The Food Network Magazine editors have put together the MOST amazing dessert cookbook, entitled, "Sweet: Our Best Cupcakes, Cookies, Candy and More". This dessert cookbook features classic dessert dishes such as peach pie, pineapple upside down cake, and whoopie pies, as well as the most uncommon dishes, such as mini bacon cheesecakes, s'mores cake, banana-marshmallow meringue pie.
With over 300 pages of delicious recipes (as evidenced by the full page photos that will have your mouth watering), and a photo table of contents, it's easy to find something to bake. With so many different recipes, it's easy to find a recipe that has ingredients that I already have on hand. Most of the recipes are simple, which I appreciated.
As a busy mom of two young children, I really loved that I could flip through this book and find a recipe that I could make easily with whatever time I had. There are such a huge variety of flavors in this book, and I loved it. I am super excited to test out the "holiday desserts" chapter of this book soon, as well!
Amazing recipes, easy to follow directions, and photographic proof of the results! I would give this cook book a 5/5, easily, and HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who loves to bake!
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BloggingforBooks.org's blogger program in exchange for this review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Riley Mae and the Sole Fire Safari
"Riley Mae and the Sole Fire Safari" is the third book in the series that features shoe model, Riley Mae. In this adventure Riley Mae and her crew are headed to Africa for an advertisement campaign for the Sole Fire running shoes. Riley Mae heads to Kenya with her mom, and friends in tow. Almost immediately after arriving in Africa, Riley Mae wishes she was ANYWHERE except Africa.
This book does a good job of highlighting the vast differences between what most teenagers here in the U.S. would consider to be "normal", versus what life is really like for teenagers in another country. Riley Mae encounters strange new foods and a lot of hard work, which less than excites her. Riley Mae leans on her faith throughout her experiences in Africa, and even shares her faith with a young orphan that she meets.
I think that this book is a great book for the pre-teen age group, as it does highlight some Christian ideals and shows them being put into action, but without being too preachy, which will usually turn most teens off. Katrina Cassel does a great job of developing Riley Mae's character, making the shoe model a character that is easy to love.
There is a little bit of a language barrier with some of the African terms that are used in this book - it took me several times of having to look back to remember what the terms meant before I could keep track of them. The terms aren't overwhelming in number, but there are some.
Overall I would give this book a 5/5, and highly recommend it for pre-teens. It's a lengthy read, with over 200 pages, and the African vocabulary making the read slightly more difficult, I think ages 10 and up would be appropriate.
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookLook Blogger's program in exchange for my review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
This book does a good job of highlighting the vast differences between what most teenagers here in the U.S. would consider to be "normal", versus what life is really like for teenagers in another country. Riley Mae encounters strange new foods and a lot of hard work, which less than excites her. Riley Mae leans on her faith throughout her experiences in Africa, and even shares her faith with a young orphan that she meets.
I think that this book is a great book for the pre-teen age group, as it does highlight some Christian ideals and shows them being put into action, but without being too preachy, which will usually turn most teens off. Katrina Cassel does a great job of developing Riley Mae's character, making the shoe model a character that is easy to love.
There is a little bit of a language barrier with some of the African terms that are used in this book - it took me several times of having to look back to remember what the terms meant before I could keep track of them. The terms aren't overwhelming in number, but there are some.
Overall I would give this book a 5/5, and highly recommend it for pre-teens. It's a lengthy read, with over 200 pages, and the African vocabulary making the read slightly more difficult, I think ages 10 and up would be appropriate.
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookLook Blogger's program in exchange for my review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Adventure Bible for Toddlers
The "Adventure Bible for Toddlers" by Catherine DeVries is a new Bible storybook for the very young child, published by Zonderkidz. This storybook features ten Bible stories, bringing Bible characters like Jonah, Daniel, Moses, and Jesus to life for young kids. The Bible states on the back cover that it is for ages 4-8, but I would recommend for ages 3 and under. The board pages make it easy for little fingers to turn the pages on their own, and the beautiful illustrations by Jim Madsen will attract little eyes. I have a 1 year old and a 6 year old, and while this book is great for my 1 year old, it is nowhere near appropriate for my 6 year old.
The stories are told in a concise way, with each page of the book having only a few sentences on it. DeVries uses simple language so it is very easy for little ones to understand what is happening. The pictures in this book coincide with the events. It's easy for little ones to see the illustrations and understand what is going on.
Overall I would definitely recommend this book to those with children under the age of three. I think this book would be an ideal first Bible storybook for this age group. The board book naturally lends itself to younger hands, making it easy for toddlers to independently look at this book. I would give this book a 5/5.
As I mentioned, the only issue I had with this book was the recommended age group. Definitely appropriate for much younger children than the book recommends. Would make a great birthday or Christmas present!
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookLookBloggers.com in exchange for my review.
The stories are told in a concise way, with each page of the book having only a few sentences on it. DeVries uses simple language so it is very easy for little ones to understand what is happening. The pictures in this book coincide with the events. It's easy for little ones to see the illustrations and understand what is going on.
Overall I would definitely recommend this book to those with children under the age of three. I think this book would be an ideal first Bible storybook for this age group. The board book naturally lends itself to younger hands, making it easy for toddlers to independently look at this book. I would give this book a 5/5.
As I mentioned, the only issue I had with this book was the recommended age group. Definitely appropriate for much younger children than the book recommends. Would make a great birthday or Christmas present!
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookLookBloggers.com in exchange for my review.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Berenstain Bears - "Blessed are the Peacemakers"
"Blessed are the Peacemakers" by Mike Berenstain is another adorable and lesson-teaching story from Bear Country. It's time for the All School Play, and Brother and Sister and nearly all the other cubs have landed parts in "Romeo and Grizzliet". Except that Queenie, who is part of Too-Tall's gang has the role of Grizzliet, and Ferdy Factual got the part of Romeo.
Too-Tall does not like Ferdy, and does not like that Ferdy and Queenie are "in love" in the play. This causes a lot of tension, and even a few arguments that have to be broken up by Brother and Sister, and the other cubs. There are several times in this story where there is a Biblical reference to making peace, which I liked. Brother and Sister remind Too-Tall and Ferdy that "peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness".
On the night of the big play, everyone in Bear Country comes to see "Romeo and Grizzliet", even Mayor and Mrs. Honeypot. The play is going wonderfully until Too-Tall thinks that Ferdy is playing his role a little too convincingly. An all out brawl nearly erupts on stage! Squire Grizzly and the Pastor have to break up the fight and restore order to the play! Preacher Brown tells the cubs, "turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it".
In the end, the cubs learn a valuable lesson about seeking peace, and I thought that the story was really great in conveying the message. The illustrations and story are typical of the Berenstain Bears series, and I loved that this story referenced the Bible in solving the cubs' problems.
I would give this book a 5/5. Recommended for ages 4 and up - my 6 year old loved it!
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
Too-Tall does not like Ferdy, and does not like that Ferdy and Queenie are "in love" in the play. This causes a lot of tension, and even a few arguments that have to be broken up by Brother and Sister, and the other cubs. There are several times in this story where there is a Biblical reference to making peace, which I liked. Brother and Sister remind Too-Tall and Ferdy that "peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness".
On the night of the big play, everyone in Bear Country comes to see "Romeo and Grizzliet", even Mayor and Mrs. Honeypot. The play is going wonderfully until Too-Tall thinks that Ferdy is playing his role a little too convincingly. An all out brawl nearly erupts on stage! Squire Grizzly and the Pastor have to break up the fight and restore order to the play! Preacher Brown tells the cubs, "turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it".
In the end, the cubs learn a valuable lesson about seeking peace, and I thought that the story was really great in conveying the message. The illustrations and story are typical of the Berenstain Bears series, and I loved that this story referenced the Bible in solving the cubs' problems.
I would give this book a 5/5. Recommended for ages 4 and up - my 6 year old loved it!
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Your Family In Pictures
"Your Family in Pictures" by Me Ra Koh is an easy to understand crash course in photographing family events, holidays, and other everyday events. This book is a simple tutorial on how to get the most out of photos that you are taking. I loved the simplicity of this book - I'm definitely an amateur photographer, but this book kept the technical lingo to a minimum, and really had tons of helpful tips for getting much better photos in less time.
One of the things I really liked about this book is that it offers tips for both point and shoot cameras as well as DSLR cameras. I thought that this was helpful for any user, and gives camera specific help, so truly anyone could use this book and get something helpful out of it. There are tons of photos in this book, to show you how the shot turned out, as well as aperture settings and shutter speed for the DLSR camera.
I thought that this book gave a lot of prompts for photo taking, such as Saturday mornings, when kids are just being kids, or bedtime rituals. These are everyday occurrences, but sometimes are overlooked, and having photos of some of these times are definitely must haves for me.
I would give this book a 5/5. I thought it offered TONS of tips for taking photos, and did so in a way that was easy to understand, even if you aren't a professional photographer. I am definitely going to be using some of these ideas to create even more family memories. Great book.
One of the things I really liked about this book is that it offers tips for both point and shoot cameras as well as DSLR cameras. I thought that this was helpful for any user, and gives camera specific help, so truly anyone could use this book and get something helpful out of it. There are tons of photos in this book, to show you how the shot turned out, as well as aperture settings and shutter speed for the DLSR camera.
I thought that this book gave a lot of prompts for photo taking, such as Saturday mornings, when kids are just being kids, or bedtime rituals. These are everyday occurrences, but sometimes are overlooked, and having photos of some of these times are definitely must haves for me.
I would give this book a 5/5. I thought it offered TONS of tips for taking photos, and did so in a way that was easy to understand, even if you aren't a professional photographer. I am definitely going to be using some of these ideas to create even more family memories. Great book.
The Mess Detectives and the Case of the Lost Temper
"The Mess Detectives and the Case of the Lost Temper" is a children's book, written by Karen Poth, and published by Zonderkidz. This book is a beginning reader book that uses simple sentences for new readers. After reading this book, I would say that there may be a few challenging words for early readers, and they may need a little help reading this book on their own.
In this book, "Veggie Tales" characters Bob the tomato and Larry the cucumber are detectives and hot on the trail of a door slamming suspect. Larry, acting as his usual silly self, makes Bob more and more aggravated as they stake out the Carrot house, trying to catch the door slammer. As Bob gets increasingly frustrated with Larry, he eventually loses his temper. Larry points out that Bob has lost his cool, and Bob agrees, and that's pretty much the end of it.
I really thought that this lesson could have been much more of a teaching children to lean on God when they are feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, or aggravated. I think that this book missed the opportunity to make that point. My children, even though they are young, struggle with their tempers, and I really feel like Larry and Bob could have gone into how Bob could calm down, and pray or lean on God in order to calm down. Instead, Larry just points out that Bob has lost his temper, and Bob basically says, "Yeah, you're right".
I thought the story was cute, but really think they missed the mark on the one thing that "Veggie Tales" always does - tying the moral of the story into Biblical examples. I would give this book a 2.5/5. Cute, but not the quality I would expect from the "Veggie Tales" characters.
FTC DISCLOSURE: I Received this book for free through the Book Look Blogger Program in exchange for my honest review.
In this book, "Veggie Tales" characters Bob the tomato and Larry the cucumber are detectives and hot on the trail of a door slamming suspect. Larry, acting as his usual silly self, makes Bob more and more aggravated as they stake out the Carrot house, trying to catch the door slammer. As Bob gets increasingly frustrated with Larry, he eventually loses his temper. Larry points out that Bob has lost his cool, and Bob agrees, and that's pretty much the end of it.
I really thought that this lesson could have been much more of a teaching children to lean on God when they are feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, or aggravated. I think that this book missed the opportunity to make that point. My children, even though they are young, struggle with their tempers, and I really feel like Larry and Bob could have gone into how Bob could calm down, and pray or lean on God in order to calm down. Instead, Larry just points out that Bob has lost his temper, and Bob basically says, "Yeah, you're right".
I thought the story was cute, but really think they missed the mark on the one thing that "Veggie Tales" always does - tying the moral of the story into Biblical examples. I would give this book a 2.5/5. Cute, but not the quality I would expect from the "Veggie Tales" characters.
FTC DISCLOSURE: I Received this book for free through the Book Look Blogger Program in exchange for my honest review.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Spiritual Renewal Study Bible
Zondervan Bibles' "ECPA Medallion of Excellence Bible of the Year" is the "Spiritual Renewal Study Bible : Experience New Growth and Transformation in Your Spiritual Walk". This Bible offers a lot of the commonly featured study tools that appear in several various study Bibles that I have seen in the last few years. It offers a chapter introduction page, character profiles, and extensive footnotes. This Bible does feature a couple of study tools that I have not yet seen.
This Bible has a feature that simplifies the process of spiritual renewal into a series of seven "keys", and they are highlighted throughout the Bible where the principle is put into action. These seven keys include "seek God and surrender to him", "see the truth", "speak the truth", "accept responsibility", "grieve, forgive and let go", "transform your life", and "preserve spiritual gains". This is the first time that I have seen this particular connection and study tool, and I thought it was really useful in the process of renewing the spirit.
Other study tools in this Bible include a devotional reading plan based on the spiritual keys, spiritual disciplines devotionals, spiritual discipline profiles, and character profiles. I thought that this Bible truly offers something new and different from others that also claim to be study Bibles. There are a lot of notes and study tools inserted into the text that I felt like there was literally some connection to be made in everything that I read.
Overall I would definitely give this Bible a 5/5. It is a great tool for anyone looking for a new study Bible, but especially those who feel that they could use a renewing of their spirit. Great Bible.
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this Bible for free from Book Look Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.
This Bible has a feature that simplifies the process of spiritual renewal into a series of seven "keys", and they are highlighted throughout the Bible where the principle is put into action. These seven keys include "seek God and surrender to him", "see the truth", "speak the truth", "accept responsibility", "grieve, forgive and let go", "transform your life", and "preserve spiritual gains". This is the first time that I have seen this particular connection and study tool, and I thought it was really useful in the process of renewing the spirit.
Other study tools in this Bible include a devotional reading plan based on the spiritual keys, spiritual disciplines devotionals, spiritual discipline profiles, and character profiles. I thought that this Bible truly offers something new and different from others that also claim to be study Bibles. There are a lot of notes and study tools inserted into the text that I felt like there was literally some connection to be made in everything that I read.
Overall I would definitely give this Bible a 5/5. It is a great tool for anyone looking for a new study Bible, but especially those who feel that they could use a renewing of their spirit. Great Bible.
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this Bible for free from Book Look Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.
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