Saturday, August 30, 2014

SWEET Our Best Cupcakes, Cookies, Candy and More


 Sweet is what it is. Sweet is the latest cookbook from the Food Network Magazine. This is loaded with all things sugary. From cakes and pies, to cakes that look like other things (burgers, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches...) If you're a novice at making your own desserts then this would be a great book to start with. Many of the recipes are simple and will make desserts that look like you slaved all day.
Doesn't this caramel apple upside down cake look so yummy?
 This is a simple sugar cream pie. Apparently it's the state pie of Indiana. I've never heard of it before, but I'm willing to try it. Looks amazing.
 There are even things that you'd never think of. Like these peanut butter bacon cookies. Eh, to each his own.
This could be the only cookbook that you need for desserts. It is really diverse and at over 325 pages, with a picture of every recipe (yay for that!) you're sure to find something that appeals to you.

I'm starting with the caramel apple upside down cake. And then maybe the hazelnut dacquoise (I can't pronounce it, but it looks good).

This book was provided for review by Blogging For Books.

Friday, August 22, 2014

The VB6 Cookbook

 VB6 means to eat vegan daily until 6:00 at night when you can then add some meat and other options into your diet. It's a way to get people to eat more healthy foods on a regular basis. 
I got this book because I have a teenager who is interested in vegan food but doesn't want to go all-in. This is perfect for us.
It's packed full of recipes (vegan and non) that are not your usual fare. We made the "chorizo" tacos (pictured below) for lunch today - though we did modify the recipe and turned it into lettuce wraps instead of using corn tortillas. I've cooked with tofu plenty of times but the method in this recipe is not one I've tried before and I will  be doing it a lot more often. We've already decided to play with the ingredients and turn it into Thai or Vietnamese. Yum.

I'm looking forward to trying many more recipes in this book. There are even dessert recipes and smoothie recipes.

If you're looking for a healthier lifestyle but don't want to give up meat altogether then check this book out. 


This book was provided for review by Blogging for Books

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Captured by Love by Jody Hedlund

 Captured by Love is Jody Hedlund's latest release and I loved it. This author is fantastic at historical fiction and I love learning things from her research. I had no idea that Mackinac Island was originally called Michilimackinac Island and that it was a fought over piece of land due to the fur trade industry. Fascinating.
The story of Angelique and Pierre was captivating, I could not put this book down. Books that completely draw me in seem to be few and far between anymore, but this one did. 
If you're looking for a story full of desire (sometimes a little heavy on the desire if you ask me), love, sacrifice, Indians, war, and more, then grab this one up as fast as you can.
This book was provided for review by Bethany House.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Juice - Recipes for Juicing, Cleansing, and Living Well

We are new to the world of juicing, having just purchased a juicer last month. This book is full of everything that a novice needs to know. It opens with explaining why you should juice and gives the basics of juicing, including describing the different types of juicers that are available and helping you choose the right one. 
The book is written by the people who run Pressed Juicery, a chain of juice shops in California. Check them out here. They not only share why to juice and how to juice, but they give some of their recipes from their successful business, and there are all kinds of juice recipes in this book.
It is invaluable.
We've only made a few of them so far, but it has given my teen such excitement and I love it when she is excited about her health. 
From citrus juices to vegetable juices, from making your own almond milk to the best smoothies for your body, this book is full of so much information and I am thrilled to have found it.

Juice is published by Ten Speed Press and was provided for review by Blogging for Books.
 

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Debt-Proof Living by Mary Hunt

Mary Hunt is back with more advice on how to life a debt free life and this time, in Debt-Proof Living, she offers step by step measures to take to make sure that your entire life is debt-proof.
Mary's advice is invaluable. She explains the difference between a credit union and a bank, helps you create a spending plan no matter what amount of money you have to live on, explains why loans of any kind are bad, and even shares how to go to college debt-free.
I wish I'd had this book twenty-two years ago when I got married. This would make an excellent gift for a wedding.
This book was provided for review by Revell.

All for a Sister by Allison Pittman

All for a Sister by Allison Pittman is the third in the All For series. I've read All for a Story and I loved it, I had a much harder time with All for a Sister. It just didn't grab my attention. I couldn't focus on the story because it didn't interest me, I found it hard to follow.
Having read other Allison Pittman novels (the Sister Wives series was intense!) I'll not give up on this gifted author. Not all books are for everyone, I guess this one just wasn't for me.

This book was provided for review by Tyndale.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

A Bouquet of Love by Janice Thompson

I'm pretty sure that this book was written just for me. A Bouquet of Love by Janice Thompson was exactly the book I've been craving. It was a delightful, lighthearted love story. It grabbed me from the first page and kept my attention. I didn't want to put this book down. This author gets better with every book and this was my favorite so far. 

Every chapter is titled with a Judy Garland song title. See? I told you that this book was written just for me. The main character's love for Judy was similar to my own and I simply adored that angle in the book.

Also, all of the talk about Greek food and gyro's melted me. 

If you are looking for a great summer read then grab this one. It is the fourth in a series though and while it will stand alone there are many characters from the previous books (and other series even!) that are in this one.

Go. Become a Janice Thompson reader. You will thank me.

This book was provided for review by Revell.

Surviving Henry by Erin Taylor Young


Surviving Henry by Erin Taylor Young is the almost unbelievable true story of one family and their stubborn and catastrophic dog. 
Bringing home a puppy always seems like a nice idea and it usually has some mishaps, but for the Young family a boxer pup named Henry turns their lives upside down with his antics.
I enjoyed reading this book and almost felt guilty for laughing. I felt like I should have offered help of some kind.
I'm not sure that my family would have kept Henry around for the lifetime commitment that comes with having a dog. We ditched a dog several years ago after some of this same kind of behavior. Buster, I'm sure, was better off with his new owner. We never called to ask....

This book was provided for review by Revell.