Category Archives: Progress

Baking, Cookies, Experiment, MAKE COOKIES PLAY BAGPIPES, Progress

Celtic Cookie Experiment – UPDATE

February 26, 2019 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

I LOVE baking experiments!

When I get an idea for a recipe or a way to tweak a baking recipe that calls for an experiment! It’s actually how a number of my recipes came to be as you can find in Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies. About half the time I try something new and it works out ‘right’ on the first try — which I consider lucky. The other half of the time I can usually get what I’m aiming for after about 3-5 tries with recipe tweaks in between.

Lately I’ve had an idea for a new cookie that is so vivid in my mind I can see it — I can nearly taste it! It’s a Celtic-themed cookie which I’ve talked a little about recently. During the past few weeks I’ve been looking for the right time to experiment with it. My delay has mostly been due to not having hot water has been out in my place, and given what I’ve thought to do …. yeah, I need to not be heating water to clean up afterwards.

microwave Tonight I gave it a go! Well, not all of the experiment …. what I tried was the frosting. In this case, melted chocolate chips infused with coffee — and it FAILED! I appreciate failures like this near as much as times of accomplishment. What I tried didn’t work and now I know what not to do. For this I am NOT using a microwave!

I have a new idea to try and I should be giving it a go …. this Saturday? What will it be …. probably buttercream frosting … simple, easy, duh!

More updates to come 🙂

~ Don

Book, Product, Progress, Publication, Update

Things Now, Soon, and 2019

January 6, 2019 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

Happy Sunday Morning!

Yes, I can say that — which probably means the coffee has kicked in ….

Sundry things to chatter about today…

As you’ve heard my first recipe book is out in both paper & e-book form AND that I am not one to take a break — yes, I’m already working on 2 future books! As with any time two or more projects are running concurrently, sometimes one project takes a lead over the other. Of these two books, one is a recipe book and the other is a Highland bagpipe sheet music book. Since publishing “Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies” on Amazon I have mostly worked on the future recipe book — and I’m Thrilled about its developments! During the past week I’ve realized that the sheet music book is rather close to being done along with having a higher priority. There is some ‘heavy lifting’ to do on this project and everything is ready for it to happen — SO — I’m pressing forth on this as time allows. This is also good because…

Tomorrow I’m meeting with Tom Trimbath — my friend and self-publishing coach — first time in 2019! Getting to work with Tom is great — he’s a wonderful soul full of mirth and insight. I’m looking to talk with him about this sheet music book (since it’s a rather different project) along with our interests in presenting our books and how-to-self-publish topic at various locations in 2019. I hope he’s ready for tomorrow as I’ve already drawn up a list of things to ask and talk with him about!

Last and Certainly Not Least…

Over the past few days I’ve gotten to chat online with my friend, Donna. This is the very-same Donna in Scotland who you will read about in the Acknowledgments section of Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies. As it turns out she’s had my book for a number of days and didn’t know that she was on my Thank You list — she had spent all this time going through my recipes and stories. When it comes to websites and web-marketing, Donna is as smart as a whip*! She took a quick look yesterday here at WhidbeyIslandBaking.com and noticed a few improvements that could be made. Donna went further to say that she could do a review of my site along with giving me a slew of web-marketing tips. While I have learned a good bit of marketing from being a professional musician, I believe that one can always learn more — and quite frankly, I know rather little when it comes to online-marketing. SO… I’m excited to be working with Donna over the coming days and weeks to both improve this site and my web-marketing skills — and, as in my book, once again I ought to say Thanks Donna!
(*She’s also one heck of a photographer!)

Announcement, Book, e-Book, e-Publishing, e-Reader, Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies, Progress, Update

Darn Good Cookies E-Book Publishing UPDATE

December 7, 2018 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

Immediately on the heals of publishing “Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies” this past October I dove in to making an e-book version of this first publication. With some tips from my friend and self-publishing coach, Tom Trimbath, along with ideas I gleaned from a few e-articles on the subject*, I made strong progress in a few week’s time.
(*this article in particular)

For the past couple of weeks I have been awaiting a review of my work on the e-book version — and last night I received it BACK! There were positive comments on my work along with some constructive questions — questions about things to correct and things to improve that I was unaware of. I have worked over this list and my document doggedly since last night –I believe I have fixed everything, I have improved a number of things, and I even included a few recipe tweaks that I didn’t mention in my paper book. My understanding is that this work is or should be close to done. I would like to get one more check-over and my aim is to have the e-book published before the holidays at the end of the month — likely sooner!
(*PSST* — I also plan to make an audiobook version of Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies.)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

In the meantime I have kept myself busy working on one of the future books I have conceived — and I have to say, I have made some SMOKIN’ PROGRESS. The funny thing to me (/cue laugh track) is that I didn’t intend on working on this book until I had a few other works published ….. but something about it grabbed my brain and wouldn’t let it go!

I’m having a little too much fun working on this future book idea. New recipes have been devised, experimented with, and are taking form. Exciting elements to this book have been added in that I didn’t think of before. There are a few select people I have shared the details of this project with and they’ve gotten on-board to help. This book feels like it’s writing itself!

So when will it be ready…

Perhaps ….. Fall 2019?

Announcement, Author, Book, Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies, Product, Progress, Publication

My Book PUBLISHED & Shirts Available!

October 29, 2018 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

WHOO — WHAT A WEEKEND!!!

Nearly 3 years of work and a number of speed-bumps along the way, and my debut recipe book is finally PUBLISHED. I finished the submission to Amazon on Friday and Saturday morning it had GONE LIVE!!! I was part way through breakfast when I found out the news — then the web and my phone EXPLODED with activity. Congrats on getting published, questions about my book, someone bought a copy, someone else wants 3 signed copies as Xmas gifts, keeping up with the comments, posting on Facebook and Twitter …. and about 4 or 6 hours later things calmed down and I turned to find the rest of my cold, uneaten breakfast sitting next to me. Really, coffee shouldn’t be treated that way.

Later that day my new WIBC Logo/URL t-shirt when live on Etsy via Stitch 6 To 6. Within the next hour the first shirts were ordered! book

Things stayed busy, and come Saturday evening I got some time to make my new Author Profile on Amazon and update my website. book

It took me a while, but I finally figured out where and how to order copies of my book. I’m getting about 60 on this first go-around. I have around 20 people to give copies to who contributed to the project and were amazingly supportive along the way — I am grateful to get reminders of how incredible people can be*. There are also two people seeking around 5 copies each (WOW!) for Christmas gifts — 10 copies already sold!
* One among them is this guy — Tom Trimbath! He also has an impressive collection of books he’s written available here.

Yeah, things started moving pretty quick — and finally, now … late Sunday evening, I’m getting to make a blog post about the highlights of what’s gone on. It’s been an amazing ride so far — testing my stick-to-it and gumption, giving me challenges to use my resourcefulness to resolve, and numerous new things and lessons learned — I love this stuff! And now…? book

Now I go from being a writer to being a published author. book
Now I get to work on converting the manuscript for my book into an e-book — and likely an audio-book too, narrated by yours-truly!
Now I remember that I need to get new business cards made.
Now the pivot of WIBC from being a company that makes food to being a company about good food and people connecting with people is complete. book

And now … now I go to bed and get some sleep!

Links You’re Going To Want To Know About

Amazon – Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies
WIBC Logo/URL t-shirt on Etsy via Stitch 6 To 6
My new Author Profile on Amazon
Information about my new book and t-shirt here on WIBC
Four Free Recipes from my new book
WIBC on Facebook and Twitter

Book, Progress, Publication, Update

Priorities on a Sunday night

March 18, 2018 BiscottiDon Leave a comment

Taking it extra easy Sunday night Priorities
Eight forty five PM Priorities
And it’s time for a new post on my Facebook page
I’ve played bagpipes for the last 3 days Priorities
I’m exhausted and recovering Priorities
Back to work on my book tomorrow Priorities

Okay, so Elton John did a much better job on those lyrics than I did…

Time for a quick update — some maybe not so new…

Life of a bagpiping budding recipe book author — it has a certain quirky romance to it, but in reality it can be a juggle … well, on top of fixing a truck, contributing to finish building a house, and helping to support one’s parents. Since late last year I’ve had to prioritize these things — and shift my priorities depending on the week! Priorities

I’ve been working to knock down my ToDo List, and frankly … I’ve had a few things to get out of the way to where I can refocus on finishing my book. Priorities

Frankly … today has been spent resting

The last 3 days I’ve been on a St. Patrick’s Day tour playing Celtic-rock both with Geoffrey Castle and my own band, Nae Regrets. Each day things ramped up. Thursday I opened for Geoff in Kirkland. Friday morning I had a Nae Regrets rehearsal in the morning and then played for Geoff in the historic Mount Vernon Lincoln Theater (video below). Saturday Nae Regrets played in Mountlake Terrace, then I flew down to Auburn to play for Geoff, and then I flew back to Maplewood neighborhood in North Seattle for Nae Regrets to play a house party. And then I got my tired self home and CRASHED until 10AM Sunday morning.

goofy juggler — Imagine each red ball as things I’m working on — yeah, it’s about like that right now

All of the shows went well. Taking off for three days and playing was also a nice break from everything I’ve been focused on. AND NOW …

I’m pleased to announce that a variety of ToDo items are out of my way and I can make finishing my recipe book my prime focus …. at least until something else comes up. Yeah, I never learned to juggle in practical terms however I sure can figuratively juggle!

So this week I aim to… bake cookies and take pictures to make some step-by-step instruction photos, work up the surprise content, and address some final writing. And depending on how I’m feeling tomorrow, rest-up some more from this fantastic past weekend!

Whidbey Island Baking Company