Me, You and the Kids Too

Me, You and the Kids Too

by Renee Elliott

3 stars

 

176 pages

Published March 2012 by Duncan Baird Publishers 

 

A beautifully photographed, reader-friendly cookbook for families who want to eat more healthy. My favorite part of the book was that most of the recipes had side notes showing you how to make baby food and purees for your baby from the ingredients that you were already using in the regular recipe.

The only gripe I have with the book is that the author consistently uses hard-to-find, much more expensive ingredients in her recipes, many of which I have never heard. It's hard to spend the extra money if you are on a budget.

Of course, I am a neophyte when it comes to quinoa and spelt and all those other "healthy" grains, so maybe the health benefits outweigh the financial factors. And at the risk of sounding blasphemous, I disagreed with the authors disdain for cow's milk.

But if you can overlook the author's high-brow opinions and high-budget ingredients, this is a pretty cool cookbook. I can even see myself using some of the recipes (tweaked a little) with my family.

And thank you NetGalley.com for providing this book for review.

The Accidental Bride

The Accidental Bride (Summer Island #2)

by Christina Skye

3 stars

 

376 pages

Published Sept. 18, 2012 by Harlequin

 

I wasn't overly thrilled with this book, but it was a sweet story without all the yucky sex scenes. A bit of an unbelievable plot, with the main characters falling in love the moment they see each other - call me jaded, but it usually doesn't happen that way. I guess that's why it's a "romance" book - the idealized version of love.

I was a little bugged by the blatant use of puppies and knitting and cooking in the book - it was as if the author thought of three things that women love and stuck them in the book to appeal to the widest range. I'm surprised that kittens and rainbows did not make an appearance, although reading in front of a sunset did (which is my personal favorite). See! It caught me, too!

Doubt I'll read another one in the series. But it was a good experiment.

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket #1)

by Roald Dahl, Faith Jaques (Illustrator)

5 stars

Published 1989 by Cornerstone Books (first published 1964)

 

Well, of course I'm going to give this book 5 stars. That's a given. Roald Dahl is one of my most favorite authors of all-time. He writes magic. He is the Dr. Seuss of Juvenile Fiction.

I read this as a bed-time story to my son. He ate it up (no pun intended). Fabulous writing, a delightful plot and a not-so-subtle commentary on "bad" children meld to create a book that is entirely readable, loveable and unforgettable.

The books is infinitely better than the movies - yes, BOTH movies. Wonka is portrayed in the book as a bit eccentric, but not creepy. Yeah, I said it - Johnny Depp was freakin' creepy as Willy Wonka!

Anyway, before I get off topic too much ... I recommend this book to anyone with a brain. Anyone who breathes. Read this book!

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs #1)

by Judi Barrett, Ron Barrett 

5 stars

32 pages
 

Published Apr. 1, 1982 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers (first published 1978)

I was so excited when they came out with a movie about this book, because this book is one of my absolute favorites from growing up. Too bad the movie didn't live up to its inspiration (do they ever??)

The clever story, wonderful illustrations and fabulous writing make this a memorable romp in childhood frivolity and food fantasy. I introduced Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs to my children, and they loved it just as much I did. Even now that they are older, they still love getting it out and reading it.

If you have seen the movie, but not read the book ... GO READ THE BOOK! It's a hundred times better and so, so enjoyable. Literally generations of children have read and adored this book!

Waffles: Fun Recipes for Every Meal

Waffles: Fun Recipes for Every Meal

by Tara Duggan

5 stars

96 pages

Published Mar. 13, 2012 by Weldon Owen

 

I am a sucker for waffles - having visited my family in Belgium when they lived there - but I haven't found a waffle cookbook that has recipes in it that I actually want to try. It's the same old stuff. This cookbook is different! Along with the regular breakfast recipes, it has savory and dessert recipes as well. I am actually excited to try the sourdough BLT waffles!

The pictures are gorgeous, and the basic waffle recipes (which are the base for the myriad other recipes) look easy and doable. I especially like the picture of what the batter is supposed to look like. Can't wait to bust out my waffle iron!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher Welden Owen for providing this book for review!