Twenty Dinners

Twenty Dinners is a collection of recipes from photographer Ithai Schori and Musician Chris Taylor. This is not your average cookbook, neither is it meant to be. Your average cookbook produces recipes to be followed. The key component to these recipes is to teach the reader how to build a foundation of what they like. These recipes are meant to be reconstructed and added to according to your palette. I really liked the idea of people cooking together, instead of someone slaving over the stove and ignoring their guest. So the party is centered around the cooking. Schori and Taylor aren't into desserts so much so they used guest pastry chef Lillie O'Brien. O'Brien is famous for her jams. Which was the inspiration for her successful business, London Borough of Jam.

In the table of contents, I noticed the recipes were divided into four categories: fall, winter, spring, summer with 5 dinners each complete with tips and what cocktail would be best. I don't drink so I would substitute a flavored sparkling water. These are very unconventional dinner parties that don't start at any particular time and the food may not be spread out like you are use to it being.  In the back there are two glossaries. The first one is techniques, terms, and handy advice. The second one is tools, pantry, and shopping for ingredients. I really like this book. I would buy it just for the tips in the back. 

I received this book free from WaterBrook Publishing Group for doing this review. I was not required to write a positive review, all thoughts and opinions are mine.

Refinery29

I have always loved fashion, so when I heard about the book Refinery 29, I was very much interested.  I have to admit that I had never heard of the Refinery 29-the place to go for fashion trends- website before this book. If you haven’t checked it out before, go to http://www.refinery29.com/. You will appreciate the book so much better afterwards.

Christene Barberich and Piera Gelardi teamed up to create this wonderful fashion guide.  They show you how to push the limits in so many ways.  The contents is divided into 10 categories: brights, layering, denim, good vintage, ugly pretty, ladylike, black, mixed prints, metallics, and tomboy. If that’s not enough, each one of these categories is broken up into subcategories.  For example each subcategory consist of: basic training, style moves, 1 piece, 3 ways, rule breakers, year around, question and answer, and zoom lens.

My favorite category is good vintage because I am a bargain shopper. I do a lot of yard sales and second had stores. So I got a lot of tips. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fashion. There’s something in this book for every woman.  This book is basically geared towards women. You will see style trends from all over the globe. I think it’s worth every penny of 19.99 US. The best self help fashion guide I have seen.

I recieved this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for doing this review. I was not required to write a positive review, all thoughts and opinions are mine.

Adventure Time Crafts: Flippin' Adorable Stuff To Make From Land Of OOO

Cartoon Network and Chelsea Bloxsom have penned a book of  DIY  craft projects inspired  by the Cartoon Network show Adventure Time. This collaboration of crafts desiged by the fans of the show,  are the cutest crafts representing the land of OOO and it's characters: Marceline, Jake, and Gunter, just to name a few. Some of the projects range from easy to the more advanced. Like the bubblegum's like-like sweater, which you embellish a sweater that has already been made. The crafts range from earrings, bracelets, puppets complete with DIY stage, hats, nail art, etc. Each project comes with an introduction, list of items you will need, and steps complete with pictures. The book consists of four chapters: Total Toytopia, Bling-A-Ding-Ding, Rhombus Home Decor, and Geek Chic Fashion, with such eye-catching sub titles as: Shrink-a-Cow-Tastic Earrings,Oh my Glob, Nail Art.

In the back of the book you will find templates of the various projects and an index. What I like about this book is the crafts can be implemented by young as well as older crafters. They are very professional looking and it consists of something that someone would actually do. Like the bracelet and earrings. I would recommend this book to crafters of small child and to libraries.  A little bit about the author. Chelsea Bloxsom is a native of Boston. She is the founder of Love and Sandwich, where she makes plush stuff toys and embroidery hoops show casing  characters from movies and shows. Some of her work can be viewed at  http://www.tumblr.co

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review

A Table by the Window: A Novel of Family Secrets and Heirloom Recipes

A Table by the Window is a very uplifting story about family, romance, and life. It is listed under Christian Fiction, but without any reference to scripture. The protagonist in the story is Juliette D'Alisa a food writer living in Portland, Oregon. Juliette had grown up in the food business. Her heritage a mixture of French and Italian spoke for itself; parents were proud owners a successful restaurant all of her life. That's where her heart  really is, but she got side tract after working with her brother in his restaurant and falling in love with his sous chef. Even though working as a food writer wasn't Juliette's first love it paid the bills. 

The story starts with the passing of Juliette's grandmother who came from France after the passing of her husband. She opened a pastry shop. Juliette inherited the work table still inhabiting the contents in the drawers. Inside one of the draws she found a photo in a cookbook that looked very much like her brother. The family resemblance was so close it put her on an investigation of who this man might be. 

In the mist of all this, she knows her family would love to see her with someone and she started to feel lonely. This leads her to an online dating service. Something she would have never thought of using, but she ends up meeting Neil, a physician who specializes in immunology and lives in Memphis. Long distant love doesn't really work for Juliette, but after meeting Neil she decides to give it a try. Plus the timing is perfect, because her mother has been diagnosed with cancer. Not just that' but her brother has decided to try his hand at another restaurant business and would like for her to quit her job and join him. 

I really liked this book because it's morally written just right for a christian reader. Neil comes to visit Juliette; he stays at his place, she stays at hers.  The book also has some nice recipes: French Chocolate Cake, Simple Roast Chicken, etc. I can see myself actually using these recipes. I love to cook so it's one of my favorite Christian Fiction's.

The author Hillary Manton Lodge has pinned 14 other books  among them are: Plain Jane, Simply Sara. She graduated from the University of Oregon School of Journalism. She worked at Northwest Palate magazine where she did her internship.

I recieved this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for doing this review. I was not required to write a positive review, all thoughts and opinions are mine.

My review on blogging for books http://www.bloggingforbooks.org/reviews/view/38914

Author's website http://www.hillarymantonlodge.com/blog.html

Read Chapter One http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/SneakPeek_TablebytheWindow.pdf

A Stillness Of Chimes by Meg Moseley

A Stillness of Chimes, takes place in the small town of Prospect, Georgia.  It's history can be attributed to moonshiners and holy rollers; there is also that haunting past of stalkers and the annual Blue Grass festival. Does this give you an idea of what the story is about? Meg Moseley was obviously inspired by the stories centered around small town southern living. Prospect is a place where everyone knows each others business, yet, everyone feels like family whether they are related or not.

The story is centered around, protagonist, Laura Gantt- a mixture between tom boy and feminism- and her three friends: Sean Halloran, Cassie Bright, and her little sister Tigger. The four of them made a pack during their childhood years to always be there for each other no matter what. Eighteen years later, the death of Laura's mother brings the group back together. During this time stories began to surface about Laura's father faking his death ten years earlier. Some people believe the stories, while others choose to ignore, or keep quiet about it. All of this reunites the old flame between Laura Gantt and Sean Halloran. Laura's father Elliott Gantt-a veteran- had been like a father to Sean. Sean had been a victim of abuse by his father, who ends up in jail. Cassie and Tigger have gotten married and they are also dealing with a mother that is out of character; they can't understand why. A lot of secrets and memories surface between friends and family as they work to uncover the truth about Laura's dad being alive.

I like this story because number one it's christian based. Moseley intertwines her characters beautifully as she deals with subjects such as: OCD, death, spousal and child abuse, marriage affairs, marriage life, young love, small town and family life. Without giving away the whole story this is a must read.

A little bit about the author. Meg Moseley now resides in Georgia with her family; she has lived in many other cities and considers herself a Californian. She is a lover of fiction whether she's reading or writing it. She writes for the Altanta Journal-Constitution in the suburban edition.

I recieved this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for doing this review. I was not required to write a positive review, all thoughts and opinions are mine.

God's Bucket List

The inspiration for this book came when Teresa Tomeo was shopping one day and heard two ladies talking about a list of things they would like to do.  She had seen the movie Bucket List and had reached a high level of success in her life.  In the mist of her success she had almost lost everything. To top it all off she had put her career in front of her relationship with God and her marriage. After being let go from her job in the media after twenty years, and not understanding why: she began to do some soul searching.  She thought what if, God had a bucket list consisting of the way he wanted us to live before we die.

This book is based on that what if question. It is about her and her struggles as she tries to figure out what God may want for her before she dies.  She uses her gift for story telling to explore this notion of God’s Bucket List.  She explains that she did have a list in life of things she wanted to achieve and she was pretty successful with all of it.  While gaining everything on this list she almost lost everything that mattered to her.  After losing her job she had a lot of time on her hands. During this time her husband had gone back to church, and God use him to reach Tomeo.  She began to realize that God already designed a bucket list that was individually unique, but the same plan for everyone.  She learned this meant putting God first.   Tomeo discovered that God does have the whole world in his hands and wants to give it to us, but it would to be on his terms.  Once all of this is realized we can enter into God’s bucket list.   In this book Tomeo tries to picture how God would apply such a list.

Jesus Paid It All

 Isaiah 53:5

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being {fell} upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. (NASV)

When I started this blog, my first thought for a title was, In My Silent Retreat. As time went on I discovered that, although, a lot of things take place in a silent retreat with Jesus; if he had not done what he did on the cross I would not be doing what I'm doing. At first I used the image, Jesus Paid it All, but it never occurred to me that it would be the title of my blog.

Last Easter I spent a lot of time thinking about Jesus carrying the cross, and what kind of love that must be. The only thing that keeps coming to mind is a soldier, fighting a war for his country. Then God gave it to me. We are all soldiers: fighting for our souls. God gives us a freedom, and when we turn to him Satan is always trying us. At first I didn't know how to fight. I was a baby christian. It came to me, Jesus already paid. I just need to hang out with him. 

This last month I celebrated his birthday early. Everyday I posted something concerning Mary. From her visitation with the angle Gabriel to the birth of Jesus.  I learned something from Mary. Patience is important when giving birth to something. Regardless of what people say about you, stay loyal to God. Mary knew she was giving birth to the one who would one day walk mankind through all obstacles.  So when I'm giving birth to something I hang out with the one who paid it all. He gets me through it.