Tag Archives: Healthy

Sweet Potato Soul

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Claiborne, Jenne. Sweet Potato Soul: 100 Easy Vegan Recipes for the Southern Flavors of Smoke, Sugar, Spice, and Soul. USA: Harmony books. 2018.

SUMMARY:
Mixing vegan with Southern cuisine in her new cookbook, cooking instructor, blog creator, and vegan chef, Jenne Claiborne, proves taste, soul, health and tradition can truly be combined. Named after her blog and YouTube channel, Sweet Potato Soul shares recipes, knowledge, personal stories and a bit of spiciness. Recipes for breakfast, salads, soups, sides, sauces, mains, desserts and drinks are included in a well organized manner. Coupled with beautiful photography, diners won’t miss the meat at all!

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS:
Surprised to find such a tempting cookbook filled with vegan recipes, it was perfectly pleasing both visually and content-wise. Already being mindful of what I eat and heading towards a more vegan lifestyle, I was thrilled to find the recipes easy to prepare, the ingredients easily accessible, the information helpful and the meals nourishing, healthy and delicious. Favorites already, Sweet Potato Hummus and Sweet Corn Succotash are Southern and so delectable- they will be staples in our house from now on. So enjoyably appetizing!

RATING:
5 (out of 5) pennies

*I received a complimentary copy of Sweet Potato Soul from Blogging For Books for my honest review*

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The New American Heart Association Cookbook

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American Heart Association. 9th Edition. New York, USA: Harmony Books. 2017.

SUMMARY:
Would you like to be healthy? Eat correctly? Feel better? The American Heart Association makes it easier in their newest updated cookbook. Full of more than 800 recipes divided into categories such as snacks, soups, salads, seafood, meats, vegetables, breads, and desserts, the cookbook opens with heart healthy guidelines and tips. Complete with a list of ingredients and easy to follow, condensed directions, each recipe also includes nutritional values per serving. Packaged in a thick hardcover book, delicious and healthy menus are definitely possible.

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS:
Knowing and trusting the American Heart Association name, I was very interested in the newest edition of the cookbook. With simple yet delicious recipes, the only thing missing was pictures. Appreciating the nutritional sense included at the beginning of the book, this cookbook leaves no doubt as to the health of the recipes. Already watching my family’s diet, The New American Heart Association Cookbook only makes it easier and much more enjoyable. Absolutely a book to keep and share, this new edition updates tried-and-true past recipes mixed with new ones. With a focus on quick and easy methods and menus, there is something healthy for everyone. Sure to become a staple in American kitchens as healthy lifestyles emerge.

RATING:
4 (out of 5) pennies

*I received a complimentary copy of The American Heart Association Cookbook from Blogging For Books for my honest review*

Vibrant India

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Agrawal, Chitra. Vibrant Idnia: Fresh Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Brooklyn. New York, USA: Ten Speed Press Publishing. 2017.

SUMMARY:
Using seasonally fresh and healthy ingredients, chef Chitra Agrawal shares her South Indian family recipes for hearty yet light meals. With an introduction to Indian cooking, plenty of vegetarian ingredients and versatile options, this beautiful new cookbook also includes sample menus, grocery lists, Indian cooking techniques and tips, and explanations of the focused spices. Paired with appealing photography and pretty artwork, Vibrant India certainly does a complete task of celebrating the Indian culture and fare.

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS:
With a strong interest in trying Indian cooking, this newest cookbook arrived for the perfect opportunity. As a complete novice to this type of cooking, this book was thoroughly helpful while producing delicious results for me. Finding the information on spices intriguing and manageable, not only will I continue to incorporate the recipes into my menus, but also the methods into my everyday cooking. Lemon Peanut Rice, Summer Squash in Herby Coconut Yogurt, Chickpea Salad with Summer Vegetables and Avocado…I cannot wait to use the Farmer’s Market for these recipes. Healthy, bright, and interesting…the perfect combination!

RATING:
4.5 (out of 5) pennies

*I received a complimentary copy of Vibrant India from Blogging For Books for my honest review*

Eat Beautiful

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Rowe, Wendy. Eat Beautiful: Food And Recipes To Nourish Your Skin From The Inside Out. USA: Clarkson Potter/ Publishers. 2016.

eatbeautiful

SUMMARY:
Broken into the four seasons with explanations of certain foods helpful during each specific season, the ingredients are then incorporated into recipes. Interspersed with health and beauty tips for skin and body, Eat Beautiful offers care for the entire person, inside and out with a focus on skin. With years as an international make-up artist to models and celebrities, author Wendy Rowe is known for her holistic approach to skincare.

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS:
With lots of information on the effectiveness and necessity of eating healthy for your skin and health, Eat Beautiful starts with the inside which causes the outside to shine. Full of wonderfully healthy recipes with ingredients which nourish the skin (quinoa, salmon, almond milk, radish, garlic, pumpkin, pine nuts), each recipe also includes a brief personal note, calories per portion, skin benefits and well organized directions. With photographs scattered throughout, the only thing missing was pictures of “ordinary” people, too. The areas including the helpful ingredients were full of information relating to skin nutrients from which I learned quite a bit. Overall, a useful book to help you feel and look your best.

RATING:
4 (out of 5) pennies

*I received a complimentary copy of Eat Beautiful from Blogging For Books for my honest review*

A New Way To Dinner

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Hesser, Amanda. Stubbs, Merrill. Food 52: A New Way To Dinner: A Playbook of Recipes and Strategies for the Week Ahead. New York, USA: Ten Speed Press. 2016.

anewwaytodinner

SUMMARY:
With busyness surrounding us everywhere, everyone could use some help…especially when it comes to dinner. Authors and co-founders of Food 52, Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, set up dinner for each week with seasonal favorites, a grocery list, full weekday meals, complete recipes and accompanying photographs. With the premise of making a week full of meals on the weekend before, there are also informational tidbits, personal stories, additional recipes for the included ingredients and cooking helps. Printed on sturdier paper in a well organized manner, A New Way To Dinner may make life a bit easier and definitely more delicious…

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS:
What a useful cookbook! With fresh recipes according to seasons, Food 52: A New Way To Dinner is a beautiful book sharing the necessities of cooking for the week on Sundays. Following the full menus is easy with creative recipes full of inventive recipes yet common fare. Perfect for busy families, traveling couples or retired seniors, it would make a wonderful gift as well as kept for personal use. Ease and innovation paired.

RATING:
4.5 (out of 5) pennies

*I received a complimentary copy of A New Way To Dinner from Blogging For Books for my honest review*

Inspiralize Everything

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Maffucci, Ali. Inspiralize Everything: An Apples-to-Zucchini Encyclopedia of Spiralizing. New York, NY: Clarkson potter/ Publishers. 2016.

*inspiralzeeverything

SUMMARY:
With the focus on turning vegetables into delicious meals, Inspiralize Everything takes everyday vegetables and spiralizes them into creative, healthy dinners. With an entire book devoted to using and cooking with the spiralizer, different vegetables are sorted alphabetically and coupled with clean-eating recipes. As the award winning blogger and author of Inspiralize, Ali Maffucci continues her quest for healthy, hearty and inspirational meals.

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS:
Again, another wonderful spiralizer cookbook packed full of beautiful photographs, easy to follow directions and palate-pleasing ideas for fresh and healthful fare. Enjoying this current cookbook even better than the author’s previous one, I especially like the included vegetables and their categorizations. The recipes using the spiralized vegetables are not only delectable, but also doable. With recipes such as Spicy Cabbage and Carrot Detox Soup, and Pear, Pomegranate and Roast Turkey Salad, as well as Sun-Dried Tomato, Chicken and Broccoli Pasta, there is sure to be something for everyone in an easily accessible manner.

RATING:
5 (out of 5) pennies

*I received a complimentary copy of Inspiralize Everything from Blogging For Books for my honest review*

Modern Potluck

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Donnelly, Kristin. Modern Potluck: Beautiful Food To Share. New York, USA: Clarkson Potter/ Publishers. 2016.

modernpotluck

SUMMARY:
Certainly not your typical church-potluck cookbook, Modern Potluck brings the potluck supper current. With a modern trend toward sustainability, more vegetable and plant-based items in meals, and an open inclusion of food from around the world, food writer and recipe developer, Kristin Donnelly, shares her contemporary reinvention of the potluck supper. Included with the recipe instructions, there are also hints and tips, accompanying photographs, and personal briefings on each recipe. From snacks, dips and drinks, to salads, main dishes and sides, the recipes and ingredients span slow-cooked meals, casseroles, sauces, and of course, sweets.

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS:
As the modern manner of eating changes, so too, must the cookbooks. As a result, author Krisitn Donnelly takes the stereotypic potluck suppers into the present stage of cooking. With added vegetables, less processed foods, creative ingredients, additional seasonings as well as family friendly options with ease, Modern Potluck looks and cooks differently. Allowing for special-diet options (gluten-free, vegan, low sodium), these recipes are easily adaptable to any lifestyle, needs and preferences. Favorites recipes? Green Things and Potato Salad (potatoes, asparagus, and sugar-snap peas in lemon sauce) and Sweet-Spicy-Salty Snack Mix (popcorn, rice cakes, pumpkins seeds and sunflower seeds in a delicious sauce). Absolutely a book I will use often and recommend.

RATING:
4.5 (out of 5) pennies

*I received a complimentary copy of Modern Cookbook from Blogging For Books for my honest review*

Hello, Bicycle

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Brones, Anna. Hello, Bicycle: An Inspired Guide To The Two-Wheeled Life. New York, USA: Ten Speed Press. 2016.

hellobicycle

SUMMARY:
As the bicycle craze catches on, bicyclist, author and foodie, Anna Brones, shares her knowledge, love and enthusiasm of bike riding with readers. Whether biking seriously, cycling for recreation, commuting to places or leisurely pedaling, Hello, Bicycle offers lots of information on the subject of bicycling. With the history of bicycles, recipes for the road, accessories for the bike, maintenance of the vehicle, safety for the street and resources/ hacks for cyclists, this sturdy little book packed with useful ideas and cute illustrations will get you on two-wheels fast…

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS:
As an avid recreational biker for most of my life, I loved this book. Full of required information but lots of creative ideas too, Hello, Bicycle is perfect for the experienced or new biker. The included recipes gave me some new options for our protein-packed jar meals on those longer rides, and the nostalgia of inserting playing cards in the spokes for that added clicking noise was so fun! (I am sure my kids will love it when I put some in my wheels for the next ride, LOL). Great as a gift or wonderful for your own use, this book is certainly a necessity in the world of biking.

RATING:
5 (out of 5) pennies

*I received a complimentary copy of Hello, Bicycle from Blogging For Books for my honest review*

The Naked Cookbook

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Ward, Tess. The Naked Cookbook. New York, USA: Ten Speed Press. 2016.

thenakedcookbook

SUMMARY:
Living with a parasite for five years due to a trip out of the country, author, blogger and Le Cordon Bleu chef Tess Ward, shares her creativity found in her healthy recipes. In her book, The Naked Cookbook, she celebrates food at its rawest form, nothing processed or refined, and no fad diet regimes. Touting a sustained method of eating which naturally supports overall health and happiness, simple, delicious and stripped back recipes include smoothies, rhubarb sauce, coconut yogurt, salmon tartare, and many others. With information on detox, pantry items and superfoods, even the covers are in a pure and natural state…

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS:
Natural in all respects, The Naked Cookbook is simple yet healthful. With many recipes from which to chose, the Chive Crepes with Avocado and Smoked Salmon as well as the Flax and Pumpkin Bread sound delicious! Gaining even more ideas from her pantry listing, broths and stocks, sauces and dressings, this book would definitely be an asset in the kitchen of someone invested in the clean and natural eating lifestyle. Only thing missing were a few more of the beautiful photographs.

RATING:
4.5 (out of 5) pennies

*I received a complimentary copy of The Naked Cookbook from Blogging For Books for my honest review*

60 Ways To Lower Your Blood Pressure

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Lesslie MD, Robert D. 60 Ways To Lower Your Blood Pressure: What You Need to Know to Save Your Life. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers. 2015.

60waystoloweryourbloodpressure

SUMMARY:
Known as the “silent killer”, many Americans are experiencing health problems as they live longer, one of those being High Blood Pressure (HPB). With explanations of the condition, ideal numbers, ways to tackle the problem and lots of healthy lifestyle advice coupled with bouts of faith, author Dr. Robert Lesslie shares his knowledge and experiences with HPB. Medications, diet, exercise and genetics combine with personal stories, examples, facts and medical knowledge to fight this growing health issue. Affecting not only blood pressure but other areas of health as well, there is hope and actions to combat this concern, and the time to begin is now…

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS:
Having experience with high blood pressure in my own family, this book was a no-brainer of a read for me. Packed with lots of good information, attainable steps, necessary actions and healthy lifestyle tidbits, 60 Ways To Lower Your Blood Pressure is a step towards assurance of living longer and better. Either reading the book straight through or in smaller sections, it serves as a wonderful reference guide to HBP. Keeping it on my bookshelf but also sharing it with my affected family members, this is one book I definitely recommend.

RATING:
4.5 (out of 5) pennies

*I received a complimentary copy of 60 Ways To Lower Your Blood Pressure from Harvest House Publishers for my honest review*