Monday, March 19, 2012

PROFESSOR BINGO PRESENTS! BLISS: A REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S
"PROFESSOR BINGO  PRESENTS DAY" 
I'M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THIS WEEK'S

"PROFESSOR BINGO PRESENTS DAY" IS...

 

ABOUT THE BOOK: 
Rosemary Bliss’s family has a secret. It’s the Bliss Cookery Booke—an ancient, leather-bound volume of enchanted recipes like Stone Sleep Snickerdoodles and Singing Gingersnaps. Rose and her siblings are supposed to keep the Cookery Booke under lock and whisk-shaped key while their parents are out of town, but then a mysterious stranger shows up. “Aunt” Lily rides a motorcycle, wears purple sequins, and whips up exotic (but delicious) dishes for dinner. Soon boring, nonmagical recipes feel like life before Aunt Lily—a lot less fun.
So Rose and her siblings experi-ment with just a couple of recipes from the forbidden Cookery Booke.

A few Love Muffins and a few dozen Cookies of Truth couldn’t cause too much trouble . . . could they?

Kathryn Littlewood’s culinary caper blends rich emotional flavor with truly magical wit, yielding one heaping portion of hilarious family adventure.

A MAGICAL RECIPE FROM BLISS:
LOVEBIRD MUFFINS
From Kathryn Littlewood’s BLISS, pages 101–112
 
It was in 1718 in the British country town of Gosling’s Wake that Sir Jasper Bliss brought together two most unfortunate souls, the widower James Corinthian and dressmaker Petra Biddlebumme, who were too sad and too shy, respectively, to leap into the glorious fire of love. Jasper made a special delivery of these squash muffins to each one’s house, then waited a safe distance from the dressmaking shop of Petra Biddlebumme. Two hours past the delivery of the muffins, widower James Corinthian ran to the door of Petra Biddlebumme, who asked him in for tea. They were married one month thence. Sir Jasper Bliss did grate one large green squash while chanting the name of the lonely customers thrice. Sir Jasper did pass through a metal sieve one fist of flour and one fist of sugar. Sir Jasper did drizzle two acorns of the finest distilled Tahitian vanilla over the flour. Then he did fold within the batter one egg of the Masked Lovebird, Agapornis personata, which Sir Jasper did acquire from a mystic who had collected it from the primordial forests of Madagascar. He did bake the muffins at the heat of six flames for the time of eight songs.
Makes 12 muffins
 
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs of the Masked Lovebird*
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups grated zucchini
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
1 cup walnuts (optional) 
*If Masked Lovebird eggs are not
available, you may substitute 2 large
chicken eggs (magical effectiveness may
be lower than with original ingredients).

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. (Always ask an adult for help when using the oven!)

2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set the bowl aside. 

3. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini while chanting three times the names of people you wish to fall in love. Stir in the melted butter.
 
4. Stir the flour mixture into the zucchini mixture. Stir in walnuts if using.
 
5. Coat each muffin cup in your muffin pan with a little butter or vegetable oil spray. Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to distribute the muffin batter equally among the cups, filling the cups up completely.
 
6. Bake until muffins are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin and let cool another 20 minutes.
(Recipe by Katie Bignell)  
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kathryn Littlewood is a writer, actress, comedienne, and bon vivant who lives in New York City, works often in Los Angeles, and has a sweet tooth for pain de chocolat and sweet novels for tween readers. 

PRAISE FOR BLISS:
“Lighthearted bliss.”--Kirkus Reviews
“Littlewood’s first novel mixes the sincere and the silly with entertaining results.”--Publishers Weekly
“The children’s attempts at magic and the subsequent flubs simply make this cannot-put-it-down delectable.”--Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
“Humor abounds in this sweet story that stresses the importance of family, and readers will enjoy getting to know the eccentric Bliss family."--School Library Journal
 
MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW: 
Kathryn Littlewood's BLISS is a marvelous magical manuscript to share with your children! It is a delightful chapter book for young readers in middle to upper elementary grades. BLISS is about a family who runs the Bliss Bakery where they are known for making magical foods. Three of the four Bliss children are named after herbs. The youngest child, Leigh, is the one who is not. However, they all have a very significant marking from birth that identifies them as magical cooks. When the Bliss children are left alone while their parents are out of town on an emergency to help others, their Aunt Lily surprisingly arrives and delights the whole gang of them. Although the children were strictly instructed to keep the magical family cookbook locked away for safekeeping, it isn't long before Aunt Lily talks them into letting her use the highly valuable and prized book. This is when all kinds of magic baked good are made. 

The children bake themselves into a corner it seems as they try to solve problems with the charms and magic of their yummy delights. I found the book enchanting and so much fun to read myself. I know children will immediately take to this one and will delight in it. If Kathryn Littlewood is as smart as she appears to be from her writing, she will make this the first of many about the agreeably captivating Bliss family. How Aunt Lilly plays into the whole of the story is a major twist, and what the Bliss parents do upon return is yet another magical turn that all go into the making of sheer BLISS by Kathryn Littlewood!
   GIVEAWAY 

THANKS TO THE FINE FOLKS AT
HARPER COLLINS, I HAVE ONE COPY
OF BLISS, A DELIGHTFUL BOOK, TO
GIVE AWAY TO ONE LUCKY WINNER
 
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
 

COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:


+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE BOOK BLISS THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A RECIPE YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE OUT OF A MAGIC COOKBOOK AND WHAT WOULD IT DO?

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON A CURRENT GIVEAWAY THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH TO RECEIVE MORE ENTRIES
 
GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, MARCH 30
GOOD LUCK!
 


132 comments:

Mippy said...

Hi!
Abook that includes recipes will draw me in right away. What I love is the magical and fun loving spirit this book sounds like. I was excited just reading the summary of it. If I win this I will definitely share it with my niece...or get her a copy of it as well! :D
Thanks for the chance!
~Mippy :)
bunnysmip (AT) yahoo (DOT) com

Mippy said...

Hi!
I tweeted!
https://twitter.com/#!/MippyFoofalina/status/181649297085960192
Thanks for the chance!
~Mippy :)
bunnysmip (AT) yahoo (DOT) com

Mippy said...

Haha I would like to make Happiness bread! It would make the one eating it full of happiness.
Thanks for the chance!
~Mippy :)
bunnysmip (AT) yahoo (DOT) com

Mippy said...

+1 MARCH FB
Thanks for the chance!
~Mippy :)
bunnysmip (AT) yahoo (DOT) com

Mippy said...

+2 MARCH FB
Thanks for the chance!
~Mippy :)
bunnysmip (AT) yahoo (DOT) com

Mippy said...

+3 MARCH FB
Thanks for the chance!
~Mippy :)
bunnysmip (AT) yahoo (DOT) com

Mippy said...

+4 MARCH FB
Thanks for the chance!
~Mippy :)
bunnysmip (AT) yahoo (DOT) com

Mippy said...

+5 MARCH FB
Thanks for the chance!
~Mippy :)
bunnysmip (AT) yahoo (DOT) com

lag123 said...

I like the fact that it is about family.

lag110 at mchsi dot com

lag123 said...

Tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/lag32583/status/181690866421862400

lag110 at mchsi dot com

debbie said...

This book sounds like a fun one. I even really like the cover. I love the idea of magical food.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I would like to have a rich dark chocolate brownie. Whoever ate it would come into money.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I entered blood orchids.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I entered scones and bones.
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debbie said...

I entered cruising altitude.
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debbie said...

I entered little shop of horrors.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I entered the face thief.
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Pat L. said...

Sounds like madcap adventures and the theme of food makes me interested in reading it.

patoct@yahoo.com

Pat L. said...

I entered How to Eat a Cupcake.
patoct@yahoo.com

Pat L. said...

I would like to make the happiness bread also - how could you not want to since it would probably make me happy.

patoct@yahoo.com

Pat L. said...

I would like to find a recipe for a dense rich fudge cake that would be served with whipped cream or a rich choc frosting. The magic of this cake would make all who ate it very happy and the get together of eating it, would make for a good visit.

patoct@yahoo.com

Pat L. said...

Sounds like madcap adventures and the theme of food makes me interested in reading it.

patoct@yahoo.com

Pat L. said...

Entered the Lethal giveaway.
patoct@yahoo.com

Karen B said...

Bliss sounds like such fun - "sincere and silly." Just the thing to share with my greatgrandkids!

kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

Karen B said...

Entered LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.
kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

Carol N Wong said...

The receipes sound wonderful, back in Indiana, we were always trying to use up the zuccini. I love the sweet story too.

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I tweeted:

http://t.co/FjKRSUDX

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I would like to make Hugs Aplenty Cookies!

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I entered the giveaway for
"Scones and Bones".



CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I entered the giveaway for
"Crusing Attitude".



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Carol N Wong said...

I entered the giveaway for
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Carol N Wong said...

I entered the giveaway for
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Carol N Wong said...

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Anonymous said...

I entered the giveaway for
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Carol N Wong said...

I entered the giveaway for
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Carol N Wong said...

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Carol N Wong said...

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Carol N Wong said...

+5 March Facebook Bonus Entry


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Carol N Wong said...

+5 March Facebook Bonus Entry


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Carol N Wong said...

+5 March Facebook Bonus Entry


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Pat L. said...

I entered Calico Joe.
patoct@yahoo.com

traveler said...

This unique book sounds appealing and special.saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I would like to make Lemon Bread. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

rubynreba said...

I like books that have recipes in them and this looks like a fun one!
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

rubynreba said...

+5 March facebook
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traveler said...

I entered Lethal. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered Blood Orchids. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered Scones and Bones. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

rubynreba said...

+5 March facebook 3
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

traveler said...

I entered The Face Thief. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

rubynreba said...

+5 March facebook 4
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traveler said...

I entered how To Eat a Cupcake. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

rubynreba said...

+5 March facebook 5
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

traveler said...

I entered Calico Joe. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered Adrift on St. John. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered Sacred Thread. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

rubynreba said...

Entered The Dog Who Danced

traveler said...

I entered Little Shop of Horrors. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

rubynreba said...

Entered Little Shop of Homicide
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

rubynreba said...

Entered Cruising Attitude
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rubynreba said...

Entered The Face Thief
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

petite said...

A lovely and delectable book. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

rubynreba said...

entered Fashion Faux Paw
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

rubynreba said...

Entered How to Eat a Cupcake
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

petite said...

Happiness Bread sounds lovely. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

rubynreba said...

Entered Oath of Office
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

petite said...

entered The Sacred Thread. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

Entered Calico Joe. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

rubynreba said...

Entered Adrift on St John
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

petite said...

Entered How To Eat a Cupcake. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

Entered Adrift on St. John. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

rubynreba said...

Entered The Sacred Thread
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

petite said...

Entered Blood Orchids. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

rubynreba said...

Entered Agony of the Leaves
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

petite said...

Entered The Face Thief. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

rubynreba said...

Entered Calico Joe
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

petite said...

Entered Scones and Bones. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

Entered lethal. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

ann said...

Recipes and food and it sounds like a book I will enjoy reading.
amhengst at verizon dot net

ann said...

1. March FB bonus points +5 - amhengst
amhengst at verizon dot net

ann said...

2. March FB bonus points +5 - amhengst
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ann said...

3. March FB bonus points +5 - amhengst
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ann said...

4. March FB bonus points +5 - amhengst
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ann said...

5. March FB bonus points +5 - amhengst
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ann said...

I would like to try the Happiness bread I have never heard of that before
amhengst at verizon dot net

ann said...

I entered How to Eat a Cupcake.
amhengst at verizon dot net

ann said...

Entered FASHION FAUX PAW.
amhengst at verizon dot net

ann said...

Entered The Sacred Thread
amhengst at verizon dot net

ann said...

I entered the giveaway for Agony of the Leaves
amhengst at verizon dot net

Helen L. said...

I adore food related books and esp ones with recipes.

Helen L. said...

I entered Calico Joe.
gmapeony@yahoo.com

Helen L. said...

I entered the Rae Ann Thayne giveaway.

gmapeony@yahoo.com

Helen L. said...

I entered How to Eat a Cupcake.

gmapeony@yahoo.com

Helen L. said...

Whoops made a mistake on the RA Thayne comment. Sorry.

gmapeony@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I would love to see what recipes are in the book and how the 2 women work out their problems.

Natalies Mama

Anonymous said...

Would love a big chocolate chip cake that would make everyone nice to each other/

Natalies Mama

Anonymous said...

I would LOVE to win this book first and for most because it sounds like it would be a funny book and second I love that it has recipes in the book! Thank you for the chance

pattifritz2000 at yahoo dot com
thank you for the chance

Jolee said...

So much sounds good about this book! The magical appeal, the mystery, the recipes! thanks. joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Jolee said...

I would love to make any chocolate that actually BURNED calories. :-) Who wouldn't like this? joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Jolee said...

entered dog who danced joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Jolee said...

entered scones and bones joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Jolee said...

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Jolee said...

entered cruising attitudes joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Jolee said...

entered little shop of homicide joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Jolee said...

entered face thief joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Jolee said...

entered oath of office joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Jolee said...

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Jolee said...

entered sacred thread joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

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entered agony of the leaves joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

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entered lone wolf joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

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entered surrey state of affairs joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

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mamabunny13 said...

This sounds like a fun read
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mamabunny13 said...

entered The Upright Piano Player
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entered losing clemintine
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mamabunny13 said...

entered adrift on st john
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entered little shop of homicide
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entered the face theif
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Anonymous said...

I love the cover and the book sounds really good - nothing like a good read with sweets highlighted. And recipes included. How can you go wrong?

lrmegtom@gmail.com
Lynn R.

Anonymous said...

I would like a peach cheesecake that would bring a genie to clean my house.

lrmegtom@gmail.com
Lynn R.

misskallie2000 said...

Such a cute story that I would like to read this book then pass on to my nieces.
Thanks for the opportunity to enter giveaway.

misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

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