100 One-Dish Vegan Meals

25 Sunday Feb 2018

Posted by Jennifer in Food, Reviewed Books, Uncategorized

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Book Review, Gena Hamshaw, Power Plates, Vegan, Vegan Dinner Ideas, Vegan Dinners

While my family does not eat vegan all of the time, we do eat vegan many weeknights. I love to feed my family whole food meals that are packed with veggies and satisfy. I really have enjoyed exploring Gena Hamshaw’s new book Power Plates. Gena offers a fresh take on vegan meals that are sustaining and delicious.

Because I have two young boys, with somewhat picky palates, I wanted to try a recipe from Power Plates that I thought my entire family would enjoy. I decided on Gena’s Tortilla Soup with Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa.

I started by roasting corn, red onions, and poblano chiles tossed with chili powder, cumin and cayenne powder for a lovely salsa.

It came together beautifully with black beans and lime juice.

I then made the soup by sautéing onion, carrots, and garlic in a bit of olive oil. I added the called for fire roasted tomatoes, chipotle peppers in their sauce, along with some additional seasoning and stock. After a quick blend in my Vitamix, it was ready to devour!

Gena’s beautiful illustration in Power Plates is far lovelier than my photo.

I would only make one adjustment to this delicious soup! The chipotle peppers made the soup wonderfully spicy…but too spicy for my boys. I detest making two dinners, so in the future, I’ll just add just one tablespoon of chipotle peppers. Other than that, this soup was amazing!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is ready to give healthy cooking a go. Gena Hamshaw truly offers some amazing meal options. I am excited to try her Sushi bowl, Spring Panzanella, and White Bean Soup. Thank you BloggingforBooks for a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are mine and I have not been compensated. Check out more from Gena Hamshaw at The Full Helping.

Why I Love “Why I Hate Green Beans”

09 Friday Feb 2018

Posted by Jennifer in Books I LOVE, Reviewed Books

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Book Review, Lincee Ray, Why I Green Beans

I have come to love all of these memoir-ish books that feel like home, friends, and laughter. Lincee Ray is absolutely hysterical and her book, Why I hate green beans, is pure joy. Any woman can easily relate to Lincee and her story of growing up and taking life as it comes.

Like Lincee, I can remember my insecurities in high school like yesterday. I am not sure any woman has ever felt confident about her body…ever. The very thought of being weighed in high school…daily…makes me want to puke a bit. I would love to weigh what I weighed when I though I was fat!! For real! Lincee is honest and genuine about all of her experiences. Reading Why I hate green beans was truly like sitting with a girlfriend and telling stories, laughing all night, and getting little sleep in the process. I did go to bed super late these last few nights as I devoured this book!

Like me, you may find yourself googling Hot Stix after reading this book! I don’t know about you, but these curler type stix sound totally ideal!! I found myself wondering how I had missed Hot Stix in their heyday! Lincee Ray and I are close in age…surely I would have know about Hot Stix?! I requested a copy of Why I hate green beans from the publisher. It sounded similar in nature to books by Melanie Shankle (Big Mama) and Sophie Hudson (Boo Mama). These women all know how to live and laugh. I feel like its safe to say that Lincee Ray is the same way. I was not required to give this book a positive review. If you read it, I know you will enjoy as much as I did! I have not been compensated..in case you were wondering.

Beautiful Story!

04 Sunday Feb 2018

Posted by Jennifer in Reviewed Books

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Billy Coffey, Book Review, Steal Away Home

It isn’t often I read something outside of my favorite genre of historical fiction. I took a chance on author Billy Coffey when I read Some Small Magic last year. I quickly learned that Coffey is a poet and an unforgettable storyteller. Steal Away Home is a captivating, page turning, story of young love, summer, forgiveness, and redemption. If you read it and don’t love it, you didn’t read it right.

In Steal Away Home, Owen Cross has finally been given the opportunity to stand in the dug out at a major league baseball game. As the innings unfold, Owen reflects on his life. The story is told through Owen’s point of view as each inning of the game passes. This book is so much more than baseball. I dog-eared page after page so I might go back and reread all of the wonderful truth I found weaved in each remembrance.

“Your love is all wrapped up in a thing that can’t love you back…” Bottom 5

“There is always tomorrow until there is not. ” Bottom 6

“A Lord not from wood and soil, but of them and among them, as He was of and among us all. A dweller of the broken places.” Bottom 7

It isn’t often I underline fiction! I became mesmerized by the story of Owen Cross. I have nothing to compare this book to, other than Field of Dreams. Even if baseball isn’t your cup of tea, you should give this stunning work of fiction a shot. I loved it, I requested a review copy of Steal Away Home from BookLookBloggers. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts are my own and I have not been compensated.