Supermarket Healthy by Melissa D'Arabian

Melissa d'Arabian's new cookbook is out!  Supermarket Healthy is described as "recipes and know-how for eating well without spending a lot."  You may recognize her as the host of Food Network's Ten Dollar Dinners and the Cooking Channel's Drop 5 Lbs with Good Housekeeping.  Read below to find out about this great new cookbook you'll want to add to your library!

Back of the Book Description:
Food Network star and New York bestselling author Melissa d'Arabian proves that healthy eating at home is easy, achievable, and affordable.
Everyone want to fell good about what they are eating, serving guests, and feeding their families, but most of us don't do our weekly shopping at pricey specialty stores--we do it at the local supermarket and we don't want to break the bank.  In her second book, Melissa demystifies the task of preparing nutritious and delicious food by showing exactly how you can make your grocery store work for you.  She offers helpful strategies for shopping, cooking, and entertaining, as well as meal blueprints and nutritional information throughout.  This book will make you confident about the food you're buying, preparing, and eating.  Delicious recipes like Almond Waffles with Raspberry-Basil Sauce, Kale and White Bean Caesar Salad in a Jar, Slow-Roasted Tomato Spaghettini, Flatiron Steaks with Quick Cookies have something for every type of eater at every meal of the day.  No matter your favorite flavors or dietary needs, cooking on a budget is empowering--and now you can learn how to make every bite count.  If cooking at home is the key to healthy living, Supermarket Healthy is the only tool you'll need.

My Review: 
This book looks fantastic!  The recipes look tasty and the pictures are beautiful.  I love cookbooks with pictures!  This cookbook has 11 chapters covering Breakfast; Snacks; Soups and Stews; Salads, Wraps, and Sandwiches; Veggie Mains; Pasta; Fish and Seafood; Chicken and Turkey; Beef, Pork, and Lamb; Sides; Dessert.  Melissa has also included 3 other sections called: Making Supermarket Healthy Work for You, Hot-Button Issues, and The Supermarket Healthy Pantry Must-Haves.  My favorite part of this cookbook is the blueprint sections scattered throughout the book.  Melissa breaks down a meal and gives you multiple options to guide you through cooking something your family would like.  For example, on page 144-145 she guides you through making meatballs.  Step 1: choose your base--chicken, pork, turkey, beef or lamb.  Next she gives you the recipe to add to the meat to make the meatball.  Step 2: You can choose your meatball style--Traditional or Exotic.  Step 3: The directions for rolling and cooking your meatballs.  I love that I can make it my own with all of her suggestions!
So take a look at this new book and you may just find another go to cookbook to aid your preparing food for you family!

***I receive this free book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

The Berenstain Bears God Made You Special By Mike Berenstain

The Berenstain Bears series has a new book coming out called God Made You Special.   This book is part of the Living Lights series. 

 About the Book:

Sister's best friend, Lizzy Bruin, and her older brother, Barry are coming over for a backyard cookout.  When they arrive at the Bear's family tree house, Brother and Sister notice they have an extra cub in the car.  Lizzy and Barry's cousin, Tommy,  has come with them.  Tommy doesn't seem to be like other cubs which brings up many questions.  Mama and Papa are able to remind the cubs that God makes each one of us special.

  

My Review:

I like knowing that when I pick up a Berenstain Bears book, I'm getting a book that has a good message and is free from objectionable material.  Mike has done a good job with the message of this book regarding those that appear to be a little different from normal.  It's good to see a children's book address these issues since kids will encounter those with disabilities and wonder how to treat them.  I love the message that God has made each one of us special and that is how we should view each and every person even if they are little bit different than us.

About the Author
Mike Berenstain grew up watching his parents, Stan and Jan, working together to write and draw these lovable bears. Eventually he started drawing and writing about them too.

***I received this free book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Sabotaged by Dani Pettrey

Dani Pettrey's fifth and final book of the Alaskan Courage series has been released!  Sabotaged is just as thrilling as the first 4 books.  Read below to find out why you need to read this series!

From the Back Cover:
Growing up, goody-two-shoes Kirra Jacobs and troublemaker Reef McKenna were always at odds.  Now as they work search-and-rescue together for Alaska's arduous Iditarod race, a growing attraction seems to be forcing aside old arguments.  Then Reef catches Kirra sneaking from camp in the middle of the night.
Kirra's uncle,  a musher in the race, has disappeared.  Kirra and Reef quickly track the man, but what they discover is harrowing: Frank's daughter has been kidnapped.  Kirra and Reef, along with the entire McKenna family, are thrown into a race to stop a shadowy villain who is not only threatening a girl's life--but appears willing to unleash one of the largest disasters Alaska has ever seen.

My Review:
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series by Dani Pettrey.  Reef's story is just as thrilling as the others.  I love it when a book captures my attention in the first couple of pages and causes me to have a hard time putting it down!  I also love that the other characters from the first four books are involved in this book as well.  I love reading about familiar characters.  It's like seeing an old friend again.   I'm sad to see it come to an end, but with the final McKenna family member having his story written, it is time to move on.  This was Dani's first set of books and I'm looking forward to what she has coming next!

***I received this free book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

A Heart's Disguise by Colleen Coble (Journey of the Heart Part 1of 6)

Almost ten years ago, Colleen Coble penned her first series.  This first series has been broken up into a serialization model and the first book is called A Heart's Disguise.

This story takes place back in 1865 in the little town of Wabash, Indiana.  In the aftermath of the Civil War, much has changed including Sarah Montgomery's future plans.  When Sarah's significant other, Rand Campbell, didn't return home from the war, the worst was assumed.  Life could never be the same, yet she couldn't bear to live under the same roof as her older brother and his family.  So in spite of the dread she feels inside, Sarah decides to accept Ben Croftner's proposal.  Ben seems to be in quite a hurry to tie the knot, but when Rand Campbell surprisingly shows up in town, Ben's scheming plan begins to unwind.

I enjoyed this simple novel.  I think it will be interesting to read this series in a serialization model.  The book is only 96 pages long and can be read easily in a day.  Colleen Coble always has some kind of mystery going in a story and this book has that too.  It will be interesting to see how Ben's character plays out for the rest of the story.  The story definitely piqued my interest for what will be coming in the next book, A Heart's Obsession, and I'm looking forward to reading that when it comes out in April.  If you're short on time, but would love to be able to read something quickly, pick up the first book in the 6 part series.  It's a quick read that will give you a fun, little escape.

Journey of the Heart series
Part 1--A Heart's Disguise (releasing March 10, 2015)
Part 2--A Heart's Obsession (releasing April 7, 2015)
Part 3--A Heart's Danger (releasing May 5, 2015)
Part 4--A Heart's Betrayal (releasing June 2, 2015)
Part 5--A Heart's Promise (releasing July 7, 2015)
Part 6--A Heart's Home (releasing August 4, 2015)

***I received this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.