“A Year Full of Recipes” 365 recipes, one for every day of the year plus 1 for a leap year

 “A Year Full of Recipes”

365 recipes, one for every day of the year plus 1 for a leap year

First off I love the whole idea behind this cookbook. Let’s get creative y’all. Trying something new has never been easier. I am not an expert but the recipes seem to be listed during the part of the year when the ingredients will be in season. Also warmer comfort foods are listed when ya would want em more, the colder months. Things like strawberry shortcake and Peach Melba meringue are listed for July. Yes I know you can eat em year-round, but really peaches are better in July and August and Strawberries are so much tastier when in season.

“A Year Full of Recipes” is loaded with lots of full color photos that get your mouth watering. So many styles of recipes are listed. Sweet, Savory, Sides Main Dishes and Deserts are all included. Here’s a short list of some of my favorites listed.

Chicken Breasts with Braised Baby Vegetables

French Onion Soup

Pot Roast with Potatoes and Dill

Raspberry and White Chocolate S’Mores

Swordfish Steaks With Lime Butter

Tamale Pie

Description

Revive your cooking repertoire with this definitive culinary guide. Cooking on a daily basis can soon drain your bank of ideas, but with a recipe for every day of the year this beautiful cookbook will provide inspiration for all manner of meals and occasions. Use the recipe meant for today’s date, or flip through for a wealth of inspiration, from main dishes to sides and sweet treats.

Want to keep up with all things Love Foods? You can like em on Facebook and follow em on Twitter.

Ready to buy?  Head on over to Amazon and Parragon and get ya some of these great cookbooks. Check out some of their other book categories while you’re over there. I was sent a copy for review purposes.

Benefits of Himalayan Salt from Himalayan Salt Shop

There is a lot of talk these days about Himalayan Salt. I have been benefitting from the use of Himalayan Salt Lamps for years. Do y’all know all of the amazing Benefits of Himalayan Salt? If not, the Himalayan Salt Shop has a great new infographic that will show you. You can check it out here.

6-8 lb. Himalayan Salt Lamp

First things first. Not only are these lamps good for your health, they are beautiful.  There is something about the natural glow. It illuminates softly while giving your room a warm radiant look.

I really encourage you to check out the informative link above as it shows how good these natural lamps are for your health and environment. Now for the scientific part. The light warms the salt which replaces the positive ions produced by electronics in the air with negative ones. These natural negative ions make the air feel fresher and can help reduce dust, pollen dander etc…

This 6-8 lb. Himalayan Salt Crystal Lamp is a common first purchase. It is still on the small side, but big enough for sufficient ionization of a small bedroom.  It allows you the luxury of significant ionization at a low price.  Those who wish to start their ionization process in their bedroom typically look for this lamp.  From our experiences, the people who start out this way usually enjoy the lamp and decide to furnish additional rooms in the home.

Crystal Height 7 – 8 Inches   Crystal Width 5 – 7 Inches   Crystal Weight 6 – 8 Lbs   Protection Area 10×10 Sq.ft    *Includes UL listed cord, bulb, wooden base, and informational sheet

The lamps are available in many sizes and shapes. The one pictured above is in natural formation.

Even Dr. Oz talks about the benefits of the Himalayan Salt specifically the Himalayan Salt Inhaler, also available at HimalayanSaltShop.com. You can check out that video here. I have not reviewed this item, but I would love to.

Want to keep up with all things Himalayan Salt Shop? You can like em on Facebook and follow em on Twitter.

Ready to buy?  Head on over to Himalayan Salt Shop and get ya some of these great Himalayan Salt Lamps or there other great products. They sell bath salt, edible salt, salt cooking tiles etc…

I received a sample product for review.

Business Planner and 2014 Calendar from House of Doolittle and Shoplet

Today I want to tell y’all about the Business Planner and 2014 Calendar from House of Doolittle and Shoplet. I was sent one of each for review. Let’s check em out.

House Of Doolittle Weekly Business Planner

This is a great addition to any office work space. Environmentally friendly it is made from 100% Post Consumer Paper.  Even the wire binding is 90% recycled.  Plenty of room for organizing your day. I like that there are time slots on each day’s area. I do not like that they are for the hours of 8-5. I do not work those hours as I am sure many of you don’t. I think they would have done better to simply put AM or PM slots. I really like that there is a special space allotted on each weeks page for expense records. Sturdy construction. Y’all know I love that it is made in the USA, giving jobs to neighbors.

Product Details

• House Of Doolittle Weekly Business Planner
• Wire bound planner features two pages per week.
• Each two-page spread lists appointment times along with expenses for the week to keep track of your busy schedule.
• Also included are informational pages: area codes, time zone, toll free numbers, air miles, road miles, time zones, weights and measures, metric conversion, recycling information, monthly birthstones/flowers and anniversary yearly gift list.

Wire bound planner features two pages per week. Each two-page spread lists appointment times along with expenses for the week to keep track of your busy schedule. Also included are informational pages: area codes, time zone, toll free numbers, air miles, road miles, time zones, weights and measures, metric conversion, recycling information, monthly birthstones/flowers and anniversary yearly gift list. Ruled daily blocks, three month reference calendar, numbered weeks and dates remaining. This product was made from wood that came from a certified managed forest. Size: 7 x 10 Page Color/Theme: Blue/Gray Appointment Ruling: 8 AM to 5 PM Sun.-Sat. Edition Year: 2014.

House Of Doolittle Two-Color Monthly Desk Pad Calendar w/Large Notes Section

I like this calendar. Also made from recycled materials. It is a tad smaller than the traditional desk calendar. I like that. The calendar on my desk at work is a bit larger than I like. Think I am going to trade out for this one. I love that there is additional space on the edge for extra notes.

Product Details

• House Of Doolittle Two-Color Monthly Desk Pad Calendar w/Large Notes Section
• Deep blue and gray printing set off blue simulated leather binding for a rich look.
• Large section ruled for notes.
• Full-year reference calendar makes planning easier.

Deep blue and gray printing set off blue simulated leather binding for a rich look. Large section ruled for notes. Full-year reference calendar makes planning easier. Size: 18 1/2 x 13 Page Color/Theme: White.

Ready to Buy? To find these and other office supplies head over to Shoplet.

Want to keep up with all things Shoplet? You can like em on Facebook and follow em on Twitter.

The Confident Mom By Joyce Meyer

The Confident Mom

By Joyce Meyer

I am a huge fan of Joyce Meyer. I watch her television program “Enjoying Everyday Life” every morning before work. Joyce has a way of speaking that reaches people of all ages and backgrounds. Her writing style mimics her speech. I can actually “hear” Joyce speaking as I read her books.. “The Confident Mom – Guiding Your Family with God’s Strength and Wisdom” reads the same way. In this book we learn how to use faith and God’s Biblical teachings to have confidence in raising our families. “The Confident Mom” shows us that no one is a perfect Mom. We are going to make mistakes. The Bible can show mothers how to raise Godly children, Joyce’s book helps guide moms through the troubling times. Having confidence. Our faith in God is key.  Knowing that God is in control is crucial to every step on parenting. If things go wrong, and they will occasionally. We simply must put our faith in The Lord above to make things right again. Well written as all of Joyce’s books. A great gift idea for any mom or mother to be.

Book Description

Coach, cheerleader, confidant, chef and chauffeur–the job description of a mom is as broad as the horizon. Perhaps this is why so many mothers deal with insecurity and uncertainty as they do their best to raise their children in a challenging and ever-changing world. If you’ve ever gone to bed disappointed with yourself, if you’ve ever felt like you weren’t measuring up, or if you’ve ever wished there was a manual for motherhood, #1 New York Times bestselling author Joyce Meyer has just the book for you.
In THE CONFIDENT MOM you will be encouraged that you are not alone–God is with you and He wants to help you with the challenges you face each day. Through inspiring stories, Biblical principles and Joyce’s own valuable life lessons, there is no doubt you will discover the path to a new confidence and joy in motherhood. No matter your age, the size of your family, or the circumstances you find yourself in, THE CONFIDENT MOM will help you become the joyful, confident mother God created you to be!

I received a copy for review purposes

Doing the Right Thing Making Moral Choices in a World Full of Options – By Scott Rae

 For today’s review we are going to do things a bit different. It seems Mom wants to get in on the review action. My love of books came from her as well as my Christian values, so who better to do a few guest spots on Texas Kitchen? Here is Mom’s first book review:

Doing the Right Thing Making Moral Choices in a World Full of Options

By Scott Rae  Published by Zondervan

 I was quite anxious to read this book, “Doing The Right Thing”.  As a Christian I was expecting it to have Biblical references and strong Christian input. The book, after all was part of the Chuck Colson series of the same name.  I was mistaken. From the very beginning of the book, I found it was more of a essay for the collegiate crowds.  It was done in a fashion of presenting various beliefs and describing them in a great deal of detail – more like a debate for each set of beliefs -going through the different shades of their morals and ethics. I was anticipating more Christian values – from the beginning to the end.  I found little of this type of meat in this book. Also, I am a country lady who is accustomed to more lay language than “university speak.”  This type of presentation lost my interest early on.

I did read the book in its entirety.  I wish I could do a more positive review for it.

Book Description

According to author Scott B. Rae in Doing the Right Thing, our culture is in an ethical mess because we’ve neglected moral training and education. This book proposes that there is such a thing as moral truth, that it can be known, and that it can be put into practice.

Looking specifically at the areas of medicine, the marketplace, public life, education, and the family, Rae shows how foundational ethical principles can guide you in making moral day-to-day decisions. Informed by Scripture and calling for a renewed understanding of the importance of the Christian faith in moral training, Doing the Right Thing issues a call for cultivated virtue that can bring about both better lives and a better society.

You will find yourself examining the ways in which ethical and character issues relate to your life. As a result, you will be better equipped to promote virtue in your own spheres of influence and the culture at large.

I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

New Year New Me

So I have decided to try to go totally organic. It’s not like a New Years resolution or anything. We’ll maybe it is. It’s more like I just want to feel better. I get so fed up with the big food brands calling foods natural when in truth many of them are packed full of man made chemicals. I’m not even talking about the ingredient lists most people cant pronounce. That will be a soapbox for another day. I am talking about the simple ingredients that are tainted.

Even if a product says it is made with natural corn ya need to realize that 88% of the American corn supply is a GMO variation or “round up ready”. This basically means the seed for the corn plant is genetically modified so that when the corn plant grows the farmer can spray round up or other glyophosphate broad spectrum systemic herbicides directly on the plants without harming the corn plant. Yes this keeps weeds out of the corn field and this might sound good to some, but think about the implications. What happens to the spray on the corn plants? Does it simply wash off in the rain? Does it stay in the soil? Does it contaminate the corn? Are pigs being fed glyophosphate treated corn really having piglets with major birth defects like I have read recently? What does all this mean when humans eat this GMO corn or even the meat from animal as that are fed this corn? Glyophosphate is poison and I personally do not want to ingest it anymore.

So how can we stop putting these chemical poisons in our bodies? It’s startling simple. Buy organic. I know what you are thinking. Isn’t buying organic really expensive? I say ” Isnt  going to the doctor after your body has ingested poisons for years really expensive? ” I went to the store yesterday and yes many of the organic prices were a bit higher, some much higher, but some were right in line or even less expensive than top shelf brands.  I

I checked the produce department too. What did I find? Organic apple prices were only 10¢ A pound more than conventionally grown apples. That’s not bad. I picked up an organically grown apple. It looked amazing, really pretty and really big compared to the apples in the non organic section. Then I looked at oranges. They were priced 30¢ each more when choosing organic but they were 3 times the size of regular oranges. Next stop bananas. Regular were 62¢ a pound while organic ran 99¢ a pound. I bought the organic. Pears ran about the same price if purchased organic or not. I also bought radishes, cucumbers etc…

When I arrived home I decided to do a taste test. I realize many of you younger readers honestly have no clue what food should taste like. That sounds odd I know, but it’s true. Unless you grew up with home gardening you have only tasted foods that are either picked to early for shipping purposes ( they actually spray a gas on some tomatoes and strawberries to make em turn red at the store because the are picked green) or genitally modified. Ok back to the taste test. First, the pear. I gave it a quick rinse and bit right in. I usually peal conventionally grown fruit because of the pesticides and wax. Can you imagine what’s trapped under that waxy coating? Eww! The skin was tender and the flesh juicy and delicious. This pear actually tasted like the pears I remember eating from my grandparents orchard as a child. Yeah!!! Finally food with flavor. Next was the banana. These bananas are huge. Peeling was a bit harder than non organic bananas I purchased before flesh was creamier and sweeter than I have had in years. Another winner. On to the radishes. Yumm! Another hit it out of the park triumph for organic farmers. Real garden fresh radish flavor. I think you are getting the picture. Outside of growing your own food the only way I see to get real flavor in your produce is to buy organic. I am totally loving this change. I hope to find the time to let y’all know more about my new organic lifestyle over the next few months. Would love to review any organic products if you have something you want shared on Texas Kitchen.

Just as a PS for tea search purposes as I start this change I am 43 years old. I am 5’6″ tall and weigh 153 pounds as of this morning. I have had allergies for years to almost everything. Let’s see how this changes. God bless and see you soon.

Rachel