Holiday Recipe - Crumb Cake
Greetings! My name is Amy Winters-Voss and I write urban fantasy based on
Japanese mythology. Being that the holiday season is a wonderful time to focus
on family traditions and the things that bring us together, I'll be sharing one
of my favorite recipes, passed down from my Aunt Phyllis—Crumb Cake.
This isn't a specific holiday recipe. But it's one of our most requested by
the family for anytime we need to celebrate. This is the cake I always ask hubs
to make on my birthday. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Crumb cake
Ingredients
Crumb mixture: (part of it goes in the cake)
2 c flour
1 c sugar
2/3 c shortening
Rest of the cake:
1 egg
1 t baking sode
1 t cinnamon
1 c milk
12 oz chocolate chips
Directions
Grease a 9x12 inch pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the Crumb mixture ingredients together until like cake crumbs. Save 1 c
of this.
Add the rest of the crumb mixture to a bowl and add the remaining
ingredients. Mix until smooth. Then add most of the chocolate chips and stir.
Pour into greased pan. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips and the
crumb mixture you set aside.
Bake for 1/2 hour. (I often have to cook it a little longer. Test it with a
toothpick to ensure it's done.)
What is your favorite recipe to celebrate with?
Book One
Amy Winters-Voss
Genre: Urban fantasy and Asian mythology
Publisher: Shy Red Fox Publishing
Date of Publication: April 30, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7366720-0-6
ISBN: 978-1-7366720-1-3
ASIN:B08WTK6XWP
Number of pages:312
Word Count: 97,000
Cover Artist: Odette.A.Bach
Tagline: A myth come to life may be worth far more than his freedom.
Book Description:
Will a former gangster dare to protect the elderly woman who antagonizes him? He must choose between breaking a promise to his parole officer or the old lady. Each choice carries a hefty price.
Umeji Tatsuya moves from Tokyo to a small town after leaving the yakuza, the Japanese mob. He knows all too well that his past can't stay buried.
‘Once Yakuza, always Yakuza. The tattoos mark you for life.’
Nakamura Hisako, the town’s beloved dowager, learns about Umeji’s past and tries to oust him, but Umeji just discovered her own long-held secret. If he keeps it for her, the cost is his recently regained freedom. If he doesn’t, Nakamura might have to leave her home, and he risks angering forces he barely understands… and barely believes in.
As the mundane and Spirit Realm intertwine, so do the modern-day and the Pre-Meiji eras. Centuries-old rivalries flare up again, and the past returns in the present. Umeji’s second chance is only the first step of his journey to discover myth, social redemption, and found family.
Rise is the first book in the Liminal Chronicles series.
Excerpt:
“To make things worse, yesterday I heard you’re covered in irezumi
tattoos. Nonogawa may be in the sticks, but we all know what that means here.”
I blink. Why are little old ladies so rude?
“Well? Are you?” she presses.
While I deserve the disdain, I don’t want my boss to take heat for me.
“Ma’am, the community respects Satou-san. I’ll do my best for his sake.”
She draws out the syllables. “You dodged.” As she crosses her arms, her
sharp eyes shift to a predatory glint. “If you won’t answer, roll up your
sleeve. I know yakuza ink when I see it.”
My head swivels. Satou, where are you? Make your vicious aunt heel. She’s
really causing my hackles to raise, but I don’t want to do anything stupid.
“Ma’am?”
In the Hiragi clan, I was good at remembering names, because the
alternative could be costly. What did Satou say her name was? Oh yeah—Nakamura
Hisako, the town’s beloved matriarch. When I was yakuza, I would have never let
a little old lady corner me. But I’m caught flat-footed because I can’t use any
of the in-your-face phrases that bubble up to get her to lay off. I haven’t
done a damned thing to her. What gives?
So, I take a deep breath. No attitude. “Nakamura-sama, it’s becoming more
common in the cities. People keep ‘em out of sight to avoid the stigma.”
As if I’ll tell this biddy the full truth. Later, I can scream rebellion
in gokudou drawl all I want. But her outburst is the proverbial piano hanging
overhead, threatening to crash down on the little hope I have in this town.
At twenty-four, I should have a high school diploma and a college degree
or employment experience. This is my only chance. Suck it up, Umeji. So, I bow
deep. “I apologize that my tattoos offend. If I could turn back time, I’d not
have done it. How may I help you?”
Harrumphing, she turns on her heel with the grace of a ballerina, leaving
me with some serious heartburn. Hiro, my big brother in the Hiragi clan, had
taught me to ferret out everything that seemed out of place. How does an old
lady move that fast?
When I finish stocking, I grab my baseball-style jacket with its
embroidered fox on black and gold silk and beeline it to Satou. Just my luck,
his aunt beats me there.
I wait behind her and examine my shoes. Faint reflections of fluorescent
lights show on the tile floor.
“That tattooed punk is bad for business.” She points, doubtless aware of
how rude she’s being. “He dares to flaunt his past wearing that rebel jacket,
instead of considering this store’s reputation. I’ve heard all manner of
rumors. Mark my words, Kazuo, people will stop shopping here.” Full-to-the-brim
grocery bags strain her arthritic knuckles.
While Nakamura’s concern is understandable, does she care that this
‘rebel jacket’ is the only one I own? I was fortunate someone dropped it by the
penitentiary after emptying my apartment. My fists clench, pulling on the
stitches from yesterday’s wound. Why does this town love her, anyway?
Amy is a former programmer turned author after her first trip to Japan in 2017. Now she writes Japanese myth-based urban fantasy to reconnect with the country and culture that captured her heart.
She lives in South Dakota with her supportive husband, two wonderful kids, a mellow old cat who adopted the family, and three wily and crazy ferrets.
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