Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Jenny Gardiner is cooking up a storm and has a book to give away!

**Giveaway is now closed**

Jenny Gardiner was here last year around Thanksgiving to share what she was most thankful for. This past summer, she was at Trixie and Peanut in NYC to celebrate the release of "I'm Not the Biggest Bitch in this Relationship" and Amy got to meet her! Now she is back to share her favorite holiday recipe! She also has one e-book of "Slim to None" (which will be a good motivator during the season of yummy food) for a lucky reader anywhere in the world!


Jenny Gardiner is the author of "Sleeping with Ward Cleaver," "Winging It," "Slim to None," "House of Cards," "Over the Falls" and a contributor to the humorous dog-lovers anthology, "I’m Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship." She also wrote "Accidentally on Purpose" and "Compromising Positions" under the name Erin Delaney. In the past, she has held jobs ranging from orthodontic assistant to waitress to photographer (claim to fame: being hired to shoot Prince Charles--with a camera, silly!). She lives in Virginia with her husband, three kids, two dogs, one cat, one rabbit, and a gregarious parrot. In her free time she studies Italian, dreams of traveling to exotic locales, and feels very guilty for rarely attempting to clean the house. Visit her at her website, her blog, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Author photo by Jen Fariello

Hi! I'm sharing an old family recipe we call Rice Croquettes, something my mother made when I was growing up and her mother made and her mother's mother made and so on. We always serve it on Thanksgiving and Christmas though my kids love them so much sometimes I'll throw together a batch just to placate them during the rest of the year. Though they're pretty labor intensive, but the results are well worth it! I included this recipe in my novel SLIM TO NONE (which was recently the #1 Bestselling Kindle book), and since we're sharing holiday recipes I figured this was a perfect one to include. Slim to None has loads of recipes in it. though, so if this seems a little more than you're willing to do, no worries! There are simpler ones.

RICE CROQUETTES
Ingredients:
1 quart (4 cups) milk
3 tbl. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract (not vanilla flavoring)
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 sticks cinnamon
¾ c. raw rice (long-grain)
Kellogg's Corn Flake Crumbs (about 3-4 cups)
Peanut oil (2-3 bottle of Planter's brand)
Red currant jelly

In double boiler on high, with water in bottom pan just shy of touching the bottom of insert pan, bring to scald one quart (four cups) whole milk. You will know it is scalded when a thin skin forms on surface of the milk. Then add 3 tbl. Sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 tsp. salt, 4 sticks cinnamon, and ¾ c. raw rice. Stir well.
Cook on low to medium temperature for several hours, stirring occasionally, and checking to be sure water doesn't boil away from bottom pan (add more when necessary), until mixture is so thick you can barely stir it with a wooden spoon. Let cool (can refrigerate overnight if need be).
Shape into 1" balls, roll in egg and then in corn flake crumbs to coat.
Deep-fry in peanut oil at 375• or in wok on medium high. Can be refrigerated and re-heated in 350• oven for about 12-15 minutes.

Serve warm with red currant jelly.

Thanks to Jenny for coming back for a visit and sharing her recipe and e-book!

How to win "Slim to None":
Please comment below with your e-mail address. (Please note:Entries without an e-mail address will NOT be counted. You can use AT and DOT to avoid spam. Or provide a link to your facebook page or blog if you can receive messages there.)

Bonus entries (can be listed all in one post):
1. Please tell us: What is your biggest temptation during the holidays?
2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).
3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.
4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. Please read our posting guidelines, as well. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)
5. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.


Giveaway ends December 11th at midnight EST.

28 comments:

Literary Chanteuse said...

My biggest temptation is one word CHOCOLATE. I always get my hubby the kind with Bailey's except I end up eating them all lol! I'm a follower.

Margaret
singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com

Sherry said...

Chocolate --oh and the fancy Starbucks drink which make me ill but i still want one LOL

and I am a follower

slbercu@msn.com

Na said...

My biggest temptation seems to be chocolate cake with lots of icing (the best part).

GFC follower

Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com

Jenny Gardiner said...

It's a toss-up...I guess on a daily basis it would be chocolate with almonds, but throw in the holidays and champagne just seems to be called for, doesn't it? Thanks for having me visit!

Dr. Mary Kennedy said...

This looks absolutely wonderful!! I've been trying to "share" this on FB, but for some reason, FB isn't cooperating. Will try again!

Jenny Gardiner said...

I've found facebook is really annoying with proper links lately. Don't know what is up with that. thanks for trying!

Stephanie said...

My biggest temptation is chocolate caramels.

I'm a gfc follower.

Skk25@aol.com

EKB said...

temptations...peppermint hot chocolate at starbucks...and those fricken hershey kiss cookies are a huge downfall...i just cant resist which is silly because you can eat hershey kisses whenever..but its my biggest temptation. I am a follower and soon to be kindle owner (finally!) so keeping my fingers crossed! :-} erin713 at gmail dot com

karenk said...

my biggest temptation during the holidays is....cookies.

i'm a follower, too.

thanks for the chance to read this delicious novel :)

karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com

mep said...

My biggest temptation during the holidays is APPETIZERS! Sure, I love a Christmas cookie as much as the next girl, gut give me a hot appetizer or a big bowl of a cream cheese based dip ... I can't exercise even a morsel of self control.

The novel and recipes sound great!

Jeryl M. said...

Cookies and ice cream cake are my biggest temption during the holidays.

I am a Facebook follower.

I am a subscriber.

jeryl.marcus@gmail.com

Tiffany Drew said...

I was just talking about this book the other day! Someone had used this book in a meme (Teaser Tuesday I think) and it looked hilarious. I'd love to win a copy! My biggest temptation during the holiday is eating too much food! My aunt made the most incredible Thanksgiving dinner and I couldn't stop eating it. I can't imagine how much weight I would gain if we saw them for Christmas too lol.

GFC follower Tiffany Drew
Facebook Member Tiffany Drew
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/enterthedrew/status/144230361285672960

jaidahsmommy(at)comcast(dot)net

Jel said...

read the description on amazon and i love it! i hope i win this book ;)

punkme15 at gmail dot com

Jel said...

biggest temptation during this season would be desserts. cakes.. ice cream.. salad. ugh. have to fight and resist the temptations lols

punkme15 at gmail dot com

Jel said...

im already a blog follower :)
GFC: Jel

punkme15 at gmail dot com

Jel said...

tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/jelaiii_x/status/144255515525005313

punkme15 at gmail dot com

Jel said...

im a member of the group on facebook :)
FB Name: Anjeli Jelly Jel

punkme15 at gmail dot com

BRN2SHOP9 said...

All the chocolate and sweets

I follow via twitter, fb, and gfc


Brn2shop9 at gmail dot com

StereoQueenBee said...

1. Please tell us: What is your biggest temptation during the holidays?

EVERYTHING. And that is the problem.

2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too

Already follow this blog.

3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.

Facebook - Sabrina-Kate Eryou
Twitter - stereoqueenbee

4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. Please read our posting guidelines, as well. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)

Already a member.

queenofcrunk at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

This book sounds great. I love the title.

I love peppermint bark Which is amazing since I don't like mint or chocolate normally.

I am a GFC follower

I like you on facebook... Linda Kish

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Carol N Wong said...

My biggest temptation was my mother's fruitcake with lots of nuts, prunes, raisins and dried fruit, no candied fruit. You pour rum over it every day for two weeks. Can't find anything close to it but I love to eat the other fruitcakes just to see if they come close. None yet.

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I follow your blog with Google Friends Connect.

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I tweeted:

http://t.co/d8C8CjH7

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I follow your blog with Facebook as Carol Naomi Wong.

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Susan @ The Book Bag said...

My biggest temptation during the holidays is Mint M&Ms. I know, not real exciting, huh? But you can only get the at Christmas time and I LOVE them! I usually stock up so they can last for a few more month.

I am a GFC follower and a Facebook follower. Thanks for the great giveaway!

suzebomb(at)gmail.com

Kim W. said...

1. Eggnog lattes every single day! They become available at Starbucks in November and are around til January and I swear, every single day, I indulge!! LOVE them!

2. I follow the blog.

3. I posted this on FB

4. I belong to the group on FB

kewalker1972@gmail.com

Krystal Lynn said...

Biggest temptation year round that gets about 4 times worse during the holidays, sweets. I bake SO much and drink sugary, full fat Starbucks drinks every other day. So many calories, so little squats. =)


miss_kris_11@yahoo.com

nanei said...

i love chocolates.. they make my day complete.. good thing eating dark chocolates are found to have some healthy benefits.