, the push pop came about. And Courtney of Pizzazzerie is clearly the master of push pops ideas. Her book, Push-Up Pops, is available for pre-order and will be on shelves March 1.

Amy Atlas’s Sweet Designs Book Cover Revealed

meaghan mountford — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:33:41 +0000

Seems such a dramatic title for this post, but really, book covers revealed feel just that dramatic. Because while I can refrain from such assumptions metaphorically-speaking, I really do judge books by their cover. Much thought goes into designing a book cover so it captures the essence of what’s inside, precisely so the reader can judge a book by its cover. But enough yakking from me, check out the cover and find links to preorder Sweet Designs: Bake It, Craft It, Style It HERE at Amy Atlas’s blog.

Tube of Cookies and Sugarlicious Sneak Peek Giveaway

meaghan mountford — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:17:26 +0000

Yikes, I almost forgot to tell all of you that I’m hosting another giveaway over at my other blog. I’m giving three winners a sneak peek booklet of my new book, Sugarlicious (out next month) that my publisher cooked up and some swirly decorated cookies that I cooked up. For all the details and to enter, CLICK HERE.

(This is a giveaway over at the decorated cookie, not here, so you MUST enter over there. Any comments left here aren’t entered in the giveaway.)

Sneak Peek of Sugarlicious

meaghan mountford — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:54:22 +0000

I have a warning for my most loyal readers (first, thank you for your loyalty). You will find much Sugarlicious talk interspersed in my posts in the upcoming month. What’s Sugarlicious, you ask? Why, Sugarlicious is my new book, on shelves February 7th, which you can pre-order now.

My publisher has created all kinds of fantastic Sugarlicious prizes, and each week on my other blog, I’ll be giving something away. And don’t worry, most loyal readers, there will be some very cool giveaways here, too, in the near future. I’m starting small, though, and giving away a sneak peek of my book, a 16-page booklet with a glimpse inside. Enter HERE.

GIVEAWAY!! Sweets on a Stick Cookbook AND a $50 Gift Card

meaghan mountford — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:55:28 +0000

UPDATE: Congratulations to Suzze! Her comment was randomly drawn to win the cookbook and gift card. Woo hoo to Suzze, and thank you all for participating!

I don’t think I could even count the number of times I’ve gone bonkers over the genius of sweets on sticks here. So now, to have a whole book devoted just to sweets on sticks? Almost too good to be true. Linda Vandermeer has created just that. You may have already spotted her clever creations at her blog, Bubble and Sweet. Well, now she has a cookbook: Sweets on a Stick.

Linda is kind enough to give one lucky reader not only a copy of Sweets on a Stick, but a $50 gift card to KitchenKrafts so you can buy the supplies to get started in the kitchen. Lucky you!! Scroll to the end of this post for details on entering.

THE GIVEAWAY

To enter to win a copy of

Sweets on a Stick and

a $50 credit to KitchenKrafts,

The Holiday Issue of Bird’s Party Magazine

meaghan mountford — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 03:03:58 +0000

I can’t help it. I keep going back to the latest holiday issue of Bird’s Party magazine. It’s filled with a ridiculous amount of detail, definitely a must-read for inspiration if you’re hosting any sort of holiday party this year. Each stunning set of ideas commits fully to a specific feel, color, and warmth, whether classic red and white Christmas, ski lodge cozy, sparkly Baroque, or vibrant Lunar New Year…. You’ll find ideas for holidays, birthdays (the Snow White birthday! Adorable!), DIY, and even a gift guide. OK, I’m going to stop yakking about it and let you check it out:

Buy a paper copy HERE and read it for free online HERE.

GIVEAWAY!!! Where Women Cook: Celebrate!

meaghan mountford — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:09:39 +0000

UPDATE: Congratulations to Anjali! Her comment (lucky number “2″!) was drawn randomly to win. Thank you all for participating!! Be sure to check out our Giveaways for more chances to win great things.

Male chefs so often dominate the restaurant world, I relish examples of strong women celebrated for their kitchen expertise.

Where Women Cook: Celebrate! Extraordinary Women and Their Signature Recipes, by Jo Packham and The Publishers of Somerset Studio, published by Lark in 2011, features over 60 recipes from “28 top food bloggers, chefs, cookbook authors, and kitchen creatives.” While there are infinite ways to celebrate any cause, food is always central to the event. Where Women Cook: Celebrate! tells the stories of these gatherings created by extraordinary women. Where Women Cook magazine editor-in-chief, Jo Packham, reminds us to “Read their stories, make their food, enjoy their parties… it will bring you such joy!”

Host a Sunday jazz brunch with Orianne Consentino, throw a 4th of July party with Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond, throw a cake pop party with Angie Dudley, aka bakerella, host a green baby shower with Ashley English, or just “Feed the Soul” with recipes from Orangette’s Molly Wizenberg. The book is filled with recipes, stories, and photographs that capture not just the food, but the people and places behind the food. Read more about this charming book HERE at Lark Crafts.

the GIVEAWAY!!!

For a chance to win a copy of Where Women Cook: Celebrate!

Leave a comment here before Wednesday, midnight November 16, EST.

Winner will be randomly chosen.

US addresses only please!

Winner has 48 hours to respond after being notified before another winner is drawn.

GIVEAWAY!!! Ultimate Cookies Cookbook AND a Fancy Flours Cookie Decorating Kit!!

meaghan mountford — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:05:59 +0000

I’m excited for you for this one, folks, because this giveaway is even bigger than my usual. This time you get not only Ultimate Cookies, a super duper awesome cookbook filled with the most exquisitely crafted decorated cookies you’ll ever see, but you also get an accompanying Thanksgiving-themed cookie decorating kit, courtesy of Fancy Flours.

I just wrapped up another Ultimate Cookies giveaway at my other blog, and I’ll give you the same review (that is, rave) here. Ultimate Cookies is author Julia Usher‘s answer to the pleas for cookie decorating help from fans of her first book, the popular Cookie Swap: Creative Treats to Share Throughout the Year. Published by Gibbs-Smith the book is filled with Julia’s flawlessly decorated cookies, showcased beautifully by photographer Steve Adams. Ultimate Cookies is for all those who share Usher’s passion for baking and patience for creating stunning edible art.

The book offers ample guidance and instruction with step-by-step photographs and detailed information on tools, tips, and techniques. You’ll learn to prepare dough and icing, to make parchment pastry cones, to pipe icing and develop different cookie decorating skills, and even to emboss cookies and to decorate in 3-D with fondant and marzipan. You’ll find recipes for sugar cookies, shortbread, gingerbread, royal icing, macarons, meringues, tuiles, Italian buttercream, ganache, and more.

You’ll learn to craft jewelry from cookies, make cookie versions of spaghetti and meatballs or eggs and bacon, make caterpillars and butterflies and snakes and dinosaurs, and find jaw-dropping cookies for occasions throughout the year. Get a glimpse inside the book HERE, and view the (way cool) trailer HERE.

But wait, there’s more!!! The winner of Ultimate Cookies ALSO gets this fabulous “Turkey in the Straw” cookie decorating kit from Fancy Flours. The kit includes 3-D cookie cutters, all the food coloring you need, and instructions.

THE GIVEAWAY!!!

Leave a comment to this post before Tuesday, November 8, midnight EST for a chance to win Ultimate Cookies AND the Fancy Flours turkey cookie decorating kit.

Winner drawn randomly.

US ADDRESSES ONLY for this one, please.

Winner has 48 hours to respond after being notified before another winner is drawn.

GIVEAWAY!!! Autographed copy of Cake Ladies AND a Matching APRON!!

meaghan mountford — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:49:08 +0000

UPDATE: And we have a winner! Congratulations to Linda! Her comment was randomly drawn to win the prize. Thank you to all for participating.

I loved reading all the yummy goods you bake, from traditional carrot cake, angel food, chocolate, red velvet, rum, banana, strawberry, and coconut cakes, to some I’ve gotta try, like hummingbird cake, a strawberry JellO cake with French Vanilla pudding icing, maple nut chiffon cake, caramel cake and the Manly Man cake (with bacon!). And grandma made quite an appearance, as many have beloved recipes passed along through the generations.

Yay! Not only do I get to giveaway a copy of Cake Ladies: Celebrating a Southern Tradition, but I get to giveaway an autographed copy AND a hand-screen apron to match! Thank you to Lark Crafts!

In Cake Ladies, Jodi Rhoden features 17 women who claim the title, “Cake Lady,” or those sparks of joy who provide the sweets for all of life’s big occasions and moments. I find it simply divine to have a tangible, give-able, bake-able, delectable expression of love: Cake. If only every town in the world could mimic the Southern tradition and have a designated “Cake Lady,” wouldn’t this world be such a sweet place? Author Jodi Rhoden detects a resurgence of the Southern baking tradition, a “new generation of cake ladies is evolving–bakers, chefs, shop owners, and bloggers all following in the footsteps of their foremothers through hard work, commitment, and delicious cakes.” Rhoden, a Cake Lady herself and fascinated by the lineage of women bakers and their stories, traveled the back roads of the South to find them.

The stories and words of the cake ladies, the photographs of not just delectable desserts, but of the people and places, add a richness and depth not often found in cookbooks. Make fresh coconut cake with Marietta, Georgia’s Mary Moon, a cake lady so beloved, the Mayor gave her her own day for her diligence in “providing City Hall employees with beautiful cakes”; visit Celo, North Carolina to make carrot cake with Lisa Goldstein, a cake lady who doubles as a midwife; or make Gullah Dirty Cake (because the dark chocolate reminded the creator’s family of dirt) with Dye Scott-Rhodan of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; and The Cupcake Fairies of New Orleans, Michele Burton Oatis and Melissa Woods, make vegan red velvet cupcakes. After suffering devastating losses from Hurricane Katrina, the sister team crafted new lives and began baking cupcakes.

Read an interview with the author HERE at the publisher’s site, Lark Crafts. And visit Rhoden’s blog, My Life in Cake. For a snippet of what it’s like to step inside the book, check out THIS POST.

GIVEAWAY!!!

For a chance to win an autographed copy of Cake Ladies and a matching apron…

Leave a comment here telling me your favorite cake to bake (or just eat)

before Wednesday, November 2, midnight, EST.

One winner will be randomly drawn.

Book ships directly from publisher, so US addresses only!

Winner has 48 hours to respond after being notified before another winner is drawn.

GIVEAWAY!!! They Draw and Cook, The Book!

meaghan mountford — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:11:59 +0000

UPDATE: And we have our winners!! Congratulations to Karen and Sandy. Their comments were randomly drawn by random.org to win a copy of They Draw and Cook (and yes, I get to ship one internationally, so the worldwide contest had a beneficiary!)

I first mentioned the site, They Draw and Cook, way back in May 2010. (See? I even said it was “my new favorite site.”) For those of you still unfamiliar, aiming to “turn food into art and art into food,” the brother and sister team, Nate Padavick and Salli Swindell, created They Draw and Cook, a website devoted to “Recipes Illustrated by Artists from Around the World.” I believe the site has been crucial in reviving the trend of visual depictions of recipes with art. I dare you to check out the site and not keep scrolling and scrolling through the illustrated recipes.

Their new book compiles the best of the blog, over a 100 illustrations, including recipes suited for breakfast through dinner, dessert, snacks, drinks and beyond. Some funny, some serious, some wry, some sophisticated, some simple, some elaborate, some by professional artists, some by everyday doodlers… you’ll find a fascinating range in this beautifully constructed book.

Visit They Draw and Cook HERE to find recipes, submit your own, and learn more. And check out the book, They Draw in Cook, published by Weldon Owen, October 2011. Click the pictures shown to find the original posts on the blog.

And now….

THE GIVEAWAY!!!

I have TWO (2!) COPIES to giveaway!

Just leave a comment to this post before Friday, October 28, midnight EST.

Two winners will be randomly drawn.

Because I’m mailing these myself–eek–I’ll take comments worldwide.

(How nice of me. But gosh, hope I don’t have to ship to Bora Bora.)

Each winner has 48 hours to respond after being notified before another winner is drawn.

CakeSpy…The Book…Thursday

meaghan mountford — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:44:15 +0000

CakeSpy. Know her. Love her. Buy the book. Thursday is the big day! If you’re in Seattle (lucky you), you can even celebrate with CakeSpy at her shop in Capitol Hill. Find the details HERE.

…

Pastry Paris, the Book

meaghan mountford — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:59:37 +0000

Any long-term readers out there remember waaaay back when (2 years ago) I posted about this fantastic video by Susan Hochbaum who photographed pastries “on location” with their visual counterparts in Paris? Well, she ran off to Paris for a year and captured Paris and its lookalike pastry in photographs for a whole book. Can you even imagine having such a year? Sigh. Check out the site HERE and find the book HERE.

Book GIVEAWAY!!! Everything Alice

meaghan mountford — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:40:37 +0000

Everything Alice is a darling collection of 50 craft projects to make, bake and decorate, inspired by the fantasic world of Alice in Wonderland. Silly party games, Wonderland lore and Tenniel illustrations interspersed throughout the step-by-step how-tos add even more charm to the book. While ideal for the Alice enthusiast or for one planning an Alice in Wonderland party, each project and recipe is also unique and clever enough to stand alone for a sprinkle of magic in everyday life.

I believe authors Hannah Read-Baldrey and Christine Leech may have written Everything Alice just for me. I have a fond connection with Alice in Wonderland, having spent a not-so-small portion of my graduate research on the tale (and on the inattention in academia to the presence of the fantastic sublime within the nonsense-ridden story, but I digress). I even searched in a meadow for Alice’s rabbit hole when I studied a bit of English Literature at Oxford (really). When the authors describe their trip to visit the mid-19th century Oxford of Charles Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll, I was brought back to the same place immediately, not only through their account, but through the quirky design of the book and whimsical, natural settings for the crafts.

A sampling of the crafts, recipes and party decor include a hand-sewn stuffed rabbit, a Cheshire Cat mask, a Humpty Dumpty door stop, playing card bunting, a Wonderland mobile, giant rose lights for your yard, shadow puppets, teacup candles, fabric-covered teapots and furniture, a vintage cake stand, a teapot cozy and an assortment of Mad Hatter hats. Sweet and savories include Lavender lemonade and elderflower and rhubarb cordials, topiary cupcakes, Chesire Cat sandwiches with sandwich toppers included, Wonderland decorated cookies with make your own cutter instructions, and gorgeous Duchess macarons.

For more, visit Everything Alice at www.everythingalice.co.uk. I’m so excited to own this book, and one of you can, too.

THE GIVEAWAY!!!

Leave a comment to this post before Friday, September 9, midnight, EST.

One randomly-drawn winner will receive a copy of Everything Alice.

Details: Winner has 48 hours to respond after being notified before another winner is drawn.

US address only please.

UPDATE: If you left more than one comment (innocently, like a smiley face), and you notice it missing, I had to delete second and third comments. The winner is drawn randomly from the total comments, so I can only allow one comment per person for fairness. But I read them all!

NOTE: For all international commenters with complaints, please note I read your comments but could not approve them. As the winner is drawn randomly, it is not fair to include ineligible comments in the total. Please understand that shipping restrictions are purely to control costs for the publishers, who are already generous to offer giveaways. They are NOT slights against other countries!