Operation Blessing Recipes From Around The World Book Review and Giveaway

Operation Blessing (OB) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to demonstrating God’s love by alleviating human need and suffering in the United States and around the world. They have served in every state and over 90 nations. For over four decades OB has been working on programs such as disaster relief, health and medical care, hunger relief, and clean water with the support of their generous partners. They help those in immediate need by providing physical relief and equipping them with new knowledge to create sustainable solutions to combat poverty. They listen to the community's needs they serve, instead of telling them what they think they need. They address the core issues behind poverty, rather than only treating the symptoms. Go here to see their global impact.



Operation Blessing Recipes From Around The World is a wonderful softcover booklet of 34 international recipes. These range from breakfast, side & main dishes, breads & desserts and drinks. The recipes originated from 15 countries namely Honduras, Mexico, Peru, Kenya, Israel, Haiti, Guatemala, El Salvador, Japan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, China, and United States. Along with the recipes OB has a relief story for each country of how they helped a situation and made those people's lives better. These stories are just some of the wonderful things OB does to reach out to those in desperate need.

What We Thought:

Operation Blessing is a fantastic organization. We are so glad that they are helping those in desperate need. They have already blessed the lives of so many.

This cookbook that OB has put together is beautiful and inspiring. The stories and pictures are so heartwarming. I love that it has color pictures of each finished dish for each recipe. I love international cooking and foods. This assortment of culinary delights from across the globe brings so many different dishes to the table and the warmth from each country they are created from. I have fond memories of my childhood friend making rice and beans and fried plantains when I would come to her home to visit her. The Pastelitos de Carne and Imam Bayildi recipes sound so good! These are among the recipes in this book. I can't wait to try all of them.

I highly recommend this cookbook! This would be a great gift for someone who loves to cook a variety of foods. It is a wonderful cookbook to expand upon your taste palate and explore other global cuisine from home.

 Complimentary Offer for Operation Blessing Recipe Cards:

We are pleased to offer four (4) recipe cards inspired by international recipes from Operation Blessing’s latest cookbook, “Recipes From Around the World.” Anyone can sign up to receive this free gift after which, requests will be processed and delivered straight to their mailbox.

Get offer here:  https://www.ob.org/mc/recipecards/

  
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My readers can get their own copy by giving a donation of any size here!  https://www.ob.org/give/recipebook/

WIN IT

• Prize: Win a copy of Recipes From Around the World
• Host: Operation Blessings and FrontGate Media.
• Who Can Enter: Open to US Residents 18 years or older.
• Selection Process: Winner will be selected on 2/16/2020 and notified by email.
• Where to Enter: Go to this link https://www.blessedfreebies.com/recipes-from-around-the-world.html and fill out the form to enter.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this complimentary product to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Thanksgiving: The Holiday At The Heart Of The American Experience Book Review

Thanksgiving: The Holiday At The Heart Of The American Experience by Melanie Kirkpatrick is a wonderful book to read and cherish for Thanksgiving. Simple, yet elegant, illustrations grace the pages of this informative book. It is a compilation of religion, history, hospitality, economics, philanthropy, culture, food, traditions, and politics that surround this beloved holiday. Within its passages it holds timeless tales of how Thanksgiving came to be: from the Puritans and Wampanoag Indians and their feast together to how Thanksgiving became the holiday as it is today. It delves into four centuries of history to paint a more complete picture of our nation's celebration of family, friends, food, fellowship, gratitude, and faith than that you may have learned from school. Besides the history, it also includes Readings For Thanksgiving Day, which are excerpts from famous people like: Mark Twain, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Ben Franklin, William Bradford, Edward Winslow, Abigail Adams, Louisa May Alcott, Laura Ingalls Wilder, etc. and yummy Thanksgiving Recipes and Bills of Fare from households, cookbooks, and media passed down through the ages.

The Thanksgiving holiday has always been a time of joy, celebration, and gratitude in my home. We thank God for the blessings and bounty He has bestowed on our family and friends. The greatness of the delicious food and drink on the table and multitude of family and friends that will surround us on this Thanksgiving Day are only a few things that I am thankful for. I am also so very grateful to live in a country where religious freedom is practiced and allowed and am glad that I am alive on this gorgeous planet.

Thanksgiving: The Holiday At The Heart Of The American Experience is a comprehensive resource for understanding and coming to know the Thanksgiving holiday better. I highly recommend it for gift giving around the holiday. It would also be wonderful to share with your host or hostess this Thanksgiving or next. It is a great companion for a homeschool study on the holiday too.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

The Bitter Truth About Herbs

I have some cool news if you want to know how to match the right herb to the right person…

LearningHerbs is presenting a free webinar called “The Bitter Truth About Herbs”.

In this webinar Rosalee de la Forêt and John Gallagher will…

• show you how TASTE helps you know exactly which herbs to use 
• demystify herbal energetics into a PRACTICAL system you can put to use immediately
• explain how the BITTER taste reduces anxiety, stimulates digestion, balances blood sugar, and much more
• and loads more! 

Simply register here: learning-herbs.com/t?orid=240373&opid=41

See you there!

P.S. When you register you’ll also get six bitter herbs recipe cards and a special article on making your OWN bitters!

Go check it out now: learning-herbs.com/t?orid=240373&opid=41

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post because I thought you might be interested in knowing this information and taking part of this webinar. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for doing this post. Affiliate links can be found in this post. Thank you for your support of this blog!

The Make Ahead Kitchen Cookbook Review

Cedar Fort Publishing & Media has provided me with a complimentary copy of this cookbook free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

 Annalise Thomas is from the big city and married to a man that is from a small town. As she learns to love small town life she enjoys sharing her foodie passions with others. Annalise is a wife and mom, a baker, a cook, and a blogger. She is also the author of The Make-ahead Kitchen.

The Make-ahead Kitchen: 75 Slow Cooker, Freezer, and Prepared Meals for the Busy Lifestyle by Annalise Thomas is a gorgeous picture-filled cookbook with simple recipes of delicious, healthy, and easy-to-prepare make-ahead dishes. No more kids asking what's for dinner and having to dig around the fridge, leftovers, or pantry for a last-minute meal. These family friendly foods, drinks, and desserts are just the ticket for less stress and no hassle.

The contents of this book are well laid out and easy to navigate. They start out with acknowledgements and general notes. The general notes are basically helpful tidbits of information about her recipes and way of cooking/using ingredients. In the notes she lets us know that their are symbols for those recipes that are gluten free (GF) and the ingredients that can be gluten free alternatives (GFA). The introduction is next with a little history of why the author wrote the book and a some background of the cookbook. The middle of the cookbook has recipes in 7 sections: Breakfast, Soups & Salads; Appetizers, Snacks & Sides; Main Dishes, Cookies & Bars, Desserts, and Drinks. The book ends with a wonderful index and about the author page.

The layout of each recipe is quite simple and each one has beautiful photograph of the completed meal, dessert, drink, etc. to accompany it. At the left side, each recipe includes the title, if it is GF or GFA or not, background of the recipe, and notes. On the right hand side it has the ingredients, directions, notes on what you can do ahead of time and freezing, and how many it serves.

All in all I believe this cookbook is a lovely addition to my cookbook library. It will be treasured in my kitchen. I am excited to make the recipes inside its pages for my family and friends.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this book for free to facilitate this review from Cedar Fort Publishing & Media. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

The Homemade Kitchen: Recipes For Cooking With Pleasure Cookbook Review

I received this cookbook free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Alana Chernila is a writer, cook, teacher of cheese making, and blogger at EatingFromTheGroundUp.com. She lives with her husband and daughters in Western Massachusetts. She is also the author of two cookbooks, the first one being The Homemade Pantry and her newest one being The Homemade Kitchen.

The Homemade Kitchen is a gorgeous, inspirational cookbook. It has beautiful pictures of Alana's delicious sounding recipes and her in her kitchen, garden, at the market, and outside; with family and friends or just by herself. The inviting nature of her narrative is delightful and friendly. Alana feels like kindred spirit as she offers up her thoughts on life and collection of homemade dishes that make one's mouth water.

I love how Alana puts this cookbook together. Every chapter starts with an encouraging phrase that she has taped on her fridge. These makeup the framework of her philosophy and this cookbook. Te recipes start with a title and how much it makes or how many it serves. Then a narrative from Alana usually follows with the ingredient list and instructions listed below. Most of these recipes with a few exceptions have beautiful photos of the dish to represent them. There are also pages of narrative and tips throughout.

CHAPTER CONTENTS:

• Start Where You Are - Introduction about Alana's thoughts of why we cook, and who we are.
• Be a Beginner - How to section of: cooking eggs, cooking vegetables, making jam, pickling things, making salads and dressings, roasting a chicken, making other dairy products out of milk, cooking grains, making piecrust and pie, using fresh herbs, and making pasta. These are all things of which we should all learn how to do in my opinion.
• Feed Yourself - Wonderful dishes to cook for just yourself. Since I am to be growing radishes in my garden this year I will definitely try the Bread with Radish Butter!
• Put Your Hands in the Earth - Recipes with fresh edibles from the garden. The Queen Garlic with Chèvre and Tomatoes look divine.
• Be Active - Making fermented things using vinegar, kefir grains, starter culture, or yeast & making other delicious things with them. I love a good Kimchi! The Kefir Banana Cake and Chèvre Cheesecake with Mint and Berries also sound so yummy!
• Use Your Scraps - How to make use of food waste, reuse in the kitchen & help foods last longer. Includes recipes that make use of these bits and scraps. I never knew that peach pits were so useful!
• Do Your Best, and Then Let Go - Good advice about choosing what you eat. In this chapter, Alana acknowledges how her family really eats, "Organicish. Locenough. Homemade when I can. Fresh. Good. Mine." I love this because this is more my style than fretting over every last little thing. Tips and recipes on buying: cow, chicken, fish; making tofu and its alternatives, using pastas, making homemade snacks and a popover recipe everyone will love.
• Be Helpful - Wonderful dishes to feed the soul, when there is a birth, death, or anything big in between. I love when Alana says, "When we bring dinner, we say: I'm in your community. I'm here for you. Eat."
• Do the Work - This chapter is all about breads that are beautiful and practical to make. Alana reminds us that homemade bread is actually easy to make and many appliances can do most the work for you. To quote her, "Bread , like so many other staples, is one of those foods that we imagine to be more of a project than it really is."
• Slow Down - Alana reminisces about her quiet time outside in her orchard, hanging clothes on the line, or looking for beautiful flowers to put in a vase for the table. I, myself love having me time with nature or a cup of herbal tea. It gives me calm before the chaos kicks in. In this chapter the recipes focus around this concept.
• Eat Outside - I agree with Alana so much that, "Everything just tastes better outside". I happen to believe that picnics are a perfect way to celebrate the outdoors. The recipes in this section are great to make and take for a lovely spread.
• Invite People Over - I love to entertain guests, family, or friends at my home. Being LDS, I occasionally invite the missionaries into my home for dinner. Making food for others is a wonderful pastime. I love the idea of "Social Tuesday", which Alana's friend thought up. It centers around a single family in a group of friends or neighborhood community, hosting a themed potluck of sorts, where everyone invited brings a dish for a dinner together on a Tuesday night. I've been involved in work parties and love doing service for friends or family, then filling my belly with good home cooking. When we lived in Reedsport we used to go over to a great chainsaw buddy's house and sometimes he would make sushi packed with a number of interesting, but delectable ingredients. I learned how to make my own sushi from him and love to make it for my friends that are a bit adventurous. I was surprised to find a sushi recipe, Maki Rolls, in this chapter, yet it was obvious to me why it was included...like tacos you can make-your-own and have your guests do so as well. With so many options for fillings this is a no-brainer why it is great for parties. I also love that there is a great chili recipe with corn bread because this is also my go to food of choice for company.
• Don't Be Afraid of Food - Oh yes...Alana saved the best for last. Last, but certainly not least...the scrumptious, delicious, delectable desserts! I love trifle and Alana's Summer Trifle looks so fabulous. I will definitely have to try it as it gets to be berry picking season. The Plum tart...you know, the one on the front cover... is what lured me to review this cookbook in the first place. I love tarts, but admittedly have not made one ever myself, so maybe I just might when the plums on my tree are ready.

In the end she has Acknowledgements, a very nice Bibliography filled with books that I now have to check out, and an Index to help you find your way throughout this cookbook.

The Homemade Kitchen: Recipes For Cooking With Pleasure is a wonderful cookbook that I highly recommend to anyone that would love to get back to home cooking from scratch without the fuss. The author, Alana Chernila is such a pleasure. This cookbook is a treasure indeed.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Blogging For Books for sending me this book for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Seven Spoons: My Favorite Recipes for Any and Every Day Cookbook Review

I received this book, Seven Spoons: My Favorite Recipes for Any and Every Day by Tara O'Brady, free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

You may know Tara O'Brady from her extremely popular foodie blog, Seven Spoons, which focuses on crowd-pleasing recipes that she want to share with the world. She was one of the first food bloggers to enter the foodie realm in May of 2005. Her readers love her warmth and love of cooking that emanates from her writing.

In her newly released and very first cookbook she takes inspiration from her blog by creating brand new recipes. Just like her blog she shares her stories, recipes, and traditions which fill the pages of this cookbook. This cookbook is a wonderful extension of her blog.

The Seven Spoons cookbook is a gorgeous hardback published by Ten Speed Press and Appetite by Random House in April 2015. It has 296 pages of delicious looking recipes that span from American to Mexican to Middle Eastern to East Asian cuisine. This is a fabulous treasury of recipes with a wide range of culinary and global influences.

The contents of this book are well laid out and easy to navigate. It starts with an introduction that goes into a little history of the author and her experience, about the cookbook, how to use the cookbook, and stocking the pantry. Then there are chapters pertaining to different parts of the meal which has an introductory page for each in Tara's warm tone. Each recipe also has an introduction to it after its name. Then it tells how much it makes or serves along with the ingredients, directions, and variations. It also has notes along the side to help you more with each recipe.

Contents:

• Introduction
• Chapter 1 Breads & Breakfasts
• Chapter 2 Lunches
• Chapter 3 Soups, Starters & Snacks
• Chapter 4 Suppers
• Chapter 5 Vegetables & Sides
• Chapter 6 Sweets, Treats & Sips
• Chapter 7 Staples
• Acknowledgments
• Index

I love the Seven Spoons cookbook. It has a wonderful selection of delicious sounding recipes that I am very excited to try out. I am very visual, so the recipes that have pictures appeal to me more. I love the Stocking The Pantry section in the Introduction because it is very informative and a great reference. I know I will be going back to this section a lot. My favorite recipes from this cookbook are: Savory Steel-Cut Oats With Cheese and Spinach, Fig and Ginger Cluster Granola, Chia Pudding With Fruit and Golden Honey Elixer, Chaat Tostadas, Mushrooms and Greens With Toast, Avocado Toast, Pickled Strawberry Preserves, Hummus With White Miso, Halloumi in Chermoula, Trail Mix Snack Bars, Everyday Yellow Dal, Slow-Baked Salmon and Butter Beans, Moussaka, Turmeric Fried Okra, Baked Irish Mash, Rhubarb Raspberry Rye Crumble, Coconut Kheer With Bronzed Pineapple, and Fig Toasts With Buttered Honey. I will be trying to find alternatives to the alcoholic beverages to make them virgin so that I can partake in them. I will also be trying my hand at some of her Staples because I have always wanted to make my own cheese, butter, yogurt, ghee and pie crust.

I love this cookbook and am glad I picked it for review. The wonderful recipes are inspiring and I am so excited to try them. I recommend this to anyone that loves variety with their cooking.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Blogging For Books for sending me this book for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Yogurt: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Cookbook Review

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Janet Fletcher is an experienced food writer in Napa Valley that loves all things cheese. She is author or coauthor of more than two dozen books on food and beverages, including Cheese & Wine, Cheese & Beer, and The Cheese Course. Her weekly email newsletter, Planet Cheese, is read by cheese enthusiasts internationally, and she is also a member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers. Her love of dairy didn't stop at cheese; however, because she recently just authored a cookbook called Yogurt: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Yogurt: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner is a wonderful cookbook that takes yogurt to all new levels. This yogurt-centric hardback cookbook gives us more than 50 recipes for breakfasts, appetizers, salads, soups, meaty meals, vegetarian meals, sauces, marinades, desserts, and beverages.

The contents of this book are well laid out and easy to navigate. This book starts with an introduction telling some history, science, differences, health, and some notes on recipes behind yogurt. Yogurt: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner then goes into making your own yogurt at home with topics on choosing: milk, starter, and incubation method. It also goes into making different kinds of yogurt, like: drained, Greek, yogurt cheese, and using whey. After this main section on homemade yogurt it goes into the recipes. The recipes are broken up into these categories: Yogurt for Breakfast, Appetizers & Salads, Soups, Mostly Meat, Vegetables & Grains, Desserts, and Beverages. The end of the book has a bibliography of references to read in addition to this book, resources to find some of the harder to find ingredients and equipment needed for some of the recipes, an about the author page and her acknowledgements in making the book, and an index for finding things easier throughout the book. There is also handy measurement conversion charts inside the back cover of the book.

The layout of each recipe is quite simple. At the left side of each recipe includes the title, how many it serves, ingredients and how much. On the right side there is a small paragraph where the author introduces it, and the directions on how to make it. I do wish that all of the recipes were accompanied by the photograph of the completed dish, but not all of them are. Having photographs of each completed recipe would have been more helpful to people like me who are very visual and love to see what the food should end up looking like before making the recipe. The recipes that do, have gorgeous photographs that represent the dish well and complements the recipe page nicely.

I love this cookbook. Even though yogurt is a staple in my household, I have not tried to make it myself and I would love to someday. This book tells me how to make it homemade even without an electric yogurt maker. I love yogurt and I love experimenting with it in recipes of my own. The Yogurt: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner cookbook gives me even more inspiration to add it to foods and beverages that I might not have thought of.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Blogging For Books for sending me this book for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

My New Roots: Inspired Plant-Based Recipes for Every Season Cookbook Review

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

You may know Sarah Britton (BFA, CNP) from her extremely popular foodie blog, My New Roots, which focuses on healthy recipes that are plant-based natural whole foods. Sarah Britton is the Copenhagen based holistic nutritionist, writer, and photographer behind both her blog and cookbook that shares the same name. She is also a seasonal eater and lover of organic and super foods. She has won many accolades and awards for her work, been on TED talks and featured in O, the Oprah Magazine, Bon Appétit, and Whole Living. If you've seen her blog you have seen her fantastic wholesome recipes gorgeously presented with photographs that she herself took. If you've seen her TED talks (you can on YouTube if you haven't) you have seen her lovely infectious spirit and enthusiasm for nutritious food. She is, in my opinion, a vegetarian culinary goddess.

In her newly released and very first cookbook she takes inspiration from her blog by creating brand new recipes that also are plant-based natural whole foods. The book is divided into seasonal chapters: Spring, Early Summer, Late Summer, Autumn, and Winter which then are each divided into recipe groups: Mornings, Small Measures, Mains, and Sweets. In the Introduction, before the recipes start, she introduces herself, her blog, her food philosophy, why eating in the rhythm of the seasons and connecting with the cycles of nature makes so much sense, and the use of symbols in the book. After the Introduction and before the recipes she shares Essential Techniques of cooking dried legumes, cooking grains, making ghee, making seed and nut milks and butters, growing sprouts, and flavoring food with the use of salt (sea salt, Himalayan rock salt, soy sauce, tamari, miso), sugar (raw honey, pure maple syrup, barley malt, brown rice syrup, coconut sugar, dates, fruit juice, applesauce), and acid (citrus juice, vinegar - raw organic apple cider vinegar is healthiest).

This cookbook has whole foods, super foods, vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free recipes inside. Sarah Britton does use goat/sheep/cow cheese/yogurt, ghee (which in most cases can be substituted with coconut oil), honey (although she says you can substitute with maple syrup), bee pollen, and eggs in some of her recipes, so this book is not completely vegan, but it does have quite a few recipes that are and they are clearly marked with a v at the top of the page under the recipe title. Besides the v symbol for vegan, there is a gf  symbol for gluten-free, a clock symbol for when the recipes need planning ahead, and a moon symbol for when it will take 8 hours or longer to do a task that is required (like soaking legumes, fermenting, etc.) in the recipe. Some of these recipes are great for paleo and raw food diets as well.

The layout of each recipe is quite simple. At the top of each recipe includes the title, serving sizes or how much it makes in both US standard and metric units, and symbols. Each recipe also has a small paragraph where the author introduces it. I love her down to earth tone and kindred spirit feel of her writing as well. Then she has listed ingredients and detailed directions to each. Sometimes you see a paragraph within the picture or pages to give more information, facts, or background about an ingredient or a note, tips, and tricks to help you in the recipe process.

Just thumbing through the pages in this cookbook is so satisfying to me. There are things in My New Roots that are revolutionary in my opinion. I wouldn't have thought on my own to make "bacon" from coconut, try celeriac, or poach radishes. I can tell you that I couldn't help but drool a bit when looking through the My New Roots cookbook. What I love about this, verses other cookbooks that I have on my shelf, is that just about every recipe in this cookbook has a photo of the finished dish to go with it. The photos are beautiful and mouth watering just all by themselves!

At the end of the My New Roots cookbook there is a section on stocking the pantry, a gratitude section where she thanks people, and an index to help you find things easier. I love that with the section on stocking the pantry you can get the ingredients in your kitchen closer to healthier and more holistic.

For me the My New Roots cookbook is fantastic! I love the presentation and everything looks and sounds so delicious! I cannot wait to dig into this deeper and try all the food and drinks within. I recommend this to vegetarians or anyone willing to try the lifestyle that need inspiring and motivated cooks who would like to be a little adventuresome with their palate.

Watch for a sneak peek of her cookbook...


Follow Sarah Britton and My New Roots
Her Blog http://www.mynewroots.org/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MyNewRoots
Twitter: @mynewroots
Instagram: http://instagram.com/mynewroots/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mynewroots/

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Blogging For Books for sending me this book for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Simply Ancient Grains: Fresh and Flavorful Whole Grain Recipes for Living Well Cookbook Review

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Maria Speck is an expert when it comes to cooking with grains. Her Greek and Germanic background gives her an edge with Mediterranean food that one can only get by actually being immersed in the culture and food. Her two cookbooks focus on Mediterranean flavors and cooking styles while creating delicious meals with whole grains and seeds that cook up like grains. Simply Ancient Grains is her second cookbook.

Simply Ancient Grains: Fresh and Flavorful Whole Grain Recipes for Living Well by Maria Speck is a collection of delicious recipes that use grains. These recipes are arranged in a hardcover book that is 272 pages long. This cookbook shares a lot of tips and tricks to get nutritious whole grains on the table quickly so you can enjoy them without all the time spent and fuss. Simply Ancient Grains also shows you how to make delicious complete meals: breakfasts, lunches, dinners and even desserts with grains. The ingredients Maria uses are chosen in their most natural state to enhance the nutrition and flavor of each recipe. She introduces a two-step method for cooking grains, a simple yet effective approach that helps take the stress out of everyday cooking with grains.

The layout of the book is fairly straightforward. Contents of this book start with the acknowledgements, an introduction, and an ancient grains 101 section which lists grains from A to Z and describes them, tells how to cook and bake with them, what equipment is needed, a grain cooking table, and menu inspirations for the week ahead with "Pick Your Grains". Then the middle of the cookbook has chapters that are filled with the scrumptious recipes.

Here is the chapter layout:

• CHAPTER 1 breakfast Warming Bowls for Busy Mornings 
• CHAPTER 2 slow mornings Brunch, Lunch, and Breakfast-for-Dinner 
• CHAPTER 3 salads and sides For Every Day and for Holidays 
• CHAPTER 4 soups and stews For Busy Nights and Slow Weekends 
• CHAPTER 5 pasta From Ancient Grains to Modern Heirlooms 
• CHAPTER 6 simply mains For Busy Nights and Slow Weekends 
• CHAPTER 7 simple and sweet Desserts for Every Day and for the Holidays

The recipes are easy to prepare and have ingredients that even the novice cook can cook with. A lot of the recipes have lentils and beans, vegetables and greens, grains and nuts with small portions of meat or fish, if any meat/fish is present at all. The recipe starts with the title at the top of the page with a story as to why the recipe was picked under that. It also states if the recipe is truly gluten free or has an option to be. Then down further on the page is the directions with the ingredients, serving size/amount and how many it serves on the side. Lastly on the page there are "fine points" which are indented and tell you tips, tricks, variations, and substitutions you can try. Sometimes the "fine points" are in the side bar of the page under the serving amounts and they might also have things to do ahead of time to make the recipe even easier, so I recommend reading this section first, even though it is last. There are also pages with text surrounded by a box. This is extra information that you may have not known and is good information to have. I do wish that all of the recipes were accompanied by the photograph of the completed dish, but not all of them are. Some instead have pictures of one ingredient or no pictures at all. I am a visual person so the completed pictures help me know what the end result is supposed to look like. All the photographs in this cookbook look fabulous and mouth watering. My favorite yummy sounding recipes in this book are: Burgundy Bulgur with Blueberries and Orange Blossom Water, Baked Feta Fingers in Saffron Quinoa with Tomatoes, Minted Summer Couscous with Watermelon and Feta, Chicken Stew with Honey-Balsamic Squash and Farro, My Mac and Cheese with Greek Yogurt and Leeks, Roasted Portobello Mushrooms with Hazelnut Buckwheat Stuffing, and Light Lemon Custard with Blackberries and Pomegranate Molasses.

At the end of the book is Ingredients and Techniques, Sources, Bibliography, and an Index. The Ingredients and Techniques section gives ingredient descriptions and techniques that a novice cook might not have heard of or tried. The Sources section gives you a list and description of companies and products that you should familiarize yourself with while using this cookbook and cooking with grains in general. The Bibliography gives you other books and sources that you can read to enhance your experiences with grains. The Index is very helpful with helping you find your way around this book. There is also handy Measurement Conversion Charts to help you with volume, temperature, length, and weight.

Even though I am familiar with quinoa, barley, couscous, bulgur, rice, etc. and keep some of these in my kitchen pantry, I find that a lot of people don't know about these yummy ancient grains. Although, they are getting more and more recognized as time passes, especially to the health conscious. I love that there is still even more about grains for me to learn and the Simply Ancient Grains cookbook is definitely a great start for anyone willing. Before this cookbook I had never heard of Freekeh, Teff, or Farro and even though I had heard of Amaranth and Kamut, I have yet to try them. I am excited to try all the nutritious recipes and the new ingredients for myself within Simply Ancient Grains. I am sure they will become staples in my home as I lovingly dogear the pages of this cookbook.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Blogging For Books for sending me this book for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon Cookbook Review

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

You may know Sara Forte from her popular foodie blog, The Sprouted Kitchen, which focuses on making recipes using whole foods that are also in season. She and her husband have compiled two fabulous cookbooks: the first is called The Sprouted Kitchen after her blog and the most recent one is called Bowl + Spoon. Her recipes are sumptuous, nutritious, and easy to make if you have the ingredients at hand. She doesn't over-complicate anything and uses ingredients that help us get back to eating healthier. Her husband, Hugh Forte, is the talent behind the camera. He photographs all the gorgeous photos on her blog and in her books. They also have a little boy named Curran, who I think has a very adorable name!

When I think of bowl foods I think of; breakfast foods like: hot oatmeal, other hot and cold cereals, and yogurt with fruit and granola; comfort foods like: soups, chili, stews, and chowders; and others like: salads and stir-fries. One of my favorite places to eat out is Chang's Mongolian Grill in Portland, which is a restaurant where you create your own stir-fry in a bowl using a variety of meats, poultry, seafood, vegetables, sauces, and spices. I have come up with many a yummy combination with the ingredients they have on hand. Bowls are my favorite vessel to put food into at home because usually my meals are foods that go well mixed together anyway, in my opinion. I love making one pot meals, casseroles, and quiches that lend themselves easily to a bowl as well. My favorite desserts to make tend to be fruit crumbles, crisps, and cobblers which also are great in a bowl dolloped with ice cream.

The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon cookbook is a hardcover book by Sara Forte which focuses food around the use of a bowl. The bowl has become a beautiful vessel for all types of foods not just the popular ones that come to mind. Sara's take on bowl foods is refreshing and enlightening. She creates meals and desserts that are somewhat unique to the regular bowl food repertoire, yet are easy to fix while also being wholesome, nourishing, and delicious.

The layout of the book is fairly straightforward. Contents of this book start with an overview, a list of tools needed in the kitchen, and pantry staples. After these pages it has categories of bowl foods split into: Morning Bowls, Side Bowls, Big Bowls, and Sweet Bowls with recipes throughout. Then it has a section that covers Dressing and Sauces with recipes for those. The end of the cookbook is a lovely epilogue of thankfulness from the author to people that helped her with the making of the book, an "about us" page that tells about the author and photographer, an index to find things easier and some handy measurement conversion charts on the inside of the back cover.

The ingredients in this cookbook are a menagerie of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and/or lean proteins that are nestled against each other to create a distinctive blend of flavor and texture. This is not a strictly vegetarian or vegan cookbook. There is use of dairy, chicken, turkey, eggs, seafood, etc. in this book. Some of the ingredients are not what I usually have at hand in my kitchen pantry, but I am reassured by the author that I can find them all easily at a "farmers' market, heath food store, or wellstocked grocery store". Put together in a bowl these ingredients are very visually appealing, and perfect to serve to: guests when entertaining or your family while sitting on your sofa.

The recipes in this book are easily executed. The instructions are simple to reproduce and the directions are uncomplicated. Some of these recipes do call for more time than most care to invest, but in my opinion they are worth it because they are a lot healthier than the average food faire. I do wish that all of the recipes were accompanied by the photograph of the completed dish, but not all of them are. Instead some have pictures of the author, her family, entertaining, and/or part of the ingredients of the recipe displayed in a pleasing manner. I do love these photographs too, but having photos of each completed recipe would have been more helpful to people like me who are very visual and love to see what the food should end up looking like before making the recipe. Every recipe in The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon cookbook has a title at the top, how many it serves, a story with tips, ingredient list, and directions on how to prepare and make. I love that Sara puts her personal touch in each recipe with a short story that goes along with each. My favorite yummy sounding recipes in this book are: Baby Potato and Asparagus Tangle with Green Harissa and Eggs, Winter Fruit Salad in Ginger Lime Syrup, Mixed Greens with Beet and Walnut Puree, Za'atar Roasted Carrots, Seared Albacore Niçoise, Coconut Sorbet with Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce, & Dark Cherry Hazelnut Salsa. I also love that she adds a Building a Bowl guide to building your own bowl meal from scratch.

All in all I believe this cookbook is a lovely addition to my cookbook shelf. It will be treasured in my kitchen. I am excited to make the recipes inside its pages for my family and friends.

BUY IT:


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Blogging For Books for sending me this book for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Foraging with Kids by "Wildman" Steve Brill Book Review

We received this book in eBook format free from "Wildman" Steve Brill to facilitate this review.

People these days have become so disconnected from nature. Our society has gotten so far away from gathering wild food. Foraging used to be a normal everyday occurrence, a way of life and a need for survival. Now it seems people are furthering themselves from this essential skill and losing touch with the natural world around them. Even agriculture is becoming far and distant for some. I for one, do not want my kids to grow up without this knowledge. I do not want this to become a forgotten skill.

My girls, Zari & Teela, last year with Dandelions

I love the outdoors and sharing my love of the outdoors with my kids is something I treasure. I love getting outside and learning hands-on and so do my kids. I love seeing the wonder on their faces when they are learning something new about the plants and other things that surround us. I admit that I sometimes am learning right along with them. My favorite subject was and still is science. It is the joy of seeing my kids having fun while learning that makes me also love homeschooling and drives me to make their lessons more of a enriching experience for them. Children definitely make everything more interesting and so much more enjoyable.

My hobby as a forager began when I was a child also. I learned about some edible and medicinal plants in Girl Scouts and later I picked up a book about edible flowers from our local library and devoured the contents. I don't really remember the title to the book but it had recipes too. I loved learning about how violets, dandelions, roses, and nasturtiums were all edible and what you could do with them besides add them to a salad. It was fun because the food involved something out of the ordinary for me.

Foraging is a wonderful survival skill, but it also teaches children (and adults) about all kinds of other needed skills as well. It teaches about: following directions, cooking and eating natural foods, where food really comes from, making discoveries, exploring, observation, collecting, and being in nature, etc. When you are teaching your child you can also dive into other things related that ties in with it like: science, health and nutrition, stories, folklore, history, poetry, games, and art.

This book, Foraging with Kids by "Wildman" Steve Brill, is a wonderful learning tool to teaching your children about plants that can be foraged for food. This book is perfect for the beginner of foraging with children or those that are beginners who want to teach children. It covers only those plants you can find just about anywhere with no poisonous look-alikes, especially edibles that kids tend to like a lot. It has a total of 76 wild edible species from the contiguous United States and Southern Canada. These plants are organized by season and plant type so you can easily identify the plant. It will take you through identifying characteristics, botany basics, where to (and not to) forage, how to forage without destroying the plant and wildlife surrounding it, a list of items to take with you foraging, and pictures of each plant to help you along the way get to know these plants well. Still a word of caution, you need to always verify a plant’s identity with 100% certainty before you eat it!

Foraging with Kids also has some wonderful tips, poetry, stories, folklore, history, games, activities, science, and recipes scattered throughout its pages. Each story, folktale, or blip about our history is surrounded by dashed and dotted lines and has a picture of a slightly open book with a dragon on the cover on the page so it is easily found. The science experiments and lessons are circled and have a funny anthropomorphic cucumber?? that is looking through a magnifying glass on the page. The recipes in this book are found with a drawing of a baby looking at a cookbook that says Cooking for Kids on the cover. They are all whole-food vegan (no animal products) recipes. Some have ingredients that you might not have available to you in your kitchen, but are easily found and bought at a health food store. These are all wonderful recipes without all the refined, processed junk and fillers.

My girls, Teela & Zari, this year with Violets

Dandelions and Violets are my daughters' favorites so far that we have found in our own yard. I love them too! Now that it is Spring I want to go out searching for more wild edibles with my kids. I enjoyed reading this book! It has a lot of great information packed into the 392 pages. I loved the stories and folklore and can't wait to try some of the recipes once I get to know each of these plants well myself.

BUY IT
You can purchase Foraging with Kids by "Wildman" Steve Brill for $54.95 for the print version or $12.50 for the PDF downloadable version.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Win the Ultimate My Little Pony Prize Pack

 I entered the following giveaway and thought you, my readers would also like to as well.

Two great (and reasonably priced) DVDs are available now from Shout! Factory Kids and are the perfect Easter basket stuffer. Get your readers in the Easter mood with these activity and recipe sheets from Noah's Ark and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic – A Dash of Awesome, both available at retailers nationwide!

Shout! Factory Kids is giving away The Ultimate My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Prize Pack! 5 lucky winners will receive a Framed Animation Cel and a copy of A Dash of Awesome! win the Ultimate My Little Pony Prize Pack Shout! To Enter: "Like" the Shout! Kids Facebook Page and comment with either your favorite pony or episode!

Sneak Peak of "My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic: A Dash of Awesome"


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this information by email and entered the giveaway myself. I wanted to share this with you, my readers. I did not receive anything in return for posting this.

Living Heart Healthy

This post is sponsored by Campbell's Soup Company.

Living a heart healthy lifestyle is very important to my family. My family tries to stay heart healthy a number of ways. We are slowly modifying our diet and activity level to better do this.

These are the things we are working towards to stay heart healthy:

• Getting a good amount of exercise: Make regular physical activity part of your lifestyle.
• Children and adolescence should get at least an hour or more per day of moderate or vigorous intensity aerobic age-appropriate physical activity. Vigorous activity should be done at least 3 days of the week. Activities should also include muscle-strengthening and bone strengthening on at least 3 days of the week.
• Healthy Adults should get 2-1/2 hours per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or a minimum of 1-1/4 hours per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or a combination of the two. Adults should also aim to do muscle-strengthening activities at least 2 days a week.
• Older Adults who are healthy should follow the guidelines for healthy adults. If older adults cannot meet these guidelines because of health reasons should do at least what their abilities and conditions allow. Older adults who are at risk of falling should also include activities that promote balance.
• Drinking enough water:
• Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day. All healthy fluids (soups, water, 100% juice, herbal tea) count toward the daily total. I dislike the taste of tap water and my irony well water is down right gross so, I compensate with my Zing Anything Citrus Juicer, naturally flavored water, 100% juice that is watered down, herbal tea, or soup.
• Eating plenty of good fats: (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and good saturated fats)
• Try to eliminate trans fats from your diet. Check food labels for trans fats (avoid anything with partially hydrogenated oil). Avoid commercially-baked goods, packaged snack foods, margarine, vegetable shortening, candy bars and fried foods. Bake, broil, or grill instead of frying. Also limit or eliminate fast food. We are slowly doing this, but habits can be very hard to break. I need to make my own baked goods and snacks from scratch.
• Limit your intake of saturated fats. Cut back on red meat (lean cuts are better than fatty). Try replacing red meat with beans, nuts, poultry, and fish whenever possible. Eat better saturated fats like: whole fat dairy (raw is better), butter, cheese, ice cream, palm and coconut oil. We actually do pretty good with this one. We eat a lot more white meats like poultry or fish than we do red meats. I need to cook with beans more often and we love all manner of nuts.
• Eat omega-3 fats every day. Good sources include fish, walnuts, ground flax seeds, flaxseed oil. We want to incorporate aquaponics (growing fish and hydroponics, plants in water, in a balanced symbiotic system) in our agriculture. We will then have a free natural and organic source of fish for the omega-3 fats. We also already have walnut trees and love to eat them raw or in foods.
• Eating more fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber and low in fat and calories. I am planning on canning/freezing/drying my own and having my own year round garden.
• Making more healthy, well balanced meals at home. Eating healthy well balanced meals will help in keeping your body strong. Have good time management, proper ingredients and tools, a meal plan and recipes that are both easy and nutritious. I struggle with this because I do not manage my time very well and end up procrastinating and not knowing what I am going to fix. Doing these steps will help me.
• Minimizing and Managing the stress. Laugh more, don't let little things stress you out or make you angry, meditate or do a relaxing exercise like yoga, listen to nice music, take time out for yourself, do a relaxing hobby, etc.
• Getting enough sleep. Getting a good amount of sleep helps with keeping your body well rested and working well.

Other great things that keep your heart healthy that my family already does:

• Not smoking and trying not to be around people that do. Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body. Smoking is a major risk factor of heart disease. Second hand smoke is bad for you also.
• Not drinking alcohol. Alcoholism can cause high blood pressure, obesity, stroke and a number of other health problems.
• Minimizing the caffeine. Caffeine increases: alertness (therefore can make you miss sleep you need), cravings of fats and carbs, and stress levels (making you grumpy, edgy, and agitated). Too much caffeine can be bad for your heart because of the constant raised adrenalin levels. This can eventually take a toll on your body as well.

Here are 5 of my favorite recipes from the American Heart Association Certified Recipes:

Broccoli Cheddar Rice


Creamy Turkey & Vegetable Lasagna


Louisiana-Style Chicken, Sausage & Shrimp Skillet


Polenta Turkey Bake


Tilapia & Vegetable Casserole
 

Campbell’s Soup wants you to “Address Your Heart” with Heart Healthy Tips, recipes and more! Visit AddressYourHeart.com to get heart-healthy tips, including 21 Campbell’s recipes that are certified by the AHA and product coupons, as well as Facebook.com/campbellskitchen for the latest Campbell’s recipes and offers.

Click here to get Campbell’s money saving coupons.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: This post is sponsored by Campbell's Soup Company. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else.