Review: Trim Healthy Mama Coobook

I love cookbooks. I love the way they look, I love the way they feel. I even love shelf reading the 641 section at the library. OK, that last part may not be entirely true, but I always leave with cookbooks in arm when they are my shelf reading territory.  I am always excited to augment my collection, and Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook is an exceptional addition.

My first impression of Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook: This is a big, beautiful book stuffed with fantastic looking recipes and an abundance of color photos.  I love that the authors, Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison, say in the introduction that their serving sizes are suggestions only - they don't judge! I also love that they indicate the recipes that use "ordinary" ingredients with 'NSI' at the bottom of the page (just a quick glance is needed).  That's not to say these are "few ingredient" recipes: the results of your hard work will be robustly flavored meals.

I feel there are recipes included to satisfy any taste. My daughter has chosen to follow a vegan lifestyle so I was excited to see things we could make for her, too, such as Asian Sesame Tofu Toss. YAY!! Something besides a boring salad or sweet potato to serve her.  I'm also looking forward to the Green Fries made of green beans. I also appreciate that the authors include directions for different cooking methods in some recipes: for example, directions for cooking spaghetti squash in a pressure cooker, a crockpot, and an oven are given.

This is really a great book that delivers healthy options for all tastes.

Click here to purchase on Amazon.com


* Thanks to Blogging for Books for my free review copy of this book.

Review: Every Little Thing by Payton Cosell Turner

Adult coloring books are all the rage right now. I work in a public library and the adult coloring programs are some of the best attended. How exciting - no more princesses to color (although...I love coloring those big, beautiful princess dresses). While I gave some for Christmas gifts this past holiday, I've never gotten one for myself so I was thrilled to get Every Little Thing by Payton Cosell Turner from Blogging for Books to review. 

At first look, this is a good looking book. The book jacket is beautifully embossed and attractive. But I think that's when my love affair with Every Little Thing ends. 

Inside, the designs feel a bit haphazard. The creatures look a little bizarre. It may be that my mind prefers geometric patterns to Turner's designs, so definitely take a look for yourself.  Another thing I don't like about this book is that the designs span both pages as the book is open, but the binding does not allow the book to be laid flat. This makes coloring the left side of the page a bit awkward.  Even if you removed the pages you would have different designs on the laid out single page, so this doesn't really work either. A spiral binding or perforated pages you could easily tear out would work better in my opinion. While I appreciate the work that went into creating the coloring pages (how I wish I could draw!), I only found them to be mildly interesting. Even though I wasn’t crazy about Every Little Thing, I would certainly take a look at other Turner books.

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

Review: The Heart-Led Leader by Tommy Spaulding

I have read leadership books that have educated me, that have energized me. I have never read a leadership book that has made me cry. Until today. The Heart-Led Leader by Tommy Spaulding is the culprit.  Reading about high powered, successful leaders, such as Grove Norwood, who make a difference in the lives of their employees and those around them is such an inspiration. 

I am currently in a work situation where the leaders of the organization are doing good things for the people they serve, but they do it for the wrong reasons – to put their names in journals, to pad their resumes, etc.  This ultimately is a disservice to the community. A lot of money is being spent to make changes the leaders want, not what will be the best for that community. They aren’t invested in the community since they don’t plan to stay. This makes me sad. What I take from Spaulding’s book is that not only is it okay to treat your staff compassionately, it’s desirable. It doesn’t make you a soft leader – it makes your staff want to work that much harder for you. I totally get that. As he says, “Success is about building hearts, not resumes.”

I highly recommend this book to all leaders: heads of organizations, scout leaders, students.  Everyone can benefit from The Heart-Led Leader.  I’ll be passing this book along to my supervisor, who is the leader I want to be most like. 

I received a copy from Blogging for Books in order to review.

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Michael Symon's 5 in 5 For Every Season is a Winner Year Round

"If spring and summer had a love child, it would be this salad." Introduction for the recipe Spinach Salad with Strawberries, Red Onion & Feta (pg 102).

I received a copy of Michael Symon's 5 in 5 For Every Season from Blogging for Books for review purposes. The author, Michael Symon, is a co-host for The Chew, a program I admit I've never heard of but now I feel I need to become a regular viewer. If the recipes in Michael Symon's 5 in 5 For Every Season are representative of those on the program, it's a winner.

There are lots of things to love about this cookbook. The photos are plentiful and beautiful (is there anything more boring than a cookbook without photos?). The recipes are simple with a handful of ingredients each. I love that they are organized by season with an index for each.  I found the list for a well-stocked pantry included at the beginning of the book very handy.  Since my daughter has decided to live a vegan lifestyle, I also appreciate the variety of recipes included. There are plenty that are vegetarian-friendly (Tempura Green Beans)  and quite a few that will appeal to vegans (Tofu Stir Fry) as well. Rest assured, carnivores will be happy with recipes such as Grilled Skirt Steak with Mushroom Gravy.

We just had our first freeze last night, so I'm excited to try the Hot Wintry Drinks. I have a co-worker who believes a Hot Toddy will cure anything from a cold to a bad day, so I'll be using this recipe soon!

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Review: Everyday Detox

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One of my favorite patrons and I were discussing how difficult it can be to lose weight - especially for aging women.  Bodies change after menopause, making it even more difficult for the weight to come off (why is it so much easier for men?).  She told me one of the most important things you can do is to eliminate refined foods from your diet.  When you begin to take notice of what you eat, it's shocking how much crap we ingest.

Everyday Detox by Megan Gilmore is a great guide for anyone who wants to eat healthier. She discusses how and what to eat to improve digestion. Also included are shopping list, menus, and the necessities for your new, healthier pantry. Gilmore provides an amazing array of delicious and simple recipes:  Banana Nut Protein Shake. Cinnamon Coffee Cake with Macaroon Crumble.  No-Fail Kale Salad.  Quinoa Mushroom Burgers. These are just a few of the delicious offerings.

This really is a beautiful, informative book.  The photos are gorgeous - every recipe looks delicious, even the brussel sprouts (I'm not a fan!).  Gilmore does a great job simplifying the steps to a healthier way of living.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Everyday Detox from Blogging for Books in order to review.

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Punch Bowls & Pitcher Drinks: For Year Round Gatherings

I received a complimentary copy of Punch Bowls & Pitcher Drinks from Blogging for Books for review.  This is a nice little book full of recipes for medium to large batch beverage recipes - perfect for parties year-round.  

This book has much more than I expected. Not only are there plenty of recipes perfect for summer gatherings, there are many included in the "Fireside Cocktails", too. My personal favorites are the fruity drinks, like White Sangria Exotique, Planter's Punch, and Mai Tai Punch, but there is something for everyone's taste: Iced Irish Coffee Stout Punch, Palm Springs Punch (iced tea-like), and Pumpkin Patch.  One of the recipes I'm excited to try this fall is the non-alcoholic Vampire Brew, made with cherry juice, Coca-Cola, and dry ice! Very dramatic!

The extras included in this great little book are amazing photos of each recipe, ideas for decorative ice molds, and an index by type of alcohol.  I really liked this book and I'm looking forward to trying each of these drinks.

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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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