Colleen Houck's Blog, page 31

The BEST desserts are made with butter and love!-Throw Back Thursday

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls, therapy for a bad day, for a good day, for any day!

Did you know that STRESSED spelled backwards is DESSERTS? Coincidence? I think not! Do you ever have a bad day where things just get worser and worser and you want to crawl under your covers and hide or even run away to escape it all? I know I have. It’s hard to scrape your wounded soul from the depths of despair sometimes but if any of you have a mother like mine, sometimes that gentle nudge to get up and carry on comes in the form of sweet baked treats fresh from mama’s kitchen. That sweet spice that fills the air somehow dulls the pains and lifts you off your tear stained pillow. When mom opens your door and invites you to share a warm, sweet dessert in the kitchen, you can’t help but feel a little better. When you are served that glass of ice cold milk and a plate of tasty goodness, the tears stop and you can almost find your voice again. Next you share a few moments in silence while you fill your mouth with warm heaven and your mother pats your back gently and you’re finally able to talk about your troubles. That is the moment you know that somehow you’ll get through the bad day.

You may have heard the quote, “I’ve never met a problem a proper dessert couldn’t fix”, and I believe there is a lot of truth to that. Nothing feels better than when you are welcomed home by a deliciously cooked meal or the smell of cookies or bread baking in the oven. While the smells intoxicate your taste buds and you can’t wait to bite into whatever’s cooking, it’s more about the hands that have prepared the food. Whether it’s your mother, father, spouse, or friend that cooked it, the food was prepared from the heart with kindness and love. There’s also the times when we fall and scrape our knee or come home crying because someone was mean to us at school, or when we try our best at something, that we are sometimes treated with a hug or a smile and a special outing for an ice cream cone, a lollipop, or a cookie. That, my friends, is why a dessert can be so therapeutic.

My mother is not the greatest cook in the world, but there are a few things she makes REALLY well and her cinnamon rolls is one of them. Here’s a recipe that is very similar to hers but has been improved upon slightly by myself via trial and error.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

ok, ok, I know there are raisins in this but I have to be honest, I love my cinnamon rolls with raisins. But, don’t worry, that is optional!

Dough                                                            

1 Cup warm milk
2 eggs, room temp.
1/3 Cup butter, melted
4 ½ Cups all-purpose flour
1 Tsp. salt
1 package yeast (2 ¼ Tsp.)

 

Filling                                                             

1 Cup brown sugar, packed
2 ½ Tbs. ground cinnamon
¼ Cup butter, softened
Raisins (as much or as little as you want, optional)

Spread for Dough                                          

1/3 Cup butter, softened

Icing

3 Ounces cream cheese
¼ Cup butter
1 ½ – 2 Cups confectioner’s sugar
1 Tsp. pure vanilla extract

 

1st Set of Steps for Dough

Dissolve yeast in small bowl with milk. Let proof.

In large bowl combine sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and yeast

mixture. Mix well. Add in flour and knead dough for 5

minutes until dough is soft and form in ball shape.

Place dough in greased bowl and let rise in warm area

covered with towel until doubled in size (about 1 hr.).

 

2nd Set of Steps for Filling

Combine sugar, cinnamon and butter in small bowl

and set aside.

3rd Set of Steps for Rolling Dough and Baking

When dough has risen, roll out on floured surface in

rectangle shape and about 1/4 inch thick. Spread butter

on dough, then sprinkle with filling mixture. Roll into

log shape. Cut into equal portions (I use dental floss,

it works great!). Place on lightly greased pan, cover with

towel and let rise for 30 minutes. For bigger rolls, this

recipe makes about 12 on a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees F.

for 18-20 minutes.

4th Set of Steps for Icing

Combine cream cheese, butter, powder sugar and vanilla in

tall mixing bowl. Mix on high until smooth and creamy in

texture. *You may add a few teaspoons of milk or water if

too thick. Once rolls have cooled slightly, spread icing

over rolls and enjoy!! Best if served warm!

My little angels thoroughly enjoying the cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven. They had so much fun helping me make these! If the idea of eating hot cinnamon rolls sounds just perfect, try your hand at making these in your own kitchen. Leave a comment or send me a pic and I’ll add it to this blog. Happy eating!

Till next time

~ Linda Louise

 

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My Top Ten 80’s Video Picks

I was getting my hair done by my hair stylist, Jessica, the other day and we got to talking about perms and how she would never let me have one. I did have perms pretty much all through high school as that was the way to get big hair. Even now, I look at my hair sometimes and think if I add just little more hairspray I can once again achieve the proper height. My hair hasn’t been the proper height since 1991 in my opinion.

Book reviews for kids, by kids- Invasion of the Overworld

For those of you who are looking for new books appropriate for middle grade that both boys and girls might enjoy, this is the place to look!

Every month, at least one new book will be added for review right here and they will be reviewed by the best critics, KIDS! That’s right, the one’s who read them will be the judge!

This blog is written by my nephew Sam, like most boys he loves games. So when it comes to reading he likes his books to be about his games. He also likes to read comics…any kind of comics. He likes the BFG, by Ronald Dahl also.  Introducing Sam,

“Hi. My name is Sam and I’m in the 7th grade. I love soccer and play on the school team. I like computer games like Minecraft, Roblox, Aliens vs. Predator, and am working on my Star in Boy Scouts of America. I love to hike, climb, and camp with my dad and family. I love egg sandwiches and grilled cheese sandwiches. I love going on vacations with my family. When we went to Sedona last year I went on a lot of hikes with my dad, and we even played in a river.”

 

 

And now, introducing our next middle grade book review for kids, by kids!
Book review on Invasion of the Overworld
by Mark Cheverton

 

Setting:

This book took place in Gameknight999 house,which is a house inside our world.  Then Gameknight999 gets teleported to his favorite game Minecraft. Minecraft is a game that is made out of blocks and has mobs like zombies that attack you and has other players are in the world you can play with you or kill you and destroy your creations.

Main Character:

The main character is Gameknight999 is 12 years old who has a little sister who he actually loves in the real world.  Gameknight999 is different when he play Minecraft.  He “trolls” people in the game which means he’s basically mean in the game.

Gameknight999 ruins the gaming experience for everyone but himself.  That all changes when he gets teleported into the actual game of Minecraft.  Think of the movie Tron and how the main character gets sucked into the computer.

Personal Review:

I liked this book, and the good thing is that this series continues. Gameknight999 learned some good lessons.  He learned how to treat people in the game world. He learns new secrets like villagers can talk, feel pain, and have feelings.  There is a secret place underground place under each village.  Gameknight999 makes a friend who shares all these game secrets with him, and his name Crafter. Gameknight999 is still trapped in the Minecraft world at the end of this book.

 

Till next time,

Linda Louise and Sam

Here’s a list and link to the other books we’ve reviewed:

Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis

Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony Di’Terlizzi and Holly Black

Artemis Fowl, book 1 by Eoin Colfer

The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant) by Roald Dahl

How to Train Your Dragon: How to Break a Dragon’s Heart, Book # 8 by Cressida Cowell

~ Till next time,

Linda Louise Lotti

Mayday Monday (4)

What a week! Stay tuned for our recap of our Romantic Times adventures.

I’ll be honest that I haven’t actually heard of this book before, but I find the cover so intriguing so let’s learn more about it, shall we?

Perfect for fans of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight,The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak is Stonewall Award-winning author Brian Katcher’s hilarious he said/she said romance about two teens discovering themselves on an out-of-this-world accidental first date at a sci-fi convention.

When Ana Watson’s brother ditches a high school trip to run wild at Washingcon, type-A Ana knows that she must find him or risk her last shot at freedom from her extra-controlling parents.

In her desperation, she’s forced to enlist the last person she’d ever want to spend time with—slacker Zak Duquette—to help find her brother before morning comes.

But over the course of the night, while being chased by hordes of costumed Vikings and zombies, Ana and Zak begin to open up to each other. Soon, what starts as the most insane nerdfighter manhunt transforms into so much more. . . .

 

Ah, the good things that can happen at sci-fi conventions! You know what I mean.

I think I need to know what a nerdfighter manhunt actually entails… This book releases tomorrow! What was the last book you received?

Book Review For Kids, By Kids- Igraine the Brave

For those of you who are looking for new books appropriate for middle grade that both boys and girls might enjoy, this is the place to look!

Every month, at least one new book will be added for review right here and they will be reviewed by the best critics, KIDS! That’s right, the one’s who read them will be the judge!

This blog is written by my fourteen year old niece, Rebecca. She’s extremely creative, smart, and follows in her father’s footsteps when it comes to her love of questing books such as The Hobbit, LOTR, or Star Wars. She’s dabbled in writing her own short quests and designing fashion, namely elf fashion. She has a great love for reading and writing and anything that involves creativity.  

 

And now, introducing our next middle grade book review for kids, by kids!
        Book Review of Igraine the Brave


by Cornelia Funke

Setting:

The setting of this book in at Pimpernel Castle. Pimpernel castle is a magical castle that has stone gargoyles that can talk, eat arrows, and even eat entire cannon balls. The castle is also protected by a huge moat that can turn people into fish and two huge lions that roar at the sign of danger. The castle is very old and covered in moss.

Main Character:

The main character’s name is Igraine. She is the daughter of the two most powerful

magicians in the land, the Fair Melisande and Sir Lamorak the Witty. Her brother, Albert, is a magician in training. Igrane is a very cocky girl and wants to be a knight not a magician.

Personal Review:

I liked this book because it had magic and was very exciting. I like Igraine because she

reminds me of myself. I loved the quest she goes on because it has so many cool creatures like a giant and dragon.

There is no movie for this but she has written other amazing books like Inkheart.

 

There you have it! If you’ve read it or have any thoughts about this book or any other book you’d like to talk about, please leave a comment below and share with the rest of us! If you have a favorite book, share it! We are ALWAYS looking for the next GREAT book to read!

Till next time,

Linda Louise and Rebecca

Here’s a list and link to the other books we’ve reviewed:

 

Artemis Fowl, book 1 by Eoin Colfer

The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant) by Roald Dahl

How to Train Your Dragon: How to Break a Dragon’s Heart, Book # 8 by Cressida Cowell

 

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Annual Grand Prize Winner

Bonus Prize Winner 

We have a brand new contest, and it is to celebrate you, the fans.  It’s a contest for all the 2015 Contest Winners.  It’s pretty simple to win.  All you have to do is send a picture to Colleen’s Twitter account with you and your prize.  We will then choose one person to win out of all 2015 winners. 

Rules:

1. You had to win a Colleen Houck prize in 2015. Mention what you won and when you won it.  (This also includes school visits, contests, and events if you received a copy of one of Colleen’s books.)

2. You have to submit a picture of yourself and your prize in the photo

3. You have to submit that photo to @ColleenHouck on Twitter using the hash tag #HouckContestWinner

You have to submit the photo by 12/31/15

Remember if you are under 18 get parental permission first.

Framing your Eyes in Shadows; Eye Shadows *Prize*

 

 

Have you ever heard that, “Eyes are the Windows to the Soul?”

I think that eyes are like jewels.  Some extraordinary jewels are set in simple unassuming settings others in ornate and intricate settings.

Whether you are looking to simply to frame your eyes with a simple curtain of sable lashes or want to let the artist is you create a many-hued backdrop you can use eye shadow as your palette.

There are so many type of eye shadows on the market today and a variety of colors, quality, and formulas.  Some are cream based, a fine powder, a chunky glitter, and the standard pressed shadow.   I’ve tried all of them and two things matter to me.  How long they stay on, and if the color is right for the look I’m trying to achieve. 

For most of us we need a quick routine that makes our eyes look bigger and showcases the beautiful color of your eyes.  For most of us that’s a neutral look.

Here is a good tutorial on how to achieve a Natural Bright Eye look.

Black Smoky Eye is great for a party.  If black is too dark for you a classic deep brown would look great!  Or try the One Minute Smokey Eye when you are in a hurry.

Try your favorite pressed eye shadow with a wet brush for a deeper longer lasting look.  Or pick up a new fun color for a special occasion. Maybelline Color Tattoo have many fun colors and even metallic shades. 

 

I did a blog a few months ago for glittery eye shadows.  Check out the Glittery Eye Make Up.  There are some fun videos and ideas.

Some of my favorite eye shadows come from Urban Decay because they are good quality and last a long time on my eyelids. I love the Naked 2, Naked 2 Basics, Naked On The Run, and the discontinued Urban Decay Shattered Palette. The Naked 2 has every neutral color you will ever need in one thin package, Naked 2 Basics are matte colors and I love matte, Naked on the Run is my new travel pack with everything I need in one case.  The Urban Decay Shattered palette has more color option and neutral ready to travel.  They are my every day go to eye shadows.

I have two eye shadow pallets available to win. One that is perfect to creating that natural look and the other is a little more fun with more vibrant colors. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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Mayday Monday (3)

Hey! We’re at Romantic Times Convention in Dallas, Texas this week — woo hoo!! Let us know if you’re going to be attending. Despite being gone, I wanted to give you a heads up about this book releasing tomorrow…

 

On the island of Nil, the rules are set. You have exactly 365 days to escape–or you die. Rives is now the undisputed Leader of Nil City, but keeping the City united is tougher than ever.

Raiders have grown bolder, supplies are dwindling, and non-human inhabitants have taken a turn toward the deadly. New arrivals cause rifts within the City, putting the Search system at risk, and calling everything Rives knows into question. Desperate for answers, he teams up with the only other person searching for them: Skye, a new arrival with a mysterious past of her own. Soon the duo find themselves locked in a desperate race to save all the residents of Nil–and possibly destroy the island forever. But at what cost? And who will pay the price?

Oh man, I love the subtle tally marks on the cover. Happy day to Lynne Matson! Have you read Nil yet?

RT Book Convention in Dallas is here!

Hey Tiger Fans!

Colleen Houck is going to be in Dallas, Texas from May 11th through the 16th. She’s so excited to see her fans and meet new ones. If you’ve been DYING to get your hands on an advanced copy of REAWAKENED, come see her at the Book Convention. The book can be found at the Slumber Party, The Teen Day Party, and at the Reader Party (for details you can check out Tiger’s Curse Fans Facebook page).

As Colleen shared earlier, we are planning some really cool things for the RT convention. Here’s a couple sneak peeks of what you can get if you attend!

First cool swag item-CHOCOLATE!

 

 

 These are earmarked for the Spooky Slumber Party at the RT Convention but we will have some for fans to take home from the launch party too. We will also have a limited number of white chocolate mummies in a dark chocolate sarcophagus! These are special prizes that will go to 12 fans who come and find Colleen in Dallas!

Second BEAUTIFUL jewelry!

Custom made REAWAKENED themed jewelry will go to 12 fans who come and find Colleen in Dallas!

Third AMAZING prizes!

For those who come to Colleen Houck’s workshops and YA Reader Party, there will be TONS of amazing prizes (designer purses, $50 amazon gift cards, Barnes & Noble gifts cards, Starbucks gift cards, and more!) and a really fun YA jeopardy game! This one will be THE party to attend!!

If you are anywhere in the neighborhood, Dallas RT Book Convention is the place to be! Come if you can!

 

See you there!

 

Pick-A-Song for Reawakened

Did you know that we have playlists for every single book that Colleen has written? True story.

With Reawakened hitting the shelves in August, we’ve got to share with you the playlist for Reawakened.

Are you ready?!

 

Well, one thing we’d like to do before we share it with you all is to offer you a chance to have a song of YOUR CHOICE added in the playlist.

 

Leave a comment below with what song you think would fit Lily and Amon in Reawakened. You have until  May 28th to enter! We’ll announce in early June the winner.

The prize is an advanced reading copy of Reawakened along with some really cool swag!