When the weather is cold and rainy, this is one of my favorite soups to eat. What's your favorite thing to eat when it's yucky outside? 

     But it's not. This is a bug called a praying mantis (plural form--mantid). It gets its name because of the

way the front legs are shaped--like they're folded in prayer.

     Eating a crunchy wasp might sound gross to us, but it is yummy for a praying 

mantis. The mantis is a predatory (pre də to ri) insect, meaning that it must eat other bugs 

to survive. Some kinds of mantid even eat small birds, frogs, and other mantids!

    Praying mantids are green or brown in color, so they can blend in with leaves, and hide  from

their prey. Long spikes grow on their front legs, making it easier for the insect to grab and hold their

meal.

     Here are some more interesting facts about this marvelous bug:

1. Praying mantids are the only insects that can turn their heads at a 180 degree angle.
2. They live up to a year, and can be as long as six inches.
3. A praying mantis has five eyes--two compound and three simpler ones located between them. 

      Do YOU have interesting photos or facts you'd like to share? Email me at [email protected].

Psss...kids. Come closer. It's me, Amelia, and I have a secret I think you'll like. 

Debbie has been working hard on my third book--Amelia Frump and the Billion-Cajillion Dollar Secret--and I've talked her into sharing a little bit of it with you. That's what we're supposed to do, right...share?

Tell me what you think!

  Fall is my favorite season. I like to walk in the woods, and look at all the different colored leaves. When it's too rainy to go outside, I like to bake cookies, read a book, or solve a puzzle.

   Hey...speaking of puzzles...here's a link to some you might enjoy. Just download and print them out. Have fun!

http://ameliafrump.wix.com/amelia-frump-fan-page#!activities

  Hi kids! It's me, Amelia.

  A few days ago, my friend Joseph went for a walk on a nature trail with his mom and brother. He found this

  It's kind of smashed up, but do you know what it is? Here, maybe this picture will help:

  It looks a little like a squash plant, doesn't it? If you guessed squash, then you're on the right track. The thing that Joseph found is a type of gourd. Gourds, cucumbers, melons, and squash are all in the plant family Cucurbitaceae.

  The gourd that Joseph found has a lot of names. Where he lives, it is called either a "coyote gourd", or a "buffalo gourd". The plant grows in the wild, and does not need very much water. It is found in some parts of the midwestern, southwestern, and western parts of the United States. Some parts of Arkansas are also home to these wild plants.

  A long time ago, Native Americans used the roots of the buffalo gourd for medicine, and the seeds for food.

  When Joseph's broke the gourd open, this is what they saw:

    Neat huh? Joseph was very excited about what he found.

  When Joseph is not playing soccer, he likes walking on nature trails. What is your favorite thing to do? Did you ever find anything really neat like this? What was it?

Hi everyone, it's Amelia. You know, the kid with the big imagination. I'm in the book, Amelia Frump and her Peanut Butter Loving, Overactive Imagination.

Wow! It's been a long time since I've been around here, hasn't it? Well, I have so many exciting things to tell you, but Debbie Roppolo will only let me tell you a few. You remember her, don't you? She's the author of all the Amelia Frump books. Here's a picture of her telling some kids about me.

Anyway...

 The editor at a very popular website (Leite Culinaria) asked Debbie if she could see my cookbook. The editor liked it, and here's what she said about it on Leite's Culinaria Facebook page:

Call us old-fashioned, but we're really quite smitten with Amelia Frump and Her Peanut Butter Loving, Overactive Imagination is Cooking Up a Peanut Butter Storm. (Say THAT three times fast!) It's a—what else?—peanut butter cookbook for kids with puzzles, mazes, and other head-scratchers. Pencil required.

And speaking of cookbook, did you know that one recipe in it won a trophy at a baking contest? Yep, that's right, it was a recipe for "Polka Dot Brownies".

That same cookbook of mine won an award at the Purple Dragonfly book awards. Here's the picture of that:

Good morning everyone! A few months ago the book trailer for  Amelia Frump... was changed. I like the new look, and hope you'll feel the same way. 

It's entered in the video trailer contest over at You Gotta Read. I'd appreciate if you'd stop by and give it a vote.

Baking is a fun way to spend time with your family, especially grandmothers.

It was always a treat to sit on the stool and listen while my grandma told me stories about her childhood. They were so good, I didn't even want to watch television, just listen to all her adventures. She told tales about traveling to Texas in a covered wagon, what people wore, and what stores looked like in her day.

If you'd like to have the same experience I did, here's a recipe to make with your grandma, or any other member of your family.

Amelia's Favorite Pizza

The last three toppings I listed can be changed. They are things my kids like. Use your imagination to decide what would taste good on your pizza.You can even use less marshmallows if you want to.

Serves: 16 slices

½ cup margarine
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups mini marshmallows
¼ cup Reese's Pieces®

¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup honey-roasted peanuts, chopped



Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine, peanut butter, sugars, until fluffy.

Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat well.

Stir in the flour and mix until everything is combined.

Spread the dough onto a lightly greased 12" pizza pan.

Bake at 375° for 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and top the crust with marshmallows, Reese's Pieces®, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and honey-roasted peanuts.

6. Return the pizza to the oven and bake 3-5 minutes, or until marshmallows are lightly toasted.

                                        _______________________________________________________

While you're in the kitchen with your family member, don't be afraid to ask about their childhood. They'll be glad you asked!

Did you know that by the time most Americans are 18, they've eaten almost 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? 

The largest peanut butter jelly  sandwich  was created in 2010. It weighed 1,342 pounds. Until then, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma held the record with a pbj sandwich that was 900 pounds. Both could probably feed a small town!

Do you know what town beat Oklahoma City's record? Click the link below to find the answer.

http://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/classroom-funfacts.php

My favorite thing to do on the weekend is baking with my children. Not only do we get to enjoy being together, the smell of fresh baked cookies bring back memories of my grandmothers' kitchen, and a wonderful childhood.

Below is my family's favorite cookie recipe. It, and several other yummy recipes can be found in my latest book:

Amelia Frump and her Peanut Butter Loving, Overactive Imagination is Cooking up a Peanut Butter Storm.  

Before you leave, check out the great Amelia Frump contest!

Monster Eye Cookies

Serves: 24—30 cookies

Happy Halloween! Amelia hopes you got lots of wonderful things to eat while you were out trick-or-treating. Remember to let your parents examine your candy before you eat it.

And before your face is washed, and your jammies are on, here's a Halloween treat from Amelia. 

Play Games on Miniclip.com

Amelia is at it again! This time she's in the kitchen cooking her favorite recipes. Here's a book trailer for her new book:  Amelia Frump and her Peanut Butter Loving, Overactive Imagination is Cooking up a Peanut Butter Storm.

A book trailer is a great way to let people know a little more about a book. What did you like about Amelia's video? What would you put in a book trailer if you were going to make one? What would your book be about?

Amelia's pots and pans are washed and put away! But now she wants to hear what you have to say!                                                

Let us know what recipe you liked the most and which one you thought was the easiest to make. 

Then send your OWN (edible) peanut butter recipe to [email protected] to enter 

“Amelia’s Peanut Butter Loving Contest.”

One grand prize winner will receive their choice of a hoodie-wearing "Amelia Frump" teddy bear, or a hoodie with Amelia Frump's picture on it, and they, along with their recipe, will be a character in the next "Amelia Frump" book! They will also receive a free copy of the book they are in!

Second prize will receive an “Amelia Frump” puzzle in a collectible tin and a copy of the new “Amelia Frump” book.

Third prize will receive a copy of the new “Amelia Frump” book.

The contest begins October 27, 2012 and ends midnight, Nov. 12, 2012.

Winners will be notified by email no later than Dec. 1, 2012.

Only residents of the United States are eligible for this contest.

Amelia Frump & Her Peanut Butter Loving, Overactive Imagination is Cooking Up a Peanut Butter Storm (Volume 2)

• ISBN-10: 0615705820
• ISBN-13: 978-0615705828

Available at Amazon.com and dwbchildrensline.com

Blurb: 

Our favorite peanut butter loving girl is at it again! This time she's written a cookbook chocked full of recipes using... what else? Peanut butter, of course! Amelia also included some fun things to do, like puzzles and mazes, and some fun facts about peanut butter. With this cookbook, every kid will be in the kitchen cooking up some peanut butter fun for the whole family!