Here's a BREW - for you and You and YOU!

Portland is known for its micro beers but this weekend the city will be overRUN with athletes wanting to take the challenge and run the course at the Bridge to Brews! There's a reason this city is lovingly referred to as BridgeCity. We have about 10 of them and this week we'll be mixing bridges with brews...to create a week-long festival.

And that's not all. The entire week is going to be a BrewFest fiesta!

Portland will host the Craft Beer Conference and BrewExpo in Portland. Just click on this link to find the public events, which will include brewery tours, imbibing tours and bottle releases.

All this will take place in Portland the week of April 14-17...I guess they take Monday off. 

So, if you want to run, just come and test your talents on the bridges of Portland and then celebrate with a brew ;D 'cuz here's to you and You and YOU!

Easter Minions - Mwha-ha-ha

It's super simple to make some "devilishly" fun Easter Eggs with these little minions.

First you simply boil the eggs and then dry them off. I used food coloring and added a little white vinegar to help the color set. (I hate buying special food coloring packages...but the colors MIGHT be a little more vibrant if you do).

Then I started dipping.

When one side was blue, I dipped the egg into yellow.

That was the most work. Then I set them up so they could dry.

I had to find perches because I didn't want the drips to discolor the eggs.

Then I pulled out my hot glue gun and glued on some googly eyes.

After that I simply drew little patterns on the "faces"

And WAH-LAH Minions for Easter. And believe me, they are so fun to eat ;D

Mwha-ha-ha!

Beyond Romance: Three Reasons to Read a Viking Romance:

Beyond Romance: Three Reasons to Read a Viking Romance:: By Kim Kasch (Guest Blogger) Want three reasons to read a Viking romance? 1) Ragnar; 2) Lagertha; and, 3) Rollo But s...

Excerpt from The Viking Princess with Coffee Time Romance

If you're looking for something to read over spring break...

Check out my excerpt on Coffee Time Romance it will give you a quick taste of what the book is all about.

And I'm hoping you'll enjoy this historical romance and, even if it's cold outside, I think this story might help keep you warm. ;D

If you do read it, please let me know. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Happy St. Paddy's Day

There's no doubt that I love to celebrate...just about every occasion and St. Paddy's Day is a fun day to celebrate.

I start out by making a special wreath for the door.

It's simple to wrap a wire frame with some fluffy boa material and then hot glue some shamrocks in place. Any green will do though...you could use fabric, ribbon, or even store-bought garland.

Next, I have to make a few treats...what kind of a celebration would it be without food?

So a store bought cake mix can turn into little pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. Just add some coconut into the frosting and some green food coloring. A pipe cleaner for your basket handle and a chocolate coin wrapped in gold (or two) and you've got a special snack.

Or if you want to do more than that...simply melt some white chocolate.

Add a little food coloring.

And then pour the pretty paste into some molds.

Stick some lollypop sticks into the molds.

Prop them together with rubber bands.

Then stick them into some floral foam and make pretty bouquets.

Then you can take some marshmallows and dip them in the left over chocolate and shake some sprinkles over the top...add a lollypop stick and WAH-LAH! pretty accessory for your food basket.

And if these aren't enough ideas...I've got more.

But let me say again, HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY!

FINALLY AVAILABLE - my book - The Viking Princess

Some of you might know I’ve sold my novel, The Viking Princess. And, I’m hoping you’ll want to buy a book to help support a starving artist—me. Okay, those of you who’ve seen me know I’m chubby, but I’ve been on a diet…so literally, I AM a starving artist ;D

Anyway, here's what the book is about: Everyone knows of Excalibur and King Arthur but few know about his brother-in-law, the Danish Viking Prince and warrior, Holger Danske or his sword Cortana. And few have read the legends of his magical romance with King Arthur’s sister, Princess Morgaine Le Fey, and the tragedy that nearly tore two kingdoms apart.

They met on a battlefield, poised against each other, but their attraction was more powerful than any sword, stronger than any warrior and more magical than Merlin, yet theirs is a tale more tragic than Romeo and Juliet.

If you’ve read this far--I'm grateful--you must be interested, so please click on this link to Amazon and read all about it: just search for Kim Kasch and The Viking Princess

And, if you have time on Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. PST, or 9:00 p.m. EST, meet me (so I won't be all alone) at this link: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/ctr_chat2.html to discuss my book, my upcoming books in the Viking series and my Young Adult Horror novel, DEMON’S INK, which are all coming soon to an e-tailer near you ;D

Thanks for reading.

 PS. If you buy the book and you like it, PLEASE post a review on Goodreads and, if you don't, well then never mind ;D

Kim Kasch

Finally Went Fencing

We suited up.

 

 And we were like the Three Musketeers . . .or maybe the Five Musketeers ;D
 
 But the instructor was giving Blanche an unfair advantage--well, at least that's what I thought.
And then, when he finally told me to stab her, I felt a little funny lunging in toward the kill. . .
at first ;D
 

 But before we started stabbing away, we had to warm up with a few "Simon Says" games and the losers had to do pushups...a lot of them, and I know...from personal experience :(

 
Then we did some limbering games and the instructor had us face off against each other.

We were paired in teams of orange and blue. And,it was a night filled with fun activity at the Northwest Fencing Center in Beaverton, Oregon.

Book Trailer - The Viking Princess - Coming Soon

http://youtu.be/WmflKBjZCNY?list=UUIt0EKLYjrbM_FRnPP1JXdw

Valentine's Wreath

I've posted this one before but thought I'd do it again because it's super simple to make a Valentine's Wreath.

All you need is a form.

If you don't have one, you can even use a piece of cardboard.

Wrap it in ribbon - it can be pink or red...

Then start adding confectioner's hearts to the form, with a little glue.

Then wrap the wreath either in pink, red, or white feather boa.

Tie a ribbon on it. And, wah-lah! Valentine's Wreath :D

DIY Stairs

Okay, I know I brag about my husband's woodworking skills but, come on, the guy's an IT computer geek. He's not supposed to be a handyman...but, believe me, he is.

You have to remember that our house was built in 1890. So, even though I'm not so good at math, that makes it well over 100 years old...okay 125 years old (I used the calculator ;D) but, if he weren't handy, we'd be in trouble. 'Cuz a house this old, always needs something...a nail, a screw, a new floor...yep, and even new stairs.

So when he ripped out the stairs leading into the "new", old, room upstairs, I got a little worried. But no fear, look what he rebuilt...

So, he still needs to fill the nail holes and sand and varnish the steps, plus he has to add a little quarter-round at the edges, but these babies turned out beautiful!

And once he gets some Varathane on them, they're going to be breathtaking...at least for me, and not just when I'm walking up 'em ;D

Okay, so this photo is not such a different angle . . . but I tried.

And I'll post another picture when they're finally finished. But, now, the room is on the final finish countdown...for real!

VALENTINE'S DAY IS COMING

It's EZ to make something fun and "cute". And all it takes is a few sweethearts.

Here is how I did it.

And it's a tasty way to show a little love.

A thread stand for all the sewers out there

Here's another gift my hubby worked on over the holidays. He took the wooden slats from an old futon that had been thrown away and started putting them together in an entirely different way.

He wanted to make a gift for a woman who loves to sew and has way too many spools of thread laying around the house. So he drilled some holes in the slats, and started putting dowels into the holes.

He measured, cut and drilled away.

And here's the finished product.

And here's side view.

Recycling, reusing and repurposing

Lars is willing to go dumpster diving . . . if it's for old wood that someone has thrown away. Yes, he'll knock on their door and ask if they mind if he hauls away their wood. And since they have to be by the weight of the dumpster, they are always willing to let him have it.

Then my hubby brings home the wood and cuts it up to repurpose it into something beautiful.

He took this old wood and glued it together to make Christmas presents.

Then he put a clear Varathane on them and let them dry. This wasn't a stain, the wood was what made the coasters so beautiful. Then he had to make coaster stands.

And he measured, cut and glued them together.

And we wrapped them up and gave them with a bag of coffee and a mug or two.

It was a perfect way to reuse old wood.

GO BIG O! GO DUCKS!

I'm ready and routing for the Ducks!

Game on...at 5:30 p.m.1/12/15

Go Big O and that O is for Oregon not Ohio!

Smorgasbord - a Great Way to Celebrate the Holiday(s)

We celebrated the New Year with food. And this food was open-faced sandwiches or Scandinavian smorgasbord. These little sandwiches only use one piece of bread and plenty of fish, meat and toppings.

We brought shrimp sandwiches. The shrimp was blended with mayonnaise and topped with dill weed and it was delicious.

These are traditional fare featurings from Sweden, Denmark and Norway. There was pickled herring, potato and tomato and lots more.

It was a fun way to celebrate the holiday.

Happy 2015!

Aebelskiver or Pac-Man Balls of Yummiliciousness

There are a few tricks to making these Pac-Man balls of yummiliciousness.

1)  The first major trick is to make sure you have PAM on hand or that you have a seriously well-seasoned pan (which by the way must be the special-specific aebelskiver pan). If you don't have a super-seasoned pan, the little balls of goodness will stick to the pan and decimate your results.

2) The second major trick is to use bamboo shish kabob skewers to flip your balls 1/4 turn at a time. If you use a fork, they will create too large of holes and if you use a spoon, well, just trust me on this one.

3) Start with a good recipe...here's mine:

INGREDIENTS:

3 eggs - separated
2 cups Buttermilk
2 cups flour
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Beat egg whites with sugar until stiff peaks form (then set aside while you mix the other ingredients)

Mix buttermilk, flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder until well blended - then add in the egg yolks. When all ingredients are mixed well, fold in the egg white mixture.

Spray pan with PAM or some other nonstick spray and fill each hole nearly full. When little bubbles start to form, flip each ball 1/4 turn. Continue flipping 1/4 turn at a time until balls are well-cooked.

Serve with powdered sugar and jam.

Enjoy!

The Next Level for writers and Illustrators

The Next Level Professional Series
Ready to bring your writing and illustration skills to The Next Level? Whether you're plotting a novel or perfecting a picture book, SCBWI Oregon’s professional series will give you tools to advance your career.  
January’s Topic—Success Panel: How a Writer and Writer/Illustrator Got Their Starts
When you look at someone's success story, do you ever wonder about the journey? Cat Winters will talk about her "overnight" success story that took years. Author-illustrator Nicole Rubel will share insights into her career journey that include over 60 books, including the Rotten Ralph Series.
Cat Winters’s critically acclaimed debut novel, IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS, was named a 2014 Morris Award Finalist, a School Library Journal Best Book of 2013, a YALSA 2014 Best Fiction for Young Adults pick, and a 2014 Oregon Spirit Book Award Winner. She is also the author of THE CURE FOR DREAMING (Amulet Books/Oct. 2014), and her upcoming releases include THE UNINVITED (William Morrow/2015), THE STEEP AND THORNY WAY (Amulet Books/2016), and a short story in the YA horror anthology SLASHER GIRLS & MONSTER BOYS (Dial/2015).
She lives outside of Portland with her husband and two kids. Visit her online at CatWinters.com.
 Nicole Rubel is an author/illustrator known for her uniquely colorful illustrations and charming stories. She has over sixty books to her credit and is the co-creator of the popular Rotten Ralph series.
Raised in Cora Gables, Florida, Ms. Rubel received a Bachelor of Science in Art Teaching from the Boston Museum School in association with Tufts University. Ms. Rubel’s art style was inspired by the paintings of Henri Matisse and the art deco architecture of her hometown of Miami. Her imaginative, poignant and sometimes comical storylines are often derived from growing up with her identical twin sister, Bonnie. As a child, she let her sister speak for her. Through the encouragement of an insightful teacher, Ms. Rubel learned to speak and write for herself. Therefore, a significant theme in her stories is finding oneself and learning to express one’s feelings and thoughts.
She currently resides with her husband on a farm in Aurora.
Date - 01/17/2015  Time - 2:15 pm - 3:45 pm, doors open at 2:00
Location - TaborSpace, The Annex 5441 SE Belmont St. - Portland, OR 97215