The Ultimate Survival Manual by Rich Johnson

Great Book!  My only disappointment was that my E-ARC was missing pages so I didn’t get the entire manuscript.

Rich Johnson has written an entertaining and informative guide to survival.  I’m big on survival information and I know that not everyone is.  This is an important book because we are in an environment that is unstable.  You don’t have to go out in the wilderness to be in a situation that requires survival techniques.  There’s a chance that there is a large amount of information in this book you will never need.  However, the one technique that you learn that later saves yours or someone else’s life is invaluable. 

This is a short book and each segment is brief.  Keep it in your bathroom and learn a trick or two every time you sit down.  On page one, I learned something.  Okay maybe learned is not the right word but I realized there was something I hadn’t thought of. Rich recommends that you keep an emergency bag in your office or place of work that includes rugged clothing, socks and a pair of tennis shoes.  The bag is available if you need to leave your work in a hurry and are not dressed for an emergency.  I would, almost, have thought it unnecessary but I guarantee that one day you wear the tight skirt or new dress shoes is the day that the weather turns and you have to evacuate or a shooter comes into the area and you have to flee.

It’s a scary and dangerous world out there.  I just think this book is an inexpensive way to protect yourself.

Healthy in a Hurry by Karen Ansel

The problem with cookbooks is they are very subjective.  There’s nothing particularly wrong with this book – the pictures are engaging and the recipes are interesting but they didn’t do anything for me.  The recipes were far too simplistic and would not satisfy my family.  I liked the idea of the book.

This would be perfect for someone just leaving home or for someone who has just started using healthier foods.  This is not a family cookbook.  Many of the recipes do not make substantial meals – lots of appetizer like foods which appear quick but for a large group would actually make more work. 

There are great ideas here and I love the colors and textures of the foods offered.

Home Baked Comfort by Kim Laidlaw

Beautiful book.  The recipes are elegant and stunning.  The pictures captivate the reader and leave you craving something hot and amazing out of the oven.  The recipes work in seasonal fruits at the peak of perfection.  The crusts are crisp and golden while the breads are soft and aromatic.

The instructions are simple with fairly common ingredients.

A nice touch is the brief interviews of various bakers from around the country.  Each offer their own perspective of baking and share a recipe.  Grab a cup of coffee and pour over this book as if you were visiting with a friend.  Kim Laidlaw has put together a book that was meant to be handed down to future generations – preferably covered in stains with sticky pages.

Family Camping Cookbook by Tiff and Jim Easton

Not sure I would recommend this book as much as Camp Cooking in the Wild but there is merit to owning this book.  I like that the Easton’s included information on how to incorporate foraged foods.  To me, that’s a big plus because I love to forage.  Their recipes are far more simple, as well, which is nice when you are cooking with children.

I like that they offer menus with shopping lists to make preparation super simple.  Not only that but they offer different menus based on age.  They even offer a vegetarian alternative. 

The book is broken up into environments such as the beach or the woods.  While much of the food is easy to prepare – they encourage a wide range of flavors and styles of cooking.  I never thought about grilling a butterflied leg of lamb while camping but I love the idea.  The more I look at the recipes the more I love this book.  I love ethnic food and this book is full of kid friendly foreign foods that we can make while out on vacation or adapt to make at home.

Camp Cooking in the Wild by Mark Scriver

This is the perfect book for those learning to cook while camping or for those who want to do more than just roasted hot dogs while out in the wilderness.  The first part of the book focuses on learning the basics – what equipment, how to plan and pack your meals. 

Then comes the recipes.  They range from Effort Level 1 to Effort Level 4.  What I like best is that these are recipes that you would make at home.  It shows how you can cook like you normally do when you’re out in the wilderness.  You may not cook their recipes because you’ll learn how to cook your own.  I rather like that.

This is a great beginner book and a wonderful gift idea for those who want to spend more time outdoors but just don’t have the skills yet.

Cooking from the Farmer’s Market by Jodi Liano

A beautiful book from Williams Sonoma, Cooking from the Farmer’s Market did not disappoint.  The photography is colorful and enticing.  The recipes are varied enough that there is sure to be enough to warrant owning the book.

I was a little put off by the assumption that all Farmer’s Markets are the same.  I’ve been rather stunned to learn that’s not true as I follow blogs that offer seasonal cooking.  I live in Washington and, though we have an amazing farmer’s market, our seasons and variety of produce do not match what is offered in this book.

With that said, that doesn’t mean I can’t find the produce at our local Co-op.  I do appreciate encouraging local produce and learning to eat those foods. 

This would be a perfect book for those who have joined a CSA or get Bountiful Baskets.  I’m always trying to figure how to use some of the unique produce we get each week.

Edible Party Bouquets by Fox Chapel Publishing

When this title came up in the NetGalley catalog, I couldn't wait to review it.  I love the idea of edible bouquets and I'm always telling my husband that he should go into the business.  He's amazing when it comes to prepping beautiful food for parties (just wish he'd do it more often and perhaps would consider going into business).
This book totally blew me out of the water.  The bouquets were amazing.  The best part - they were all fairly simple.  The most complicated designs were created using cookie cutters making the work so easy. 
Not only were there fruit bouquets but Fox Chapel Publishing stretched the gamut by designing bouquets made of cinnamon rolls, wraps, mini pies, and tortilla chips.  Many of the designs were fully edible.
If you love to play with your food, this is the book for you.  Most of the bouquets don't require more than the food and skewers.  Some have you make foods from scratch while others have you use store bought ingredients such as a tree made out of chocolate covered mint cookies.
I'm thinking this might be a future Christmas gift for my husband and already gives me the best ideas for future party foods.

The Hunter/Farmer Diet Solution by Mark Liponis

Mark Liponis works as a doctor at the Canyon Ranch (an upscale diet center). Over the years, he believes he has found the secret to weight loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I can’t say I agree or disagree but I enjoyed his book. His theory is based on a sort of common sense.
The idea is that anthropologically speaking we have evolved to need a particular diet. In Mark Liponis’ book, he identifies two types of diets – The Hunter and The Farmer. Placement in one diet or the other is based on medical information – mainly insulin and cholesterol. The Hunter is insulin resistant and often suffers from high blood pressure and cholesterol while The Farmer is insulin sensitive and often suffers from hypoglycemia.
The Hunter diet is a low sugar, low processed carbohydrate diet that focuses on healthy proteins and vegetables. His theory is that Hunters are addicted to sugar. I do like that he encourages doctor support and says that a Hunter has found the correct diet when their blood glucose is under 100 and triglycerides are under 150. Basically this is a low glycemic diet designed for those with diabetes or susceptible to diabetes. The idea is that a Hunter eats a diet similar to what a hunter/gatherer would eat.
The Farmer diet is a low fat, high fiber, high grain diet that focuses on maintaining a steady glucose level throughout the day. He claims that Farmers are distracted by eating and often eat more than they need because their body is attempting to prevent drops in glucose levels. With this diet, one eats what they would grow so there’s a higher amount of grains, vegetables and fruit with less focus on meats.
All in all, there’s great information in this book. I liked that it’s not a fad diet. There’s no calorie counting but suggestions on eating better with the focus on losing weight. It may or may not work for everyone but the information is still good.

The World in Your Lunch Box by Claire Eamer

The first thing I noticed with this book is the illustrations. They remind me of Roald Dahl books. The illustrators are different but the feeling of childish glee was the same.
The next thing I noticed was the subject (okay maybe it was the other way around but who knows). How could I resist a book about food? Food is great but learning about food is even better. This book comes across as a school assignment. The unidentified main character has to catalog everything that is eaten for lunch and research some of the ingredients.
The research covers science and history. The facts are amusing and interesting. I couldn’t put the book down. The illustrations were funny and so full of character that I often forgot that I was reading a non-fiction book.
This one makes me want to pull out the Roald Dahl cookbooks and have a go at some fun foods. It, also, makes me want to investigate my own lunches. Who wouldn’t want tortillas with peanut butter and bananas – I think I’m now hungry.
This is a great addition to any library from a homeschool to grade school. I’m thinking it might be a fun one for my freshman boy who loves cooking as much as his mama.

Fall Pumpkins by Martha E.H. Rustad

This is a cute picture book that covers the growing of a pumpkin from seed to pumpkin pie or carving. Even though the title says Fall Pumpkins this a book that would be good any time of the year from the Spring planting to the Fall harvest.
The book shares how to plant a pumpkin, care for it through the summer and what to do with it when it's grown. It even includes a recipe for roasting pumpkin seeds.
I see this book as a perfect addition to a classroom or homeschool shelf. There are little bits of trivia scattered through the book that would be great lead-ins to a lesson. This book can assist in a number of science lessons and if you are really creative - other subjects as well.