Let me just start off by saying that I am completely in LOVE with the newest book I am reviewing from Blogging for Books!
If you and your children love crafts, this is the book for you! Paper Goods Projects by Jodi Levine is the ultimate fun craft heaven.
This book covers everything from toddler crafts that are super adorable to older children crafts that are cute enough to give away as gifts.
The first line of the Forward section had me hooked. "The first rule of crafting is Don't Drop the Glitter" If your husbands are anything like mine, spilled glitter is the end of the world. He despises glitter and any and all things that have to do with it. Of course that means I have to buy it in bulk and use it on every craft project that I do with my 4 year old daughter.
coffee filters and cupcake papers have their own section in this delightful book and you guessed it, its the first chapter! I have always wanted to try out some of the coffee filter crafts I see on pinterest but have not been brave enough. Now I have the tools to guide me through it with fool proof step by step directions. From flowers to cards and gift tags and a few things in between (I wont ruin the surprise for you) this book will have you seeking out the cutest cupcake papers in town. I mean, who would have though mini cupcake papers would make the cutest little dollhouse accessories?
If your household is anything like mine, there is always extra paper plates left over after parties that get put up in the top of the cupboard and shoved to the back where they are forgotten about. More are then purchased for the next party only to have them left over and added to the hidden stash once the party is over. Now that I have this amazing craft book, those left over hidden plates no longer have to stay stashed away. There are some amazingly adorable crafts that will use them up in no time. When party time comes around, there is always a need for dessert stands and none to be found. Now with all of those excess paper plates laying around, you can whip a few up in no time and proudly display all of your tasty treats to be gobbled up. Team those up with some fun paper plate masks for your party guests in the designs of lions, birds, or bunnies for the boys and perhaps some tiara's for the girls and you have a complete party set up made out of left over party supplies. Hard to go wrong with any of those ideas, especially when they come with detailed step by step directions and supply list.
Balloons...who doesn't love them? I know I do, well until they pop that is. My daughter loves to blow them up and promptly pop them and then just laugh and laugh. I am hoping that once we complete a few of the balloon crafts in this book she will no longer feel the need to do the popping stage. Pair a few balloons up with some dyed coffee filters, straws, paper plate or construction paper and you have the cutest little clown. lion, giraffe, ballerina, birds (I am in love with the birds) or planets. Follow that up with some cute little twisty letters to spell out words and you will be in balloon cuteness overload.
the last section of the book is "The Recycle Bin" and on my goodness are there ever some adorable crafts to make in this section. Im not sure if my husband will let me hang the sea creature mobile in our "ocean" themed bedroom but you better believe I am going to try!
The back of the book has templates for anything and everything you will need to complete the crafts in certain sections of the book with directions on what type of scissors to use and were to use them at. What percentage to enlarge what photo. Where to make a slit, what sections need to be overlapped, and where and what needs to be folded.
Jodie Levine has done an amazing job of mapping out exactly what you need to complete each craft, and step by step direction on how to create it. Jodie used to be on the staff of Martha Stewart Living magazine as a craft editor and once you get through this book you will clearly see that she was an amazing craft editor and that job suited her well.
Each craft comes with amazing photos by Amy Gropp Forbes. Each photo shows the craft in a way that makes you want to complete each one to see how cute your own will turn out.
I couldn't be happier with the selection of this book and cannot wait even more to start completing each one of these crafts with my daughter so we can both keep them as well as give them away.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
marshmellow heaven
This latest book review is brought to you by the newest delivery from blogging for books. I have loved getting fun free books in the mail in exchange for reviewing them. The hardest part is always picking just one at a time to review!
This book had me drooling from the start! There is a lovely pink circle on the front cover that grabs your attention right away that says " 50 recipes for no-bake marshmallow treats" I have been wanting to make homemade marshmallows for two summers now and have yet to do it. I have zero excuses now!
This book is simply named TREAT. Doesn't get much better than that right there! There is a lovely photo of a rice crispy treat adorned with festive color sprinkles on top of it that is front and center on the cover of the book. Come on, who can resist that temptation! I certainly could not! Hence why I sit here writing this review of this very book.
95 pages of pure mouth watering deliciousness is what you will find bound within the pages of this very book. Stephanie Banyas knocks this book out of the park with what you find inside the covers. From the front cover to the back cover I found myself salivating with each page I turned. She could not have picked more delicious treats than what she did to include in the book. I mean, who can resist cream cheese home made marshmallows??? That may be the very first thing I attempt to concur!
The first chapter introduces marshmallows..vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and cream cheese are the variety you get to pick from. How do you choose what to attempt first? each recipe has a detailed list of the exact ingredients you will need to make these scrumptious little bites of fluff. These tasty little bites are made in 6-8 super easy steps that are lined out for you as well. It doesn't get much easier or better than this!
chapter two covers the "updated classics"
Toasted coconut treats, twenty first century treats, peanut butter-honey treats, toasted marshmallow treats, biscoff treats are just a few that are included in this section. Much like chapter one, each recipe in this section comes with a detailed ingredients list, measurements of each ingredient and step by step instructions so you simply cannot possibly mess up any of these delectable tasty treats.
What kind of book would this be if it did not have a chapter on tasty fruit concoctions? This one does for sure and it marks the bar pretty high in the must bake these tasty treats category!
you will find star shaped berry cobblers, strawberry lemonade treats (and not the liquid drinking kind!), key lime pie treats, raspberry cheesecake treats and lemon poppy seed treats. I'm a sucker for anything cheesecake so I'm thinking about substituting the key lime for the raspberries and testing out a little key lime cheesecake treat. I just cannot believe anything but deliciousness would ensure out of that combination! Yep you guessed it, instructions, step by step, ingredient list, measurements and all of that jazz are included in this section as well.
who can resist chocolate? certainly not me and I was excited to see a section devoted to chocolate all on its own. I've recently decided that I am a huge fan of mint and the second recipe in this chocolate section just so happens to include mint! ahhhhhh! mint chocolate treats. The only thing that could make this recipe any better would have been a photo to show what the finished product would look like. Purely so I could drool over it, of course. cookies and cream treats look fabulous, but then again when you pair up oreos and rice crispies how can you go wrong? This section will leave you hungry, I promise you of that. There are more recipes than just the two I mentioned but I will leave them as a surprise for you to check out. I cannot give away all of the secrets in this amazing tasty recipe book!
This book is wrapped up with the last section being Holiday Treats. All the favorites are included. Gingerbread, snickerdoodle, white chocolate cranberry, new York cherry cheesecake, and an added twist of chocolate potato chip treats. Im pretty sure that may be a new family tradition recipe. I mean come on, potato chips AND chocolate?? YUM! I wont give you the detailed instructions on how to make this (easy) delicious looking treat but if you purchase a copy of this book you will get them as well as all the others mentioned above. Are you ready to head to the book store yet?
The very last page is wrapped up with an index. A very detailed index at that.
From the front cover to the back cover this book is filled with amazing photos of delectable and delicious looking treats that are amazingly easy to prepare. I cannot suggest/recommend this book enough times. It is by far top notch quality and I promise you will not be disappointed in your purchase.
This book had me drooling from the start! There is a lovely pink circle on the front cover that grabs your attention right away that says " 50 recipes for no-bake marshmallow treats" I have been wanting to make homemade marshmallows for two summers now and have yet to do it. I have zero excuses now!
This book is simply named TREAT. Doesn't get much better than that right there! There is a lovely photo of a rice crispy treat adorned with festive color sprinkles on top of it that is front and center on the cover of the book. Come on, who can resist that temptation! I certainly could not! Hence why I sit here writing this review of this very book.
95 pages of pure mouth watering deliciousness is what you will find bound within the pages of this very book. Stephanie Banyas knocks this book out of the park with what you find inside the covers. From the front cover to the back cover I found myself salivating with each page I turned. She could not have picked more delicious treats than what she did to include in the book. I mean, who can resist cream cheese home made marshmallows??? That may be the very first thing I attempt to concur!
The first chapter introduces marshmallows..vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and cream cheese are the variety you get to pick from. How do you choose what to attempt first? each recipe has a detailed list of the exact ingredients you will need to make these scrumptious little bites of fluff. These tasty little bites are made in 6-8 super easy steps that are lined out for you as well. It doesn't get much easier or better than this!
chapter two covers the "updated classics"
Toasted coconut treats, twenty first century treats, peanut butter-honey treats, toasted marshmallow treats, biscoff treats are just a few that are included in this section. Much like chapter one, each recipe in this section comes with a detailed ingredients list, measurements of each ingredient and step by step instructions so you simply cannot possibly mess up any of these delectable tasty treats.
What kind of book would this be if it did not have a chapter on tasty fruit concoctions? This one does for sure and it marks the bar pretty high in the must bake these tasty treats category!
you will find star shaped berry cobblers, strawberry lemonade treats (and not the liquid drinking kind!), key lime pie treats, raspberry cheesecake treats and lemon poppy seed treats. I'm a sucker for anything cheesecake so I'm thinking about substituting the key lime for the raspberries and testing out a little key lime cheesecake treat. I just cannot believe anything but deliciousness would ensure out of that combination! Yep you guessed it, instructions, step by step, ingredient list, measurements and all of that jazz are included in this section as well.
who can resist chocolate? certainly not me and I was excited to see a section devoted to chocolate all on its own. I've recently decided that I am a huge fan of mint and the second recipe in this chocolate section just so happens to include mint! ahhhhhh! mint chocolate treats. The only thing that could make this recipe any better would have been a photo to show what the finished product would look like. Purely so I could drool over it, of course. cookies and cream treats look fabulous, but then again when you pair up oreos and rice crispies how can you go wrong? This section will leave you hungry, I promise you of that. There are more recipes than just the two I mentioned but I will leave them as a surprise for you to check out. I cannot give away all of the secrets in this amazing tasty recipe book!
This book is wrapped up with the last section being Holiday Treats. All the favorites are included. Gingerbread, snickerdoodle, white chocolate cranberry, new York cherry cheesecake, and an added twist of chocolate potato chip treats. Im pretty sure that may be a new family tradition recipe. I mean come on, potato chips AND chocolate?? YUM! I wont give you the detailed instructions on how to make this (easy) delicious looking treat but if you purchase a copy of this book you will get them as well as all the others mentioned above. Are you ready to head to the book store yet?
The very last page is wrapped up with an index. A very detailed index at that.
From the front cover to the back cover this book is filled with amazing photos of delectable and delicious looking treats that are amazingly easy to prepare. I cannot suggest/recommend this book enough times. It is by far top notch quality and I promise you will not be disappointed in your purchase.
Saturday, June 20, 2015
we all scream for ice cream
Summer is here and its time for some tasty ice cream delicious treats. what better way than homemade!
Today's book review is on the book "Big Gay Ice Cream" by Bryan Petroff and Douglas Quint and it came to me to review for free via Blogging for books.
I must say, when I saw this book title I was both curious and intrigued. I couldn't help but request it for a review. It is definitely not a children's book. There is some quite funny humor in this book but it is not child appropriate.
This book is laid out in a year book type of format with signatures and people writing notes to the authors. A few of the notes left say things like, "mister softee aint got nuthin on the big gay guys. They're the best thing to happen to soft serve since Viagra!" and "Dear bryan and doug thank goodness for your sweet sauces and toppings. They've gotten me through some tough times and make my day tastier" Some of the others had me literally belly laughing out loud.
This is the best book ever, just in case I have not said that yet!
The freshman year photos are adorned with everyone holding an ice cream cone amongst their other silly 80's attire.
The book starts off with the story of how the Big Gay Ice Cream truck came to be and just like the other parts of the book, the story is quite hilarious. I wont give any parts of it away because I want you to read it in its entirety on your own.
The list of items you will need to prepare your own ice cream does not disappoint. There are items such as Fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs, international and kisher foods, cookies cereals granola and pop tarts.....is your mind wandering yet as to what types of ice cream youre going to learn how to make in this book?
Equipment and tools that will be needed include items such as squeeze bottles, 1-quart plastic containers, funnels, microplanes, ice cream scoops, spreaders, coffee grinder, good sharp knives, French press, and juicer.....Im not even sure I know what some of these items are but im definitely going to find out!
Simple topping ideas that are suggested have me drooling all over the pages. Caramel, peanut brittle, honey and cayenne, jams and marmalades. How can any ice cream not be delicious with these items drizzled over the top of it!
the sophomore year section of the book has ice cream recipes included in it.
I cant wait to try toasted curried coconut. Two flavors that I would not normally pair together but for some reason the combination sounds quite tasty to me. Im certain that Whiskey Walnuts will be a favorite amongst any adult household that likes to have summer parties. And yes, whiskey is an ingredient in the making of this flavor. Pair this flavor with Bourbon butterscotch and everyone is sure to have fun!
The kids would be even more awesome after they have a few bowls full of awesomesauce flavored ice cream.
Junior year combines all of the years together and is a bit tacky and full of non children appropriate material. There are stories of items discovered in various ice cream trucks, none of which are things you want your children discovering! there are stories of people who have tasted and approved the various different ice cream concoctions, There are sundae recipes and the Mermaid sundae is on the top of my list to test out! Who doesn't want to eat anything that involves mermaids? I didn't read the ingredients list for the Gobbler sundae but it may or may not involve turkeys. Floats and shakes round up the junior year....Mexican coke, orange Fanta, grape crush, guiness beer, izze lime and sprechers root beer. The hardest decision im having is what order to try them out in.
Senior year is much like the other 3 years. Starts off with stories, photos (there have been amazingly fun and silly photos all the way throughout this book) This may be my favorite year of the book. Sorbet is my favorite form of ice cream and there are some mouth watering concoctions in this section. The very first recipe is concord grape. I am in love with anything that is grape flavored. This is on the must make list ASAP!
The book wraps up with an epilogue- senior year trip to ronnybrook and back again. A full story of the beginning to the end of the business that this book and its recipes are based on. Photos of being at the dairy plant and the fun that took place there.
acknowledgments and a few of our favorite things wrap up the last of the book just before the index that take up the last pages.
From the front cover and the first page of this book all the way through to the last page and the back cover of this book you will giggle, smile, belly laugh and want to share everything you read with all of your friends that have a sense of humor. I would be silly if I did not recommend this book to all the adults that I know for some great summer time treats, and yes some of the treats and recipes are indeed kid friendly, just don't let them read the pages before or after.
Today's book review is on the book "Big Gay Ice Cream" by Bryan Petroff and Douglas Quint and it came to me to review for free via Blogging for books.
I must say, when I saw this book title I was both curious and intrigued. I couldn't help but request it for a review. It is definitely not a children's book. There is some quite funny humor in this book but it is not child appropriate.
This book is laid out in a year book type of format with signatures and people writing notes to the authors. A few of the notes left say things like, "mister softee aint got nuthin on the big gay guys. They're the best thing to happen to soft serve since Viagra!" and "Dear bryan and doug thank goodness for your sweet sauces and toppings. They've gotten me through some tough times and make my day tastier" Some of the others had me literally belly laughing out loud.
This is the best book ever, just in case I have not said that yet!
The freshman year photos are adorned with everyone holding an ice cream cone amongst their other silly 80's attire.
The book starts off with the story of how the Big Gay Ice Cream truck came to be and just like the other parts of the book, the story is quite hilarious. I wont give any parts of it away because I want you to read it in its entirety on your own.
The list of items you will need to prepare your own ice cream does not disappoint. There are items such as Fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs, international and kisher foods, cookies cereals granola and pop tarts.....is your mind wandering yet as to what types of ice cream youre going to learn how to make in this book?
Equipment and tools that will be needed include items such as squeeze bottles, 1-quart plastic containers, funnels, microplanes, ice cream scoops, spreaders, coffee grinder, good sharp knives, French press, and juicer.....Im not even sure I know what some of these items are but im definitely going to find out!
Simple topping ideas that are suggested have me drooling all over the pages. Caramel, peanut brittle, honey and cayenne, jams and marmalades. How can any ice cream not be delicious with these items drizzled over the top of it!
the sophomore year section of the book has ice cream recipes included in it.
I cant wait to try toasted curried coconut. Two flavors that I would not normally pair together but for some reason the combination sounds quite tasty to me. Im certain that Whiskey Walnuts will be a favorite amongst any adult household that likes to have summer parties. And yes, whiskey is an ingredient in the making of this flavor. Pair this flavor with Bourbon butterscotch and everyone is sure to have fun!
The kids would be even more awesome after they have a few bowls full of awesomesauce flavored ice cream.
Junior year combines all of the years together and is a bit tacky and full of non children appropriate material. There are stories of items discovered in various ice cream trucks, none of which are things you want your children discovering! there are stories of people who have tasted and approved the various different ice cream concoctions, There are sundae recipes and the Mermaid sundae is on the top of my list to test out! Who doesn't want to eat anything that involves mermaids? I didn't read the ingredients list for the Gobbler sundae but it may or may not involve turkeys. Floats and shakes round up the junior year....Mexican coke, orange Fanta, grape crush, guiness beer, izze lime and sprechers root beer. The hardest decision im having is what order to try them out in.
Senior year is much like the other 3 years. Starts off with stories, photos (there have been amazingly fun and silly photos all the way throughout this book) This may be my favorite year of the book. Sorbet is my favorite form of ice cream and there are some mouth watering concoctions in this section. The very first recipe is concord grape. I am in love with anything that is grape flavored. This is on the must make list ASAP!
The book wraps up with an epilogue- senior year trip to ronnybrook and back again. A full story of the beginning to the end of the business that this book and its recipes are based on. Photos of being at the dairy plant and the fun that took place there.
acknowledgments and a few of our favorite things wrap up the last of the book just before the index that take up the last pages.
From the front cover and the first page of this book all the way through to the last page and the back cover of this book you will giggle, smile, belly laugh and want to share everything you read with all of your friends that have a sense of humor. I would be silly if I did not recommend this book to all the adults that I know for some great summer time treats, and yes some of the treats and recipes are indeed kid friendly, just don't let them read the pages before or after.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
squeeze the.....mayonnaise!
The wonderful people at Influenster picked me to sample and review the Hellmann's mayonnaise for free and review it.
im not usually a big mayonnaise fan for a few reasons. I truly dislike having to stick half my hand in the big jar with a knife to scoop out some mayonnaise. half my hand is usually covered with mayonnaise and that just grosses me out! With this new bottle that Hellmanns has brilliantly come up with, all you have to do is squeeze. GENIOUS! there is no mess, no hands getting goopy and no knife falling off the top of the open mayonnaise jar.
Im especially impressed with the fact that Hellmanns is committed to using cage free eggs in the making of this product. That alone may make me purchase this product on a regular basis. Im not much of a mayonnaise eater but I do enjoy macaroni salad and lets face the facts, you simply cannot eat macaroni salad without mayonnaise in it.
I highly suggest any and all of you give this product a good taste test, not only because it's made with quality ingredients but because the new squeeze bottle is simply to hard to pass up giving a good squeeze.
a baby food dream come true
Todays book review is brought to you by Blogging for Books free book "The amazing make-ahead baby food book" written by Lisa Barrangou, PhD
I am overjoyed to review this free book.
This is the cutest little book I have laid my hands on since my last book review. The front cover is adorned with delicious looking peach slices siting next to a glass jar full of pureed baby food. I wont lie, I would totally eat it myself, it looks so scrumptious! The rather peculiar thing about this book is that the pages inside are upside down and backwards from the orientation of the cover. I am not sure if this was a mix up or if it was intentionally done. It make me smile and takes absolutely nothing away from the contents of the book and the wonder that the pages inside hold.
The photographs in this book are mouth watering. Erin Scott did an amazing job with each one that she took. everything looks like you could just pick it right off the pages and eat it.
There are 6 steps in the make ahead strategy and this book guides you through each and every one of them.
step 1: select a menu of whole foods
step 2: prepare a shopping list
step 3: create space
step 4: shop for whole foods
step 5: create a mise en place plan
step 6: prepare baby food.
for all of you who though this was a hard and challenging process...it's easy!
Whole foods are really encouraged and pushed for the ingredients in this book. They are afterall, the best foods to be nurturing your babys body with. This book list nothing but the best of those whole foods from fruits to vegetables to legumes to grains. If you follow the guidelines of the book, its foolproof.
The first cooking sessions 1, 2 and 3 outline what to cook, how to cook it and how long to cook it along with how long to puree and or steam it. following that is an amazingly delicious three, yes I said three month menu and various ways to combine food together. What an amazing tool right at your fingertips!
Mix-in's. I never would have thought of these to, well, mix in! Yogurt, eggs, ground nuts and seeds, cheeses, meats and fish are just some of the suggestions. Of course there is a step by step method of how much to use and just how to mix it in. What an amazing way to expand your baby's taste pallet! The flavor compatibility guide is a genius addition to this book. I know I often get stumped when trying to come up with new combinations. there are literally hundreds of suggestions and ideas and every bit of it is good for your baby.
Chapter 3 talks about simple puree recipes. I rather enjoy this chapter of the book. sometimes I don't have the time to make 3 months of food ahead of time and just need a quick and simple recipe to get me through a few days. It would also be a great idea to try a few of these out before making a bulk supply of them in case its not a favorite. The author, Lisa Barrangou has literally though of everything in this book. In this section she has included a symbol guide for items that can be found frozen, part of the clean 15, are part of the dirty dozen list or has an edible skin that will not need to be peeled after ten to twelve months of age. She is simply amazing and has provided every bit of information to make this a painful and enjoyable process.
For those mommas with gluten free babies or who want to avoid it for other reasons, there is a recipe for gluten free whole grain cereal made from scratch.....I told you guys, she has thought of everything!
Chapter 4....combining puree recipes. Who would of though to combine spinach with bananas or curried squashed peas? I sure wouldn't have but reading some of these recipes is sure making me hungry! I may even be tempted to make some of these combinations for myself, unpureed of course.
Chapter 5 introduces finger foods and advanced meals for the older babies. homemade banana pancakes with mini chocolate chips just might have to be a breakfast menu item that is made soon in our home. How can your day go wrong when it is started with such wonderfully delicious food such as that! Cream fruit roll-ups are a bit deceiving. They are not the typical fruit roll up that you purchase in the store. These are made with a whole wheat tortilla filled with cream cheese and a fruit puree that is all rolled up and cut into finger food sized bites. I want to eat these myself, they look amazing! who wouldn't want to sneak a taste of some Gar-licky hummus dip!
This book is wrapped up with an appendix at the back of it. What kind of appendix you ask yourself, well none other than an "all about health" appendix. This appendix includes a wealth of background information on nutrients, digestive health, nitrate and mercury concerns, and special diets such as vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. This book doesnt get any better!
I am overjoyed to review this free book.
This is the cutest little book I have laid my hands on since my last book review. The front cover is adorned with delicious looking peach slices siting next to a glass jar full of pureed baby food. I wont lie, I would totally eat it myself, it looks so scrumptious! The rather peculiar thing about this book is that the pages inside are upside down and backwards from the orientation of the cover. I am not sure if this was a mix up or if it was intentionally done. It make me smile and takes absolutely nothing away from the contents of the book and the wonder that the pages inside hold.
The photographs in this book are mouth watering. Erin Scott did an amazing job with each one that she took. everything looks like you could just pick it right off the pages and eat it.
There are 6 steps in the make ahead strategy and this book guides you through each and every one of them.
step 1: select a menu of whole foods
step 2: prepare a shopping list
step 3: create space
step 4: shop for whole foods
step 5: create a mise en place plan
step 6: prepare baby food.
for all of you who though this was a hard and challenging process...it's easy!
Whole foods are really encouraged and pushed for the ingredients in this book. They are afterall, the best foods to be nurturing your babys body with. This book list nothing but the best of those whole foods from fruits to vegetables to legumes to grains. If you follow the guidelines of the book, its foolproof.
The first cooking sessions 1, 2 and 3 outline what to cook, how to cook it and how long to cook it along with how long to puree and or steam it. following that is an amazingly delicious three, yes I said three month menu and various ways to combine food together. What an amazing tool right at your fingertips!
Mix-in's. I never would have thought of these to, well, mix in! Yogurt, eggs, ground nuts and seeds, cheeses, meats and fish are just some of the suggestions. Of course there is a step by step method of how much to use and just how to mix it in. What an amazing way to expand your baby's taste pallet! The flavor compatibility guide is a genius addition to this book. I know I often get stumped when trying to come up with new combinations. there are literally hundreds of suggestions and ideas and every bit of it is good for your baby.
Chapter 3 talks about simple puree recipes. I rather enjoy this chapter of the book. sometimes I don't have the time to make 3 months of food ahead of time and just need a quick and simple recipe to get me through a few days. It would also be a great idea to try a few of these out before making a bulk supply of them in case its not a favorite. The author, Lisa Barrangou has literally though of everything in this book. In this section she has included a symbol guide for items that can be found frozen, part of the clean 15, are part of the dirty dozen list or has an edible skin that will not need to be peeled after ten to twelve months of age. She is simply amazing and has provided every bit of information to make this a painful and enjoyable process.
For those mommas with gluten free babies or who want to avoid it for other reasons, there is a recipe for gluten free whole grain cereal made from scratch.....I told you guys, she has thought of everything!
Chapter 4....combining puree recipes. Who would of though to combine spinach with bananas or curried squashed peas? I sure wouldn't have but reading some of these recipes is sure making me hungry! I may even be tempted to make some of these combinations for myself, unpureed of course.
Chapter 5 introduces finger foods and advanced meals for the older babies. homemade banana pancakes with mini chocolate chips just might have to be a breakfast menu item that is made soon in our home. How can your day go wrong when it is started with such wonderfully delicious food such as that! Cream fruit roll-ups are a bit deceiving. They are not the typical fruit roll up that you purchase in the store. These are made with a whole wheat tortilla filled with cream cheese and a fruit puree that is all rolled up and cut into finger food sized bites. I want to eat these myself, they look amazing! who wouldn't want to sneak a taste of some Gar-licky hummus dip!
This book is wrapped up with an appendix at the back of it. What kind of appendix you ask yourself, well none other than an "all about health" appendix. This appendix includes a wealth of background information on nutrients, digestive health, nitrate and mercury concerns, and special diets such as vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. This book doesnt get any better!
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Journaling through pregnancy...
I am excited to announce the newest book I received from blogging for books to blog about. This is the cutest little pregnancy planner and journal that I have seen in quite some time.
The cover is a sweet little blue with white circles and dots on it with a big circle in the middle to add a photo of your own into.
This book begins with a little congrats note regarding your sweet new bundle of joy, how adorable is that! It is then followed up with instructions on how to use the planner to get the most use out of it as well as including the website Thebump.com where you can add additional details that will not fit into the compact size of this book. What a great idea!
Important phone numbers, sections to write notes to your baby, prenatal text descriptions and explanations as to why they are necessary and a section to record your doctor visits are all some of the pages that are laid out leading up to your pouch for keepsakes throughout your first trimester.
Baby bump photos, the size of your baby, a section to record your reaction, thoughts and feelings regarding finding out you were expecting, Things to stop doing, things to start doing, what to eat, what not to eat, suggested questions for the OB at your next visit, due date chart and some wonderful exercise suggestions are what you will find leading up to your pouch for the second trimester keepsakes.
Maternity leave information, child care; daycare versus choosing a nanny, classes you should take to prepare for baby and the size of your baby.....sweet potato, mango, banana, papaya and grapefruit are all comparable sizes for week 18 through week 22.
This section also has a page for your mid-pregnancy ultrasound photo and all the great information that came along with getting it done. Baby shower planning, do's and don'ts and gender reveals, baby registry item suggestions. This is a great list that covers just about every angle of every item needed for that sweet bundle of joy. nursery decorating suggestions, baby proofing suggestions, baby kick log, and another page for a little letter to your sweet baby are some of the things included leading up to the third trimester goody pouch.
The last section of the book does not include a little keepsake pouch but it does include things such as, what to pack in your hospital bag, birth planning and every possible option that comes along with that, Questions for the hospital, signs of labor and all the stages that come along with it.
The last pages are dedicated to your sweet baby...first days, bringing them home, photos, check up's, feeding tracker and gift logs.
This book is smaller on size but packed full of priceless information, suggestions and ideas. It's the perfect size to fit into a purse or diaper bag and have with you at all times. I will purchase this for all of my soon to be mommy friends, and let me tell you, right now that is quite a few!
The cover is a sweet little blue with white circles and dots on it with a big circle in the middle to add a photo of your own into.
This book begins with a little congrats note regarding your sweet new bundle of joy, how adorable is that! It is then followed up with instructions on how to use the planner to get the most use out of it as well as including the website Thebump.com where you can add additional details that will not fit into the compact size of this book. What a great idea!
Important phone numbers, sections to write notes to your baby, prenatal text descriptions and explanations as to why they are necessary and a section to record your doctor visits are all some of the pages that are laid out leading up to your pouch for keepsakes throughout your first trimester.
Baby bump photos, the size of your baby, a section to record your reaction, thoughts and feelings regarding finding out you were expecting, Things to stop doing, things to start doing, what to eat, what not to eat, suggested questions for the OB at your next visit, due date chart and some wonderful exercise suggestions are what you will find leading up to your pouch for the second trimester keepsakes.
Maternity leave information, child care; daycare versus choosing a nanny, classes you should take to prepare for baby and the size of your baby.....sweet potato, mango, banana, papaya and grapefruit are all comparable sizes for week 18 through week 22.
This section also has a page for your mid-pregnancy ultrasound photo and all the great information that came along with getting it done. Baby shower planning, do's and don'ts and gender reveals, baby registry item suggestions. This is a great list that covers just about every angle of every item needed for that sweet bundle of joy. nursery decorating suggestions, baby proofing suggestions, baby kick log, and another page for a little letter to your sweet baby are some of the things included leading up to the third trimester goody pouch.
The last section of the book does not include a little keepsake pouch but it does include things such as, what to pack in your hospital bag, birth planning and every possible option that comes along with that, Questions for the hospital, signs of labor and all the stages that come along with it.
The last pages are dedicated to your sweet baby...first days, bringing them home, photos, check up's, feeding tracker and gift logs.
This book is smaller on size but packed full of priceless information, suggestions and ideas. It's the perfect size to fit into a purse or diaper bag and have with you at all times. I will purchase this for all of my soon to be mommy friends, and let me tell you, right now that is quite a few!
Thursday, April 2, 2015
point, click, shoot
I have never been so excited to receive a free book as I was this last book from blogging for books.
I have always enjoyed taking photographs and have really taught myself along the way but there is so much I have no clue about. I really have no idea what most of the settings on my camera are for or what they do when used. It's amazing that any of my pictures actually turn out!
This book review is on John Shaw's Guide to Digital Nature Photography.
Let me just start off by saying that this book is RAD!
This book starts off with the contents page that is sectioned off into 6 different categories that cover literally everything from your gear to composition to what John Shaw uses himself personally.
John includes both information for Cannon AND Nikon cameras. That in itself is great information. Everyone has their own preference on what brand of camera they like to use. I myself prefer a Cannon but I know several photographer friends who really do love their Nikon cameras.
each section is detailed things like shutter speed, aperture, ISO (which is something I desperately need help to understand) manual exposure and when to use it and how to use it.
This book covers everything you need to know to operate your camera and or to keep your knowledge up to date.
My favorite part of the book is that he includes photos on almost every page and off to the side of the photo is a little section that explains what the photo is of, what camera he used and all the settings on the camera when the photo was taken. Now to someone who understands all that lingo, that information is pretty darn important.
After reading this book cover to cover there is no doubt that you will be ready to pick up your camera and be ready to go shoot some amazing photos of the great outdoors and all of the beauty that she provides on a daily basis.
I have always enjoyed taking photographs and have really taught myself along the way but there is so much I have no clue about. I really have no idea what most of the settings on my camera are for or what they do when used. It's amazing that any of my pictures actually turn out!
This book review is on John Shaw's Guide to Digital Nature Photography.
Let me just start off by saying that this book is RAD!
This book starts off with the contents page that is sectioned off into 6 different categories that cover literally everything from your gear to composition to what John Shaw uses himself personally.
John includes both information for Cannon AND Nikon cameras. That in itself is great information. Everyone has their own preference on what brand of camera they like to use. I myself prefer a Cannon but I know several photographer friends who really do love their Nikon cameras.
each section is detailed things like shutter speed, aperture, ISO (which is something I desperately need help to understand) manual exposure and when to use it and how to use it.
This book covers everything you need to know to operate your camera and or to keep your knowledge up to date.
My favorite part of the book is that he includes photos on almost every page and off to the side of the photo is a little section that explains what the photo is of, what camera he used and all the settings on the camera when the photo was taken. Now to someone who understands all that lingo, that information is pretty darn important.
After reading this book cover to cover there is no doubt that you will be ready to pick up your camera and be ready to go shoot some amazing photos of the great outdoors and all of the beauty that she provides on a daily basis.
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