Greetings and Salutations, Blog Readers!

Today I thought I would so a nice little writers update positively dropping in Abbi type stuff…

NAMELY

I finally finished writing Volume One of Flake City!!

I can start working on Volume Two whenever I am ready.

I also started working on another project, but it is a back burner project for when I don’t want to write on Flake City or the blog…because I guess I am damaged as a person?

Regardless…Finishing Flake City Volume One is huge for me. It is well over 400,000 words at the moment, and while I will likely edit it down, I will also add some passages. In the end, it will likely still be fairly long, and volume two will be probably just as long. Maybe not, but it is very possible.

I am excited, also scared and nervous, moving forward, because now comes the edits (no more hiding behind finishing the finale) and preparing for publication.

Publication. Publishing this project. Self Publsihing, at that. Editing, formatting, illustrating, marketing, it will all fall on me. Publishing for others to see. For anyone to see. Something will go from all mine to available for any and everyone.

Something I love so much. Flake City. Much of my soul is in that project, my opinions on zombie culture are for sure. Flake City has grown from a passion project to the thing that actually gets me off my ass, and got me making content, searching for my audience, blogging, and all that crap.

Flake City.

Volume One is now done, at least, the finished story is. I am sure when I get closer to my publication, I will do a longer blog about my emotions on this project but for now, know this.

I love this project, and the idea of letting you all read it fills me with fear and other emotions, but also excitement…because I really think some of you will really like it.

And if not, that’s okay. Flake City taught me that too. It’s okay if none of you like Flake City…because I fucking love it.

I am now ready for the hard part…editing, formatting, all that crap. I will need coffee. Guess it’s a good thing I invented a new coffee drink this week-

The other part of this blog of things pertaining to me, is my newest coffee invention: The Quaranchino.

A quarantine edition cappuccino. Well, really just a decent coffee made with things I had in the home, so I wouldn’t have to leave…which is good because I don’t have any money.

I am running out of my preferred coffee, and I have been out of my creamer, and plant milks, so I have been rocking 2% milk and sugar for my coffee. I have, a few times, made some simple syrup with a splash of vanilla, but I wanted to up my coffee a bit not to mention make sure the milk didn’t make my damn coffee so cold…so I researched some ways to froth up some milk.

I found several blogs about how to do it with things you may have, including a hand whisk, a blender, a hand mixer, and even a French press.

So I make my coffee with a French Press, and only own one, so while one blogger suggested this as the number one method, I wasn’t able to use that.

I did love the idea of the hand mixer, however, because that had been what I was thinking would be needed to make it work anyways. Frequently when I have a cooking or baking related idea, I will check other bloggers and see if they have reported about it, tried the thing out, or even speculated on it. Doing this has been a valuable resource for me. Anyways. The hand mixer process seemed more my “speed” and I have the equipment on hand for it. I am very trusting and fond of my hand mixer, so, in the end, I was glad I got to try this.

So, the process for that is put some milk in a pan and heat it up. They have temperature requirements but I didn’t have a thermometer so I just waited until it was hot, stirring so it didn’t scald, and then used the hand mixer. It is suggested for 30 seconds but I went on closer to 45 seconds to a minute, and had a ton of foam! Remember, the milk doubles when you froth it up, so…keep that in mind when you pour the milk into your pan. If you have extra, you can do what I do and make a travel mug of coffee for later.

Back to the beautiful foam that I created, and building my coffee- I put some of my foam the bottom of the cup, with the simple syrup, and poured in my freshly pressed coffee over the foam and simple syrup. I topped the coffee with some more foam, and then sprinkled a bit of cinnamon to the top.

Since inventing my amazing delicious Quaranchino, I have had one every day, and I have improved upon the milk by adding a splash of simple syrup to the milk to make a sweet foam.

FUCKING DELICIOUS!

Make it, thank me later.

(For instructions on simple syrup I have a Vlog on how to make it but it’s one part sugar one part water, stirring occasionally over medium heat until it is clear. Add flavoring like vanilla, almond, hazelnut, or coconut extract to taste.)

Anyways, that is my update as it stands now, I finished Flake City Volume One, and I have invented a new coffee drink.

Life is good. Kind of living my best life and thriving, despite being painfully broke. Artistically, I am thriving, which is new for me, to thrive when this broke, normally the stress kills the creativity, but I think all the work I have done training myself to be a better and more consistent writer is finally paying off.

That is pretty fucking awesome.

Thanks for Reading.

❤️

Abbi