Hi guys!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers....the place that's ready to get down and dirty when it comes to sharing great reads that YOU need to have on your radar. Take today's featured title...
When I began reading my ARC of today's BLOG TOUR feature, I couldn't contain myself. It was JUST TOO FUNNY! No seriously! I convinced by coworker and friend to pick up the book STAT and she's currently laughing herself silly some of the antics....considering she lived not far from some of the action areas mentioned, it makes it even MORE entertaining. Heartbreaking at times yet filled to the brim with the strength of family, you just can't help but fall under it's spell....or perhaps it's the heavenly aroma of all the food passing among the gals. Chili may be a BIG part of the goings ons within but there's more than one way to a readers heart, AND tummy. Where am I going with all this? Simple....right to today's BLOG TOUR guest courtesy of Danielle over at Sourcebooks!
The star of the show is the recently released title The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off written by author Carolyn Brown. In celebrating it's book birthday, a tour was indeed in order but with the strong theme of food and togetherness throughout the story, it couldn't be just ANY old tour....this one had to have a stroke of genius straight from the pages. A little brain storming and creative genius later and we've got a unique tour indeed for not only will we be sharing about the book but we get a chance to sample some of the tasty treats straight from the pages! Curious? I thought you might be. Well, as I'm not one to leave you in a cloud of pondering too long, please join me in welcoming author Carolyn Brown to the site as she shares a special post JUST FOR YOU!
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GUEST POST: Author Carolyn Brown
Oh,
my I do love the name of your blog. Insatiable readers brings up a mental
picture of sexy books, wine and chocolate. Thank you so much for letting me
stop here on the recipe tour for my newest women’s fiction book. When I first
saw your blog name I thought of a sexy cowboy named Yancy, wine and chocolate
brownies and Patrice’s insatiable appetite for all three in The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off. I don’t want to suffer the wrath of Patrice by
offering a date with Yancy, and she’d slap me silly if I gave away her wine but
she did say I could share Yancy’s recipe for brownies.
But
first, an excerpt from the incident that caused him to go to her house, clean
up the mess and make brownies to begin with. You see, Kitty Lovelle, has really
pulled a stinky stunt. Kitty is Lenny Joe’s mother and she wears blinders where
her son is concerned. He’s a cheatin’ sumbitch who was so stupid he left his
girlfriend’s bikini under britches in his briefcase and his wife, Carlene,
found them.
She
runs Bless My Bloomers with her cousins, Alma Grace and Patrice and the three
cousins are now living together at Patrice’s house until after the chili
cook-off. That’s when Carlene and her family plan to knock Lenny Joe out of his
five year winning streak at the town’s famous chili cook-off. And behold, if
Kitty hasn’t turned a cat loose in Patrice’s house, not knowing that Patrice is
babysitting her mother, Tansy’s, bird. They’ve put the cat out and gotten the
poor bedraggled bird back in his cage but they’re all pretty upset but they
damn sure don’t want to listen to Alma Grace pray…again. The woman thinks
prayer will heal ingrown toe nails and warts, for God’s sake.
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EXCERPT:
The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off by Carolyn Brown
Carlene
and Alma Grace went back inside and shut the door behind them.
“Kitty
would have thought finding an unlocked window was perfect timing after the
Easter egg thing,” Carlene said.
“What
are we going to do about this?” Patrice asked.
“Pray,”
Alma Grace said and dropped her head before either cousin could say a word.
“Dear Lord, I’m grateful for this lovely spring day and such beautiful weather
that you have given us. I give thanks for my cousin, Carlene, because she took
care of me today when she made sure my hair wasn’t crapped on, so bless her
with something real nice. I’m glad that Dakshani is alive even though I have
fussed about not liking him in the past. You have saved Aunt Tansy from
heartbreak by giving birds wings so they can escape cats. Now Lord, you have
proven to me that vengeance is yours so now I come to you asking that you rain
coals of fire down upon Kitty Lovelle’s head for being so mean. I realize that
we pulled some pranks but you didn’t tell us no. I’ve got a feeling Kitty
didn’t even ask for your opinion before she put a cat in this house with
Dakshani.”
Carlene
bowed her head at that moment and shut her eyes.
Alma
Grace took a deep breath and went on. “Please give Aunt Tansy the grace not to
shoot Kitty, but if she does, help her to aim straight and to make it quick so
that Kitty does not lie in pain and misery.”
Patrice’s
eyes went shut and she bowed her head.
“And
be with the sisters, Mama and Aunt Gigi, at the church tomorrow. Help them to
realize that the house of God is not a place to snatch Kitty Lovelle baldheaded
or to burn her at the stake out in the yard. Help them to understand that the
yard is also consecrated ground and to remember to take her to the field on
down south of the property where there are plenty of sticks lyin’ around to use
for kindling. And Lord, I’m trying to forgive Carlene for doing all this right
before Easter but it’s pretty tough so I need more strength. In the name of
your sweet son, Jesus, I ask these things and beg forgiveness in the same name
for the times when I have sinned. Amen.”
“Amen,”
Carlene and Patrice said in unison.
“I’m
taking Dakshani home right now and y’all are coming with me. He’s not spending
another night in this house. We’ve been invited to Aunt Sugar’s for supper but
we’ll take the bird home first,” Patrice said.
“You
going to tell her?” Alma Grace asked.
“Yes,
ma’am. She’ll find out anyway so we might as well tell her right up front.
Kitty will brag about it to Violet. She’ll brag about it to Beulah who can’t
keep a damn thing so she’ll tell Agnes who will tell Mama. And then I’ll catch
hell for not being honest. Ronnie isn’t the only one that has got a mama that
he’s afraid of.”
Alma
Grace giggled. “I didn’t know you were afraid of anything.”
“Not
even the devil scares me like Mama,” Patrice said. “We’ll clean up later. Help
me load up that bird and all his equipment and let’s go.”
“Why
did you even ask if Patrice was going to tell? Don’t you want her to?”
Alma
Grace set her mouth in a firm line. “Oh, yes. If she didn’t tell, I would. I
hope she rips every one of those dyed black hairs out of Kitty’s head and lets
Dakshani peck her eyes out. She deserves it for letting that cat in here.”
“Ah,
how sweet of you.” Patrice smiled.
“Sweet,
nothing. That bird almost crapped on my head.”
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Now for the
brownies that Yancy made for Patrice after he cleaned up a house that a cat and
a bird had ransacked. Y’all got a favorite dessert recipe that you can whip up
to appease a friend who’s been through a bad experience. We’d love for you to
share it with us.
SINFULLY DELIGHTFUL BROWNIES
½ cup unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup flour
CHEESECAKE BATTER:
8 ounces cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
BROWNIE BATTER:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 8"
square pan.
Heat butter and chocolate in heavy saucepan
over medium/low heat just until melted, whisking occasionally.
Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, eggs,
vanilla and pinch of salt until well combined.
Whisk in flour until combined and spread in
greased pan.
CHEESECAKE BATTER:
Cream together cheesecake ingredients in
medium bowl until smooth. Drop spoonfuls on top of brownie batter. Spread
around slightly over top with knife or spatula. Then cut through batter with
knife to create swirl effects.
Bake until edges are slightly puffed and
center is set; about 35-40 minutes. (DON 'T
OVERCOOK OR IT WILL BECOME DRY)
ICING:
½ cup butter
5 T. milk
5 T. cocoa powder
Stir together over low heat in a small
saucepan until butter is melted.
Add enough powdered sugar to make icing
consistency, mixing the whole time with an electric mixer to make it smooth.
Add 1 t. vanilla and 1 cup of chopped pecans (nuts optional) and spread over
the top.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Be sure to follow along on The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off Recipe Sharing Tour!
...and speaking of chances to win, here comes yours!
What's up for grabs? Good question.
There will be TWO winners this time around...
First Prize: (1) print copy of The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off
Second Prize: (1) print copy of The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeno Society
(1) print copy of The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off
(1) set of CUTE recipe cards to keep track of YOUR favorites along the tour!
How to enter? Easy peasy!
This is a RECIPE SHARING tour and since the author was kind enough to share a DELIGHTFUL sweet treat from Yancy's kitchen to ours, now it's YOUR turn!
In the comments below, share with us your favorite sweet treat recipe! (Be sure to include your email address for contact in case you win!) It can be anything from pie to ice cream, cake to brownie, or anything in between as long as it qualifies as a dessert AND it's something you are either an expert in your own right at making, or a dish you'd devour in a heartbeat without a second thought.
Open to US and Canada.
No P.O. Boxes please.
Entries accepted TODAY through April 25th, 2014.
Winner will have 48 hours to respond with mailing information; if no response is received, a new winner will be chosen.
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THE RED-HOT CHILI COOK-OFF BY CAROLYN BROWN
– IN STORES APRIL 2014
More Than the Chili's Heating Up Cadillac, Texas
Carlene Lovelle, co-owner of Bless My Bloomers lingerie
shop, found a pair of fancy red-silk panties in her husband's briefcase, and
all hell is breaking loose. She custom-made those fancy bloomers herself—and
she remembers the bimbo who bought them. If her husband had a lick of sense,
he'd known there are no secrets in a town like Cadillac.
Carlene's cohorts—and their mamas—plan to exact revenge on
Lenny Joe where it'll hurt the most: break his ten-year winning streak at the
prestigious Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off. Never before has a woman dared to compete.
But the ladies of Bless My Bloomers are cooking up a storm...and it seems the
whole town is taking sides in the showdown.
Welcome to Cadillac, Texas, where the chili is hot, the
gossip is hotter, and friends stick by each other, no matter what the
challenge.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Praise for The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off:
"With a cast of characters that
will leave readers grinning, Brown’s latest is delightful, humorous “chick
lit”... Fun, fun and more fun is on hand in a story that wins a blue ribbon in
both originality and wit.” —RT Book
Reviews, 4 Stars
“Fun, fresh and hilarious... The author
showed that laughter is the best medicine and a sure fire cure for the toughest
of challenges in life.” —Chick Lit
Reviews
“The characters are vibrant and engaging,
the story is endearingly off beat and full of down home folksy charm. A
wonderfully heartwarming and highly entertaining novel.” —Book Reviews and More by Kathy
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carolyn Brown is a New York Times and USA Today
bestselling author with more than sixty books published. Her bestselling cowboy
romance series include the Lucky trilogy, the Honky Tonk series, Spikes &
Spurs, Cowboys & Brides, and the new Burnt Boot, Texas series. She has also
launched into women’s fiction with a Texas twang. Born in Texas and raised in
southern Oklahoma, Carolyn and her husband make their home in the town of
Davis, Oklahoma, where she credits her eclectic family for her humor and
writing ideas. For more information, please visit http://carolynlbrown.com/.
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Alrighty guys. Time to give a great big THANK YOU to Danielle over at Sourcebooks for the chance to participate in this promotion and to author Carolyn Brown for sharing this delicious looking recipe and awesome excerpt. (THANKS!) Gotta say, I found it amusing that the character share chosen for my site was Patrice as she's a take life by the horns sorta gal that won't let her cousins be door mats, nor allow the gabby little town to control her life. More power to you girl! Of course, Yancy helps to balance out her love for life with a little down time that she's more than open to. *ahem*
For more information on this title as well as their complete catalog of books and bookish merchandise (hello, AUTHORS ARE MY ROCK STARS tshirt!), be sure to stop by the official site, or follow along on Twitter. This being a BLOG TOUR, there is more fun to be had! Be sure to check out the other stops on the tour including yesterday's over at Chick Lit Central, and tomorrow's at Bitten By Love Reviews.
Until next time...GOOD LUCK...SPREAD THE WORD....and happy reading!
^_^
Thank you, thank you, thank you for that awesome introduction. I'm so glad that you had fun when you visited Bless My Bloomers. Now, I've got coffee in hand and one of Yancy's brownies, so all y'all readers come right in and join us for a spell!
ReplyDeleteSounds like the kind of book I could do with reading right now. Great post, thank you.
ReplyDeleteTracy, would love for you to read it! The girls from Bless My Bloomers would make you feel right at home and you might even help them out in the kitchen since not a one of them can cook!
ReplyDeleteKinda in a hurry today. We are putting the motor back in our hot rod. Sheww finally she's back together. I love brownies with walnuts on too of homemade ice cream and milk. Have a great day Carolyn!
ReplyDeleteWell, I actually do have a sweet treat recipe. It involves chocolate chip cookies and mini Reeces Cups.
ReplyDeleteYou can either make chocolate chip cookie dough from scratch or use one of those premade rolls of dough.
You drop a little of the dough in each cupcake-paper-lined holes in a mini-muffin pan and bake per directions.
Have your mini Reeces Cups unwrapped and ready; when you pull out your "cupcake muffins", while they are still warm and soft, push down a mini Reeces Cup into each one.
Cool and eat...I mean, serve. :)
Kellijo23@gmail.com
Need:
ReplyDeleteToll House Crackers.
Peanut Butter.
Block Milk Chocolate.
Prep:
To your liking, put peanut butter between two crackers.
Melt your chocolate (I use the microwave.)
Cover the crackers in the melted chocolate.
Place in fridge until chocolate is hardened.
Enjoy! :-)
justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Miz Kim, you know I'm always glad to see your name pop up on a blog. I'd love to be there when y'all take that hot rod for a spin...Patrice would love to go with you.
ReplyDeleteKellijo: Oh, man, those sound delicious AND easy. Just my kind of recipe. Thank you for sharing it with us. I wouldn't be surprised if the mama's couldn't make this and not a one of them can cook!
Ok so here is a simple but delish treat; Cheater Blueberry Donuts- one can blueberry biscuits canola oil for frying. Something small for punching centers out of biscuits; I used a clean medicine cup, the kind that comes with cough syrup. For the glaze; 3Tbsp butter, the real stick kind, not in a tub, 2 1/4 c. powdered sugar,3 Tbsp water, and 1 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract. Step 1- flatten biscuits and punch centers out,2- heat oil in large dutch oven. 3- when oil is heated drop centers in and turn when just start to turn golden on one side, you'll want to keep turning to cook evenly, remove with slotted spoon and place on paper towels or paper bags, whatever you have, do the same for the donuts, you will maybe want to use a long fork for these as you can hook the holes to turn and remove from oil, also I find that if I put more than 2 or 3 in at time it is hard to do. 4- While donuts are still warm you can melt butter in a seperate sauce pan and add the powdered sugar and water, stir until smooth and add vanilla, dip each hole with slotted spoon and each donut with fork. Place on pretty plate and let everyone enjoy. My boys love when I make these. Michelle pic; crazybooboos@yahoo.com
ReplyDelete