The 13th Gift: A True Story of a Christmas Miracle - A Great Christmas Read

I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books for review.

This has been a great year for me for books.  I've had several that I thought were the "I can't put it down" variety.  The 13th Gift is in that category for me.

Mrs. Smith jumps  without preamble into her story.  Her husband had recently died. She and her children were trying to get through each day with the huge emptiness his death left.  The family, except for the youngest child, just wanted Christmas to pass without them.  The kindness of anonymous "True Friends" who left a simple gift on their doorstep each of the 12 days of Christmas pulled them together and helped them begin to heal and find joy in their lives again.

This story was beautiful. It touched my Grinchy stone heart and managed to wrench tears from me a few times.  It's certainly one I will recommend to our patrons.

To buy on Amazon.com

A Must-Have for a Well-Stocked Bar

I received a free copy of The Essential Bar Book from Blogging for Books by Jennifer Fiedler for review.  I am not a sophisticated drinker - cheap wine and cocktail mixes have been the only things in my repertoire so far.  My husband and I are preparing to turn our front room (currently the "dog room") into a more usable space: a bar!  Of course, I will need to know what I need to stock it. This is a perfect book for beginners like me.

The definitions and recipes are arranged alphabetically, making it easy to flip through and find what you're looking for.  The small size will make it easy to tuck into a drawer or on a shelf of a bar area.

This little book has a little bit of everything - dictionary, history of recipes (which is pretty fascinating), recipes themselves.  What I love most about this book (and there is a lot that I love) are the stories behind each cocktail.  Who thinks about where their Flame of Love originated?  The story goes it was created for Dean Martin who was bored with regular martinis.  Other things I love about this book is the compact size and that each recipe gives you the proper glassware to serve the cocktail in (something I would not even think about).  I can't even say I wish there were photos included because that would have ruined the perfect size of this book.

ISBN: 978-1-60774-635-9

To Purchase on Amazon:

Just Not Cut Out for Skinnytaste

I have to say, I am a little disappointed in this cookbook. Don't get me wrong - it's a gorgeous book, lots of photos and healthy recipes. But they are recipes I doubt I will ever make. There are plenty of recipes that look delicious and that I think my daughter and I will enjoy, but I don't see myself spending that much effort on cooking. Yep, I'm lazy. I also work, go to grad school, take care of a house, husband, teenagers, and over a ton of animals. I'm tired!

There are a few recipes to fit a busy lifestyle of someone who doesn't enjoy being in a kitchen - Some muffins that can be made ahead and frozen and a western omelet muffin that looks pretty awesome. Homolka also has a lot of healthy living tips which add up to a change in lifestyle for someone like me. Maybe that's the trouble I have with this cookbook!

In short, if you love to spend time in the kitchen using lots of ingredients for a dish, this is the cookbook for you. If you are looking for quick and healthy meals, pass this one up.

Skinnytaste by Gina Homolka

ISBN: 978-0385345620

Skinnytaste on Amazon

Make Up and Life Lessons

I received a copy of Make-Up for review from Blogging for Books.  I expected the normal, ordinary photo-filled book of make-up tips. Anyone purchasing this book just for that will be disappointed. Far more than a make-up tutorial, this beautifully illustrated book covers topics such as wardrobe, finding jobs, and MANNERS!!  It's sad to realize just how much this last lesson is needed.

She does a great job laying skin care, etc. routines out in easy to follow steps.  It is a little intimidating to have tons of bottles in front of you and not know where to start. If I have any complaints about this book, it is that she packs a lot of information in such a little book - makeup, fashion, job interview tips, online behavior.  It also seems that she hasn't really chosen an audience: is it for young teens or young adults?  However, there is useful information for everyone.

I think Michelle Phan is a wonderful role model for young people. She has worked hard to be where she is now; her family sacrificed for her education.  I completely respect her. I hope that the young people who get hold of this book really read her life story. Ms. Phan has become successful because of her hard-work and talent She has wonderful life lessons to teach.

Order on Amazon

Shake: A New Perspective on Cocktails

I was settling in with my copy of Shake: A New Perspective on Cocktails (Thanks to Blogging for Books for my free copy for review) waiting for my farrier to come.  The horses are where the property name Funny Farm comes from - we were mad I tell you! I expected to get some fabulous new cocktail recipes...expand my horizons a little.  By page 15, I knew I was in for a far more educational experience!

By this point the authors, former college roommates at University of Virginia,  have discussed the importance of glass shape and how ice cubes are necessary for not only chilling the drink but for diluting the alcohol as well. You learn how to muddle ingredients and get some great tips for garnishes.

This book is full of really great-looking, easy-to-make recipes divided into seasonal categories. My list of recipes I can't wait to try include the Mexi-Cafe (I still have never tried cinnamon with coffee), The Frenchie (wine and berries), and the Watermelon Daiquiri.  Not all of them are alcoholic, like the Lilac Bloom.  As that name implies, there are some surprising ingredients in some of their recipes (lavender ?!?!?).  The photos are gorgeous...this is really a BEAUTIFUL book!  But there is one thing that I found completely annoying:  their style of sticking a bottle (or other object) smack dab in the center of a caption. Even after I figured out their style, I kept trying to read the entire left side before moving to the right...nope - read straight across.  Another quirky thing that was a little annoying was that even though the recipe steps are numbered and easy to find, sometimes they shuffled them around on the page.  All in all, I enjoyed this book: beautiful photos and really interesting and easy recipes that I believe will come in handy one day soon!

Review of Sweets by Food Network

     I received a free copy of Sweets from Blogging for Books in return for an honest review.  Food Network has a well-deserved reputation for turning out beautiful cookbooks.  Seriously, a cookbook collector could collect just these! Sweets is a fine example of their output.  Each recipe has at least one photo of the the finished product and there are series of photos illustrating the processes of the more complicated recipes. 
     There are recipes for every taste: traditional Chewy Oatmeal Cookies to the more unusual Mini Bacon Cheesecakes, and for every skill level:  Cone-oli to the Cheeseburger Cake included in the amazing Fake-Out Cake Section.  Every recipe made me want to run into the kitchen to try it out (except for the more difficult ones...they look intimidating. I'm still going to try the Caramel Apple Cake though).
     Some of the other "extras" included in Sweets is a fabulous color chart for icing (using store bought icing is suggested. Awesome!! I love time savers, and Food Network gives their blessing to use them!). Frozen confections, like my family's birthday favorite Ice Cream Crunch Cake, is a definite must make.  There are also some really great ideas for the holidays, such as edible trees.
     Some cookbooks I get with the notion of eventually passing it along to a friend or eventually giving it to my daughter when she sets up her household.  Sweets is not one of these - it's staying on MY cookbook shelf.  She can get her own copy!

Review: What Color is Your Parachute: Guide to Rethinking Interviews

      I received a free copy of What Color is Your Parachute: Guide to Rethinking Interviews from Blogging for Books in order to review. I think this is a really great little book.  I do not have much interview experience. I tend to stay in a job forever. However, I am on the cusp of a career change and envision getting more practice than I may have ever anticipated.
      Interviews are more than a little terrifying. I do not excel at selling myself.  However, this guide tells you there is MORE to the interview than selling yourself. It gives great tips on what questions to expect during the interview, what is the underlying reason for some of the questions asked, and what questions you need to ask the interviewer.  This is just to name a few of the very useful tips in this guide.
      With a list price of under $13.00 and 112 pages, there is no great investment of time or money. I feel this guide can improve your interview skills, and consequently your chances of landing the job if for no other reason than giving you an idea of what to expect during an interview.  You can put together answers for what will most likely be asked and plan a strategy for getting information from your prospective employer. All in all, I think this is a nice little book to have on hand for any job seeker.

Review: Great American Slow Cooker Book

I received this cookbook free in order to review from Blogging for Books. Normally, I don't give fully illustrated cookbooks a second glance.  There is nothing better as advertisement than a beautiful, glossy photo of the finished dish - except maybe the dish itself.  But this cookbook is well-worth picking up and taking home.  The scope of recipes is impressive, encompassing breakfast through dessert and for all tasts.  The layout is well thought out and the hints through are invaluable.  The authors' notes make is seem personal. The book itself is lovely.

Recipes are given for three sizes of crockpots.  The recipes aren't tripled, but rather formulated for each size ensuring a flavorful dish no matter what size crockpot you use. 

While there are many recipes I know my family would not enjoy, there are even more that they will.  Containing 500 recipes, there really is something for everyone.  I don't normally look forward to cooking, but I couldn't wait to try out some of these recipes.  Many of these recipes use spices and ingredients I had (again - I'm not a big on cooking, but I managed to find some recipes that used things I already had. The first recipe I tried was the Turkey Pot Pie.  One of the first tips given is not to make substitutions first time using the recipe. I used chicken instead of turkey...no matter. This was awesome!  My picky husband loved it! A success! The next day (today), I trying out another recipe - chicken and spinach stuffed cannelloni. It smells wonderful and I can't wait for dinner to taste it. A real meal in two days is unheard of in my house!  I'm considering replacing my 20 year old slow cooker with a new one. This cookbook is that inspiring!

Little Miss Red