Make It Easy by Stacie Billis (Cookbook Review)

*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 are 100% my own.

About the book-

As a home cook, you may want to create every dish from scratch. But let's face it: sometimes life gets in the way and you just need a 20-minute meal that will taste great and nourish your family. Stacie Billis knows the challenges home chefs face—and now, she shares her tools and tips for meals that are high-quality and low-stress. Want to make tacos using scratch tortillas? It's in here! Need to make a meal quickly? No worries: Billis gives suggestions for the healthiest store-bought tortillas. Her mix-and-match recipes help you cook efficiently with minimal effort, making the most of go-to dishes without getting bored. Why make it hard on your-self to make good, delicious food your family will love? Make it easy.

My thoughts-

I love cooking from scratch for my family. I enjoy the seeing my family and friends enjoy food that I have worked hard to construct. A lot of times when I am looking for a cookbook about cooking from scratch the section containing those books are either dedicated to desserts or other carb heavy meals. I was so excited to come across Make It Easy. What initially drew me to the book is the vibrant cover with the delicious yet healthy looking food on the cover. I couldn't wait to see what other recipes the book held. Since I already have a good knowledge of eating well and stocking my pantry I found the introduction with this type of information a little long and overbearing, but it is great information from someone who is knew to healthy cooking. I was happy to get to the recipes section and really enjoyed the set up of the book. I like that each recipe kind of builds on the last so you can mix and match your creations and have an entirely from scratch meal. This is exactly the type of cookbook I need in my kitchen and I am so glad it found it's way to me. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to eat healthier or who enjoys cooking from scratch meals in their home. 

Make It Easy will be available for purchase on May 10. You can pre-order your copy on Amazon.com.

Happy Cooking by Giada De Laurentiis (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-

Best-selling cookbook author Giada De Laurentiis is picking up where Feel Good Food left off. Filled with even more fresh recipes and day-to-day living strategies, the Food Network superstar shares her year-round approach to living a healthy and happy lifestyle.

     Giada De Laurentiis, one of the most recognizable faces on the Food Network lineup, invites readers to get to know her as never before. The celebrity chef is back with nearly 200 new recipes and helpful advice on everything from hosting a potluck or open house to what to pack along for lunch every day. Drawing on the time-saving tips and healthy eating strategies that keep her functioning at the highest possible level in her roles as working mom, restaurateur, and tv personality, she has assembled a year-round roadmap to vibrant good health and delicious eating. Readers will be inspired to try new ingredients, new wellness practices, and create a wholesome balance between peak nutrition - and the occasional decadent indulgence. Featuring her New Year's cleanse, homemade Christmas gifts, and ideas for every holiday, special occasion, and casual weekend in between, this is Giada’s 365-approach to cooking up a happy life.

My thoughts- 

One of my favorite pasttimes is watching my favorite chefs' shows on Food Network and the Cooking Channel. I always have plans that I will dvr the episodes and try to knock out the recipes as they show them to us during the show, but it never seems to work out that way so instead I love looking up their recipes on FoodNetwork.com. That website is a life saver for me! Especially when I am in a funk and can't think up new recipes to try out. One of my absolute favorite go-to food network chef's is Giada De Laurentiis. Most of the time that I find myself on Food Network's website, I end up making one of her recipes. I was super excited to receive her newest cookbook, Happy Cooking, because it is supposed to be a book full of healthy recipes that are not super difficult to make. I enjoy being in the kitchen, but as the mom of three young kids and of one very busy husband, I find it difficult some days to spend a long time preparing food in the kitchen. Happy Cooking is a great cookbook. It has simply, yet tasty recipes for every meal, as well as sides, snacks, dips, and desserts. Just to make sure all bases are covered there are also fantastic recipes for the holidays included as well. I love the gorgeous pictures of the beautiful food, as well as Giada's tips for well being and health sprinkled throughout the book. Happy Cooking came out at just the right time, I think it would make a fantastic gift for the person in your life that love's to cook! I recommend this cookbook to anyone who enjoys eating well, but also likes to save time where they can.


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Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook by Pearl Barrett & Serene Allison (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-

In their debut cookbook, the Trim Healthy Mama’s share hundreds of delicious, healthy recipes to help readers successfully slim down while eating well.  This companion cookbook to the bestselling Trim Healthy Mama Plan is just what readers have been waiting for. It features simple, mouthwatering, recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner—including slow cooker and one-pot meals, hearty soups and salads, omelets and waffles, pizzas, breads and more.  No Trim Healthy Mama should be deprived, so there are also favorite snacks, delectable desserts, and the smoothies, sippers and teas fans love. With  pantry-stocking advice, time-saving tips, and information on how to cook for the entire family, the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook offers a delicious and nutritious way to make trim and healthy meals with less stress—so you have more time with your loved ones.

My thoughts-

The Trim Healthy Mama way of eating is quite popular among my circle of friends. I always see Facebook posts mentioning it and while I got the general gist of things ( sugar free, refined grain free, lots of clean eating) I never read the original book. I was happy to find an overview at the beginning of the book written for someone like me who hadn't read the original book or for someone who needed a refresher course. The Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook offers a wide variety of healthy yet tasty recipes ready to satisfy the palette while also feeling up your belly. I love that there are a wide variety of offerings to make sure there is truly something for everyone. I don't think I really noticed a recipe in the book that I wouldn't try at least once. I also love that although this book is about keeping healthy and trim, there is a section on indulgences at the end. The desserts are modified using sweeteners like stevia and they all sound delicious. I can't wait to test some of them out. I recommend this book to any woman trying to eat right and feel great about her choices. It's called Trim Healthy Mama, but this book is for everyone from all walks of life. I am definitely glad I picked this one up. I know it will get a great deal of use in my kitchen!

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.

WonderVeg Spiralizer

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

When spaghetti squash was all the rage, I tried it and was just not that into it. I thought it was an awesome idea to try and add more veggies into the diet and also to save myself from over doing it on the carbs, unfortunately I didn't love the taste and the texture was too far off from spaghetti to really be a good replacement. I have been using a little hand held spiralizer to spiralize my favorite vegetables- usually zucchini or carrots- for a while now, but have been meaning to make the upgrade to a counter top model. WonderVeg Spiralizer is just what I have been needing! I can't believe how hard I have been working to use the hand held spiralizer when all this time I could have had my spiral veggies in less than five minutes! As you can see from the above picture, it is so simple that even a 5 year old can handle doing it. All three of my kids were so excited about making the veggie spirals that they ate the entire plate of zucchini raw before I even had the chance to do anything with it! The WonderVeg Spiralizer comes with three blades for different shapes and sizes of spirals. Whatever blade you are going to use is easily added to the top portion of the machine and the other two are conveniently stowed away in  the storage on the side of the spiralizer. Something I really loved about this machine is that there are suction cups on the bottom that hold it in place on the counter or table or wherever you plan to use it to keep it in place.

Look how beautiful those noodles look! It literally took about 3 minutes to create that beautiful plate of zucchini and they didn't last long! This is just one type of vegetable and one type of spiral that you could make using the WonderVeg. If you are looking to add more vegetables to your diet or looking for a fun way to get your kids more interested in eating healthy, WonderVeg would be a wonderful investment to your kitchen!

Clean Slate From the Editors of Martha Stewart Living (Cookbook Review)

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

About the book-

More than just a cookbook, Clean Slate, from the editor's of Martha Stewart Living, provides you with the nutritionally sound information you need to shop for and prepare food that nourishes body and mind. You'll find guidelines for restocking your pantry with whole grains, beans and legumes, lean proteins, and healthy fats; glossaries of the best sources of detoxifiers, antioxidants, and other health-boosting nutrients; and menus for a simple 3-day cleanse and a 21-day whole-body detox, with easy-to-follow tips and strategies for staying on track.

My thoughts-


I saw Martha Stewart recently on Late Night with Seth Meyers and I knew immediately I needed to get my hands on a copy. To me, anything with Martha's name on it having to do with food is going to be fabulous and Clean Slate well exceeded my expectations.  The cover is simple but beautiful and the pages within the book follow the same theme. The first section of the book is full of information on what is good for your body vs. things that you should steer clear of. This is the most organized book of the sort that I have ever seen. After the pages giving you the foundation for healthy living there are a couple of detoxes to follow to give your body the recharge it may need, a 3-day and a 21-day full body detox. Each meal is completely laid out for you on both plans so there is no guesswork involved. My favorite part of the book, of course, are the recipes. As I have already mentioned, the recipe section is laid out beautifully with gorgeous pictures, but beyond that the recipes each include nutritional information and even have a note to what kind of diet each recipe is suited (labels include gluten free, nut free, dairy free, ect.) This makes it very easy for someone on a special diet to know which meals they can make as is from the book. I was very impressed by the breakfast and dessert sections. In most books, these two sections are full of recipes comprised mostly of grain and refined sugar, not so in Clean Slate. There are some tasty sounding savory breakfast recipes and the desserts while free of refined sugar still sound tantalizing and satisfying. I highly recommend this book to anyone at all who wants to get back to the basics, eat clean food and say no to all of the processed junk out there making so many of the people eating them very ill. This is a book worth having on a cookbook stand on your counter for very easy access!

Clean Slate is available at online retailers such as Amazon.com and at books stores and other retailers nationwide.

Supermarket Healthy by Melissa D'Arabian (Cookbook Review)

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

About the book-

Food Network star and New York Times bestselling author Melissa d'Arabian proves that healthy eating at home is easy, achievable, and affordable. 

Everyone wants to feel good about what they are eating, serving guests, and feeding their families, but most of us don't do our weekly shopping at pricey specialty stores-- we do it at the local supermarket and we don't want it to break the bank. In her second book, Melissa demystifies the task of preparing nutritious and delicious food by showing exactly how you can make your grocery store work for you. She offers helpful strategies for shopping, cooking, and entertaining, as well as meal blueprints and nutritional information throughout. This book will make you confident about the food you're buying, preparing, and eating. Delicious recipes like Almond Waffles with Raspberry-Basil Sauce, Kale and White Bean Caesar Salad in a Jar, Slow-Roasted Tomato Spaghettini, Flatiron Steaks with Quick Cauliflower Kimchi, and Flourless Fudgy Dream Cookies have something for every type of eater at every meal of the day. No matter your favorite flavors or dietary needs, cooking on a budget is empowering-- and now you can learn how to make every bite count. If cooking at home is the key to healthy living, Supermarket Healthy is the only tool you'll need.

My thoughts-

There is probably nothing more important to me than feeding my family healthy foods. I truly believe this is the foundation of wellness and the best way to defend against horrible diseases. We definitely have our treats, but I think one of the most important lessons I can teach my children is to eat well for the majority of the time and save indulgences for special occasions (this is always a work in process for me because I love sweets, but I do my best and have come along way since my children arrived!)
I thought the highlight of this book were the dinner recipes. I have been cooking healthy meals for a while now so health based cookbooks can be repetitive, but I found many great dinner recipes that I would have never thought of and that I can't wait to give a try. Another thing that I really enjoyed about the book were the pages throughout that give you several options to change up the same type of meal (think omelettes or meatballs (and several other meals) with several different options for variation), It is a good way to make a favorite meal not be redundant. I also loved the breakfast section. I have been trying to cut down on sweet breakfasts in favor of more savory and filling breakfasts, but I love that D'Arabbian has healthified some of my breakfast meals but cutting down on the sugar and making them whole grain. It is nice to have the option to have a sweet breakfast every now and then without feeling like it is dessert or 1000 calories! Overall, I think this is a great cookbook for any home cook to have on their shelve. The pages are beautifully illustrated and the meals represented in every section will have you reaching for this Supermarket Healthy quite often.

About the author-

Melissa d'Arabian was a corporate finance executive before becoming the host of Food Network's Ten Dollar Dinners and Cooking Channel's Drop 5 Lbs with Good Housekeeping. She also developed the FoodNetwork.com series The Picky Eaters Project, serves as lead judge on Guy's Grocery Games, and is the author of the New York Times bestselling cookbook Ten Dollar Dinners. Melissa has an MBA from Georgetown University, and lives with her husband and their four daughters in San Diego

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The Plan Cookbook by Lyn-Genet Recitas (Cookbook Review)

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

About the book-

In her New York Times and USA Today bestseller The Plan, Lyn-Genet Recitas revealed what surprisingly "healthy" foods cause weight gain and a host of other health problems such as migraines, joint pain, and depression. Now all those who followThe Plan, and have learned which foods to eliminate from their diets, can support their new, healthier lifestyle with these delicious recipes. Recitas includes selections for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, sides, and desserts, such as Panko Crusted Orange Chipotle Chicken, Brazilian Coconut Rice, Provencal Fish with Fennel, Lemon, and Herbs, Red Velvet Cupcakes, and many more. Who says a healthy diet can't be a tasty one?

My thoughts-

I hadn't previously heard of the book The Plan that the cookbook is a companion to, but as I read the cookbook's first few chapters it was clear to me that there was enough information in the cookbook to be able to follow the plan. Even without the plan the cookbook stands alone nicely as a book full of healthy recipes, however I definitely recommend reading through the beginning. There is some great information that you probably have not read about before, at least in great  detail, about how there are several foods that are known as healthy foods that may cause inflammation in certain people making it difficult for those people to lose weight and keep it off. There are also great testimonials sprinkled throughout the book telling you of the successes people have had following the plan.  There will probably be at least one testimonial you can relate to, there was one that sounds exactly like every problem I have and that makes me so excited to try out these recipes. I love that the plan is not a diet, but a way of life. It is really about finding out what works for your own body. I have every intention to give this plan a try and I have every bit of confidence that it will be helpful on my journey to getting to the optimal health for my body. I look forward to trying the tasty sounding recipes and look forward to seeing what my results are.  I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in health and wellness or who has had problems in the past trying to lose weight and keep it off.

The Plan Cookbook will be available on December 30th. You can pre-order it on Amazon.com.

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Skinnytaste Cookbook by Gina Homolka (Cookbook Review)

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

About the book-

Gina Homolka is America’s most trusted home cook when it comes to easy, flavorful recipes that are miraculously low-calorie and made from all-natural, easy-to-find ingredients. Her blog, Skinnytaste is the number one go-to site for slimmed down recipes that you’d swear are anything but. It only takes one look to see why people go crazy for Gina’s food: cheesy, creamy Fettuccini Alfredo with Chicken and Broccoli with only 420 calories per serving, breakfast dishes like Make-Ahead Western Omelet "Muffins" that truly fill you up until lunchtime, and sweets such as Double Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies that are low in sugar and butter-free but still totally indulgent.
 
The Skinnytaste Cookbook features 150 amazing recipes: 125 all-new dishes and 25 must-have favorites. As a busy mother of two, Gina started Skinnytaste when she wanted to lose a few pounds herself. She turned to Weight Watchers for help and liked the program but struggled to find enough tempting recipes to help her stay on track. Instead, she started “skinny-fying” her favorite meals so that she could eat happily while losing weight.
 
With 100 stunning photographs and detailed nutritional information for every recipe, The Skinnytaste Cookbook is an incredible resource of fulfilling, joy-inducing meals that every home cook will love.

My thoughts-

There is so much this cookbook has going for it, I truly don't know where to begin! I think by now most people that use the internet to search for recipes have probably come across Skinnytaste at some point or another either via the blog or Facebook page. I love that this book is written by a home cook (with the help of registered dietitian Heather K. Jones), but is full of fantastic recipes. The goal was to make food we all love into food we don't have to feel guilty about eating, but that still tastes amazing and I think that goal was met. This is the most organized cookbook I have ever seen. There are several categories the foods are divided into, there are symbols for special diets and as reference points for certain types of food (vegetarian, gluten free, freezer friendly, slow cooking, ect.) and there is a nutritional break down on every page of every recipe. To me, the nutritional break down is key and I wish that every single cookbook that is out there would do the same. It is nice to see the calories, protein, fiber, sugar (ect.) content right there without having to figure it out on your own. For me that alone will make this a go to cookbook, but beyond that I love that all of the recipes sound and look delicious, that there is a vast array of different types of food (I love international cuisine and there is plenty of that here as well as more traditional foods for the finicky eater). Just typing this review is making me hungry! I like to plan my meals a week at a time and I normally take out several different cookbooks to compose my meal plan, but I could use Skinnytaste all on it's own for the whole week and have a great variety of tasty and healthy meals to make for my family. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who likes to eat good tasting food, but wants to maintain a healthy diet as well. This is a fantastic addition to any home cook's cookbook collection!

About the author-

Gina Homolka is the founder of Skinnytaste, the award-winning blog that's been featured in Fitness and Better Homes and Gardens and on Glamour.com and Finecooking.com, among other media outlets. She lives on Long Island with her husband and their two children.

The Virgin Diet Cookbook by J.J. Virgin (Cookbook Review)

*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-

The companion to the New York Times bestseller The Virgin Diet brings the groundbreaking health and weight loss program into your kitchen. With more than 150 delicious and practical recipes, The Virgin Diet Cookbook is designed to show you how to incorporate anti-inflammatory, healing foods into your diet to reclaim your health and reset your metabolism, while avoiding the 7 foods that are most likely to cause food intolerance.

These tasty, easy-to-make recipes are free of gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, corn, peanuts, and sugar and artificial sweeteners. With mouthwatering suggestions for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and snacks, you'll lose weight fast while enjoying what you eat!. The Virgin Diet Cookbook will also help you to stock your kitchen, provide delicious substitutes for common ingredients, and offer easy swaps for eating out and on-the-go.

My thoughts-

I have been meaning to read The Virgin Diet ever since I heard about because J.J. Virgin is someone I look up to and I trust the information that she puts out will have my overall health in mind and not just some sort of quick fix for fast weight loss that I will just gain back. I was excited to see that this companion cookbook came out and I decided that I would just go ahead and check this one out because I thought it would likely have enough information for me to follow the diet within the book's introduction and I was right. I definitely think you could skip the more in depth version and just got straight for this one. The thought behind this "diet" is eliminating foods that are commonly not tolerated well. I think it is genius. It makes sense to me that there would be gut issues (and maybe even neurological issues like sleep deprivation, depression ect.) when our body is trying to process something it just can't. The idea is to eliminate all of the common low tolerance foods for a few weeks and introduce them back into your diet slowly to see what your triggers are. In the process, you are eating healthy, clean meals and hopefully it will get you in the habit of doing that on a regular basis. As far as the actual recipes, there are so many tasty options which is nice. There is no deprivation going on and something else that is really cool is that this diet would not be difficult to follow even if you are on a specialty diet (paleo, gluten free, vegetarian, vegan). I think that if you are looking to lose a little weight, improve your overall health and maybe gain some healthier eating habits, definitely pick up a copy of this book!

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The Doctor's Diet by Travis Stork, M.D.

*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:

The Doctor's Diet is the cure to unhealthy eating — an American epidemic with a death toll higher than that of car accidents, drug abuse, smoking, and gun violence combined. Dr. Stork is genuinely concerned about what he considers to be a true crisis. He has created a flexible and workable diet plan that will help readers lose weight, restore health, prevent disease and ultimately add years to their lives. In the book, Dr. Stork explains all of the potentially fatal health risks associated with an unhealthy diet and the specific food groups that can act as medicines to attain immediate results. Flexibility is built into the recipes in order to accommodate all different diets and skill levels, from meat lovers to vegetarians and chefs to non-cooks. In The Doctor's Diet, Dr. Stork outlines the steps to a healthier life with encouragement, personal anecdotes, and a passionate sense of urgency to rescue the reader from diet-related demise.

My thoughts:

I haven't watched The Doctors on tv in a long time because, well, two 4 year old boys will keep you too busy to watch daytime television, but I have watched it enough in the past to know that I usually agree with Dr. Travis Stork and I know that he is an advocate for health and wellness, so when I saw that he wrote a new book about weight loss and eating well, I knew it was something I would definitely want to read. I was right. This book is written in a conversational, casual tone, leaving behind medical jargon in favor of laymen's terms and easy to understand advice. Dr. Stork discusses different foods and why they are healthy and why they are not or even if the jury is still out on specific foods. He cites extensive sources at the end to back up his claims in case anyone is interested in reading further or checking out the studies he refers to throughout the book. That is something I can really appreciate. This book is a great place to start for someone struggling with their weight that just does not know where to start to gain their health back or even to someone who has a good idea what needs to be done but needs some good recipes to add to their repertoire. I was reading through the book thinking, this is absolutely terrific advice, but I wonder how awful the recipes will be! That is an awful way to think about health, but it is true that most of us probably do. While I have not tried any of the recipes just yet, as I was reading recipe after recipe my mouth would water and my stomach even growled a little. I didn't see anything I wouldn't try and I even think my kids would eat most of the recipes offered here.

The biggest points are eat clean and get moving. I think most of us know that, but the positive way in which this information is presented, with specific power foods mentioned to help boost your weight loss and hunger pangs, I think Dr. Stork really hit the nail on the head. This will be the book I recommend to anyone who wishes to eat better, get healthier or lose a few pounds.


About the author:

Travis Stork, M.D. is best known from his television ventures, first as a suitor on The Bachelor and more recently as the head doctor on the daytime talk show The Doctors. Dr. Stork was educated at the University of Virginia and Duke University. He has written several health and wellness books including The Lean Belly Prescription and The Doctor is In: A 7-Step Prescription for Optimal Wellness.
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The Doctor's Diet is available now on Amazon.com.

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Cooking Light Select Cravebox Review

I am always excited to get a new Cravebox on my doorstep. And it seems the boxes keep getting bigger! Cravebox has kind of changed up how they do things. They list the upcoming boxes and you can enter a drawing to win a spot. If you are one of the winners you pay somewhere between $12-15 depending on what the box is and you are all set. Change of any kind always seems to cause an uproar, but I kind of like the way Cravebox is set up now. It sets them apart even further from other subscription boxes and I can only assume if affords them the opportunity to work with more companies to offer even more box options. Just last week there were drawings for 3 different boxes. And yes, I entered for all three of them. :)

Anyway, I was excited to see my Cooking Light box on the porch when it arrived. This was the first box I got that I really wasn't sure what to expect, but as usual the box exceeded my expectations.

Here is what was inside:

Not one, but TWO full sized bottles of McCormick's Salt Free Garlic & Herb seasoning. I like that there are two, so I can share one with a friend. I have not had the chance to use this just yet, but I intend to immediately. I am not huge on adding salt to food, but I am a big spice fan, so I look forward to seeing what dishes I can come up with!

a full size bottle of Torani's sugar free syrup in caramel. And by full size I mean the big bottle. I am a huge fan of Torani's syrups, not only will they add flavor to your coffee or hot chocolate, they can take the flavor of your baked goods to new heights.

A bag of Tully's Coffee. I am not a coffee drinker, but my husband is a coffee fanatic, so he has been enjoying this. He said it has a very bold, strong flavor and he likes it quite a bit.

From the makers of Splenda, a new zero calorie sweetener made from Monk Fruit, Nectresse. I actually am pretty excited to try this. I like to use natural sweeteners and this one having zero calories is a big plus. I was very happy to see it included in this box

And last but certainly not least three 2 packs of Dole's fruit crisps. This was the first thing the kids and I got into. We ate it for dessert after dinner the day the box arrived. My boys ate the peach crisp and I snuck a bite- it was fantastic and my daughter and I had the apple crisp and it was as fabulous as I expected. Throughout the next few days I had the pear apple crisp for breakfast and it was also rather tasty. These were good warmed up or straight out of the pantry and each container was less than 200 calories and only contained natural products. Color me impressed.

The only thing missing was a subscription to Cooking Light, which I thought would have made an excellent addition to round the box out. I thought this was one of the best boxes yet from Cravebox, but I feel like I say that each time I get a new box. This is a good sign though, it just shows that they keep improving and keep on surprising me with the fun products that are included. 

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*Disclosure- I did not receive any free products in exchange for this review. All opinions stated are 100% my own.

The Lean by Kathy Freston- Book Review

There are too many books about weight loss that are just not good for weight loss...or for your health in general. I mean, sure you might lose weight, but typically with fad diets, you will gain it all back and then some. 

 Kathy Freston's The Lean is not a diet, it is a lifestyle change. What I really love about this book is that you take one step each day to contribute to becoming healthy. You might be giving something up that is not good for you or you may be adding something healthy to your day. Either way it is all about becoming a healthier you and in the process, losing those extra unwanted pounds. I feel like The Lean is an easy program to follow because if you slip up one day, well you can start over because it's just one thing that you've messed up. It is easier than trying to stay on top of the "rules" of diets that aren't healthy for you to begin with. 

This is a 30 day program, some of the days the tasks are super simple and some days they are not, but anyone who is wanting to become healthier- this is the book for you. I had already incorporated a lot of these things into my daily life before reading The Lean, but I know many people will benefit from learning all of the little things they can do that will add up to being a great. healthy relationship with food that is good for you! I would recommend this book to anyone that is trying to lose weight and keep it off or that just wants to become healthier overall. The 30 day plan highlighted in The Lean will get you there!


The Lean on Amazon
The Lean on Barnes & Noble

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Kathy Freston's Website


Disclaimer- I received a complimentary copy of The Lean from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Filippo Berio Olive Oil Review

I was pretty excited to be invited to the Filippo Berio Olive Oil campaign through Bzzagent. As I have mentioned on this blog a few times (okay- more than a few!) I started really trying to cook and eat healthy in 2007 after I became pregnant with my first baby. One of the very first things I did, was start using olive oil as my main oil.

I really liked the taste and quality of Filippo Berio. I love that it comes in a glass bottle. Being in glass seems to preserve the full flavor of the oil, at least to me, as opposed to using a plastic bottle. On top of that, you don't have to worry about BPA (bisphenol a) with glass. And it's more environmentally friendly.

Olive oil is very versatile. You can use it for everything- from sauteing to oven frying chicken to using it as a drizzle for veggies or a base for a salad dressing. You can even use it as a substitute for butter!

I would absolutely recommend Filippo Berio to anyone who uses olive oil or who is interested in starting.  You can get more information at FilippoBerio.com. There is even a great section full of awesome recipes!

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Disclaimer- I received free Filippo Berio olive oil through Bzzagent in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review.

Getting Healthy in June Day 4 + Day 5

Well Day 4 did not go at all well. Actually, that is not totally true. I did pretty well eating throughout the day. Yesterday was the first day my husband was off in four days. Sounds like very little, but since he is a nurse, he works 12 hour shifts, so we rarely see each other. Anyway, my daughter goes to dance class with my mother in law on Monday afternoon, so we decided to go to Target with our two year old boys and ended up at Golden Corral for dinner. I am proud to say I stuck with the vegetarian plan. I had a baked potato, about 1/2  a cup of peas, some rice with mixed veggies and then I had a few things to dip in the chocolate fountain.

The problem was, when my mother in law brought my daughter home, she also brought Adam's cousin who is visiting from San Jose, California. Don't get me wrong, I was very happy to see her and I have loved getting to know her, but I didn't think ahead and do my workout in the morning and I was beat by the time all of the kids got in bed.

Day 5 went pretty decent. I didn't keep up with Myfitnesspal today and that is always an issue for me, but I did manage to do Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred and my memory was correct. Even though it was more intense than level 1, it is just a more comfortable routine for me. I will stick with it, unless I feel like I can do level 3 at some point!

I haven't lost but a few ounces so far, but I can definitely feel my body changing shape again and that is always nice! I remember how great my clothes fit after I lost a few pounds the last time I did The Shred and then they all got two big for me! This time, I am aiming to stay that way for good! The goal right now is to lose at least 5 pounds by June 23rd, we have two weddings to go to that day and it would be lovely to feel comfortable and cute in my fancy clothes. :)

Getting Healthy in June!

Back in January, I set a resolution to continue to exercise and eat as healthy as possible, to feel better about myself, to set a good example for my kids and to just feel healthy overall.

I did really well for a while, I lost all of the weight I wanted to and was doing well and then I let life get in the way. My husband works long hours and overnights, which often leaves me feeling alone with everything else, including our 3 very small children. He tries his best to help, but he is usually just too tired. Add to that the fact that we bought a house and the stresses of moving...well, all of my hard work eventually was depleted! So sad for me! I know it's my own fault for all of the excuses and I am determined to make being a healthy a lifelong habit so...

I decided for June that I would jump start things by going Vegetarian. Yesterday was day one and I think I overate, but it will take some getting used to since it is such a big adjustment! I am lucky there are great tools out there like MyFitnessPal to help me meet my goals!

I also restarted Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. It is the only workout that has ever helped me actually lose weight and not just maintain where I am at! I won't lie though, it KICKS MY BUTT!

Anyway, I plan to write an entry each day or every few days, so that I will be held accountable to keep up with these changes this month!

My goal is to lose 15 pounds (total, not in the month of June) and then maintain that healthy weight by avoiding fast foods and not eating too much sugar...my weakness!

If you are on MyFitnessPal, please feel free to add me as a friend! I am always looking for more people to network with in the health and fitness world!

Also, if you have any Vegetarian or Vegan recipes, please feel free to post them or a link to them below!
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Day 1.

I thought overall, I did a pretty good job of not eating meat. I forgot that the chia cookies I made had egg in them, so I did slip up there, but it reminded me that I need to buy an egg replacer when I get groceries in the next few days. I had a crazy craving for a baked potato and didn't have any at home. I ended up getting mashed potatoes from Chili's which was probably a bad idea, but I didn't want to start off this thing depriving myself something I felt I wanted so strongly. I had a banana and yogurt for breakfast and organic ramen noodles for lunch. I was surprised to find that they had 1000 mg of sodium! I probably won't be eating those again. I am not much for eating packaged foods, but I really need to get to the grocery store. For Day 2 I plan to make some spaghetti with spaghetti squash.

As far as the workout goes, I was proud of myself for pushing through. It is a hard workout, especially the first few days and I was sweating like crazy and out of breath quite often. I know it will get easier after I get this first week behind me, but it definitely wasn't as difficult as the first time I did the Shred and my body was thankful for that!

Copy Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables DVD Review & Giveaway

All mothers want what is best for their kids and one of the most important things we can do for them is introduce them to healthy eating habits. Doing so has just become easier with a new dvd- Copy Kids- Eat Fruits and Vegetables.





The idea for this project came about when Cai Dixon noticed her young daughter was more willing to try fruits and vegetables when she saw other children eating them. Kids love mimicking other kids, I know this firsthand from years of experience in the child care field, but I must admit, I was a bit skeptical that watching other kids eat veggies would encourage my kids to do so themselves. They are all huge fruit fans, so we focused on watching the vegetable portions of the dvd.

Maddie-4, Noah-2, Watching
Copy-Kids and sharing a
bowl of carrots!

I wanted to start off with something familiar, so the first time we watched Copy Kids, we got some carrots to eat. All 3 of the kids ate all of the carrots I provided them with. They usually just eat a few and leave the rest. I knew then that this was probably going to work. I let them watch some other sections of the dvd without a food to eat because they were interested and I was not going to say no to them watching other kids practicing good habits. My 4 year old, Maddie, has asked to watch this movie every day since the first time we watched it. We watched it and ate bell peppers (one of my two year old twins devoured half a red bell pepper and then half of a yellow before I cut him off!), then another time with cucumbers and we plan to watch it while eating avacado and broccoli soon. Maddie is really excited about this movie! It is really fun to watch because it is unscripted and kids being themselves always makes for the best entertainment. It really is a cute movie.

Maddie,Noah & Miles
Eating Bell Peppers while
 watching Copy-Kids.

The dvd is divided in chapters making it easy to watch just one segment focusing on one food or choosing to watch several. The vegetables and fruits included on this dvd are bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, avocado, tomatoes, broccoli, oranges, bananas, raspberries, strawberries and apples.

I know that getting kids to eat vegetables and even fruit in some cases can be a chore. I usually don't advocate eating in front of the tv, but I think this is a wonderful way to introduce your kids to new, healthy, natural foods. It's fun for them, it's healthy for them and it makes things easier on you!

Eating cucumbers while watching
Copy-Kids with Daddy!

Watch the trailer for Copy Kids Eat Fruits & Vegetables

Selected as one of the 10 best audio/visuals for 2011 by Stevanne Auerbach PhD/Dr. Toy, Copy Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables  is intended for children 6 months- 5 years old. I will be recommending this dvd to everyone mom I know of kids in this age group. Copy Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables is available $19.95 and has a run time of 115 minutes.


Copy-Kids is a media company encouraging positive habits in young children. More videos planned for the future include tooth brushing, exercising, tying shoes and number & letter recognition.

Copy Kids Media wants to provide one lucky reader with a copy of the dvd! Enter via the rafflecopter below for your chance to win!

Win free Hodgson Mill products from "The Cooking Life." 6 winners!

Head on over to "The Cooking Life" for your chance to win a free product from Hodgson Mill!There will be SIX winners! While you are at "The Cooking Life," check out all of the tasty (and healthy!) recipes posted!!