Cooking Allergy-Free by Jenna Short (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-

Jenna Short is on a mission--to help home cooks create meals that are safe--and delicious--for anyone who suffers from food allergies or who follows a special diet. As a caterer who specializes in events suitable for those who choose a gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, or kosher lifestyle, Jenna knows it's not easy to meet these different needs at the same time. In Cooking Allergy-Free, Jenna comes to the rescue, with 150 recipes that are suitable for weeknight cooking as well as entertaining. Each recipe is free of one or more of the most popular food allergens--wheat, milk, eggs, nuts, shellfish, fish, soy and corn--easily identified by colorful icons, and includes substitutions to convert the recipe for other allergens. Icons also indicate recipes appropriate for those who follow a gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan diet.

Jenna's collection of recipes include starters, soups, salads, main dishes, sides, desserts, and breads. Sample the Mustard Raisin Marmalade on Toasted Crostini, Moroccan Stuffed Tomatoes, Rosemary Skillet Chicken with Mushrooms and Potatoes, Sloppy Joes, Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Blackened Fish Tacos with Guacamole and Cilantro-Lime Slaw, Blueberry Lemon Crumble Pie, Mini Fudge Brownie Bites, Granola Bars, and more. With Cooking Allergy-Free in hand, you'll discover flavorful, easy-to-make dishes that aren't off limits.

Menu suggestions for setting up a kitchen to be allergen-friendly, and essentials for stocking your pantry will make Cooking Allergy-Free your most trusted source for delicious cooking.

My thoughts-

There are so many people with food allergies or sensitivities these days (including me and my daughter) that I am always on the lookout for books like this that I can pull out on the occasion that I have someone on a special diet visiting and since I love to entertain, it does happen every once and a while. I also like to add as many meat free recipes to my family's rotation of meals, so I love books like this that have clearly marked these kinds of recipes for easy reference. Cooking Allergy-Free offers up allergy-friendly versions of tried and true favorites, as well as some new and inventive recipes that are sure to join the ranks of your favorite go-to dinner recipes. I would recommend  this book to anyone who needs an allergy friendly cookbook or even just someone who is open to knew recipes.

The Father's Love (Movie Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the movie via Edify Media in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are 100% my own.

About the movie- 

Sarah, an aspiring filmmaker meets the man of her dreams. Charming, handsome, and wealthy, Reece becomes her world. As their story

unfolds, Sarah is taken on a journey of heartbreak and forgiveness, exploring the meaning of her relationships both past and present.



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My thoughts-

The Father's Love was different from any Christian movie I have seen. I guess usually when I want a Christian romance I tend to lean towards historical period pieces. I thought this movie was a nice change of pace. Sarah is a busy career woman but meets Reece who seems like everything a woman could possibly want in a man, but it turns out that may not be true after all. I think many women have been through somewhat similar situations to Sarah and could probably really relate to the things she goes through in her relationships- with Reece, with her father, and with God. This is a movie about love- love between friends, romances, self love and the love of God. I think each person that watches this movie might take something different from it. My heart broke for Sarah several times, I couldn't really understand why she would make some of the choices she did until her full story was revealed. I enjoyed watching her journey. I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys love stories.

Watch the trailer-

The Gifting by K.E. Ganshert (Book Review)

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 stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

"If science is right, then I am crazy. And crazy is dangerous."

Tess Eckhart has always felt things nobody else can feel. Then the Ouija board incident happens at a high school party. Her complete freakout sends her family across the country—next to a nationally-renowned facility for the mentally ill. Worried that Tess suffers from the same illness that tormented her grandmother, her parents insist she see a psychiatrist.

But Tess is more concerned about fitting in at her new school, and hiding the fact that she’s seeing a therapist at the Edward Brooks Facility. She’s used to whispers and stares, but when it comes to Luka Williams, a reluctantly popular boy in her class, she’s unused to a stare that intense. Then the headaches start, and the seemingly prophetic dreams that haunt her at night. As Tess tries to hide them, she becomes increasingly convinced that Luka knows something—that he might somehow be responsible.

But what if she’s wrong? What if Luka Williams is the only thing separating her from a madness too terrifying to fathom? 

My thoughts-

Katie Ganshert has written several beautiful books in the contemporary Christian fiction world, but young adult novels are new territory for her. I am impressed at how effortlessly Ganshert can be a voice in both genres, it's like she's two completely different authors. Not only is she a fresh voice in the YA genre, she has woven in other favorite sub-genres (dystopian and paranormal themes) giving the book a bit of extra depth and more meat on it's bones. I am so excited that The Gifting is the first book of a trilogy and even more excited that the second book, The Awakening,  will be available in July! If you like ya and/or paranormal fiction, you will enjoy The Gifting. To me it felt like a cross between the Angel Eyes series by Shannon Dittemore and the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer (only because Luka reminds me of Edward, but in a really good way! There are no vampires or werewolves to be found here). I am excited to see whats in store for Tess in The Awakening!

The Color Of Our Sky by Amita Trasi (Book 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-

India, 1986: Mukta, a ten-year-old girl from the lower caste Yellamma cult of temple prostitutes has come of age to fulfill her destiny of becoming a temple prostitute. In an attempt to escape this legacy that binds her, Mukta is transported to a foster family in Bombay. There she discovers a friend in the high spirited eight-year-old Tara, the tomboyish daughter of the family, who helps her recover from the wounds of her past. Tara introduces Mukta to a different world—ice cream and sweets, poems and stories, and a friendship the likes of which she has never experienced before. In 1993, Mukta is kidnapped from Tara’s room.

Eleven years later, Tara who blames herself for what happened, embarks on an emotional journey to search for the kidnapped Mukta only to uncover long buried secrets in her own family.

Moving from a remote village in India to the bustling metropolis of Bombay, to Los Angeles and back again, amidst the brutal world of human trafficking, this is a heartbreaking and beautiful portrait of an unlikely friendship—a story of love, betrayal, and redemption—which ultimately withstands the true test of time.
 

My thoughts-

I can not believe The Color Of Our Sky is a debut novel. It is a beautifully written novel that tackles some hefty subject matter. It is the interwoven story of two girls, Tara and Mutka. There are two stories going on, How Mutka came to live with Tara and her family and about Tara's search to find her a decade later.   The two time periods are woven together nicely and flow very well. The novel is set in India and although Mutka and Tara are from very different social backgrounds. they very quickly form a tight friendship. This is a page turner! There are so many elements to this story that I enjoyed, but the thing that kept me intrigued was definitely trying to figure out what happened to Mutka as little pieces of information are revealed. This is a fantastic debut novel, I look forward to seeing what Amita Trasi comes up with next. I would recommend this book to fans of Khaled Hosseini.

BriaUSA Heart Shaped Velvet Coat Hangers (Set of 10)

*Disclosure of material connection- I received one or more of the product(s) mentioned below in exchanged for my honest thoughts. All opinions stated are 100% my own.

I have never given a lot of thought to my hangers. They serve a function and that is to keep my closet neatly organized and my clothes off of the floor. When I saw the BriaUSA hangers, it was love at first sight! They are a vibrant, deep purple...which just happens to be my favorite color...and also my bathroom's color scheme. My closet is inside of my bathroom, so it is fun to have the hangers match the décor! I love how feminine they are with the heart shape and velvet look. Beyond being adorable, these hangers are also quite functional. They are skinny so they are space saving as you can see here-


As you can see, BriaUSA hangers are more
attractive and sturdy than regular wire hangers

 

I decided to hang my dresses up on these hangers because I thought the velvet would help hold them in place and nothing would slip off of the hangers and on to the floor. I also love that the hooks swivel. I like a uniform closet and if I accidentally hung up something the opposite way of the rest, it is nice to just be able to turn it around instead of having to take it off the hanger completely and turn it around. I think my dresses look lovely on the BriaUSA hangers, but they would work for any type of clothing. 



Amish Promises by Leslie Gould (Book Review)

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 stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

Journey Down a Quiet Lane in Lancaster County Where Love and Heartache and Friendship and Healing Meet When Joel and Shani Beck arrive at their new home, they're looking for peace. Shani is thrilled to have Joel back from Iraq, but he needs time to heal, and the quiet of Lancaster seems just the place. They can't imagine any trouble with their Amish neighbors, the Lehmans, but things get off to a rocky start when their son is involved in an accident that injures one of the Lehman boys. Eve Lehman has run her brother's household ever since the death of his wife, but Tim's a stern patriarch. Despite his protests, she's drawn to the new neighbor, Shani, and the two begin to form a strong friendship forged on faith and family. Things seem like they've quieted down until Joel's single and handsome army friend Charlie catches Eve's attention--a man unlike any Eve has ever met. Suddenly life for both families becomes more complicated than any of them could have ever imagined.

My thoughts-

I always love starting a new book that is the first of a series. It's like entering a new world full of new people and for me there is nothing more interesting than immersing myself in someone else's world for a while! Amish Promises had a little bit of a different premise- military family moves in next door to Amish family- can they get along? Another dimension is added by Amish woman Eve and military man Charlie's instant mutual attraction to one another. This feels like a fusion novel to me- Amish meets contemporary fiction, and I must say, I really enjoyed it. I found myself most drawn to Eve's character, she is kind of the glue that holds all of the rest of the characters together.  Just like many other people, Eve is struggling to figure out exactly what she wants and who she is. Shani and Joel move in next door to Joel, Eve's brother, and Shani and Eve are pretty much instant friends. Tim is a strict and pretty tyrannical Amish man. I feel bad for Eve much of the time because it is clear she feels trapped. I enjoyed watching all of the relationships in this book unfold and seeing each character interact with the other. there are some sweet times and some not so nice times, which I think is an accurate portrayal of life. Amish Promises is Shani and Joel's relationship and Joel's struggle with post post traumatic stress disorder from his military days. This is an interesting dynamic to add into a story set in Lancaster Pennsylvania, but I definitely enjoyed the twist. If you are a fan of Amish fiction or enjoy stories about military families, you will probably enjoy Amish Promises.

Reservations for Two by Hillary Manton Lodge (Book 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 was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

Food writer-turned-restaurateur Juliette D’Alisa has more than enough on her plate. While her trip to Provence might have unlocked new answers to her grandmother’s past, it’s also provided new complications in the form of Neil McLaren, the man she can’t give up. 
 
Juliette and Neil find romance simple as they travel through Provence and Tuscany together, but life back home presents a different set of challenges. Juliette has a restaurant to open, a mother combating serious illness, and a family legacy of secrets to untangle – how does Neil, living so far away in Memphis, fit into to her life? 
 
As she confronts an uncertain future, Juliette can’t help but wish that life could be as straightforward as her chocolate chip cookie recipe. Can her French grandmother’s letters from the 1940’s provide wisdom to guide her present? Or will every new insight create a fresh batch of mysteries?

My thoughts-

I did not realize that Reservations for Two was the second book in a series (Two Blue Doors). but overall it didn't make too big of a difference. I definitely want to go back and read the first book in the series, but not having previously read it, did not take away from my enjoyment of this book. I am drawn mostly to historical fiction, so on the rare occasion I am drawn to a contemporary book, I am always pleasantly surprised when it is also set in another era. There is just something cool about having a book that is kind of a two for one deal where you have something that is happening in the present and a story that ties in to it is presented from the past. In this case, it was letters from Juliette's grandmother during WWII Paris. I also think letter writing is a lost art form and wish people would get back to it, so I loved reading all of the elegantly written letters between Juliette's grandmother Marielle, her sister, and her love interest. The story of Juliette and Neil was less interesting to me, but I did enjoy the present day story of Juliette opening her restaurant. I love to read foodie themed books because they usually contain some recipes and Reservations for Two is no exception. There are some wonderful recipes sprinkled throughout the book. It ended on kind of a cliff hanger, so I am excited for and will be anxiously anticipated book 3!