Goodnight, Ark

Goodnight, Ark by Laura Sassi is a wonderful way to tuck your little ones in at night.  Most children know the story of Noah's Ark but not the "inside" story about how the animals can't sleep through the storm, much like your children may not be able to.  The animals begin crawling into bed with Noah until the bed becomes so full that it breaks in the weight.  Whatever will Noah do to calm the animals and get them back to their rightful resting places for the night?

Each page is beautifully and brightly illustrated.  The words are written in almost like a sing-song rhyming manner making it easy to capture your child's attention and imagination.  I loved it!  I wish my children were still little enough to need a bedtime story.  Somehow, showing up to their dorm room with Goodnight, Ark doesn't seem like a great option but this copy will go on my shelf for future grandchildren should I be so blessed.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to write a positive review.

Roadfood

Most people like to eat out much more than I. I am always ready for a good meal but would much rather eat a good home cooked meal than sit at a restaurant even if the home meal is tacos and the restaurant meal filet mignon. There are times, however, that eating out is essential whether to be with friends or because you are traveling and it is impossible to cook.

When those occasions do make it necessary, I would much rather avoid the chain restaurants and find some good local spot. Asking locals where to eat is an option at times but not always. That is where Roadfood by Jane and Michael Stern comes in. The two have compiled a coast to coast listing of 900 of the best "BBQ joints, lobster shacks, ice cream parlors, highway diners, and much, much more."  What I love about the book isn't the handy portable size as it is 2" thick. I do love how it is broken down by geographic region, personable reviews of and suggestions for each site, includes a phone number and website so you can check for hours ahead of time as well as a street address so you can plug it into your GPS. The Sterns also give you an indication as to how much you can be expected to spend.

What might make it better? I typically don't travel nationwide but do a lot of travel in the southeast. For my purposes, I would find it better to have a more complete listing in the regions in which I travel rather than half of the book being dedicated to places I don't ever expect to go. However, if you are planning to travel coast to coast, this would be a handy thing to take along in your car. I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for am honest review and was in no way obligated to write a positive review.

Fascinating for any gardener

I love to garden.  Whether it be flowers or food, I love to watch something grow and produce.  I must admit that flower gardening produces much more favorable results for me than does my attempt to grow vegetables and fruits.  I have always blamed the trees in the yards next to mine which don't allow enough light to shine in my vegetable garden or suck the nutrients right out of my carefully composted soil but is that the whole story?  Maybe not.

The Mix & Match Guide to Companion Planting arrived today and I have already looked at it cover to cover. After a brief "lesson" on gardening how-to, the book is primarily a resource helping you decide what plants to put together and which ones are better left planted in different pots or gardens because they just don't get along.  Each main crop is coded with it needs and then you can flip through the pages (divided into three "cards" each) to find an above ground companion which will support the main crop's needs above ground as well as a below ground companion that gives the plant what it needs at the root system.  If you follow the recommendations, the author claims you will have fewer pests and disease and therefore increase the quantity of home grown fruits and vegetables you can put on your table.

The book is hard bound making it durable but the pages are spiral bound making it simple to keep open and flip the pages until you find just the right companion plants. Now if I could just get more sun in my backyard!  However, I think pot gardening might just be worth a try this year.  I'm excited to add this to my gardening book collection.

I did receive this book free from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.

Third Thursday Community Potluck Cookbook

What better way to enjoy the company of friends and good food than with a potluck?  Share the load of cooking and have all kinds of delicious new foods to taste. This is one cookbook that will give you the tools and inspiration you need to organize a regular potluck and fix something delicious to share.  The premise of the whole cookbook is to prepare dishes within the season it is harvested so it is broken down by month.  For example, when those tomatoes begin to ripen in July, fix tomato dishes.  Fall brings on the root vegetables and apples so October uses those and cole weather crops.  December is devoted to special gifts from the kitchen in perfect time for holiday giving. The author also shares stories and special tips such as how to reduce waste, canning your bounty, and how to set up and create your own Third Thursday potluck (or whatever day your choose).

I look forward to trying many more of these recipes.  Thus far, most ingredients are in my pantry and the ones that aren't have been relatively inexpensive.  It only makes sense to cook what is in season, thereby avoiding all the imported foods so I am anxious to give it a try. The illustrations in the form of photos are nicely done and not displayed so fancy that you will be intimidated to try the recipe.  All 150 recipes are nicely indexed.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to write a positive review.  Available beginning June 17, 2014.

The Chopped Cookbook

The Chopped Cookbook, based on The Food Network's program Chopped, helps you put together dishes with what you currently have in your cabinet and encourages the chef in you to be a bit brave and try something unexpected or different in your cooking. The book gives you a brief education about what makes a great dish before diving into the recipes which include chicken dishes, pasta, eggs, seafood, salads and dressings, vegetables, dessert.....just about every aspect of your meal.

The Chopped Cookbook is colorful and nicely illustrated.  While I have never watched the show, using the cookbook makes me want to check it out. My "concerns"?  My copy has some wavy pages if you look at the top and bottom of the book. Perhaps that is an anomaly but I would check it out in the bookstore rather purchase on-line if using for a gift.   It is almost as if water damaged but it isn't because the top and bottom are the only places you can see the slight wave.  I would also like for it to have been bound in a way that makes it easier to use at the counter without a book easel.  Another concern is the fact that the book claims to use pantry staples and an occasional curveball ingredient to create the dishes.   I found that I had all the ingredients to very few recipes and, in most cases, lacked more than one ingredient. I have always felt I had a fairly well-stocked pantry but not according to these recipes.  It is those ingredients that you only use a small portion of that I hate to purchase for a new untried recipe.  Having to do so makes me a bit hesitant to try some of the recipes.  Most are fairly simple to create and require less than ten ingredients including seasonings. While it does provide some interesting dish ideas, it won't replace my favorite cookbooks.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.

A Table by the Window

Juliette's recently deceased grandmother left her the prep table from her kitchen, which held a book of memories for Juliette.  She was the perfect person to hand it down to.  She had spent years working in the bakery with her grandmother and was the keeper of her grandmother's recipes.  On a sleepless night when she is trying to decide if she wants to open a restaurant with her brother, Juliette finds a photo of a young man who looks much like her brother if he had lived in her grandmother's era tucked away safely in a favorite recipe book inside the inherited table.  Who is this man who definitely isn't her grandfather?  As Juliette begins to piece together her grandmother's story, her own chance at romance comes along.  Across the generations, Juliette's grandmother still plays an important role in her own future and decisions.

A Table by the Window  by Hillary Manton Lodge is a wonderful light-hearted story of family ties with a bit of mystery thrown in and is "sprinkled" with delicious looking recipes throughout. However, many of those recipes do contain spices or ingredients not usually found in my kitchen so would require a trip to the grocery.  The book appears to be the first in a series since Juliette's choices are not completely revealed even at the close of the book which ended rather abruptly. I typically prefer to read series after all are released but was unaware this was book 1 when I ordered it.  Any attempt to have a strong Christian message wasn't part of this book.  While the family is completely honest and behave in a manner that is Christ-like, the only mention of anything God that I recall is that they went to church.  I did enjoy the relationships between the siblings, with their bantering, teasing, ups and downs.  They are a family who laughs together and works together.  All that to say, I enjoyed the book a lot but didn't love it. It does make a fun, light read--perhaps at the beach this summer?

I had never read anything by Ms. Lodge but will be looking for others by her, particularly book 2 in this series to see how Juliette turns out.  I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Noah and the Mighty Ark

Rhonda Growler Greene has recently written and release a new children's re-telling of Noah and the ark.  The text is rhythmic and somewhat sing/song, one that any child will enjoy over and over.  The illustrations by Margaret Spengler are bright and colorful and created with an interesting effect, sometimes a bit of a blur.  In my search to find a picture of the cover to share on my blog, I am making an assumption that this is a reprint on a book originally printed in 2007.  The release of the current edition is slated for 4/28/14.  Grandparents, parents, children from birth through young readers, and librarians will find this copy one to add to their collection to teach children about God's love.  I loved it!

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligate to leave a positive review.