Gluten free dessert fun

With the gluten-free craze at its height, I guess it is timely to publish a dessert cookbook to meet those needs.   Personally, give me the wheat and all the trimmings but there are a select few (10% or less of the population is the current number) who are sensitive to gluten and need to make adjustments to their diet.  Catherine Ruehle and Sarah Scheffel have produced such a tool for those folks who love cake but not the way their body reacts to flour.

From coffeecakes to layer cakes to cupcakes and special occasion cakes, this little book is filled with many recipes sure to please the gluten-free sweet tooth. What is a bit unique about this particular volume is that about 20% of it is devoted to tips, tricks, and decorating techniques so that you know what to do with those decorating tips, good baking substitutions, and sources to stock your pantry with all your baking needs.  The book also includes colorful illustrations of many of the desserts to tempt your palette even more and give you a good idea what your final product should look like. The book, even though not spiral bound, easily opens flat for the majority of the recipes. Let Us All Eat Cake would make a thoughtful gift for any of your gluten free friends who love baking and are tired of purchasing the over-priced store mixes.

The cons?  The paper is a matte finish making cleanup of spills a bit difficult.  Ask me how I know.

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. 

940 Saturdays

When my children were born, I had the highest expectations of journaling their lives.  Needless to say, life got busy and that just didn't happen.  Even the most important moments of their lives are limited to memory and sometimes photos.  940 Saturdays  by Harley A Rotbart just may have gotten the job done better, making the task a little more manageable.

Did you realize there are 940 Saturdays from birth to age 18?  Why not make them all count and commit to sitting down once a week so each of those weeks are preserved?  940 Saturdays is a journal and family activity book in one.  Each week of the journal has a half page for you to write (very manageable) about what you and your child saw, did, or felt that week. Also included is a removable booklet which contains a thousand family activity ideas perfect for jumpstarting those days where you wonder "What can I do today with my child?" (besides laundry, cleaning house, cooking....).

The hardback volume will last for generations and I think would make the perfect baby gift.  I know it will be the next one I give.  Five stars!

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.

Personal notes from God

From Adam and Eve to the Resurrection, Love Letters from God by Glenys Nellist is one of the most unique children's Bible story books I have ever seen and I LOVE it!  Each story begins with a Biblical reference, tells the story in easy to understand language and ends with a scriptural promise.  What is so unique is that each story includes a flip up "letter from God" that can be addressed to your child, making it personal.  The book closes with an "invitation from God" to become a member of his team followed by a blank letter your child can write to God.  Children will enjoy the colorful yet simple illustration and parents will love the tangible keepsake of their children accepting Christ into their lives.  I wish there had been a tool like this when my children were little or I had had the wisdom to record what was going on in their minds and hearts when they first came to Christ.

I love Bible story books.  I can remember my mother reading them to my younger sister every night before bed.  I hate to say it, but sometimes our minds can grow dull to the stories we heard as children, almost reading the like rote memory.   This book will change that.   While written for children ages 4-8, I think this book will be enjoyed by both the reader and the child being read to.  It far exceeded my expectations and I would like to share a copy with many children in my life.  Two thumbs up!

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

Jonah and the Great Big Fish

Rhonda Growler Greene along with illustrator, Margaret Spengler, bring to us the story of Jonah and his initial refusal to do as God asked and go to Nineveh only to find that his disobedience brought more turmoil than expected.  Done in a rhyming text, the story is perfect for ages 3-8.  The illustrations are bright and colorful with just a hint of an out of focus kind of effect which I found delightful and would appeal to small children. 

The only downside to the story is the fact that it ends with Jonah choosing to obey God.  In other words, it is a nice start but the story doesn't stop there.  I think it would have been beneficial for the author to have continued Jonah's story, allowing us all to be reminded of God's forgiveness that is available to all if we repent as the people of Nineveh did.  Overall, I think the story is well done and artwork very nice but the book stops short of getting the entire story told.  When I finished, the first thing that came to mind was "is that all?".

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 rreview.

Captured by Love

The war of 1812 has affected all of North America, including Michilimackinac Island.  Men have followed the call to fight, food is scarce, and soldiers are everywhere.  Attempting to avoid the same fate as her sister, Angelique MacKenzie is determined to fade into the background and avoid her cruel step-father and his young new wife until the war is over and her fiance returns.  What she doesn't expect is her childhood friend, Pierre Durant, to return to the island after years of absence.  Neither of them are children anymore.  Could there be more to their relationship than what was there? Can Angelique keep her promise or will she follow her heart?

I loved the characters from the beginning.  Angelique has been beaten down from so many directions but she is strong and serves without looking back, often times going hungry in order to feed someone she loves, the British leaving little for the colonists to eat.  She is playful and yet stubborn, wanting to feel safe and secure and thinks that she has found the perfect way to have that but often God's ways are different than ours.  Pierre is a new man, having given his life to Christ.  However, like most of us, he deals with the guilt of his past and turning everything over to God.

I loved the setting of the book.  I have read little of the time period or of Mackinac Island.  Jody Hedlund has a way of making me feel like I lived through the war and walked on the island.  I have read only one other book by Jody but will be seeking out others in a church or public library.  I highly recommend it.  I see no indication on the book that is is part of a series but if it is this volume easily stands on its own. 

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  The opinions are my own. 

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.