Hey guys and gals, Kallie here! Kami and I are back at it again, giving you those great food and drink recipes you've been searching for. Since this month’s Night Worm’s package theme was A Storm is Coming, Kami and I decided to theme our recipes accordingly. We thought about how you hideout from a storm in a storm shelter and what you might have access to in that type of location.
The featured authors in this package were Jonathan Janz and Brian Keene. So we talked it over and each chose an author. I picked Brian Keene since I am basically a small Keene library. I looked through my bookshelves and pulled 3 Keene books to base my drinks off of. I chose Ghoul, The Rising, and Ghost Walk.
The Rising
The Rising follows Jim Thurmond and his band of misfit survivors as they fight through hordes of the living and the undead to find and save Jim’s son. I obviously had to use a zombie theme for this drink. If you find these ingredients in your basement, cellar, or storm shelter, you can enjoy it while you wait out any storm.
3 oz vodka ( i just had cheap stuff, but feel free to use the fancy stuff)
2 oz lemon juice (I used a fresh lemon since I happened to have some)
½ tsp fine sugar
3 oz of any lemon-lime soda
1 oz sour apple pucker
In a glass filled ⅔ of the way with ice, add vodka, lemon juice, sugar and apple puckers. Give it a good stir and then top it with your lemon-lime soda and drink up.
Ghoul
In Ghoul, Timmy Graco and his friends have to spend their summer vacations fighting off a creature that no one thinks exists. Now, because these characters are kids, and it is likely that some of our readers will have kids waiting out the storm with them, I picked an easy mocktail for this one.
4 ounces lemon-lime soda (I used Sprite)
4 ounce 100% grape juice (I used Welch's)
1 scoop purple ice cream sorbet (I used a generic brand)
In whatever cup you have, use equal parts grape juice and soda to fill the cup to about an inch below the top of the cup. Scoop on some ice cream and serve!
Ghost Walk
Ghost Walk takes on the Halloween Haunted attractions. Ken Ripple wants to set up a haunted walk that will be a cash cow for him because of all the rumors that surround the forest he has chosen as a backdrop for his attraction. He doesn’t know that those rumors may be more than just rumors and his haunted attraction may really be just that… haunted. I had to go with a spooky ghost cocktail for this one because… the book is called Ghost Walk after all.
2 ounces coconut rum or coconut vodka
1 1/2 ounces white creme de cacao
1 -2 tsp vanilla simple syrup (Combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a pan and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Boil for 5 minutes. Let it cool in the pan and then add 1 tbsp vanilla extract. Pour it into a spooky-looking potion container. Or, ya know, you can do what I did and just buy vanilla simple syrup at the store.)
1 1/2 ounces half and half
Put it all into a glass, stir it up and enjoy!
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Hey Friends, it’s Kami! I grew up in a time where I can remember StormWarnings were only certain times of the year. Maybe I was just a carefree kid who thought she was invincible. Now grown, I know weather patterns work in cycles and through the effects of global climate changes are growing increasingly more aggressive and frequent. Okay, Okay; I know you’re not here for a history lesson or historical weather rant but it is very fascinating to learn about, even if you’re not a nerd like me!
When Kallie and I got to conversing on preparing for the Night Worms Storm I was excited (like I am not always) because that meant I got to talk about food preparedness and Jonathan Janz. Not exactly synonymous, but many of his exquisite covers feature some incredible weather patterns which make for easy pairing.
dust Devil | ‘dəs(t), devəl | NOUN a small whirlwind or air vortex over land, visible as a column of dust and debris
Dust Devils released in 2014 by Flame Tree Press Follows Cody and Willet as they set out on revenge against vampires that took those near to them. The vampires are disguised as traveling actors and their thirst for human blood is insatiable. The two must battle the vampires-alone- or die trying.
Whilst preparing for a battle or a storm, blood sugar is always of high importance. Consider stocking up on sweet treats that provide a quick boost of energy, like candy bars and hard candy! Easily accessible year-round.
Heat lightning NOUN a flash or flashes of light seen near the horizon, especially on warm evenings, believed to be the reflection of distant lightning on high clouds.
The Darkest Lullaby released in 2019 by Flame Tree Press which centers on the old house once occupied by the late Lilth Martin. Rumor has it that she had been part of an unholy cult. Rumors swirl of blasphemous rituals, black rites filled with blood and sacrifices. And you should never sacrifice your high-energy foods! During a storm, you’ll need all the energy you can muster. Granola, energy bars, peanut butter, and Trail Mix! Great items that are both delicious and nutritious.
Cinnamon Sugar Chex Mix
Just 4 Ingredients: rice Chex cereal, butter, granulated sugar and cinnamon
Prep Time: 5 minutes
4 cups of Rice Chex Cereal
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
(if you have no power let it sit out for a few minutes)
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon
Line a large baking sheet or plate with wax or parchment paper or paper towels. Set Aside.
In a large bowl, measure cereal. Set Aside. In another bowl, measure and mix sugar and cinnamon.
Melt butter. Pour over cereal and stir until all cereal is completely covered.
Stir in sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Enjoy!
Thunderstorm | ‘THǝndǝr, stȏrm | NOUN a storm with thunder and lightning and typically also heavy rain or hail.
Castle of Sorrows released 2019 by Flame Tree Press Imagine traveling to a reportedly haunted island in search of inspiration for a horror movie music score and instead- finding ancient evil, murder, and madness. It would drive me mad too if I forgot to stock up the pantry staples for a storm, like salt, pepper and sugar! Speaking of sugar have you tried this??
Oatmeal Brown Sugar Granola
Serve as cereal w/milk or eat it stand-alone on-the-go
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
1 cup of butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 cups quick-cook oats
6 cups bran or corn flakes
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup almonds
1 cup dried cranberries
In a medium saucepan, melt butter, brown sugar and vanilla. Bring to boil. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Place oats, flakes, wheat germ, sunflower seeds and almonds in large baking dish. Mix well.
Pour hot sugar mixture over the dry ingredients. Stir until the mixture is well coated.
Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and stir in dried cranberries. Allow mixture to cool and store in an airtight container.
Whatever weather you face; whether it be fair or foe- Be Prepared and have lots of non-perishables and water on hand! Hope you are all enjoying your Thunderstorm Book Packages and the individual forces of nature that are Keene and Janz. Stay Safe out there!
Kallie: @PageandParlor
Kami: @Kami'sKorner