The Blender Girl Smoothies

This summer I decided to replace my usual evening meal with a smoothie (most days of the week), so I was excited to receive a book devoted entirely to smoothies.  As indicated by the subtitle, all of the recipes in The Blender Girl Smoothies are vegan and gluten-free.  What surprised me most about this book (and one of the things I appreciated most) is that there were not a lot of unusual or hard-to-find ingredients in these recipes.  There were only 2 ingredients that were a little challenging to find, but I did eventually find them locally and those ingredients were repeated in many of the recipes, so I was able to easily use them up without having to repeat the same recipe 20 times.  Each recipe included optional boosters, some of these might be more difficult to find, but I chose to leave the boosters out.

Each recipe also featured nutritional information including protein, carbs, fiber, sugar, calories, and more. While every recipe I tried was very tasty, some of them were so low in calories that I felt they didn't work well for my purpose of meal replacements.  There is, however, a section devoted to "dessert" smoothies.  These recipes, while still very healthy, have a higher calorie count then smoothies in the other sections of the book, so they worked better for me.

All of the recipes are written to serve 2.  Generally, when I make smoothies, I make them just for myself, so I had to divide every recipe in half.  I would have preferred single serving recipes, but it did not prove a major inconvenience.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking to incorporate healthy smoothies into their diet.

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Be the Message Devotional

I was really looking forward to diving into this devotional book.  The intention of the book seemed to be to help people get beyond just learning about the Bible, and actually living out the things it teaches.  A great idea, but I don't think it quite lived up to that intention.  The authors seemed to assume that those reading their book already have a solid Biblical background or that Biblical knowledge is unnecessary for living out the teachings of the Bible.  Each devotional only contained one really short Bible passage and then 3 short paragraphs explaining the passage.

I found the application portions disappointing as well.  They seemed to focus on thinking or praying about someone else who needs to apply these truths to their lives and you need to share that with them.  Well, it's great to share truth with people and to encourage one another, but the way these applications were phrased felt very patronizing.  
Perhaps not all of the devotions were like this, or they improved as the book went on.  I don't know.  I lost interest in the book after just a few days.

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Salad Love by David Bez -- It might just be love at first sight

There is a lot to love about this gorgeous book from London-based blogger and designer David Bez. The first 30 pages explain the inspiration behind the book, the tools necessary for making all of the salads, and the basics of assembling a salad.  My favorite section in this part of the book is the salad dressings section, which in 4 pages offers simple recipes for 24 different dressings.

This brief introductory section is followed by the 260 salad recipes.  These recipes are organized by seasons, with color coded page edges to easily find the section you are looking for.  Every recipe includes a beautiful photograph of the salad, a label indicating whether the salad is a raw, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, or omnivore salad, and an alternative option for making the salad fit a different diet requirement.

The only drawback to this book is that, depending on where you live, some of the ingredients may not be readily available.  For some of these types of ingredients it is not too difficult to think of an alternative and for some of the ingredients, the author has already suggested an alternative.  The recipes can also be seen as a catalyst to making your own unique salad creations.

The book also includes an index.  I think I will be using this index a lot to find salad recipes that will help me use up leftover ingredients.

If you are, like me, someone who has gotten bored with salads very easily in the past, this book may be your best chance to fall in love again with salads.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie

As this unique and beautifully written story opens, Will, an eleven-year-old boy, leaves the confines of his house for the first time in his memory. He is surprised to discover that nothing bad happens to him. "The boy stepped Outside, and he did not die."  His agoraphobic mother has always warned him of the dangers Outside, and he has been content to stay in the world she has created for them Inside. Once he goes Outside, however, he begins to discover that the rewards of life Outside far outweigh its risks.

Through quirky characters and an unusual plot, the author has managed to create a story that is at times laugh-out-loud funny,  and at other times, heart-wrenching and thought-provoking. Chapters alternate between Will's adventures Outside and his mother's internal reflections on her past. Although there were times when the plot felt far-fetched, the originality of the book as a whole kept me hooked.  There are many interesting themes touched on in this book that would make it a great choice for book clubs.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

When I received this book, I was skeptical of its claim to be really different from other books on organization.  I am not ashamed to admit that I was proven wrong.  The author truly does have a unique approach to organizing.

The greatest strength of the author's approach to decluttering and organizing is its utter simplicity. There aren't any complicated processes for choosing what to keep or what to get rid of.  Basically it boils down to going through your belongings by category and sorting through all the items in a category in one fell swoop and then organizing them.  One part of the book that really resonated with me was her assertion that you don't need to invest in any fancy organization systems or items. "Basically, the only storarge items you need are plain old drawers and boxes -- you don't need anything special or fancy." I can't tell you how many times I have fallen into the trap of spending money on the perfect "storage solution" only to find it doesn't really work for me and then it ends up being just another item cluttering up my home.

I received this book in January and have applied some of the methods she prescribes to my clothing. Just decluttering and organizing this one category has felt so good and has freed up so much space.  I love, love, love her method for folding and storing clothes.  I know that sounds ridiculous, but it is so simple and so amazing.  I am eager to continue decluttering and organizing other categories and hope to be finished by this summer.

Interestingly, the greatest strength of this book, its simplicity, is also its greatest weakness.  The author's approach to deciding what to keep and what to discard involves handling each item and asking yourself if it brings you joy.  While this is not a bad starting place, it feels a little too simplistic to me.  Sorry, no matter how wonderful they are, I just don't see socks sparking lots of joy. Nevertheless, I don't think it would be wise to throw out all of my socks and go sockless. Conversely, as I was sorting through my clothes, I came across items that do spark joy, however, they are 3 or 4 sizes too small.  Is it wise to continue holding onto these items?

One other area of weakness is that the only categories she covers are clothes, books, papers, and "komono" (miscellaneous items).  I would have found it helpful if she had included a few other categories as well, such as dishes, kitchen gadgets, etc.  But maybe as I work through the categories she does cover, I will figure out how to tackle the categories she neglected.

Also note that the author is Japanese, the book is translated from Japanese, and not all of the ideas neatly translate into western culture.  I personally, found this easy to look past, but some readers might find it more difficult.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who, like me, has tried, and failed at other decluttering and organizational approaches.  Marie Kondo truly does bring a unique spin.  But know that all the details of her method might not be practical for you.  If you take the basic principles of what she says, however, and figure out how to apply it in a way that does work for you, you will have a cleaner and happier home.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Skinnytaste Cookbook by Gina Homolka

I love this cookbook full of super yummy, low-calorie recipes made with mostly easy-to-find ingredients. It is a keeper! Beautiful photographs accompany the majority of the recipes.  Each recipe also includes a table listing nutritional information: calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate, fiber, protein, sugars, and sodium. This cookbook includes recipes that are vegetarian, gluten-free, quick, freezer-friendly, and/or made in a slow cooker.  There are icons that denote each of these types of recipes making them quick and easy to locate.  Unfortunately, there are no freezing or reheating instructions given with the recipes labeled "freezer-friendly".

The first recipe I tried was the Rustic Italian Gnocchi Soup.  Hands down the tastiest soup I have ever made.  As is true with so many soups it was 10 times more delicious the next day.  I immediately tried a couple more recipes from the book and they were very tasty as well.  I am excited to keep cooking my way through this book.

While this may not be a great book for beginning cooks, it is the perfect book for those looking to jazz up their recipe repertoire or for those looking for healthier alternatives to some favorite dishes.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Great Waffle Experiment of 2014

The other day at work, my co-workers were having a conversation about waffles.  (I love the fact that I get to work with people who love food and books as much as I do.)  All their talk of waffles, of course, left me with a craving for waffles.  I started thinking about how much I love waffles, but that I rarely make them because they are not terribly healthy.  Their biggest health flaw in my eyes is the amount of oil (or melted butter) in them.  But then I got to thinking about one of my favorite baking tips.  In many recipes, canned pumpkin can be used in place of oil. I had only ever used it successfully as a substitute in cake recipes before.  A month or so ago, I had tried to use it as a substitute in a cookie recipe, which was not such a success.  I wondered how well it would work in a waffle recipe.  Well, only one way to find out.  I just used my go-to basic waffle recipe from my trusty rusty Betty Crocker cookbook.  I replaced the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil called for in the recipe with 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin.  I also added about 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice to the batter. They turned out great!  I topped mine with some plain yogurt and pure maple syrup. Yum!  Next time, I will also try adding some toasted pecans either to the batter or as a topping.

There's more missing than just the letter "e"

With the word "Cookbook" as part of its title, many people might be disappointed to discover that less than half of The Kitchn Cookbook is devoted to actual recipes. The book is divided into 2 parts. The first part deals with the kitchen itself.  Chapter 1 covers the basics of kitchen layouts, what to consider when shopping for a new place to live, how to make the most of your current kitchen space, etc.  This section is followed by a chapter on various kitchen cookware, tools, and equipment, including which items the authors feel are essential, tips for selecting and purchasing these items, and how to care for them. From here the authors transition to caring for your kitchen as a whole.  They include instructions for making and using your own cleaning products from natural ingredients. Also included is a sample 30-day routine for keeping the kitchen clean. These are useful and interesting tips that readers are likely to refer back to repeatedly.

Several kitchens are also featured in these chapters. Such features might be appealing in a magazine that will be recycled, but feel like wasted space in a cookbook.  It may be of interest to some to read through once, but it is doubtful anyone would return to those pages a second time.

Part 2 of the cookbook opens with a chapter on stocking your kitchen with basic ingredients and tips for planning meals.  This is followed by what the authors consider to be the most important basic skills for cooking. Unfortunately, most of these skills are too basic for anyone but the most green of cooks.  Those new to cooking would be much better served by other, more comprehensive cookbooks.  

At long last, in chapter 6 we get to the recipes.  While there are some unique and tantalizing recipes, the organization, or lack thereof, in this section is disappointing.  There is no contents listing of the recipes (though there is an index in the back), and each section of recipes is only indicated by a heading at the beginning of the section.  This is inconvenient if you are just flipping through the recipe section looking for a particular type of recipe.  Unless you happen to flip to the first page of a section, there is no immediate way to tell which section you are looking at.  This lack of organization is surprising when compared to the authors' well thought out website.

This cookbook is a good choice for anyone looking for a reference to basic kitchen-related issues.  Anyone looking for a great collection of recipes and cooking tips, should keep looking.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.

The Excesses of Halloween

Every year I either buy way too much or way too little Halloween candy.  This year, I fell neatly into the "way too much" camp.  I had a feeling this might happen given the very cold weather that was forecasted (quite accurately as it turns out) for the evening.  We only had 3 trick-or-treaters show up on our doorstep.  I gave them each a large handful of candy, but it barely made a dent in our supply. So, this morning I'm left wondering what to do with the surplus.  I briefly considered going up to some neighbor's houses and dumping a pile of candy on their doorstep, ringing the doorbell and running away, but that seemed a cruel thing to do because they are probably in the same predicament as I am.  My husband suggested (and I am hoping he was joking) that I go stand outside our neighborhood's elementary school and hand candy out to the children.  Because I prefer to not get the police involved in my candy disposal, I had to reject this ideas as well. I have also fantasized about the crew from the TV show "Chopped" showing up at my house to film and use up my Halloween candy in their baskets of mystery ingredients.  Surely those rainbow Twizzlers or little boxes of Milk Duds can add some creative flair to my next dinner.  This potential solution definitely seems like the best option to me, so Chopped stars / crew if you're reading this call me, please.

What do you do with all of your excess Halloween candy?

Giving Back: The Public Library's Used Book Sale

Every Fall my husband (a fellow bibliophile) and I look forward to our local public library's used book sale.  We always find some great deals on some great books and get to support the library at the same time. Definitely a win-win situation.  Because I purchased a Friends of the Library membership, I was able to attend their preview sale on Saturday morning.  I was under a bit of a time crunch, however, and was delighted therefore to find some wonderful books to add to my collection within the first few minutes of browsing.

I had set an alarm on my phone because I knew that if I didn't I might get sucked into the alluring black hole of piles and piles of inexpensive books and be late for another commitment that morning.  Right before my alarm was about to go off, I discovered a hardcover copy of Roads to Quoz: an American Mosey by William Least-Heat Moon for only $2.  What a deal! While I wished that I had more time to continue browsing, I felt satisfied to end my time at the sale with such a great find.

Later, when I returned home with my newly acquired books, I discovered a copy of Roads to Quoz already occupying a space on my husband's bookshelf.  Thus, I carried on our semi-annual (the library holds a used book sale in the spring as well) tradition of buying a book, discovering that we already own the book, and donating that same book back to the library for their next sale. Thankfully, it truly is better to give than to receive and the local library is truly an institution worthy of our support.

Biting Through the Skin: An Indian Kitchen in America's Heartland by Nina Mukerjee Furstenau

In this memoir, the author reflects on her experiences as a person of Indian descent growing up in a small town in Kansas.  Throughout her growing up years, food played a key role in giving her a sense of connection to her own unique cultural identity.  She deftly weaves this food thread through all her narratives and includes recipes related to the stories shared in each chapter.

Favorite quote:
"In direct fashion, language ties people together as strongly as food. Both involve a constant working of the mouth, both the use of the tongue.  Taking food into the body to live is incredibly intimate.  So, too, is voice: the audible self."

Pros:

Beautiful writing
Insightful reflections
Vivid descriptions
Lots of recipes

Cons:
Many of the recipes include ingredients that might be difficult to obtain.

Recipes in the book:
There are over 50 recipes in this book.  These include a wide range of Indian dishes from chutneys to curries to lentils to desserts.  I plan to try a few of the recipes and will write about the results in a future post.

Delicious by Ruth Reichl

Billie has an incredible palate.  She can take a few bites of a complex dish with obscure ingredients and quickly and easily identify exactly what's in the dish and what might improve the dish.  Yet she refuses to cook.  Why?  I would tell you, but that would be a spoiler and I'm not a big fan of spoilers. She has left everything and moved to New York, where she lands a job as an assistant at a renowned culinary magazine, Delicious.  The offices for the magazine are housed in a historic mansion in the city.
Although the magazine is shut down, Billie is asked to stay on to continue providing customer support.  While filling this role, Billie and a former co-worker discover a long-forgotten, hidden room in the library on the top floor of the mansion.  There, they discover some strategically hidden letters from a young girl corresponding with James Beard during WWII.  The process of discovering these letters from the past is a catalyst to making deeper connections with the people in her life and facing her own past.

Pros:
Appealing characters
Strong sense of setting
Lots of references to cheese

Cons:
Pace is very slow at times, especially in the first half of the book.


Recipes in the book:
"Billie's Gingerbread"

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel

I made this coffee cake for the first time this morning for a brunch with some friends and just the smell of it baking made me so happy. Because I was running late, I ran out of time to make the glaze, but I didn't hear a single complaint.
I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I did!
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/pumpkin-coffee-cake-with-brown-sugar-pecan-streusel.html