So, I’m so excited I might burst! I just signed the contract for my first book deal! (Can you see me glowing from there?)

OK.

*deep breaths*

Here’s the scoop.

The book

The working title is Slushed: From Frozen Gin Fizz to Watermelon Margarita Sorbet—150 Icy Treats for the Coolest Happy Hour Ever.

(Ah, frosty, liquid love.)

The book will be a collection of easy-to-make, booze-infused frozen desserts (everything from pops to ice cream and frozen cocktails). It’s scheduled to be published in the Spring of 2012.

If you know me, you probably know that I make a lot of ice cream. You probably also know I shake up my fair share of cocktails—and I’m no stranger to booze-ifying my recipes (hello, Drunken Coffee Jello Squares).

Spiked, frozen desserts are right up my alley.

My publisher

I’m working with Adams Media, a non-fiction publisher that prints over 300 books a year, including the Everything series, Why Men Love Bitches (which has sold over 1 million copies…holy cow, right?), and The New York Times Bestseller, The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook.

The deadline is pretty aggressive, so if you’re looking for me this summer, I’ll be in my kitchen commanding a small fleet of ice cream makers—writing recipes and shooting all the photography.

By the way, if you live in Salem, you’re hereby deputized as an Official Hungry Mouse Tester. You guys are generally a pretty thirsty bunch, so I’m guessing you might not mind.

Stay tuned

Stay tuned for more news and recipes. It’s going to be a wild summer.

Talk to you soon!

+Jessie

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So last year, you guys may remember that we entered the Better with Breakstone’s Challenge—and won! (I’m still totally floored by this.)

The good folks over at Kraft have asked us to participate in two more challenges this year: one focused on Easter, and the other at the end of the year, around the winter holidays.

Now, I’ve used Breakstone’s sour cream for years at home, so I’m happy to help promote them. I really do think it’s the best sour cream out there.

Here’s the scoop.

The Kraft Breakstone’s Holiday Celebration Program

The goal of this program is to help women make their next holiday celebration easy, fun, and delicious. This means that I’ll be posting recipes, decorating tips, and craft ideas along with 2 other bloggers.

Look for the Easter posts in the coming weeks, including an easy recipe with Breakstone’s sour cream and an Easter table top design. I’ll be posting my appetizer recipe on April 4.

My posts will also be featured on Breakstones-Holiday.com, a special advertising section on Better Homes & Gardens website, where you can find tons of other great recipes & craft ideas. You can also enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win $2,500 by sharing your favorite Easter tradition.

Sound like a good way to get a little holiday inspiration? We think so.

Stay tuned for more info coming soon.

How do you celebrate Easter?

In typical carnivorous, Mouse House style, our Easter is always centered around roasting some kind of big beast.

This year, I may forgo the traditional ham if I can get my paws on a goose. Now, I know roasted goose is more of a Christmas-y thing, but I’ve never made one, and have been insanely curious for years. I may just have a crowd this year that will indulge me. Now, to see if I can find the bird…

What’s your favorite Easter memory?

Hands down, mine has to be hunting for Easter eggs. As an only child, I kind of had a corner on the market, but my folks were tricky and would stick them in the darndest places.

I also loved those hollow eggs made entirely out of sugar with the little diorama inside. (Like these.) If I get really ambitious, maybe I’ll give it a shot and try making them.

How about you?

*Please note that this is a sponsored post for Breakstone’s Sour Cream. All ideas, thoughts, experiences, photos are my own.

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Now, I love Pepperidge Farm puff pastry. Truly, I do. It’s been my puff pastry of choice for 15 years, maybe longer. It’s flaky and buttery and crisp (not to mention reliable and dependent).

So, when Pepperidge Farm recently asked us to do a little recipe development for them, we jumped at the chance! We’re honored to be one of eight blogs asked to participate in the Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Challenge.

The good folks at Pepperidge Farm even offered to ply us with puff pastry and pay us for our time. (Thanks, guys!)

Help me decide what to make!

Alrighty. I have a handful of ideas, but I was hoping to get some input from you guys.

Here’s the official challenge from Pepperidge Farms:

Create a sophisticated and simple original recipe using Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets and a native New England ingredient, like cranberries, etc.

The recipe can be for any course: appetizer, entree, or dessert. Need a little inspiration? Check out PuffPastry.com.

Our final recipe

Our final recipe will be tested by Pepperidge Farm’s kitchen, and then will appear on PuffPastry.com, alongside an exclusive recipe collection by Top Chef judge Gail Simmons (love her!).

Please leave a comment!

Please leave a comment on this post and let us know what you think we should make!

Cheers and thanks so much for your help!

+Jessie & The Angry Chef

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So, I was at the supermarket early on Saturday morning. The Angry Chef called me as I was tooling around the produce section, squeezing avocados and snuffling about for fresh mint for cocktails later that night.

“Mouse! Are you done shopping? The Mayor just called. Guy Fieri is filming over at The Shanty!”

The Mayor (not the real mayor of Salem) is one of our best friends. And if it’s happening anywhere in Salem, he knows about it—usually before it goes down.

“Guy Fieri? At the Shanty? Like, the Lobster Shanty?”

“Yeah! Get home! Let’s go say hello.”

And that’s exactly what we did.

If you’ve somehow managed to miss larger-than-life Guy Fieri in the midst of the Food Network mania of the last few years, he’s the guy behind Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. He’s also the winner of the second season of The Next Food Network Star, and chef owner of Johnny Garlic’s.

Not to mention, a pretty darn nice guy.

To the Shanty!

I zipped home, we suited up the pups for a walk, and made a beeline for the Lobster Shanty, located at Front Street and Artists’ Row. The Shanty is a great place to sit outside, grab a bite, hear some music, and have a few drinks.

Our timing was good. Guy was hanging out outside, sitting on a bench checking his cell phone and yakking with some of the staff.

Miss. Penelope and I mosied up. I excused myself and asked him if he might have a minute to talk.

I gave him my card and said that I run The Hungry Mouse, a food blog based in town. I told him a little about the site, and mentioned that we get upwards of 80,000 visitors a month.

He was like, “You go, girl! That’s fantastic!” Thanks, Guy! (We think you’re pretty fantastic, too!) He kindly agreed to take a few photos.

Aside from that, we talked mainly about (you guessed it)…Penelope, which he mentioned is also his mother’s name.

When I posted these pictures on our Facebook Fan Page, the comments were half about Guy, and half about Penelope. If this keeps up, she’s going to need her own website. (You know I’m only half joking…)

Don’t forget the Camaro

You know I couldn’t leave without a few pictures in front of that beautiful Camaro of his.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sorely tempted to see if the keys were in the ignition and go for a little ride.

So big thanks to Guy for stopping to chat! It was a blast to meet you! We’re totally psyched that you’re giving some well-deserved national press to one of our favorite local watering holes.

Visit The Lobster Shanty in Salem, MA

The Lobster Shanty is located in beautiful seaside Salem, MA, a.k.a. Witch City—home of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, the biggest Halloween party on the planet, and The Hungry Mouse headquarters.

If you ask me, Salem is the best place on earth. If you’re ever up in our neck of the woods, stop in for a beer or three. Let us know if you’re in town. If we’re around, we’ll join you!

The Lobster Shanty
25 Front Street
@ Artist’s Row
Salem, MA 01970
(978) 745-5449

Back to the kitchen!

The new pup’s been keeping us hopping the last few weeks. I’ll hopefully be back in the kitchen this weekend, putting together a batch of new posts.

Who knows: Maybe I’ll do a little diner food in honor of Guy. Corned beef hash, anyone?

Cheers!

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Sorry we’ve been away for a few days! We’ve been busy welcoming the newest member of our family!

We’re pleased to introduce you to Penelope! Penelope is a Keeshond. She’s 9 weeks old today and is the newest member of The Hungry Mouse family—and kitchen staff. (No, we didn’t cook the puppy.)

Dexter, our 3-year-old Keeshond and my barking sous chef, loves her already. (The feeling is mutual. She follows him around like a little lamb.)

Special thanks to our dear friend D. Bunnyhunter for his excellent camera work, which we never could have managed while wrangling the two beasts.

Back to the kitchen!

It was nice to take a week off—and nice to get back into the kitchen after my break. Stay tuned for more food—and two giveaways (cookies!) coming soon.

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