Recipe: Puppy Chow Makes a Fun and Tasty Holiday Gift

Christmas candle ring
Photo by J.Q. Rose

Hello and Welcome! Today, besides writing my blog for you, I am in the midst of planning a Christmas gift for our neighbors. Not any huge gift like a TV or cookware. No. We just exchange cookies or handmade gifts. I'm having fun putting together some treats. In fact, I had so much fun making up Puppy Chow, I decided to share the recipe with you. 

First of all, Puppy Chow is NOT for puppies. No. It's actually Puppy Chow for People. Er, no wait, that's not quite right either. It's a treat for people, but named Puppy Chow because...Hm, you know I don't really know why they call it puppy chow.

My daughters, granddaughter, and me!

My daughters and I made it when they were kids and now they make it with their kids. (I should probably throw in that sometimes Puppy Chow is also called Baby Poop, and I don't know why that name is used either.)

Let me just give you the recipe, so you can make it. When you taste the sweetness and creamy flavor of peanut butter-chocolate,you won't care what the name is either.

Ingredients to make puppy chow for people

Puppy Chow for People

1 12 oz. box Crispix Cereal, Rice Chex, or Corn Chex

2 ½ - 3 cups of powdered sugar

12 oz. chocolate chips

1 cup creamy peanut butter

¼ c. margarine

 Melt peanut butter, margarine, and chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave on high for one minute. Stir. Heat for 30 seconds more.

Pour mixture over cereal in a large bowl. (This is the most difficult part of the recipe. Covering all the cereal with the thick chocolate is difficult. I gave up stirring it with a spoon. Instead I buttered my fingers and tossed it together. Be careful. It is hot. Later, a friend suggested wearing gloves and spray them with oil. Either way, I think the kids would have fun trying to mix it with their hands. Of course, watch out they don’t lick the sweet chocolate off their hands while stirring!! It is tempting.)

Put powdered sugar in a paper grocery bag and add cereal mix. Shake till well coated.

You may store in a tight container or plastic bag. 

Maybe you can make this treat and give it to your family and friends for Christmas. 

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Girls Succeed! Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women
by J.Q.Rose
To inspire and empower girls
Click here to find out more about this non-fiction Ebook for girls.

Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving from J.Q. Rose

Gratitude quote by A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Can you tuck all the reasons you are thankful this season inside your heart? I bet you can.

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving 

from J.Q. Rose

Trailblazer: NFL's First Female Coach: Jen Welter

Hello and welcome to the Girls Succeed Blog! Today I'm introducing you to Trailblazing Jan Welter, the first female coach in the National Football League. Welter coached for the Arizona Cardinals after playing 14 seasons of professional football in the Texas Indoor Football League. She also coached the Texas team and has a Ph.D. in Psychology. 

Coach Jen Welter
Sports Ilustrated photo

Dr. Welter is a role model for girls just like the role models in Girls Succeed!

She said, "Why do I put myself out there like this? Well, football has often been referred to as the final frontier for women in sports, so for an NFL team to have brought a woman into the coaching ranks, that speaks volumes. It's an important step for girls and women to see. Being a woman is part of who I am. It's not all of who I am, and I’m not here just because I'm a woman. I'm here as a football coach.'" Click here to read the entire article from Sports Illustrated

Coach Welter just released Play Big: Lessons in Being Limitless from the First Woman to Coach in the NFL, a book that "lays out how she succeeded despite the odds, through force of will and determination, revealing the wisdom Welter gained over countless setbacks and challenges. With vivid wit and candor, Play Big will coach you to do the same--whatever your obstacles might be--while translating Welter's hard-earned advice for cultivating true perseverance and toughness." 


Click here to order from amazon

Spotlight on Sandy Carlson's The Powder Horn of Mackinac Island

Welcome to the Girls Succeed Blog! 

I'm thrilled to share a new book, The Powder Horn of Mackinac Island by Sandy Carlson. (Mackinac is pronounced Mack-i-NAW)
If you like time travel, you'll love this book. Read on to find out more about the story.

The Powder Horn of Mackinac Island by Sandy Carlson
A middle grade time travel

 BACK OF THE BOOK: The Powder Horn of Mackinac Island by Sandy Carlson

Arianna’s family are proud new owners of a souvenir shop on Mackinac Island – the perfect place to make money for her paraplegic brother’s surgery. No motor vehicles are allowed on the island, but there are plenty of horses easily avoided, making the island safe enough for Luc to have mobile freedom in his wheelchair all summer long. When Arianna and Luc accidentally discover that a powder horn that’s been in their family for generations can send them back to 1793, they meet their great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, the person who carved the treasure map on the powder horn. How can the siblings convince their ancestor to let them in on its secrets? After all, they are family. To complicate matters, Luc finds he can walk there, back in the past. He doesn’t want to return to the present where the surgery is uncertain, and a wheelchair may be his life. Arianna must choose between discovering the family treasure and bringing and keeping her brother in the present.

Click here to order the ebook or paperback version.

MY REVIEW: 

My favorite place in the world is Mackinac (pronounced Mack-i-naw) Island. So I especially enjoyed the many beautiful places Ms. Carlson worked into her story. She cleverly included historical info throughout the book and did not write a huge information dump about the island and its history. The premise was believable because the characters were so believable. We follow the well-written feisty 13-year-old gal, Arianna, and her 10 year-old-brother, Luc. Ms. Carlson crafted a very special relationship between the siblings. I truly enjoyed the present time family's angst about establishing a souvenir shop on this tourist destination island and the kids' heart-thumping adventures into the past, I think middle grade children would enjoy it too. I'm not just saying that because I love visiting Mackinac Island or because I won the book in a contest. I believe kids-at-heart would also find this a fun story.

SANDY CARLSON'S AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY FOR KIDS:

Here is a picture of me, Sandy Carlson, in the second grade. In kindergarten, I told people my parents called Sandy because I ate sand. I was disappointed when I found out that wasn’t true.

I wasn’t a fast or good reader, but I loved making up stories and telling them to my siblings, cousins and friends — especially spooky stories inside dark-dark closets.

I became a teacher and learned to love reading. I loved books so much I even became an author! My favorite author is C.S. Lewis because he wrote for both kids and adults, and was very smart. Today I’m part of this world-wide writing organization called SCBWI — the Society for Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators.

I have climbed mountains, swum in oceans, and run down sand dunes. I’ve outrun wildfires, hid in a basement from a tornado, cleaned debris from a hurricane, outwalked the incoming tide at Fundy Bay, and survived our house getting smashed by 100 year old trees. I’ve ridden horses, been on cattle round-ups, avoided stepping on rattlesnakes, was charged by a wild boar, cleaned oil off of turtles from the largest inland oil spill in USA history, and know how to put a worm on a fish hook — although the first time it took me twenty minutes. Generally, I’d rather be outside than inside.

I have one husband (my very own hero) and two grown sons who are really cool, one awesome daughter-in-law, and an amazing grandchild.

We’ve had lots of pets in our various houses, but right now the only “pets” I have are our backyard animals – birds, black squirrels, rabbits, deer, raccoon, and lots of bugs.

What I like best is learning new things…and then sharing them them others, like you.

               (And here’s what I look like today,  showing you where I’m from on the “Michigan Mitt.”)

Click here to connect online with Sandy 

at her website and blog

Congratulations Artist Jane Stroschin-- Be Kind: Walk a Mile in My Shoes Artprize 2017

Hello and welcome to the Girls Succeed blog!

I am thrilled to update you on artist Jane Stroschin.

Artist and Children's Author Jane Stroschin

Jane is one of the amazing role models who shared her childhood story about her dream to be an artist in the interactive ebook, Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women. She has certainly achieved success in many venues.
This week she is involved in a presentation at ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, an international art show with hundreds of artists in 175 venues in and around the city. Jane's colorful artwork brings awareness to bullying.

This YouTube video will explain more about her project, Be Kind: Walk a Mile in My Shoes.

Be Kind: Walk a Mile in My Shoes

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To learn more about Jane's beautiful artwork click here to see how she created a huge mural to be installed on the outside of a building. The deer below is just one of the pieces.

One of the paintings included in Children's Author and Artist Jane Stroschin's murals.
Click here to see how she created this artwork.
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Click here to meet all of the 15 inspirational women in Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women

Photos of women in these careers--horticulture, horse trainer, bike racer, business, technology, medical doctor, chef, professional clown, artist, teacher, social worker, 
medical researcher, semi-truck driver, Christian minister.
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Back of the Book:

Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women is an interactive e-book filled with dreams and passion. Fifteen successful career women in a variety of occupations share their stories in these pages. Explore careers involving women who have discovered cures to stamp out disease, made people laugh, earned Olympic gold medals, and seen the USA from coast to coast in the cab of an 18 wheeler semi-truck.

Click here to download your copy from amazon.  

Click here to order from your favorite online bookseller.

New Book Cover, Back to School, Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Girls Succeed! by J.Q. Rose
To inspire and empower girls.

Hello and welcome to the Girls Succeed blog!

I'm excited to reveal the new book cover for my non-fiction ebook for girls, Girls Succeed!  Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women.

New book cover for
Girls Succeed! Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women
by J.Q. Rose

Girls Succeed! includes interviews with amazing women who dreamed big dreams. Their passion was to be the best in sports, science, entertainment, ministry, education, and more. And their girlhood dreams actually came true. I was honored they trusted me to tell their stories in Girls Succeed! to inspire girls and assure them they can make their dreams a reality.

I have changed the cover for this interactive ebook several times and updated the information and added to it. I hired a professional for one book cover and I designed the others with a great graphics site, canva.com.  

Here's the parade of covers. They are arranged from newest to oldest. Dates are approximate.

2016-2017

2013-2015

Original--2012

There was no study guide in the first two versions because I published it as a separate ebook for 99 cents. Later I included the guide with the ebook.

Click here to learn more about Girls Succeed! and to look inside.

Back to School

If you're not already in school, I bet you will be after Labor Day. Wishing you a wonderful school year with lots of fun experiences and lots of learning!

Wishing You a 

Happy Labor Day 

Weekend!!

Girls ARE Smart!, Girls Succeed!!

AND make your dreams come true!

In a report on Megan Kelly's NBC News show, a study interviewed girls from 5-7 years old. The 5- year-olds believed they were smart. After 6 years old, the girls didn't think they were smart. What happens to change the opinion of themselves?

I think they need to know some smart, successful role models to offer them as a guide to make their dreams into reality. Learning about  these women can convince them that smart women can achieve their dreams. 

Take a look at this video of smart girls who are successful in their careers.

You Tube video for Girls Succeed! Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women

Click here to find out more about the successful women interviewed in Girls Succeed! Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women.

What is your dream job? Please leave a comment. We'd like to hear your plans.

Inventions by Women

Dream BIG! Photo and Design by Julie McKevit

Hello and welcome to the Girls Succeed blog! Thank you to historical Western author Charlene Raddon  for sharing these inventions by women. I think some will surprise you and some will make you smile. Click here to visit Charlene's author website. 
This blog post was originally posted on the Cowboy Kisses blog.
Photos by Pixabay

Inventions by Women

1. Car Heater

Old car

Margaret A. Wilcox invented the car heater in 1893. She also invented a combined clothes and dishwasher machine which evidently did not go over well.

2. Monopoly

Monopoly

This popular board game was designed by Elizabeth Magie in 1904. Originally called The Landlord's Game, it's purpose was to expose the injustices of unchecked capitalism. Charles Darrow stole the game and sold it to Parker Brothers 30 years later, but she did receive $500 from Parker Brothers.

3. The Fire escape

The fire escape was invented by Anna Connelly in 1887.

4. Residential Solar Heating

Solar heating for residential housing was invented by Dr. Maria Telkes in 1947. She was a Psychiatrist in addition to being a Solar-Power Pioneer

5. The Life Raft

The Life Raft was invented by MariaBeasely in 1882 (Maria also invented a machine that makes barrels).

 6.  Medical Syringe 

Syringe-one handed way of giving shots-ouch

The medical syringe which could be operated with only one hand was invented by a woman by the name of Letitia Geer in 1899

7. The Modern Electric Refrigerator

The electric refrigerator was invented by Florence Parpart in 1914 (She also invented an improved street cleaning machine).

8. The Ice Cream Maker

Ice cream---Mmmmm good!

The ice cream maker was invented by a woman named Nancy Johnson in 1843. Her patented design is still used today.

9. The Computer Algorithm

Desktop computer

Ada Lovelace is essentially the first computerprogrammer due to her work with Charles Babbage at the University of London in 1842. In fact, her notes were an essential key to helping Alan Turing's work on the first modern computers in the 1940s.

10. Telecommunications Technology

 Some of the Telecommunication Technology developed by Dr. Shirley Jackson include portable fax, touch tone telephone, solar cells, fiber optic cables and the technology behind caller ID and call waiting.

These amazing women in history didn't give up on their ideas to invent products thatcontinue to be helpful to us right now in the 21st century.

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Meet some contemporary women who didn't give up on their dreams either in the non-fiction book for girls, Girls Succeed! Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women.

Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women
by J.Q. Rose
To empower and inspire girls
Click here to learn more about this book at amazon

5 Star Review

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Empowering Young Ladies

ByRochelle Weber, Roses & Thorns Reviews

Format: Kindle Edition

This is a wonderful book. It contains the stories of several women in many 

walks of life who have pursued their dreams and succeeded in reaching 

them.

Each story starts with the age at which the woman decided what 

she wanted to be when she grew up, and then tells how she reached 

her goal. In some instances the women went to college and got one 

or more degrees in order to pursue their dreams. In other instances

 they practiced daily at athletics or music. There was even the story of 

a woman who became a truck driver. Yes--a woman who drives a big rig.

 I'm pursuing my dream of writing and being published, 

and even I found it inspiring and empowering. Thanks, Ms. Rose.

Happy Memorial Day!!

Memorial Day is the day we remember those who died
serving in the American Armed Forces. 

Take some time this weekend to remember those who died fighting  for our freedom. 

Wishing you a safe and happy Memorial weekend!

Trailblazer: Miller Alisa Crawford, Holland, Michigan Tulip Time Festival

Author and Miller Alisa Crawford

Hello and welcome to the Girls Succeed blog.

Today I want to introduce you to an amazing woman, Alisa Crawford. She is a miller, a person who grinds grains to produce flour. She is the only American miller certified by the Dutch Council of the Netherlands where she learned her trade. 

The 250 year old machine she uses to do the grinding is an authentic Dutch windmill which was dismantled and moved from the Netherlands to Holland, Michigan in 1964, then re-assembled and opened to the public in 1965. It is the only authentic working Dutch windmill in the U.S. Known as DeZwaan (the swan), the windmill was the last one allowed by the government of the Netherlands to leave the country. 

De Zwaan Windmill
De Zwaan means graceful bird.

The windmill is the focal point of the Windmill Island Gardens, a gorgeous place in the City of Holland displaying the Dutch culture and of course, beds of gorgeous flowers. 

When we visited Windmill Island and took the tour of the windmill, I was amazed to learn of the work Alisa performs as a miller. She is a strong, feisty woman whose job consists of climbing up and down the windmill blades (reaching 125 feet at the top blade of the windmill, pushing the blades to face the wind via a wheel that turns the cap on top, and lifting fifty pound bags of wheat and pouring them into the chute to slide down to the mill stone for grinding. I won't even go into the maintenance that she does to keep the windmill in good shape. Definitely a GRRL in my book.

Tulips in my yard.

This week is the Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan, and visitors from all over the world come to see displays of the gorgeous varieties of tulips brilliantly blooming in enormous flower beds all through the city. Parades, shows, authentic Dutch dances, and food are showcased throughout the week.

If you ever get the chance to visit Holland, Michigan, you'll love the area. Be sure to take time to visit the windmill and you might get the chance to talk to Miller Alisa Crawford working at the windmill.

Do you have tulips in your yard? Have you ever visited a windmill?

Please leave a comment below. We love to hear from you!

I shared more pictures of Holland and Windmill Island Gardens on the J.Q. Rose blog. Click here to see the pictures.

Congratulations to Astronaut Peggy Whitson

Welcome to the Girls Succeed blog. I have a "girl" who has certainly found success in space, Astronaut Peggy Whitson. 

Girls Succeed!
Stories to inspire girls.
The interactive ebook is available
at your favorite digital bookseller.
Click here to download now

On Monday, April 24, Astronaut Peggy Whitson  passed the U.S. record for the most days in space. Congratulations to this 57-year-old woman for surpassing the record of 534 days in space. Peggy won't be back to earth until September, so she'll have even more days in space!

She has accomplished many firsts in her career.

•  At the time nearly 57, Whitson also became the oldest woman to fly into space when she left for the station in November.
• She is repeating her record as the first woman to command the International Space Station.
• Peggy also holds the woman's record for the longest amount of time spent doing extra vehicular activities, or spacewalks, at more than 39 hours. 

Check out the National Geographic article on Peggy here.

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Take a peek at an interview with Peggy on the International Space Station. The Iowa Public TV Kids Clubhouse asks her many questions about life in space.

You Tube Video

Space Station Crew Member, Peggy Whitson, Discusses Life in Space with Iowa Media

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Read about and watch the video of the first woman in space, Sally Ride here on the Girls Succeed blog.

Are you interested in becoming an astronaut or working in space? Please leave a comment below.

Cover Reveal: Katie L. Carroll's Pirate Island

Hello and welcome to the Girls Succeed blog!

Today I am excited to feature the cover reveal for my author friend Katie Carroll. Pirate Island will be an exciting adventure novel for middle grade readers. I know Katie's writing and I'm sure grown-ups will get a kick out of the story too! Looking forward to its release this fall. Now here's some information on Pirate Island!

PIRATE ISLAND

by Katie L. Carroll (katielcarroll.com)

Cover Illustration by Susan Tait Porcaro (susantaitporcaro.com)

Coming October 2017!

PIRATE ISLAND blurb:

A thrice cursed island, a legendary pirate treasure, and one not-so-brave boy. What could possibly go wrong?

For centuries, the whereabouts of Captain William Kidd’s lost pirate treasure has remained a mystery. When Billy’s best friend, Andy, proposes they look for it on nearby Pirate Island, Billy thinks it’s just another one of their crazy adventures. It’s usually Billy who ends up in trouble as a result, but he goes along for the ride…like always. The more he delves into the life and death of Kidd, the more he thinks the treasure is real and that it might be buried on the small island in Long Island Sound. Billy—nope, call him William—becomes obsessed with the captain of the same first name. He even believes he’s possessed by Kidd’s restless soul. Now he and the spirit of a long-dead pirate are leading the crazy adventure on Pirate Island. And what they find is far bigger than the treasure they imagined.

About the Author:

Katie L. Carroll always says she began writing at a very sad time her life after her sister Kylene unexpectedly passed away. The truth is Katie has been writing her whole life, and it was only after Kylene’s death that she realized she wanted to pursue writing for kids and teens as a career. Since then writing has taken her to many wonderful places, real and imagined. She has had many jobs in her lifetime, including newspaper deliverer, hardware store cashier, physical therapy assistant, and puzzle magazine editor. She works from her home in Connecticut that is filled with the love and laughter of her sons and husband.

In addition to PIRATE ISLAND, Katie is the author of the YA fantasy ELIXIR BOUND. Find Katie on her website, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

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