The Whole Coconut Cookbook--Your Complete Coconut Resource Guide

This book is fantastic!  Whether you are just now beginning to experience all that coconuts have to offer, or whether you have been a coconut lover for many years, this book will have some treats for you!

In the beginning of the book, the author spends some time explaining and teaching about the many different parts of the coconut and various other coconut products made from different parts of the tree (like the nectar as a sweetener).  This is a wonderful treat and I appreciated learning new things that I did not know before.

Then, the delicious recipes follow. And YUM, YUM, YUM!  We made several of the recipes and each one that we made turned out to be a delicious new addition to our growing list of family favorites.  I love the versatility of coconut itself, and that it can be on the dessert menus but also on the savory menus.

I also wrongly thought that I would have to purchase whole coconuts and tear them apart in order to use this book, but that is not the case. The author gives you the information that you would need to know if you did want to use whole coconuts (in other words, the author teaches you how to prepare a whole coconut to use in these recipes), but these recipes also work well if incorporating coconut items purchased separately such as coconut oil or coconut flakes.

So if you are curious about coconuts, or even if you are already a coconut lover and are wanting some new, fresh ideas on coconut recipe creations, this book is for you!

Note:  I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

The Rooftop Growing Guide--A Great Place to Start!

This book was so intriguing that I read the entire book, cover-to-cover, in one day!  This book demonstrates that it can be very interesting to learn new things, and you don't have to be an expert to begin! 

The Rooftop Growing Guide walks you through the entire gardening process from building codes and structural support, to weather and wind conditions.  It even covers concepts like watering, composting, and plant selection.  The book certainly focuses specific details for consideration of a roof-top environment, but the large selection of topics certainly would benefit any person beginning a garden.  

We have been gathering materials this past weekend, and in the next week we will begin our new gardening project.  I am confident that I will not only have a successful garden, thanks to the tips that I have learned, but that I will also continue to be able to reference this guide for many years to come!

Note:  I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.    

The Water-Saving Garden

I originally was hoping that this book would cover ideas for a food or vegetable garden, but the focus tended to be more on water-saving techniques for landscaping vs. gardening. The book also presents concepts to apply vs. a 'how-to-guide' like I was hoping it would be.

As a plus, this book is beautiful from cover to cover. The photos are very rich and dynamic, and can stand alone as a benefit to this book.  It was also written in a more complex language structure than I was expecting.  
This book was very difficult and challenging for me to be interested in while reading it, and I am also struggling to write my thoughts about this book.  I would have liked to see it written in a more simple language structure with concise points along with tips and techniques. 

Overall, this book just wasn't for me.


Note:  I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Spark Joy

I absolutely love this book! It's the companion guide to the author's best seller (The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up), and this book gives illustrations for many of the folding and organizing techniques for some of her tips.

I have heard about this author, and I have seen many of the inspiring things people have had to say about her technique, but I have not read any of her previous materials.  This book certainly inspires me to read her other book, but I also appreciated that I could still utilize this book regardless.  She sums up various points that helps to explain the concepts that she believes when it comes to tidying and organizing.  I am not sure if this would be redundant (if you had previously read her other book), but for me, it was a nice way to catch up and feel like I was on track.

As with any topic like this, the results really are in whether or not the person reading is willing to actually apply the knowledge in their life, or if they will just leave the knowledge in their head.  I am not in a place in my life where I feel that I can purposefully dedicate time to tidying up, and so I am tempted to just keep this knowledge 'in my head'.  But, surprisingly, even though I am not trying to actively tidy up, I am finding that I AM beginning to apply several of her suggestions and techniques.  I am beginning to build awareness for myself concerning the items in my home. I am beginning to ask myself if these items spark joy, and I have been able to eliminate several items just by asking myself this question.

I have been inspired enough by this companion guide to actually buy her other book, and I am making plans now to set apart a season this year to really tidy up.  No more clutter. No more constant organizing and re-organizing all the clutter.  

As a side note, I really appreciate the author's grateful and positive attitude.  You won't find any condemnation or judgement in this book! She has so much grace, compassion, and patience to help us learn what we do not know.  

One thing is for sure:  this book sparked joy for me. 

Note:  I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Doodletopia for you?

I was super excited to have the opportunity to check out this book. I am currently wanting to grab some quick sketching skills for some webinar presentations I am preparing for.  I was wanting this book to show me how to create different shapes of heads, add in various facial expressions, different ways to pose the bodies, how to sketch various hairstyles, etc.

I walked away NOT achieving those things.

This book begins by taking a penguin and showing the reader how to draw it.  Then it moves on to a single boy.  The book continues to show you how to copy/draw what the artist has already drawn.  I grabbed a pencil and notebook and sketched the first few drawings from the beginning book, and this is what I came up with below:

And for me, this will not teach me how to put together original sketches and designs.  BUT, my kids love this book. I have heard several times this past week alone, how much they love attempting to copy the drawings in the book.  They are thrilled with their sketching accomplishments.

While this book didn't meet my needs or expectations, this book was a winner with my kids (ages ranging 6-13 yrs old).

Please note, I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook

This is not your typical cookbook.  The cookbook recipe arrangement is a bit different than what you would see with other books.  The categories are listed as follows:

One-pot meals
Heavy mains and sides
Sunrise Eats
Sweet Treats
Beverages
All Things Smooth and Crunchy

These categories makes it easy to go and pull a recipe for the type of meal that I would like to have of my family. I love that the majority of the ingredients are common items, but I also like the detailed description of some healthy additions to begin incorporating into your pantry if you haven't already.

This book does not skimp on flavor and variety, and yet can certainly fit into a healthy lifestyle.  When my family began searching for more nutrient-dense meals and recipes, we had to leave behind many past favorites.  This book and several of the recipes are quickly filling in the gaps of some of the recipes we left behind.

I appreciate the author's selection in providing some key ingredients (like Gluccie, sunflower lecithin, nutritional yeast, etc.) that really help to add quality to the texture, taste, and performance of the recipes. This book gently walks any new beginner through the need-to-know information while at the same time, provides wonderful tips and new recipes that will please even the most advanced health cooks.

Please note, I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Einkorn Cookbook, AMAZING New Find!

WOW! This book is amazing! If you are new to einkorn wheat, which is the only unadulterated wheat left in the world, then you need this book. The author has taken the time to work through each recipe, notating special tips or techniques that will help you to have the baking results you are wanting.

Einkorn wheat has a remarkable taste that is very enjoyable. This cookbook takes the hassle away from trying to work with a new type of wheat. If you are a novice or an expert, you will appreciate the extensive information, and more importantly, you will be able to serve tasty dishes and baking items to your friends and loved ones.

The book is not too bulky, and is an appropriate size. This makes it easy to add to the shelf or keep handy in a kitchen drawer. I have a few friends who are beginning to explore the benefits of einkorn wheat, so I will certainly be keeping this book in mind for future gifting ideas!

Please note, I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.