Cookbooks reviewed: Mar 31

  

 

Gardening for Kids: Learn Gardening basics, Grow, Harvest, and Enjoy your Gardening by Daphne M Cooper

Table of contents where chapters are broken up into sections of gardening, getting started, tools, theme, green etc.

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Introduction discusses gardening and things you will need, impacts  and so much more.

Love the parts about how it's good for your body, manually taking care of the garden, pests, harvesting, etc.

Very basics and what to do, how and why.

Especially like the green garden approach using compost you make yourself. Not too much into fairy or butterfly garden, the bugs and birds will fly into the garden, helping to pollinate it.

 There are colorful pictures showing what's being discussed.

So many fun activities to do, painting rocks with what seeds you planted, etc.

Conclusion and other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

References are included.

Papa's family recipes by Tony a. smith

This book starts with a foreword, the early days with maps and where the people came from.

Family’s life sharing pictures of the journeys,  and so much more from early century.

English and Italian words are translated.

Recipe starts with a title, List of ingredients and you should be able to substitute for your healthier dietary needs: low fat, low sodium, low sugar and fresh vs canned items.

Servings and directions are given. basic and to the point, no fluff.

Very authentic cooking here, recipes are handwritten, not in format we use today. What a treasure!

Want to try the cream sauce and i can use substitutions that are a bit healthier.

Acknowledgments are listed and other works by the author, thank you note, about the author.

recipe index is included at the end. So much about their lifes, so interesting.

 

Pierogi: A Delicious Collection of Tasty Pierogi Recipes (2nd Edition) by BookSumo Press

These remind me of hand pies and you can fill them with anything, the shape of it.

Love this type of Polish food, comfort food.

Full page color photographs of food. table of contents where recipes are listed.

Each recipe starts with a title, to far right hand corner in shaded area is prep and total times, servings.

Some nutritional information: calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbs and protein.

In main part of the page is a list of ingredients and you should be able to substitute for your healthier dietary needs: low fat, low sodium, low sugar and fresh vs canned items.

Directions are given under that.

There are no individual recipe photos, none that are identified as such.

Recipes are from all over the world. Love how they are displayed in a pinwheel fashion.

 

 

Basmati Recipes: A Delicious Rice Cookbook with only Basmati Recipes (2nd Edition) by BookSumo Press

Full page color photographs of food. table of contents where recipes are listed.

Each recipe starts with a title, to far right hand corner in shaded area is prep and total times, servings.

Some nutritional information: calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbs and protein.

In main part of the page is a list of ingredients and you should be able to substitute for your healthier dietary needs: low fat, low sodium, low sugar and fresh vs canned items.

Directions are given under that.

There are no individual recipe photos, none that are identified as such.

 Lots of choices to make  and from all over the world.

Mar 31 Book Review: Vatican Conspiracy By Ethan Jones

 

Vatican Conspiracy By Ethan Jones

Book starts with other works by the author, other series.

Story begins in Rome and Carrie and her partner Nathan. They are trying to get Gabriella out of harm’s way.

They send her boyfriend and he brings them back to her. Her brother was in the mob and he wants to go his own way, his own rules.

Just when you think it's all over with-they sent her on her way you then learn of even more details of more harmful bombs.

Then you learn who's really in harm's way and they use more sources to gain more knowledge to head off the bombers before it happens again.

Carrie is a fighter and not much gets by her. Stellar pilot career in the wars and is put in the lead. 

Like the travel, adventure, mystery, fighting, surviving at all costs, detailed descriptions and feeling as if I am there with them.

She has a dream that one day.... maybe in time....

Other works by the author are highlighted at the end along with links to his website.

Fast paced action,  weapons, mysteries, betrayal, love,  travel, surviving at all costs.

Can't put it down! Has something for everybody.

Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.

Chirldren's book reviewed: Mar 30

  

How Animals Say Goodnight: A Sweet Going to Bed Book about Animal Sleep Habits by Esther Pia Cordova, Anastasiya Provozina

Colorful, rhyming, colorful, educational, fun book about sleeping habits of animals.

Giraffe, snakes, penguins, flamingos, dolphins, chimpanzee, elephants, sea otters, walrus, snail, albatross, sperm whale, brown bear, ducks, bats, 

So fun to learn all about them .

Other works by the author are listed at the end.

 

Good morning, hello. Good night, sweet dreams - Raising Great Kids: A book about gratitude and kindness by M.C. Warren

Colorful, rhyming,  children's book about kindness and gratitude.

Love the colorful pages and they are outside. Very positive messages in this book along with colorful meaningful pages.

Love  night scenes also, peaceful. 

Fish Don't Sneeze by Kirstie Watson, Nina Khalova

Very colorful children’s book about fish. Sneezy felt very alone the other fish had things to do, places to go and they didn't include him as their friends.

Because he is different the others just don't understand.

Tiny has a plan to help him make friends. They tried many different things to no avail.

They find a very good solution to the problem...

Thanks for the author and they request a review.  Ends with dedication page.

Grandma, It's Me!: A Children's Book about Dementia by Y.Y. Chan

Love the idea of this story as it's happening too often now with aging parents.

Dedication page and foreword about the book.

Starts in January and the older adults were visiting but grandma didn't recognize the young child.

I've had this happen to my spouse when his mother didn't recognize him but we saw and visited with her every Sunday when she went to assisted living and then nursing home.

He was devastated, she seemed to remember me more maybe because we'd do knitting or work with beads and she could associate me with being hands on.

We'd always bring up when she was growing up as a teen and her mind was crystal sharp about the details.

Little girl is asked to watch the grandparents and not to let grandmother go by herself.

As the year goes by things do chance. Ending discusses reading and understanding, reflection and there are resources and more listed.

Facts about Dementia and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Note s on how you can help the one effected by the diseases. very helpful and educational in a fun way.

Reviews from others re listed and note from the author, asking for a review and about the author.

Other books by the author are highlighted at the end.

Acknowledgments are included.

 

 

I'm Not Scared: How Alex Faced His Fear by Alice Foster, Aurica Safiulina (Illustrator)

Children's colorful story about being scared. When there is not a knock but banging on the door the child is scared and hides under a blanket.

He imagines all kinds of harmful things, fangs, claws and a long tongue that can get him...He realizes later what it really is and is not scared anymore.

Bookplate is included at the end, other works by the author is highlighted at the end. 

 

 

Totie the Molar by Hosam Alrqiq, Reema Boufis, Anna Lomakina

Rhyming, colorful, children’s story. 

This book starts out with a note from the author  about this first book in the series about your teeth.

Starts when the tooth is first born and it's dark in the mouth. Other teeth greet themselves with their nicknames.

Each describe their job.  Some of the words are black with dark background, very hard to see.

They help the new tooth explain what the parts of the teeth are.  Educational and fun read.

Tooth fairy is explained also, so fun.

 

Bedtime Stories For Kids: A Great Collection Of 30 Fairy, Relaxing & Moral Stories For Children Ages 3-12 (Book 2) by Lori Olson, Sandra Green

Table of contents lists the stories.

Lots of good morals are brought up in this colorful children's book. Easy to read the letters and words and have nice pictures to go along with the story. 

Had never heard of most of these stories before, delightful.

Thank you from the author and requests a review.

 

Who Am I: The Monkey: Find out who is hiding in the jungle by Stefanis Michailidi 

Colorful children's book about the jungle and everything that lives in it. There are hints as to the differences between us and the similarities so you can help guess what animal is being discussed.

Cute story but words are tiny and hard to read, they cannot be enlarged..

Bubble Head, Boo! Happy Clean Halloween! (A Bubble Head Adventure book) by Misty Black 

This colorful children's story  starts with a dedication page. Halloween time with bubbles in your bath, splash, pop and wheeze

the child disguises themselves and many Halloween characters, a spooky spider, , mummy, ghost, thunderbolt, Frankenstein, and a smelly skunk, 

Funny, scary looking pictures of the holiday, Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

Activity pages are listed.

About the author and to leave a review.

Book Review: Practicing Normal by Cara Sue Achterberg

 
 

Practicing Normal by Cara Sue Achterberg

This story starts out with each member of the family, and friends who get a chapter to tell you what's going on in their world.

A set of adult parents with a 16 year old daughter, son who's got Asperger’s disease and a grandmother living in her own house.

Love that the different age groups are given their own space. Problems they are each going through are difficult and sometimes overwhelming but they push onward.

Sad at the end and didn't see the reunion taking place. Love how their author gets me to tear up reading her works.

Can't wait to read more. 

Received this review copy from the publisher The Story Plant and this is my honest opinion.

March 29 Book Review: MONTANA COWBOY PROMISE by Jane Porter

  

MONTANA COWBOY PROMISE by Jane Porter

This story is about Tommy Wyatt who is a rodeo competitor. He's really good at what he does. After an event in Las Vegas with his brother Billy he sees a woman being hounded by a group of four drunk men.

He takes matters into his own hands and by the end of the night they were married. She heads back to CA to further her medical degree to become a doctor.

He heads to his next rodeo and they don't see one another for 3 years. Blake does show up at one and asks him to sign the divorce papers.

He has no idea what she's gone through in her life and she doesn't tell him. He agrees but only if she spends a week with him at the ranch in Montana. Love the people in his life that she gets to know and cherish the time she has with them.

Love catching up with other relatives as they have appeared in the authors other works. When things come down to it you wonder who if either of them, will be the one to sign the papers.

You wonder if they can get back to what they had the night they had first met. Their lives lead them in totally different  states and it's no way to have a marriage where you don't see one another for years....

Love the travel, the new words I learned, the family, togetherness and if you love them set them free. if they come back it was meant to be...

Emotional book, loved the ranch scenes and the horse ride, felt like my first ride a few years ago. Simple things like paintings at Dot's, flowers in spring and the good they want to give to others. Also how we are able to learn about their earlier relationship.

Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.

Mar 29 The Vegan Baked Donut Cookbook by Ally Lazare

   

 

The Vegan Baked Donut Cookbook by Ally Lazare 

Beautiful color full page photos of donuts, all kinds of decorations.

Dedication page and TOC where recipes are listed in food categories.

Intro discusses the vegan donuts and  steps it takes to make them.

Equipment is also listed that you will need or make do with.  Highlighted sections in different light shades are available.

Addition of flavors and troubleshooting tips are included.

Each chapter has its own recipe index.

There are NO individual recipe photos.

Each recipe starts out with a title, prep and cook time, food labels are listed, servings.

Summary of the item is also included.

List of ingredients and you should be able to substitute for your healthier dietary needs: low fat, low sodium, low sugar and fresh vs canned items.

Some recipes  call for a large amount of ingredients, be sure to have them all first.

Directions are given. Nutritional information per size mentioned include calories, total fat, sat fat, cholesterol, fiber, sugar, carbs, sodium and protein.

Quite the imagination with the names. Savory donuts would be my idea of a great flavored anytime treat.

Can't wait to try the bagel donut, love spiciest of some foods even apple fritters would an anytime treat.

Measurement conversion tables, resources list, index, acknowledgements and about the author.

This book has everything you need even if you are an experienced baker.

A KEEPER for the recipes because for the most part they are healthy for our diet and baked, NOT deep fried.

I received this review copy from The Callisto Publisher's Club and this is my honest opinion.

Books Reviewed: Mar 28 Anything by Lou Aronica

  

Anything by Lou Aronica

This story follows Melissa nd Ken. They are to be wed and he wonders bout her past life. He visits the unique shop and Stefon says he can bring him back to check out her life, not touch anything or interact.

He finds himself when  Melissa was just a toddler, another time she's older and he witnesses abuse taking place. After that she no longer wants to be a concert pianoist.  He comes back to the real world and she's no longer in his life, her parents aren't even around and he is depressed.

He wants to find her and get back to her. He does locate her playing a concert and it is her. He is told he needs to go after what he wants...

Never imagined the events taking place as they did, wow! Love hearing of the interactions that take place, the locations and the shops where exquisite objects are created.

Received this review copy from the publsiher The Story Plant and this is my honest opinion.