Foundational Fried SPAM | The Walking Dead (cookbook review + giveaway)

It's premiere week! Are you as excited as I am? I wasn't to create seven new Walking Dead inspired recipes to lead up to Sunday like I did last year, but I do have something just as fun to share—a review of the just-released The Walking Dead: Official Cookbook and Survival Guide! If you're a regular reader, you know how much I love TWD, so I jumped at the chance to receive not only a review copy, but also a copy to give away to one of my readers! So, let's get to it.

Bisquick Pancakes w/ Raspberry Maple Syrup (for Glenn & Abraham) | The Walking Dead

I know it's been a while since I've shared a recipe inspired by The Walking Dead, but I'm sharing one today to mark the mid season 7 premiere. So, the thing is, I had an extremely rough time with the first half of the season. Episode 1 brought on a ton of anxiety, that seemed to carry me through the season. It was so brutal and heart-breaking that just typing the words are making me cry. Literally. Sometimes my extreme empathic nature feels like a curse.

Cactus Pineapple Smoothie (for Nick) | Fear the Walking Dead

Welcome to the September edition of In the kitchen with Zombie Fiction! My intentions were to share a recipe inspired by Fear the Walking Dead with you last weekend to go along with the mid-season premiere, but time just kicked my butt and I never made anything. However, I'm kind of glad that I didn't, because watching that episode (S2:E8 "Grotesque") made me change my mind about what I was making and inspired today's recipe.

If you're not familiar with this spin-off of The Walking Dead. It's a prequel that takes us back to the beginning of the zombie outbreak, with different characters, set in a different part of the US. Our crew started out in Los Angeles, but have made their way into Mexico and were split up in several different directions at the mid-season finale.

"Shag Apple" Pie for Two inspired by The Walking Dead

Tonight is the night! Season 6 of The Walking Dead was packed with so much good stuff. Lots of story development, lots of action, lots of suspense, and lots of food! I think food has been much more visible this season since we're further into the apocalypse and "stores" are dwindling. I'm guessing that tonight's focus won't be on food, it'll be on finally interacting with Negan face to face. Which means that months of waiting to see Jeffrey Dean Morgan's beautiful face on Sunday nights will finally come to fruition. Even though I'll probably hate him.

A few other things that I'm hoping will be at least somewhat covered are *SPOILER*:

• Tara coming back to Alexandria and finding out that Denise was killed.
• Finding out the fate of Daryl (please be okay...please be okay...please be okay...) and the rest of the group being held by Dwight and buddies. 
• Maggie's agony (again, please be okay...please be okay...please be okay...).

Orange Crush Oatmeal (for Denise) inspired by The Walking Dead

I swear it seems like I was just talking about the mid-season premiere of The Walking Dead and the season 6 finale is TOMORROW already! TWD always concludes way to fast for me. Fortunately, it's one of the few shows that I can watch endless reruns of and still want more. So, in honor of the close of another amazing season and countless months of waiting for the new season, I'll be sharing a couple of recipes inspired by the show today and tomorrow.

It's always a tough decision deciding which scene and/or character to pull my inspiration from (because I have SO MANY ideas written down), but *SPOILER* I knew I'd be making something for Denise the minute that arrow poked through her beautiful face. Which I'm so bummed about; her character really started to blossom over the second half of season 6 and she was quickly inching her way closer to my favorites list. And who else can't stop thinking about Tara and how she's going to react when she gets back to Alexandria?

Coca-Cola Ham inspired by The Walking Dead

"Talk about miracles, that recipe for cola canned ham. Mmm. Ms. Peletier, you are an honest to goodness hero."

I get it. Food that actually resembles food before the zombie apocalypse. Food that tastes good. It is pretty miraculous. It's also a harsh reality that you can be praising somebodies kitchen prowess one minute, and then being mercy killed by them a few hours later. Little did Erin know how true her statement rang.

Ham Biscuits inspired by The Walking Dead

It's day 6 of Dead Eats: Recipes Inspired by The Walking Dead, and I'm super excited to be sharing a recipe inspired by the man of many profound sayings and one magical mullet—Dr. Eugene Porter. But first let me say - ONE MORE DAY 'TIL GO TIME! I've had a blast with Kim and Dionne this week, cooking up TWD-inspired food.

Okay, on to today's recipe. This reference is easy to miss, because the line slips out of Eugene's mouth as he and Tara are walking into the "doctor's office" in Alexandria. As they come through the door, we hear Eugene say "It hams my biscuits is all".

Merle's Cake with Pink Frosting inspired by The Walking Dead

It's FRIDAY - and that means only 2 more days until the mid-season premier of THE WALKING DEAD! It also means that we're 5 days into Dead Eats: Recipes Inspired by The Walking Dead, the event that I'm having far too much fun doing with Kim from Cravings of a Lunatic and Dionne from Try Anything Once Culinary. I just have 2 questions for you: 1)Are you as excited as we are? 2)Have you entered our giveaway for your chance to win seasons 1-5 of TWD on dvd yet?

Okay, on to today's recipe. Since it was inspired by something that happened in season 3, there are only spoilers in this post if you're way behind. This one is in memory of Merle. Oh, Merle, you were such an ignorant, hateful, spiteful asshole. And yet, there was something about you that I loved. I'm sure this has almost everything to do with Michael Rooker (the actor who played Merle), because he's pretty amazing. But it probably also had a lot to do with the fact that you're Daryl's brother, and you love him as much as I do...as the world does.

Eastman's Oatmeal Burgers inspired by The Walking Dead

Welcome to day 4 of Dead Eats: Recipes Inspired by The Walking Dead hosted by myself, Kim at Cravings of a Lunatic and Dionne at Try Anything Once Culinary. I hope you're having as much fun as I am with these recipes—and that you're as anxious as I am for Sunday to finally be here! If you haven't watched the first half of season 6 yet, here's your fair warning that there will be some spoilers in this post!

Here's the thing. I'm a Walking Dead fan through and through. I love the weeks with intense action and I also love those weeks that some people complain about saying they're "too slow" or "too boring" or "nothing happened". That's character development people! To understand people, it's important to know where they come from. Earlier this season we had one of those episodes; it was extra long and calm, giving us time to catch our breath and calm down after the crying, screaming, fist-shaking episode the week before.

Shortcut Homemade Turtles for Enid inspired by The Walking Dead

We're three days into Dead Eats: Recipes inspired by The Walking Dead now, and I really hope that you're enjoying seeing the food that Dionne, Kim, and I have been inspired to make by this show and cast of characters that we love. Today I'm sharing something that I knew I'd make from the moment we saw the demise of our serene turtle friend.

If you need a refresher, I'm going back to episode 2 of season 6 again. The episode is titled "JSS" after the mantra that Enid created for herself - just survive somehow. We finally get a glimpse into Enid's past. We see how she loses her family and makes her way to the walls of Alexandria.

Dumpster Cookies inspired by The Walking Dead

This post has what I consider to be the biggest spoiler from the first half of season 6 of The Walking Dead - so if you don't want to me to ruin it for you, you should go check out these zombie finger cookies instead of these dumpster cookies right away!

Okay, so if you're still reading, that means you're all caught up or that you don't care about the best show on television. No judgement. Let's talk dumpsters. Specifically glorious dumpsters that save the life of your (my) favorite character. Everybody told me that there was no way Glenn survived that mob, but I held on to the hope that he was still alive. After all, Glenn represents hope lately, and the writers just wouldn't rip all hope out from under us would they?

Cream of Celery Soup with Paprika Butter inspired by The Walking Dead

Today marks the start of what is going to be an awesome week. I've joined Kim from Cravings of a Lunatic and Dionne from Try Anything Once Culinary in a culinary countdown to the mid-season premiere of The Walking Dead! We'll be sharing recipes inspired by TWD throughout the week, so be sure to check back every day. Plus, we're giving away one set of The Walking Dead DVDs, seasons 1-5 (see bottom of the post to enter for your chance to win). Are you ready for Dead Eats: Recipes Inspired by The Walking Dead!?