Come see me at the LAT Festival of Books! But if you can't, here are a few fun things for the weekend
First things first! Southern California friends, please come see me at the LA Times Festival of Books this weekend! I'll be on a panel on Saturday at 12:30 called Happily Ever After? with the wonderful authors Allegra Huston, Julia Whelan, and Anna Yee, moderated by David Francis, and there's a signing afterward. The Festival of Books is SUCH a fun event, and I've loved it for years, and I'm just so excited to be able to be there as an author this year. East Coast, don't worry, I have some events coming your way in May and June, hold on!
Guys, I can't believe I haven't told you about these things yet. One of the biggest betrayals of adulthood for many of us has been the realization that pimples just KEEP ON COMING, even as the wrinkles start. But these little COSRX pimple patches are magic (and super cheap, too). Just pop one of these babies on top of a pimple, and it sucks all of the gunk out of it, and makes the life of your stupid pimple way shorter. I just bought a second pack to keep in my purse, for when the pimple was invisible in the morning and somehow pops out during the day at work. They're clear, so you can wear them out in the world if you don't mind a few people noticing, which I mostly don't. I had a dentist appointment last week and was very stressed about it, and when I got there the hygenist had like five on her face, which immediately made me feel more at ease. Also, if you're a person who picks at pimples, putting one of these on top of the pimple means you won't be as tempted to touch it, which in itself is a big help. I wish these things had been around when I was a teenager, but please buy them for any teens in your life.
My friend Amy Spalding will also be at the Festival of Books this weekend, talking about all of her great books but especially her brand new one, THE SUMMER OF JORDI PEREZ, and I love this book so much! It's rom com set in Los Angeles, about two girls falling in love, and there's also lots of good stuff about burgers, plus-size fashion, families and how they work, and there is of course the fun cast of characters that always makes up an Amy Spalding book. I loved this book so much that I did a fun little interview with Amy about it over at Pop Goes the Reader, but lots of other people loved it too, including Kirkus!
A few weeks ago I had a craving for something sweet, so I dug up this recipe for blondies and threw them together. One thing I like about the recipe is that in the narrative, the writer said they take only about five minutes to make, but the actual recipe says they take fifteen minutes; that time differential is so real for recipes you've made a million times vs. one someone is making for the first time. But either way, these were super fast and easy to put together, and they came out very well. I totally recommend them for your next sweet tooth emergency or last minute bake sale need. I browned the butter for them, because I had time to do it, and they made them extra good, but you don't have to if you don't have the time or inclination to do so. The original recipe used butterscotch chips, which sounds delicious but while chocolate chips are a staple in my pantry, butterscotch chips are not, so I used chocolate chips. (I also increased the salt, because I tend to like saltier baked goods)
Browned Butter Blondies
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces, 112 grams) butter, browned (or just melted)
1 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8x8 inch pan (or line it with parchment paper).
In a large bowl, whisk together the browned (or melted) butter with the sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk again. Add the dry ingredients and stir until combined, then add the chocolate chips.
Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Cut into squares when cool.
Have a great weekend, everybody! I hope to see lots of you at the Festival of Books this weekend!
Jasmine
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