Spring Break-Cookathon

Ahhhhhhh!!!


After more than a week home and just one more day to go I am panicking at the thought of getting back to the daily grind. The traffic, the noise, the WORK! Yet, I am thankful to have a job and want to hear the stories of my kid's travels over their break.


This break has allowed me to spend a lot more time in the kitchen experimenting and satisfying my own cravings (ginger cookies). My mom started her a garden that has in a short time yielded all kinds of produce. I am looking forward to having my own backyard garden, one day soon I hope.


Well, yesterday was a busy day in the kitchen for me. First I wanted to use the spinach and mustard greens gathered from my mom's garden. I had some phyllo dough left over from another experiment so I decided to combine all of these. I googled some recipes for guidance then made my own adaptions.

I wanted to make burritos, but could not find vegan crumbles. Also, the price of veggie meat (as we like to call it) is just getting out of hand. Oh She Glows had a recipe for lentil-walnut meat that I have tried successfully, but I am out of nuts and have to wait for someone to travel to restock my pantry. Did I mention that these prices are getting out of hand? So, I decided to simply use lentils, I boiled the lentils until they were tender but not mushy and seasoned with taco mix. I used a recipe for the mix that I found on www.allrecipes.com. I topped with the usual toppings and enjoyed.

My sweet tooth as been very active over this short break, from cookies to cake we have sampled it all. I recently discovered Chloe's Kitchen and decided to try some of her recipes. I made her Applesauce Spice Cake which was absolutely delicious. I even plan to make it for one of the ladies in our church this weekend.

Wow! Back to Work! Hopefully, I will have time to spend in my kitchen after going back to work. The cook-a-thon has officially ended.

Christian Book Review- For Such a Time by Kate Breslin

I must say I do not like books that cover two subjects- Slavery and The Holocaust. For Such a Time parallels the biblical story of Esther. Each chapter begins with a text from the book of Esther and gives a clue of what the chapter is about. If you like suspense this story is for you, there were so many moments when I had to take a deep breath before I continued reading. There were even times when I put the book down for a while unable to take it! Secrets, messages, death, threats, there were so many twists and turns. Well, at least after reading the book of Esther we know that there is a happy ending. :)





A free copy of this book was provided by Bethany House Publishers.

Spring Break-Reading, Baking, Cooking Up a Storm

For so many weeks, even months I have been anticipating this break. It is finally here! I have already tried my hand at Cinnamon Rolls (Fail!) and Hot Cross Buns (Kinda Fail). Despite this my break has not been a total bust (in the reading department), because of this book- Fair Play by Deanne Gist.


This historical Christian fiction took place in Chicago during the time of The World Fair. It covered everything- Women's Rights, Child Labor, The Juvenile System, Immigration,  amongst other things. This book tells the story of Dr. Billy Jack Tate, a woman who has fought to be a doctor and has a large chip on her shoulder as a result. Of course, she falls in love but this story is not predictable at all. It takes many twists and turns that kept me engaged and wondering what next.


I will look for other books by this author and encourage you to fill your days with success- Read this book!


A free digital copy of this book was provided by the publisher- Simon and Schuster.

Bad Vegan Food!

I finally get it!


Why people think Vegan Food is yucky, weird, even gross, this is what I finally get.


I was invited to a banquet at a friend's church and was ecstatic to discover that a vegan caterer would be preparing the meal. No need to ask questions or wonder-everything would be vegan.


I knew that the attitudes of those around me would be different from mine, but I expected them to be blown away. I know that vegan food can be great! What a let down!


The food was absolutely awful, the flavor combinations were weird and the execution was just so poorly done. I felt so sad to see plates full of food being taken out by the wait staff.


Yet, what made me even sadder was the expressions of the other guests, "Whose idea was it to have vegan food?" I wanted everyone to be wowed and think, "Being vegan isn't bad at all, I might try that." Instead most people left with a firm prejudice in their minds against vegan food. Perhaps I should invite them to my house and cook from......

The Oh She Glows Cookbook- Cookbook Review

I was anticipating this cookbook for months. I preordered in October, it was released in February. I love this book. I have tried recipe after recipe and everything is so good.


I am especially loving the Maple Apple and Pear Baked Oatmeal. The Apple Pie Oatmeal has been featured two mornings in a row now.


Get this cookbook!!!!! You will not regret it.


In fact I brought the baked oatmeal for one of my coworkers who stated that she needed the recipe. See, vegan food can be good-one person down, just a few hundred thousand to go.

Book Review-Where Courage Calls by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan

I must begin by saying that I love practically everything Janette Oke has ever written. I especially enjoy her books that feature the Canadian West.


In this book Beth leaves her comfortable life to be a teacher, her trip begins with a mishap that allows her to be accepted in the mining town she is now living in. Beth's school house is actually a tavern/pool hall filled with children of all ages who are challenging to teach but of course delightful, (if only my students could be so willing!). Beth is a do-gooder who does her best to right every wrong she encounters in this town, but she does it with so much grace that it never becomes annoying.


I found the history lesson about miners coming from France to Canada to work in the mines interesting and was amazed at the amount of prejudice they faced. This book is the beginning of a series and though we are left wondering what will happen to Beth next I didn't feel shortchanged in the way I normally do after reading the first book in a series.


I would recommend this book to loyal Oke fans and others who are looking for heartwarming, historical, Christian fiction.


A free copy of this book was provided by Bethany House Publishers.

Cookbook News

As you may know I use lots of recipes from Angela at www.ohsheglows.com. I have never had a recipe from her site fail- which for me is saying a lot! So, I was ultra excited to preorder her upcoming cookbook that will be released this month. I absolutely cannot wait!! You can preorder the Oh She Glows cookbook at www.amazon.com.

Cook Book Heaven

I recently told someone that I needed to build a bookshelf in my kitchen. My cookbook collection is growing steadily. The variety of Vegan cookbooks is amazing. I recently added two to my collection.





Happy Herbivore: Light and Lean


This book talks about being Plant Based rather than Vegan. The recipes are low fat and do not use ANY oil. I decided that I want to lose a few pounds and decided to get this book for some healthy vegan recipes. I have enjoyed most of what I have made, everything is really simple. These are real 30 minute meals. I have not had any success with the baking recipes in this book- in fact all of them have been an absolute failure, so I gave up on that aspect of the book.


I did some research on a Plant Based Lifestyle and came across Better Than Vegan The recipes in this book are a little more labor intensive than Happy Herbivore but seem to be more flavorful and complex. My entire family enjoyed the Portobello Bourginon- Delicious!


In my quest to get slim I have subscribed to Happy Herbivore meal plans . Every Wednesday a new meal plan is sent for the week. This is my second week on the plan and I have found the meals to be pretty satisfying and my clothes are already feeling a little looser.

Book Review- All Things Hidden by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse

I love history! I will read a historical book about almost anything and absolutely love historical fiction. The book "All Things Hidden" details the Matanuska Colonization that took place in Alaska as a response to the Great Depression. 200 families were chosen to settle an area in Alaska, given homes and land. This story tells of some of the challenges they faced through the eyes of the main character Gywn, a young woman who helps her father, a doctor treat the newcomers and native people of Alaska.


Gywn has a lot of baggage, a mother and sister who deserted Alaska and her for the good life in Chicago. Gywn also has a problem with worry and there are a lot of great quotes from her adopted grandmother about this. My only complaint with this book was the character Clarence who seemed like he was interjected because there needed to be a bad guy.


I think there was enough drama with the settlers, their health, Gywn's mother and sister, prejudice, Gwyn's relationship with Jeremiah, even the weather. This character was just not necessary. I wish the author had developed the story with Gywn's mother and resolved that- I really wanted to know how they felt about Gywn's marriage and if the prayers of many had wrought any changes.


I would recommend this book mostly because of the rich history, the story was just ok.