5 in 5 For Every Season by Michael Symon with Douglas Trattner (Cookbook Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

5 fresh ingredients + 5 minutes of heat = 165 recipes
 
Ridiculously easy from-scratch recipes to get you in and out of the kitchen in a flash every day of the week—now with sides and holiday dishes, too

The follow-up to the bestselling Michael Symon’s 5 in 5, this new book delivers 165 quick, easy, fresh recipes organized by season with an entire section devoted to making the holidays simpler than ever. Each chapter features inspired main courses as well as recipes for sides and 5 fun ways to celebrate the season, including no-bake summer fruit desserts and spiked drinks to warm up with in winter.

My thoughts-

I know that so many times when we eat something unhealthy at my house it is usually because I am tired and don't feel up to cooking something that is going to take me a long time. I think so many people equate clean eating with intricate cooking and complicated recipes and that just couldn't be further from the truth. I finally found a cookbook that has it all. Uncomplicated recipes with 5 main (all fresh) ingredients that do not take long at all to cook, all come together to look like you slaved over a gourmet meal. I love that there are sections for each season to cater to the changing trends and availability of certain foods during certain times. I also really enjoyed that there was a holiday guide in the back. I plan to put those menus to good use when Thanksgiving and Christmas roll around. I always have such a tough time eating well during the holiday, but now I have some healthy recipes to turn to!  I recommend 5 in 5 For Every Season to anyone looking to eat cleaner and wanting quick but healthy recipes.

Gather Around the Amish Table by Lucy Leid Cookbook Review & Blog Tour + Win an Amish Baking Basket!

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

 Gather Around the Amish Table (MennoMedia, September 2015)

Straight from Amish kitchens to yours, this cookbook offers favorite family recipes and charming stories from Amish and Mennonite cooks.

Bake the pecan rolls that taste best after an ice-skating party, or try the hoagies that a community sold to help an Amish family with hospital bills. Discover the cocoa cupcakes with instructions to "stir by hand" that one young cook took literally, or whip up the whoopie pies that one Amish woman took to market in her horse and buggy.

These cherished recipes speak of comforting traditions, lively communities, and strong Christian faith. Gather your family around the table to sample the nourishing fare and trademark charm of the plain people. In the words of one cookbook contributor: "Bake someone happy!"

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1NfOVUi

About the author-

Lucy Leid is an Old Order Mennonite wife, mother, and cook in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

My thoughts-

I always love a good Amish cookbook. Most of the time they are old fashioned but simple recipes...good down home comfort food. Gather Around the Amish Table is without a doubt one of these wonderful cookbooks full of Amish and Mennonite recipes that deserve to grace your shelves among your other favorite cookbooks. It longs to be reached for and used often. There isn't a recipe in this book I wouldn't try or that I think my family wouldn't like. What really makes the cookbook stand out to me though are the little anecdotes and stories that accompany many of the recipes. I know in my own life that some of my best memories have been made involving eating food or cooking food and I love that in this cookbook we get an experience to place with so many of the recipes. I would recommend Gather Around the Amish Table to anyone who likes to eat and without a doubt to people who like to cook. You might want to buy some of those little post it note tabs because you will want to mark so many of the recipes to try!


Incorporate Amish cooking traditions this fall in your kitchen with Lucy Leid's Gather Around the Amish Table. Straight from Amish kitchens to yours, this cookbook offers favorite family recipes and charming stories from Amish and Mennonite cooks. Gather your family around the table to sample the nourishing fare and trademark charm of the plain people. In the words of one cookbook contributor: “Bake someone happy!”

Get your fall baking underway with an Amish baking basket giveaway from Lucy and MennoMedia!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Gather Around the Amish Table
• An Amish baking basket full of goodies

 

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 29th. The winner will be announced September 30th on the Litfuse blog.

The BetterCourse Premium Insulated Lunchbox

Disclosure of material connection- I received the product in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own.

 My husband works a ten hour shift in the emergency room as a nurse practitioner so he needs enough food sent with him to constitute a dinner. It can be difficult to send enough food for him if I don't have a container to hold all of his food, so previously he was just taking a couple of tupperware containers in a plastic bag...not my favorite thing in the world because it isn't a great environmental choice, but that was the only bag that was working for a while. I am so glad that I found the BetterCourse Premium Lunchbox. I had found lunchboxes previously that might have worked for him, but they were to feminine and there was no way he would have taken any of those. The BetterCourse premium lunchbox comes in a color that everyone will love and for added convenience comes with two different size bpa free containers for food. I love that it comes with the containers so that I automatically have a few that fit right in the box. Even when the containers are in the lunchbox together, they still leave plenty of room for maybe one more small container or a bottle of water. I like to fill the bigger container with a salad and then the smaller one with a casserole or soup or leftovers from our fridge. This lunchbox has made it much easier to prepare enough food for my husband to take to work to keep him full. I think it is the absolute perfect size for an adult or a teenager. I absolutely recommend The BetterCourse premium lunchbox to anyone looking for a decent sized carrier for their lunches.

90 Minutes in Heaven (Movie Edition) by Don Piper Book Review + Win a Copy

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own

About the book-

On the way home from a conference, Don Piper’s car was crushed by a semi-truck that crossed into his lane. Medical personnel said he died instantly. While his body lay lifeless inside the ruins of his car, Piper experienced the glories of heaven, awed by its beauty and music. 90 minutes after the wreck, while a minister prayed for him, Piper miraculously returned to life on earth with only the memory of inexpressible heavenly bliss. Then his grueling recovery began.


My thoughts-

I have heard of Don Piper's book and it has been on my to-read list for as long as I can remember but for some reason I just hadn't got around to reading it. When I heard there was a movie version starring Hayden Christensen as Don, I knew it was time to finally read it. It was a quick and fascinating read. The part that really got to me is that Don Piper was physically dead and came back to life. When you read the book (and/or) watch the movie, I think you will be positive of the reason why. 90 Minutes in Heaven was more about the after of Don's visit to heaven and as I read the thoughts and feelings he went through, I thought that his was an honest account of going to Heaven and coming back. I think that it is exactly how I would feel. While the book isn't predominantly about his time in heaven, he does describe what happened and who was there and how things looked. I think anyone who has ever had a smidgen of doubt should read this book. I also think any person that has ever wondered what Heaven is like would enjoy it as well. Just in time for the movie that is coming out on September 11, I have the awesome opportunity to give away a copy of the movie edition of the book to one lucky fan! Enter via the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Watch the 90 Minutes in Heaven trailer below-

 

The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster by Scott Wilbanks

 *Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

Annabelle Aster doesn't bow to convention—not even that of space and time—which makes the 1890s Kansas wheat field that has appeared in her modern-day San Francisco garden easy to accept. Even more exciting is Elsbeth, the truculent schoolmarm who sends Annie letters through the mysterious brass mailbox perched on the picket fence that now divides their two worlds. In this unconventional and enchanting tale, Annie and her new neighbor must solve the mystery of what connects them before one of them is convicted of a murder that has yet to happen…and somehow already did.

My thoughts-

This is the type of book that is a rare gem. Not only is their mystery and intrigue, but it is super funny. There is plenty of meat in the dialogue to keep you turning the pages. I love books that offer a different reality within reality, so I really enjoyed the two dimensions/time travel plot of the story. Annie and El exchange some wondrously witty and snarky letters that I absolutely love. It was so much fun seeing them tell each other about what is going on in their lives and how that leads to some crazy adventures. I am not easy to surprise as far as twists in plots and I was taken aback a couple of times during this book. It is not often that you find such a fresh refreshingly different story among the fiction novels offered today, especially considering this is a debut novel. I look forward to what the future holds for Scott Wilbanks. I recommend The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster to anyone who likes to read contemporary fiction.

www.scottbwilbanks.com

Essential Turkish Cuisine by Engin Akine (Cookbook Review)

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

Engin Akin shares her culinary mastery and describes the evolution of Turkey's diverse culture of food in Essential Turkish Cuisine. Complete with 200 recipes found across the country, including traditional dolmas, kebabs, halva, and more, this definitive book offers rare insight into the myriad influences on modern Turkish cooking.

Featuring a wide range of large and small plates—from Stuffed Peppers and Eggplant to Lamb with Quince, Fresh Sour Cherry Hosaf to Crepes with Tahini and Pekmez—Akin includes expert instruction for each dish. Through these recipes and the gorgeous photographs of Turkey—its bustling markets, its food, and its traditions—Akin shares the country's rich heritage and brings the spirit of Turkey into your kitchen.

My thoughts- 

Essential Turkish Cuisine is an extremely well thought out cookbook. It very thoroughly explains the background of Turkish food and it's Persian roots. It also offers wonderful descriptions and explanations of ingredients you will want to stock your kitchen with if you plan to make Turkish food. I have always thought there was pretty much one way to make dolmas but this book offers several takes on the stuffed grape leaves alone. My previous exposure to Turkish food was limited to kofta kabob, dolmas, and baklava. Essential Turkish Cuisine includes so many recipes it would probably take me a year to try them all out, even if I attempted one every few days. If you are a foodie, love Middle Eastern food or just want to be adventurous, Essential Turkish Cuisine is a beautiful cookbook that you won't want to put down.