Congratulations! I missed this. I have to say – it’s Shyanne’s favorite book. She screams at the top of her lungs everytime it says “The Cow loves COOKIES!!” in fact – it rarely makes it out of bed. I just checked.. still on her bed.. just for easy to find reach.

5P4XR7 IMHO you’ve got the right answer!

KUmqez Very true! Makes a change to see someone spell it out like that.

uw7sP2 Good point. I hadn’t thought about it quite that way.

Have you ever thought about creating an ebook or guest authoring on other blogs? I have a blog centered on the same topics you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information. I know my viewers would enjoy your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e-mail.

In searching for sites associated to Internet hosting and particularly comparison internet hosting linux plan internet,
your internet site came up.
You really are a quite sensible person!

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That is so awesome! Well-deserved! Congrats to you!

I am so amazed and honored that my book The Cow Loves Cookies has been chosen as a 2010 Cybil Book Award Finalist! I am always a little awed when I see one of my books mentioned in a blog. It’s this reminder that people are out in the world, reading my books and taking time to comment about them—either positively or negatively.

It makes me so grateful for the people in the world still taking time to value books for children. Ultimately they are the people responsible for making sure good literature keeps getting published. So to win an award created by bloggers really is an honor! Thanks so much!

©2011 Good Karma. All Rights Reserved.

Some movies are like the opposite of the actual book (Stuart Little). Charlotte’s Web is one of my favorite books.

poetry has the power to affect our emotions by using words alone, i really love poetry ;-`

Hi. Entered the cookie contest back in July. Didn’t see the announce of the winner? Merry CHRISTmas!!

Cool Site and great up to date info.

You’ve done a great job with this site. Keep up the good work!

I am just now finding this. My toddler and I, Mr. 4T, are huge fans, having just discovered the Bear series at our local library. In fact, my lap is just cooling off after the latest reading of “Bear Snores On” mere moments ago.

I have four boy cublets (21, 17, 12, and 4), and can so identify with your struggle with the empty nest. Our oldest one just moved away to live on campus for the first time this summer (he’s a junior) and – oy vey! What a sea change. We all miss him terribly. When the weekly column addressed that particular life change, people cried along with me and let me know they could identify.

It’s a huge step, but hopefully it’s been a smooth transition for you.

Waving and smiling,

Rhonda

I’m putting together a recipe contest to promote my book The Cow Loves Cookies. I will announce the contest in about a week.

What prompted this contest? Well, I was reading a review (very positive I might add) of Cow Love Cookies and one of the only cons the reviewer mentioned is that the book would encourage kids to want to eat cookies. BUT this assumes all cookies are bad or “junk”. I maintain that there are delicious but healthy cookie recipes out there.

So I will be coming up with a nutritious, delicious cookie recipe and it will probably incorporate foods that cows really DO enjoy, like oats, carrots or apples.

Put on your thinking cap (or your chef’s cap) and get to work brainstorming up the perfect cookie for cow to crunch! Winners will receive a batch of signed books and their recipe will be featured (fully credited, of course) on my website in “Features for Teachers”. Look forward to trying lots of great cookie recipes!

©2010 Good Karma. All Rights Reserved.

This is a link to the blog of Marcellus Hall, illustrator of The Cow Loves Cookies. He posted a comparison of the beginning art samples for the book to the end pieces. The transformation from  concept to final art is amazing, and I think it’s interesting to those of you wondering about the illustration process.

Booklist seems to appreciate the efforts of the talented Mr. Hall . The Booklist review said, “The big, clear watercolor pictures with thick ink lines leave lots of white space, and the simple rhyming lines, with descriptive words and messy action, will encourage preschoolers to join in.” 

Well deserved praise. Bravo!

They said some very lovely things about my writing as well.

The Cow Loves Cookies can be preordered on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

©2010 Good Karma. All Rights Reserved.

I’m back after an embarrassingly long absence. I’m in this difficult adjustment period leading up to “empty nest syndrome”. My oldest is almost 18 and we are helping him prepare for college, navigate high school, etc… Add to all that the fact that I am almost 40. Oy. Can anybody say, “Big life changes”.  I have struggled this last year with inspiration (or should I say “lack of inspiration”).

But summer is here now, a sunny respite from the hurry and worry of life. And with the summer months has come a refreshing rush of creativity and renewed sense of purpose. Part of that purpose is staying more connected with my readers and focusing on creating.

Tomorrow I will post some news about my upcoming book “The Cow Loves Cookies” which will be released in early July. I am very excited about this book, and I hope you all enjoy it. It is fast becoming a favorite read aloud during school visits. Kirkus gave it a starred review!

©2010 Good Karma. All Rights Reserved.

I’m posting my favorite pumpkin pie recipe just in time for Thanksgiving! And it’s fitting because the sweetener used is honey, which of course Bear loves.

I want to start by saying that I *recommend* you use fresh pumpkin. I know, I know… I can hear you now. “My snarky relatives are coming, there are a million things to cook, and who has time to process pumpkin for pie? This this isn’t the Plymouth Plantation ya know!”

If you have no time, then canned pumpkin is fine, but really processing pumpkin is easy. So easy you don’t even need pumpkin! Any hard orange- fleshed squash will do, including the readily available butternut. Jack-O-lantern pumpkins will work, but Sugar pumpkins especially grown for baking are optimal. And get this—no peeling or boiling required.

How to Process Fresh Pumpkin

Stab the pumpkin or squash a few times(pretend it’s your snarkiest relative and relieve some pent up frustration), and throw it on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 until a knife inserted goes in easily. Let cool. Cut pumpkin or squash in half, and carefully scoop and discard seeds. Scoop out the flesh away from the skin and pop it in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. You now have the most beautiful, bright orange pumpkin you’ve ever seen in your life.

If you used regular Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins you may want to put the pumpkin in a fine strainer set in a bowl for a few hours. Jack pumpkins have high water content. Squash or baking pumpkins don’t usually require this step. You are now ready to bake a pie. If you skipped this step and opened a can of Libby’s I won’t be mad, but I will insist you are missing out on a real treat. Fresh pumpkin is better than canned. Trust me.

Honey Pumpkin Pie

I don’t bake too often with honey. The added liquid content can throw off a recipe. The flavor isn’t compatible with everything (though it’ works for quick breads absolutely marvelously). But honey and pumpkin are literally made for each other. The first time I made honey pumpkin pie I swore I would never go back and I haven’t. My whole family raves. So does anybody else who tastes it.

This Honey Pumpkin Pie recipe makes two large pies.

Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or spice to taste)
• 1.5 cups honey
• 2 deep dish pie shells
• 3.5 cups pumpkin or 1 29 oz. can of pumpkin puree.

Preparation
In large bowl mix all ingredients except pie shells until smooth. Pour into shells. Bake at 400F for 15 mins. Turn oven to 350 and bake for about 30 more minutes until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Be sure to cover with tinfoil tent if pie browns too quickly.

Serve with Honey Whipped Cream, if desired. (To make honey whipped cream just whip up heavy cream and carefully fold in a few tablespoons room temp honey and a small splash of vanilla or almond extract—I prefer the latter).

I leave you with a picture. I don’t have a picture of pie, but I do have a cute picture with a pumpkin in it. Two if you count the adorable child.

©2009

Thanksgiving happens to be my favorite holiday of the year. People expect less of me than they do on Christmas. Cooking is one of my hobbies. I adore Turkey. And I have a lot to be thankful for.

We tend to list the big things we are thankful for each year. But it goes without saying that I am grateful for my family, friends, career, house, pets…etc…etc…

What are some of the small things you feel thankful for? I’ll go first.

Farm fresh brown eggs.

Coffee in the morning.

Slip on shoes.

A child’s sense of humor.

That my favorite authors existed.

The hutch my husband built me.

Making apple butter.

The smell of my favorite spices.

Family jokes.

There’s just a few. It’s fun to sit down and take a moment to think of the small things we so easily overlook that have contributed to our joy and content.

Happy thanksgiving.  

©2009 Good Karma. All Rights Reserved.

New Giveaway on Oct. 30th

©2009 Good Karma. All Rights Reserved.

Cheerios Spoonful of Stories literacy project is holding a vote for books that will appear inside of boxes of Cheerios, and BEAR NEEDS YOUR HELP!

Vote for Bear!

To recap, Spoonful of Stories is a great project designed to get free books into the hands of young kids. Millions of quality children’s books are printed in itty-bitty kid-sized copies and put in specially marked Cheerios boxes! Talk about the best cereal prize ever!Books to read!

Bear’s New Friend is behind and Bear needs your help. VOTE. And you can vote daily too.
Here’s How To Vote

1. Click on this link.

2. Click on the “MORE BOOKS” link at the bottom of the page.

3.  Vote for Bear’s New Friend.

4. Remember to visit the site daily to vote again!

I thank you all for your support! And I apologize for the shameful begging.

©2009 Good Karma. All Rights Reserved.

Great news! Sleepyhead was chosen to be a Spoonful of Stories book.  This is exciting because it means that my book is getting right where every children’s author dreams their books will end up–the hands of kids.

Spoonful of Stories is a literacy project that is a joint effort of Cheerios and First Book (children’s literacy charity). This time the news gets even better though– every book will have the story printed in both English and Spanish!

If you’d like to learn more about this great project or just discuss literature in general, the awesome Mom It Forward blog is hosting a Twitter chat tomorrow and I’m a panel member! Hope to see ya there. Here’s some info.

What: Cheerios is sponsoring this week’s #gno Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)

When: Tuesday, October 13, 9-11 p.m. EST

Where: Check back to access our custom Tweetgrid link this Monday. (Use hashtags #gno and #cheerios.)

Topic: Children’s literature

Who: @banteringblonde @cheeriosbrand @childhood @derek_author @keeperofthecheerios @LeighannMMM @oohamanda, @robinglasser @karmawilson

Party Favors: Click here to check out this week’s giveaway sponsored by Cheerios.

RSVP: Please leave your Twitter ID in the comments to follow and be followed (on Twitter, of course!) by other #gno gals. The best format is as follows: http://twitter.com/jylmomIF.

©2009 Good Karma. All Rights Reserved.

I did a very fun and introspective interview for Meredeth Resnick at her blog, The Writer’s Journey. Check it out! She really made me think.

K….

I’ve been on a trip to Miles City, MT doing a few school visits.  I’ve always felt fairly confident with the younger kids, but now that my new poetry book is out (What’s the Weather Inside) I’m doing a lot more sessions with kids from upper primary.  On Friday I got a pack of wild sixth graders (if any of you are reading this, I mean that in a good way)! It was late in the day on Friday and I was expected to keep their attention….somehow.

I was kinda, sorta nervous.

But I think it went well. When I was done and the kids were leaving they said things like, “YOU ROCK” and gave me fist bumps and high fives. And I got to sign a cast (get well soon Trevor)!  I also read the first chapter of my novel to a group of advanced fifth graders. One really sweet girl said, “Drop everything else and finish that so I can read it!” So I guess I have to finish it.

Just a little good news update. Hope everybody is having a great spring. I’m loving the sun and sky and warm breezes….and the melting snow/ice.  The mud? Not so much.

Karma