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Archive for the ‘Book News’ Category
Mother Who Has Shared Her Love with 17 Children Offers Advice, Stories to Inspire
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Karen Jean Matsko Hood, author of numerous cookbooks, children’s stories, and poetry books, shares the lessons learned from a lifetime of managing a unique family.
No one knows more about families than Mom. And after being the mother of seventeen children, no one has learned more about families than author Karen Jean Matsko Hood. Putting her wisdom to paper, Hood has written numerous books for Whispering Pine Press International, and now through the power of the Internet and online sellers like Amazon.com, these books are available to everyone.
“Each of my seventeen children has taught me something special and how to be someone special. The lessons I’ve learned and the love I’ve felt has been too much of a gift to keep to myself, so I’ve done my best to write out our experiences,” said Hood. “I hope that my books can help mothers and fathers with their own families in their daily responsibilities.”
Caring for a family can mean preparing new and exciting dishes using healthy ingredients like apples, strawberries, or rhubarb. Hood has written books for all of those and more. A family will want other special recipes for memorable holidays like Thanksgiving or a spo-o-o-oky Halloween that’s still fun for all ages. Hood has shared the holidays with so many she’s loved that she’s been able to write those books as well.
Perhaps a mother or father wants to find a good bedtime story that isn’t tied into some over-marketed toy or over-publicized cartoon. Hood has a well-tested tale.
Hood’s “Goodnight, I Wish You Goodnight” follows a child as he says good night to all the treasures in his room. The child finds comfort knowing the happy trolley and cuddly teddy bear are going to sleep too and will be there tomorrow. Charming anime-style illustrations by Hiroshi Hatakeyama endear the sleepy little boy to young readers.
“In our house and in almost every house around the world, parents prepare children for bed by telling stories,” said Hood. “Sharing ‘Goodnight, I Wish You Goodnight’ as a family makes the bedtime ritual a warm, loving, and soothing experience for all.”
Hood’s collection of valuable books isn’t just for a family’s children or the kitchen. Some will find their place on a parent’s nightstand where it’s easy to go back and reread one of her poems or a selection from “Morning Reflections,” which includes Hood’s poetry as well as Bible verses and prayers.
Reading any of these books will convince any reader that Hood has a unique voice for those who know that nothing is more important than raising a family. In Hood, those with similar values will not only find a friend but one who will generously share all the secrets that can be learned from opening one’s heart again and again to a child.
A complete catalog of Hood’s children’s books, poetry and cookbooks is available at www.whisperingpinepress.com. She is available for appearances and interviews. For booking presentations, interviews and media appearances contact karenjeanhood@hotmail.com OR call 509-928-8700.
About Karen Jean Matsko Hood
A woman of many talents and interests, Karen Jean Matsko Hood is the author of numerous cookbooks, volumes of poetry, and children’s books. Hood lives in Greenacres, Washington with her husband and their 17 children, and is pursuing a doctoral degree in Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University. Learn more at www.karenjeanmatskohood.com.
Contact: Marketing & Sales Department
Company: Whispering Pine Press International, Inc.
Address: 507 N. Sullivan Rd. Suite LL – 7, Spokane Valley, WA 99037 USA
E-mail: sales@whisperingpinepress.com
Telephone: 509 – 928 – 8700
Website: www.whisperingpinepress.com
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Christmas Delights: Delicious New Traditions Your Family will Love
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Christmas Delights is not your average modern cookbook, a baker’s dozen recipes alongside full page photographs–pretty, but with little substance. No, this is your mother or grandmother’s cookbook, a weighty and serious volume with more than 200 scrumptious recipes divided into comprehensive sections that make it quick and easy to find exactly what you are looking for. The recipes are laid out in a clear and consistent manner, easy to follow and understand for even a kitchen novice. At the same time, more experienced cooks will not find themselves bored by the recipes, which offer many unique ideas and flavor combinations that are sure to tantalize the tastebuds.
Christmas Delights is packed with extras including the history of Christmas traditions around the world, the meaning of familiar Christmas symbols, even tips on how to care for your poinsettia. There are also several Christmas-themed poems by Karen Hood, and these have her usual simple yet elegant style, ensuring that this section of the book will be read and enjoyed time and time again. Further facts about Christmas are sprinkled throughout the cookbook, livening up the recipes with fun tidbits of trivia. There is also a US and Metric Measurement Chart in the back, an invaluable assistance for conversions and measuring ingredients; a glossary of cooking terms that will help even an inexperienced cook feel comfortable in the kitchen; and an alphabetized index of recipes.
Karen Jean Matsko Hood has a great deal of experience in the kitchen, and it definitely shows. I tried out several of the recipes: Ham Casserole Supreme, Artichoke Green Chile Dip, and Butternut Ball Cookies. The ham casserole made a wonderful dinner that my entire family loved, a very flavorful and unique twist on the old favorite macaroni and cheese. The dip was very quick and easy to make, and again provided an unexpected and delightful twist on the usual artichoke dip that I am familiar with. The cookies also made a big hit, and were alot of fun to make. I have looked through many of the other recipes in the book and am very excited about trying them out. There are many fun ideas that any parent or grandparent will love to make with their little ones. The Cookie Casserole in particular looks like it will be a blast for children, and every recipe I turn to sounds delicious. This is definitely a cookbook my family will enjoy not just at the holidays, but all year long.
Make your holiday one to remember forever! Purchase Christmas Delights today!
Halloween Delights Delivers No Tricks, Plenty of Treats
Thursday, September 22, 2011
It’s that time of year again! The weather is turning crisp and cool, leaves are changing to vibrant autumn colors, and the holidays are just around the corner. First up is Halloween, a favorite for the child in each of us, a magical and spooky night filled with delicious goodies, fun costumes, and frights galore. To help make the most of the holiday, pick up a copy of Halloween Delights by Karen Jean Matsko Hood. More than just a cookbook, Halloween Delights is a treasure trove of creative ideas to make your fright night celebration one to remember! The book is also packed with extras, like information on how to grow your own pumpkins, interesting facts about the history, folklore, and symbolism of Halloween, and a helpful glossary of cooking and baking terms.
I’ve been impressed with each entry in Hood’s Cookbook Delights series that I have seen so far, but this one honestly blew me away. From the clever to the creepy to the downright ghastly, each recipe is a masterpiece of ingenuity that will delight, scare, and gross out your Halloween guests in the best way possible. The variety of recipes is staggering, enabling you to choose just how ghoulish you want your party to be. The Halloween Haunted Forest Platter, for example, is a really creative way of dressing up the ordinary vegetable platter that will entice even kids into nibbling on healthy treats, and it’s a really cute idea. (Imagine a forest of broccoli trees haunted by egg ghosts and other creepy, edible creatures.) If you’d rather horrify your guests, there are recipes like the Boogers and Slugs Halloween Cake and Chocolate Slime, foods that may sound or even look disgusting, but are guaranteed to be delicious. The Bleeding Human Heart, a heart-shaped gelatin that oozes thick grenadine blood when cut into portions, is one of my favorites–there’s no doubt it’ll make an impression!
Halloween Delights is so full of fun and creative ideas that my kids literally could not stop poring over it. They had a blast helping me try out some of the recipes in the kitchen and have been begging to try out more ever since. We made Witch’s Hat Chocolate Cupcakes, Creepy Crawly Spider Cookies, and Jack-O-Lantern Cheeseburger Pie. All of the recipes were easy to follow and turned out fabulous, not just in taste but in visual impact as well, which is at least half the fun with a holiday like this. I was also pleased to find a number of recipes that are designed for feeding large crowds, which will make planning a party all the easier. This is the ultimate Halloween cookbook, crammed with enough ideas to see my family through all the spooky parties we will ever throw. Now the only problem is picking which recipes to use–and how to prevent my kids from wanting to celebrate Halloween all year long!
Halloween Delights Cookbook – Paperback ©2008
A Bountiful Harvest: Apple Delights Cookbook
Friday, September 16, 2011
I have to admit the apple is one of my all-time favorite fruits, but I’m not very adventurous or inventive in the kitchen, so I rarely eat them unless they are raw or baked into a pie or cobbler. Apple Delights by Karen Jean Matsko Hood has changed that for me, and I couldn’t be more delighted.
The latest in Whispering Pine Press International‘s popular Cookbook Delights series, Apple Delights arrives just in time for the beginning of autumn harvest and baked cool weather treats. Like all of Hood’s cookbooks, it is packed with over 200 mouth-watering recipes that cover every conceivable type of food, from main dishes to soups and salads–and of course, desserts and everything in between. There is also valuable information about the history and folklore of the fruit, as well as a selection of Hood’s internationally published poetry. I especially appreciated the section on different types of apple, since there are so many varieties that it can sometimes be overwhelming when trying to select the right kind for a certain recipe.
My family tried out the Chicken Apple Curry with a side of Apple Dumplings and Apple Tart Cookies for dessert. As always with Hood’s recipes, the directions were clear and easy to follow and the results were fantastic. The curry was very tender, more of a Thai red curry than the traditional yellow curry I expected, with hearty flavors from the tomato and cilantro, and a bright, pleasantly tart and sweet note from the apples. The Apple Dumplings were absolutely delightful, deliciously sweet and juicy, and my kids thought they were a blast. The Apple Tart Cookies were chock full of many different flavors that complemented each other in unexpected ways–I’ve had chocolate with coconut, I’ve had apples with raisins, but never have I had all of them together before. It’s a recipe you have to try to believe–an absolute knockout. And of course, with Apple Delights there’s so much more to look forward to, recipes for traditional goodies like homemade cider, caramel apples, and old fashioned applesauce that I can’t wait to try out, and intriguing new ideas like Apple Cheddar Cookies and Apple and Potato Chowder. No doubt about it: Karen Jean Matsko Hood has penned another winning cookbook that will revolutionize the way you see this humble fruit.
Right now, Apple Delights is on sale for only $9.95! Buy it today!
Apple Delights Cookbook – Comb Bound ©2004
Peach Delights Offers a Burst of Summer Flavor
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Peach Delights by Karen Jean Matsko Hood is the latest addition to the perennially popular Cookbook Delights series published by Whispering Pine Press International. Like all of the books in this series, Peach Delights is packed with valuable information that goes far above and beyond mere recipes: interesting facts about the history and nutrition of the peach, gardening tips for growing your own, and detailed information for canning and preserving this delicious fruit. There is even a selection of delightful poems by Karen Hood, who has had her work published in numerous international literary journals. Recipes are laid out in a consistent manner and the instructions are clear, simple to understand and follow even for kitchen novices. The glossary of terms and measurement conversion chart in the back make it even easier for inexperienced chefs to succeed in the exciting world of cooking. With all this and more than 230 recipes at your fingertips, Peach Delights is a treasure trove of culinary inspiration and knowledge.
I tried out a several of the recipes from Peach Delights and was absolutely thrilled with the results. I have to admit that the peach is not my favorite fruit, and usually I only eat it in a good cobbler. This cookbook has entirely changed my opinion about peaches–maybe I still won’t like to eat them plain, but now there’s a whole world of possibility for using this fruit to jazz up my cooking! The Cranberry Peach Meatballs were simply incredible–I honestly don’t know that I could say enough things about them. What an innovative recipe, full of ingredients I would have never imagined putting into a meatball, and the result is so flavorful it knocked everyone in my family for a loop. If you need a simple but very impressive appetizer for a pot luck or family gathering, this is it.
We also made the Chicken and Peach Curry, another flavor combination that I wouldn’t have thought of on my own. It was a big hit even with the kids, who don’t generally care for curry. One thing’s for sure: since the Cookbook Delights series has come into my life, my kids are no longer such picky eaters and are much more open to trying out new foods! We finished up our meal with Peach Cobbler, of course, and I can honestly say that that was one of the best cobblers I have ever had. It was very simple to make, with a sweet flaky crust and flavorful, succulent peach filling.
Peach Delights Cookbook – Paperback ©2010
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