The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Friday, February 17, 2017

A Class Bake-Off and Back-of-the-Book Blurb # 48

Did you know you can melt Tootsie Rolls? Did you know you can incorporate a homemade applesauce into brownies, along with cayenne pepper and lemons, in a tasty way? Did you know that seven kids + 1 blender + 1 food processor + a lot of weird ingredients = a great deal of fun?

This week during homeroom, our middle-schoolers had their first bake-off. They decided on making mug brownies (brownies made in coffee mugs in the microwave) and decided on the strange additions (cayenne pepper, apples and citrus fruit) along with Tootsie Rolls, Twix bars, chocolate chip cookies and pretzels. It was a blast to see them working together in two groups, and at end, watching the flurry of activity as their time ran out. Honestly, I thought apples would taste horrible with brownies but one of the groups made a homemade applesauce and the flavors melded well with the brownies.

Teamwork. Creativity. Problem-solving. Risk-taking. We had it all on Wednesday... And now onto book blurb stuff.

Look at the photo below. That is the cover of your book. You choose the genre. A time travel tale, where a fun-loving group of hooligans try to reenact Thelma and Louise's trip? A how-to book explaining how to refold travel maps?  You decide.

Write an enticing blurb--150 words or less. (The title doesn't count in the word count.) Blurbs are those enticing bits that prod you into buying the book. Sometimes they're on the back cover of the book. Sometimes they're on the inside front cover. What they always try to do is lure you into purchasing the book.

Lisa Ricard Claro was the original brain behind this project. She's got her own editing business. She's gotten a multi-novel publishing deal... and now that those three books are out, she's working on more. Check out her site. You'll enjoy her posts and you'll learn something.

Include your blurb in a blog post. Include a link to this post. Also, link your post to Mr. Linky. Mr. Linky is easy. If you've never done it, you'll be impressed with how simple he is. And then, check out the other blurb(s). It's interesting to see the different directions writers take, given the same photo.

Here's the book cover and the blurb:

photo by pixabay


The Re-Education of Harold

“Honey, you’re built like a ‘57 Chevy. Solid. Dependable. Big in all the right spots.”
“Sweetie, you’ve been up and down the block a bunch of times. I like that.”
“Madge, you’re like a fine wine. If I wait any longer, you’re gonna turn to vinegar, so it’s time to pop the cork and enjoy life right now.”
Harold and Madge were neighbors. Harold was 78 and never married. When he moved a year ago, he started taking walks every morning. The first time he passed up Madge, swinging in her front yard, he simply nodded a greeting. Soon, he got brazen enough to walk across Madge’s yard for daily chats.
Harold thinks he’s a smooth talker. He thinks he’s romancing Madge. But a man who’s been single for that many years… well, surely he’s set in his ways. Right? Can Harold ever be taught how to treat a woman? (150 words)


And for Val and anyone else who wants the next week's photo ahead of time, here it is:

photo by pixabay






16 comments:

  1. Actually, those middle schoolers weren't that far off--pepper in chocolate is HUGE now. I was going to get my husband's Valentine's Day candy from our local chocolatier until I read the reviews and learned that they don't make a SINGLE type of sweet chocolate. It's all filled with hot peppers and other sorts of weird things!

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    1. Stephanie--You're right. Hot is hot, when it comes to chocolate. I was just worried they'd put in too much, or not mix it well, and the chocolate would end up having too high of a concentration of cayenne.

      Thanks for stopping by...

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  2. Love the blurb! That's a romance in the making for sure. Harold needs a little training, but I bet Madge is up to the task. ;)

    I've not had peppers in my chocolate, but I love chocolate with sea salt (not exactly a step on the wild side). What fun you must have had with those kids!

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    1. Lisa--I've had the same combination. Trader Joe's has chocolate covered almonds with turbinado sugar (?) and sea salt... I think I have the right combo. They're extra scrumptious.

      I don't know. A man who's been single for that long? There must be SOMEthing wrong with him.

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  3. My students used to make butter and corn muffins and also blender applesauce. Kids will eat anything THEY cook.
    As for the blurb, I can see Harold getting his first feel when he gives her a push on the swing from behind.

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    1. Linda--Wow! You went the risque route right away. I'm getting a case of the vapors (she said, as she fanned herself)!

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  4. Wow! The lengths SOME PEOPLE will go to so they can eat brownies during work time...

    Madge looks like she's not buyin' it. Like she wants to head-butt Harold into next week. Or...those old swingers could be about five minutes from gettin' it on.

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    1. Val--You and Linda both headed in the same direction, but that figures. Both of you are weirdo magnets. It makes sense that you two think alike.

      Yes, I got to eat brownies during the work day, but I also had lots of coffee cups and utensils to wash. And some of them were full of or covered in rock-hard chocolate. I guess Even Steven visited ME this time...

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  5. What Val said. :-) And hey buddy, can you spare a recipe (for mug brownies)? :-)

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  6. Cathy--There are so many mug cake recipes and brownie mug recipes. Here is one: http://www.food.com/recipe/microwave-chocolate-mug-brownie-349246

    Of course, if you're one of my middle schoolers, you will need to add cayenne pepper, lemon juice, apples, pretzels, Twix bars, chocolate chip cookies before you can say, "Bon appetite!"

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  7. I think Harold is pretty shy - waiting so long just to talk to her. He's no Casanova. I bet if Madge wanted the attention, he'd give it (and the "adult" activities would probably remind Madge of her first time, as I imagine Harold to be pretty inexperienced).

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    1. Kim--I imagine Harold IS fairly inexperienced--at least when it involves another person other than just himself.

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  8. What a neat romance! It is never too late for love! I think they are soulmates! :)

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  9. What? No bacon brownies?

    Pat
    www.patwahler.com

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  10. Pat--I KNOW. The kids chose the weird "additions." I don't think they even considered bacon. (And everybody knows: bacon makes EVERYthing better...)

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Thanks for your comments. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by...