The Soup Club Cookbook - Great Idea ...If You Have Friends Who Cook!

I received my copy from Blogging for Books free in order to review (BTW - I love Blogging for Books. I have never gotten a book I didn't love).

The cookbook I received is The Soup Club Cookbook. It's a great idea - you make a huge batch of one type of soup, your friends make a big batch of other types of soup and you all share. This way you divide the work and have quite a bit of soup stocked up.  While I doubt if I'd be able to find fellow soup makers, I don't see why some of the soups wouldn't freeze well.

Anyway, the authors not only share great recipes (soup and accoutrements) like Potato Cheddar Soup and Roasted Broccoli Soup, they also share logistics of running a soup club. One of the rules: the person who makes the soup delivers the soup to cut down on the craziness of coordinating pick-ups.  One feature of this book I love, besides the beautiful photos, is the index in the back which lists recipes by name and by main ingredient.

I really love the healthy recipes.  According to the book, this is the first iteration of the book that has recipes featuring meat.  This is perfect for my daughter who has started a new "conservative" lifestyle by limiting her intake of meat. Next semester she'll be living in an apartment with three other college students and this will be the perfect gift! I doubt there will be many leftovers with four college students, no matter how big the batch.

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Joy the Baker: Homemade Decadence

I received my copy of Joy the Baker Homemade Decadence: Irresistibly Sweet, Salty, Gooey, Sticky, Fluffy, Creamy, Crunchy Treats for free from Blogging for Books to review. 

Considering the author's nickname, I expected this to be full of nothing but baked goods. I am pleasantly surprised to find a great deal more, beginning with creative additions to your morning toast. Every page I turn I say, "ooohh - I have to try that." And I intend on following through.

The book begins with lots of treats for breakfast including syrups for the pancake recipes that are available. The Lemon-Poppy Seed Pancakes look amazing. After about 20 breakfast / brunch recipes come the cocktail recipes. Not a logical progression to me but, hey, it's five o'clock somewhere! And seriously, not all are alcoholic such as the Strawberry, Beet and Chia Seed Smoothie (which I probably will pass on in favor of the Champagne-Sorbet Float).

The expected recipes for baked goods make up about 2/3 of the book...which is awsome! That's why I requested it. There is something for all tastes here, and updates to classic recipes like Carrot Cake Cupcakes and Almond Angel Food Cake with Vanilla-Scented Citrus. There is also a Vegan Chocolate Cake that I need to try out on my co-workers. This really is a great book to add to a cookbook collection.


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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.

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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

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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.

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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!