jennifer as author

In the few short years since leaving her day job as a publishing professional, Jennifer Worick has written or co-authored more than 20 books on a wide range of topics. Driven by her own interests and passions, Jen has been built a reputation as a best-selling author who delivers pithy yet personal nonfiction books for women.

the prairie girl's guide to life

You don't need to be an expert in all things Laura Ingalls Wilder to enjoy The Prairie Girl's Guide to Life: How to Sew a Sampler Quilt & 49 Other Pioneer Projects for the Modern Girl. If you are mildly crafty, fancy calico every now and again, or are just curious on how to make a tart and tasty rhubarb pie, this handbook is for you. Chockablock with 50 rustic projects and crafts, ranging from canning bread-and-butter pickles (which Jen's mom taught her to make) to milking a cow (she has her dad to thank for that one) to predicting the weather (she had to go outside the family to interview a meteorologist) to knitting a shawl (she had this one well in hand), this is the book for you.

Important changes to The Prairie Girl’s Guide to Life

The most important step in canning is achieving a vacuum seal on the jar, which will ensure your food stays fresh and safe. After filling the jars and closing the lid, LISTEN FOR A POP and look for a depression in the lid, which will tell you the jar is vacuum sealed. My mother usually stops here. The USDA guidelines for processing and sealing, however, require an additional hot water bath, directions below.

Additional directions for Applesauce (page 31) and Sweet Treat Cherries (page 40): After filling and sealing the jars, place them back in the boiling water of the canning kettle, taking care to set the jars on the rack so they don’t touch the bottom or side of the kettle. The boiling water should cover the jars by about 1 inch. Leave the applesauce in the boiling water for 15 to 25 minutes, the exact time depending on your altitude (the higher, the longer) and leave the cherries in for 25 to 40 minutes. After the allotted time, remove the jars from the hot-water bath and set on a clean dishtowel to cool. It’s important to check that the vacuum seal has set; listen for a pop as the jars cool and look for a depression in the lid.

On page 28, even though they don’t need to go through a hot-water bath, be sure to check that the seal has set for the Bread-and Butter Pickles as well, by listening for the pop and looking for a depression in the lid.

Instructional video now online

Check out the link below for Jen's step-by-step video on how to make lavender linen waters just in time for the holidays!

backcountry betty: roughing it in style

Discover your inner "Betty" with this fierce and fresh approach to camping and wilderness. Whether you prefer L.L. Bean or Kate Spade, this humorous outdoor guide has everything a girl needs to rough it with comfort and class (or at least sass). Backcountry Betty demystifies gearing up for the Great Outdoors with tips on how to prepare for and enjoy your date with nature, from which beauty products double as survival gear to turning out gourmet meals armed with only a campstove and a can-do attitude. This is the book for every gal who has secretly wanted to ditch her drab duds and bulky gear, and get her glam on in the Amazon!

worst-case scenario survival handbook: dating & sex

"Never leave home without The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Dating & Sex, a bible for the vain, immature, horny American in all of us. Keep a copy in your car, one under the bed and a third tattooed on your thigh." —The Washington Post

"In the all-too-serious and delicate world of dating and sex, the Worst-Case Scenario Handbook: Dating & Sex provides respite and levity." —Los Angeles Times

While tough to say this book's title fast three times, it has proved to be an invaluable and hilarious guide for anyone who's dipped their, um, toes in the dating pool. From how to determine the gender of your date to the sadly common scenario of dealing with excessive gas, the WCSSHDS is a absolute gas to read. Others agree: it hit the New York Times, Publisher's Weekly, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and Independent Bookseller's bestseller lists!

In addition to co-authoring the handbook, Jennifer also delivers the ultimate lecture/slide show on worst-case dating, sex, academic, and collegiate scenarios on campuses nationwide. This is the frank talk she wishes she had attended back in the day.

worst-case scenario survival handbook: college

Worst-Case authors Dave Borgenicht and Joshua Piven brought Jennifer back for another crack to make cracks…this time at the expense of college students. The result is a hilarious and helpful handbook for students at colleges both large and small. The college years are a time of noble pursuit of knowledge, intellectual development—and unending peril! Students are at risk from the moment they receive their acceptance letters. Here are crucial, illustrated instructions for surviving the worst that higher education has to offer.

In addition to co-authoring the handbook, Jennifer also has developed the ultimate worst-case scenario lecture/slide show for campuses nationwide. It's everything you REALLY need to know about dating, sex, and college!

the action heroine's handbook

Jennifer's co-author, the strapping Joe Borgenicht, said this was the book Jen was born to write. He was right. For every woman who wants to be as tough as Lara Croft, as nimble as The Bionic Woman, and as babe-a-licious as Charlie's Angels, The Action Heroine Handbook shows you the essential skills you'll need to conquer the bad guys and save the day without breaking a sweat. Find out how the real action heroines do it, directly from a host of experts. Learn to:

With step-by-step instructions and easy-to-follow illustrations, The Action Heroine's Handbook will prepare you to save the world, one baddie at a time.

getting started knitting

"The breadth of information in Getting Started Knitting is terrific.... This book's rare combination of enduring style and useful substance are most welcome." —Yarn, the Australian magazine for knitting and more

One of the things Jennifer loves about what she does is merging her outside interests with her writing. In Getting Started Knitting, she shares all the tips, tricks, and techniques for knitting newbies. Like a close friend, knitting tutor, and personal shopper rolled into one, Jennifer shows you how to purchase the basic tools and materials and then methodically teaches you how to cast on and bind off, knit and purl, and increase and decrease. With sparkling wit (naturally!), she instructs you how to decipher charts and abbreviations, fix mistakes, and more. In addition, Getting Started Knitting features more than 20 easy-peasy projects to get you hooked.

Jennifer even demonstrated some projects from Getting Started Knitting on the DIY program, Knitty Gritty, in early 2007.

nancy drew's guide to life

Jennifer fulfilled a lifelong dream when she was able to combine her love of writing with her utter adoration of (okay, obsession with) Nancy Drew. She couldn't have know it then, but all those hours spent reading about Nancy's adventures served Jennifer well. Nancy Drew's Guide to Life is her loving tribute to the young sleuth and the wisdom she imparted. The books is filled with practical tips, as well as seemingly whimsical (but surprisingly sound) advice. Her sage counsel is accompanied by the classic covers and artwork from her yellow-spined books. For every woman who remembers wishing she could tail a suspicious truck in Nancy's smart blue roadster with the rest of the gang, this book is for you.

girl group confidential

"It's not only informative and fun, it's a celebration of what women do best—come together to share their energy, smarts, insights, and passions." —Cameron Tuttle, The Bad Girl's Guides

"Girl Group Confidential is the one-stop shop for running a group with your girlfriends." —Kathy L. Patrick, Founder, The Pulpwood Queens Book Clubs

Looking to start a book club? Knitting circle? Poker night? Before you call all your friends, stop! Take a deep breath and do a little planning before assembling a group who doesn't get along, isn't reliable, or is far to big to fit in your living room. In this definitive handbook, Jennifer takes you through all the steps you need to know to start and run a successful, fun girl group of any kind. Covering the practical, the social, and beyond, she shows you how to optimize female gatherings and make the experience rich and rewarding.

You'll learn to:

how to live with a man...and love it!

"According to How to Live With a Man…and Love It!, men like pot roast, lasagna and sports; women like reading and baking, and in order to foster a workable domestic truce, they must understand, but never try to breach, this divide." —The New York Times Book Review

Well, dear, that's not exactly what Jennifer was going for but hey, it was in featured in the NYT Book Review! Throughout history, ladies have known that planning and strategy can lead to success in matters of the heart. Romance and glamour can survive and thrive once you settle down together, but the fact is that love alone is not going to produce a happy home. It's necessary, of course, but so, too, is patience and good old-fashioned craftiness. In this commonsense guide, you'll find all the advice and wisdom you need to make the transition from swinging single to life as part of a twosome.

city walks: vancouver

Skip the dull tour guides, ditch those unruly maps, and experience Vancouver like a native—on foot! City Walks: Vancouver will give you an intimate view of the city. Each card in this deck outlines a self-guided walking adventure, with a detailed map on one side and insider information on the other. From the historic Gastown district and the upscale shopping on Robson Street to the artists' community of Granville Island and the city's many picturesque parks, you'll discover the locals' favorite places to eat, drink, stop, shop, rest, walk, and play.

girls' night in: spa treatments at home

Taking care of yourself needn't be a solitary task or mean spending hundreds of bucks at a spendy spa. Girls' Night In will give you the lowdown on pedicures, massage and yoga techniques, face masks, body treatments, and myriad other ways to enjoy a real spa experience in the comfort of your own home. Think pampering, think luxury, think gossip.

Here's everything you need to know to get the spa party started:

my fabulous life

Jennifer teams up with Kerry Colburn again for another hilarious and girly project. My Fabulous Life is a guided journal to help you discover and record your inner fabulousness. Savor your sweetest successes. Revel in your utter perfection. Record all your moments of glory, from hip hairstyles and hot dance moves to spectacular sex and killer outfits. There's even a quiz to rate your level of greatness…as if you needed reminding!

Jennifer's favorite entry? "Heads I've turned bending over at the gym…"

the rebound journal

Faster than therapy, less risky than inflicting actual bodily harm, The Rebound Journal helps you get past that idiot you used to think was charming. Chronicle all the ways he was unworthy, list all the characteristics that make you better than him, remind yourself of the bad times—the really, really bad times. Then start reveling in your new single life! Forget crying over vacation photos or rereading then-sweet, now-sappy letters. Get smart, get strong, get over him with The Rebound Journal.

Since Jennifer and coauthor Kerry Colburn aren't there to comfort you with cocktails, bad movies, and a tray of lasagna, think of the journal like a best girlfriend who's always there to nod and say, "You're right, he's a jerkwad, and you are so much better off without him!"

Includes a quiz, guided journal entries, and plenty of vengeful and self-empowering rebound rituals.

the stuntwoman's workout

Jennifer worked closely with stuntwoman Danielle Burgio to create this guide to finding your fitness passion. Danielle reveals her secrets to staying fit, but also how to think on your feet, focus, and remain calm under pressure.

In this unique fitness and lifestyle book, learn techniques (ranging from stretching and cardio to yoga and dance) that not only serve Danielle well as one of the world's top stuntwomen, but will serve you well in your everyday life. Along the way, Danielle will share stories from the set. The book is broken down by:

Once you've learned Danielle's techniques and exercises (all demonstrated by Danielle herself in colorful, easy-to-follow photographs), put it all together in a playful but challenge circuit.

the art of belly dancing

Move in hip circles with this cute introduction to belly dancing. Belly dancing sounds exotic, but it's also great exercise that isolates and tones every part of your body, The Art of Belly Dancing includes a full set of finger cymbals, adhesive jewels, and a 32-page primer to get you started. Get ready to master the ancient craft.

get your dating game on

Jennifer demystifies the ancient ritual of dating to make it less, well, barbaric. Here is everything you need to Get Your Dating Game On and brave the singles scene.

Unless your perfect match is the mailman or the plumber, Mr. Right won't be appearing at your door anytime soon. So get out there—outside, out of bounds, outta sight. Just get out of the house! Get Your Dating Game On gives you all the information you need to brave the "single and ready to mingle" scene.

rebound rituals

Heartache? Hardly. Armed with Rebound Rituals, you're guaranteed to get over your ex much, much faster than you got under him. Inside you'll find 50 tried-and-true, feel-good-fast rituals, along with countless tips on building confidence and getting back in the game. Take a road trip, reclaim the bed, buy new lingerie, celebrate a boyfriend-free birthday—or even get revenge by sticking it to a voodoo doll or donating the junk he left at your house to charity! Cheaper, easier, and more fun than therapy, Rebound Rituals puts you on the fast track to healing the heartbreak and officially exorcising your ex. Jennifer and co-author/pal Kerry Colburn have survived their fair share of breakups with a variety of undeserving men and have lived to tell the tale—usually over cocktails and in excruciating detail.

mr. alexander's four steps to love

Jennifer teamed up with Mr. Alexander (née Alexander Stadler) to bring this magical book into being. In it, you'll discover a simple program for finding the soul mate you deserve. In four easy steps, you'll learn how to visualize your perfect partner, show off your best, um, assets, meet 2,000 new folks, and find the dream companion who lives within. Mr. Alex's whimsical illustrations and handwritten instructions guide you through visualization exercises, motivational rituals, take-charge activities, and more. We can't change our fate—but we can improve our odds.

the simply spa-tacular spa-time book

Jennifer dips her toe in the tween market with this spa party book for girls. Pre-teens can treat themselves and friends to a day of total luxury. Find your inner "om" with an outside yoga class, brush up on spa basics, enjoy a yogurt sparfait, or concoct and bottle yummy lotions (complete with your own logo and fancy labels). Whatever the pampering preference, there are lots of spa treatments sure to rejuvenate and relax body, mind and soul. Cowritten with Erin Conley, The Simply Spa-tacular Spa-time Book shows girls that being beautiful is about feeling good rather than just looking good.

my dysfunctional life

A project close to Jennifer's heart, this was the book that started it all. Cowritten with Kerry Colburn, My Dysfunctional Life is a guided journal to help you relive the absurd, mortifying, and just plain lame moments of your life. From crappy family roadtrips to drunken escapades that resulted in missing clothing, this is the place to write it all down. Created as an alternative to those treacly journals where you are asked to write about your heroes, My Dysfunctional Life allows you to be the star (if not hero) of your own slightly twisted life.

While My Dysfunctional Life enjoyed a good run, it's now out of print so clutch your copy close to your bosom. Maybe it'll be worth something someday. Until then, know that the memories you've recorded are priceless.