Book Review of Smokin' and Grillin' with Aaron Brown

Get out of the grilling rut and discover a big, colorful, and fantastically flavored world of new possibilities.

Is there any kind of cooking that gets more stuck in a repetitive routine than grilling? If you’ve ever wanted to elevate your grilling beyond the endless parade of burgers, hot dogs, and steaks, Grillin’ and Smokin’ with Aaron Brown is the cookbook you need for the journey. And author Aaron “AB” Brown is the perfect guide, just as he has come to be for his four million online fans from around the globe.

AB serves up in this beautifully photographed book more than 75 grilling recipes and 25 smoking recipes —including all kinds of meat and veggie main courses , and special chapters on sauces , sides , and desserts —that draw on Southern, Cajun, and African-American traditions and make weeknight and weekend grilling more exciting and rich in variety than you’ve ever known.

Become the hero in your household and the champion outdoor cook in your neighborhood with recipes  
 
AB’s millions of online fans love to watch him grill and love to hear his rules for expert live-fire cooking. But AB has never revealed his secret recipes before, or his best tips, tricks, and hacks, until now —in the pages of this deliciously creative book. This is outdoor cooking that is at once rustic and comforting and new and adventurous.

My husband and I are huge fans of AB's YouTube channel, so when I saw this for review, I had to get it.

If you love grilling and smoking foods, this simple-follow-along grilling book is perfect for you. Aaron has several chapters on different proteins, cheese, veggie sides, desserts, and sweet treats. I especially enjoy the chapter on marinades for the grill and smoker because I often find it challenging to come up with easy, numbered steps for preparing each recipe. Not all recipes have images, but many do.

I recommend this book to anyone ready to fire up their grill or smoker and kick off the summer.

Book review of Cake Picnic by Elisa Sunga

 

From the founder of Cake Picnic—a series of joyful, diverse, and deliciously indulgent gatherings where every attendee brings a whole cake—this cookbook of 50 baking recipes includes a guide to hosting your own confectionery events and encourages bakers to lean into play, connection, community—and lots of cake!

It all started with a A few friends lounging in the park on a sunny day, eating cake. Elisa Sunga posted the invitation to that first-ever cake picnic and, to her surprise and delight, nearly 200 people showed up. And so, Cake Picnic, a joy-filled gathering where each attendee brings a whole cake to share with friends old and new, was born. Its immense, immediate popularity inspired Elisa to take her picnic series on the road, traveling from LA to New York and beyond. When she realized she couldn’t bring Cake Picnic to everyone, everywhere in the world, she did the next best She wrote this book.

Part how-to guide, part recipe collection, Cake Picnic provides everything you need to host your own delightfully decadent cake picnic. Here is practical advice for planning, hosting, and how to choose a theme, prepare your guests, set up the event, encourage connection, transport whole cakes, and more. But the icing on the—you guessed it—cake is the 50 recipes within.

Organized by theme, from an Autumn Harvest Cake Picnic to an Afternoon Tea Cake Picnic, a Beach Cake Picnic to a Salty-Sweet Cake Picnic, these imaginative recipes will inspire your creativity and tempt your sweet Cherry & Pistachio Buttermilk CakeTorched Rosemary Caramel CakeChocolate & Earl Grey Whipped Cream CakeGuava Cream Cheese Bundt CakeRoasted Apple & Sesame Upside-Down CakePretzel S’mores CakeAnd many more!
Let this book be your invitation to spread joy through baking and plan your own festive celebration. And never apologize for trying ten slices in one sitting—happiness often comes frosted, sprinkled, and cut into generous servings.

Can a cake be more than just a dessert? Yes, with the Cake Picnic cookbook, you'll find yourself transported to a new way to eat cake, and the illustrations will inspire you to get out there and have a cake picnic to ease your mind during these times. 

The instructions are easy to follow, and, as I stated, the illustrations make the end result easy to see. This book isn't just a cookbook; the author helps you create a picnic setup so you can take her ideas and twist them into something that will help you create your own picnic.  

The only downside to me was that some of the ingredients are not readily available in my area, so I'd definitely have to order online to get them. 

Book Review of Crafting for Your Cat

 One-of-a-kind crafting projects to brighten your home and your cat's life—from chic accessories like matching friendship charm necklaces to unique scratchers and beds that will have your fur baby lounging in style.

Crafting for Your Cat is a fun collection of DIY projects ranging from simple, beginner-friendly crafts to more advanced builds for those ready to tackle a challenge. Each project comes with clear, step-by-step instructions, helpful tips, and room for customization so you can create something truly unique that suits your best friend!



Create a fantastic flower tower to serve as their new favorite perch.


Assemble charming little tea party plates for a luxurious feast.


Build a sweet strawberry scratcher that's adorable and will save your furniture.


Assemble interactive toys to keep kitty entertained and learn clever ways to upcycle materials.

From the perspective of someone with nine indoor cats, this crafting book for cats is absolutely wonderful. Not only are the projects easy to follow, but this book will save a lot of money, considering the prices of cat products on the market now. 

 

Each project takes you step by step, and the author covers everything from the simple play toy to litterbox furniture, wall shelving, and so much more. The author also leaves room for your own imagination to create your own design, say, like the litterbox furniture. I love the design, but I will be going bigger and making a TV stand. Sometimes all you need is a little help and inspiration, and this book will provide it for you, even for the non-so-crafty people. 

 

Got cats? Then you definitely need this DIY Cat book for your bookshelf! 

Snow day in middle Tennessee

The second weekend of January brings several inches of snow to the south, here in middle Tennessee we received 4 feet, there would have been more but Friday morning between 3:00 am to 7:00 am we were in some kind of bubble and didn’t receive snow like our neighboring cities which were already getting layers of the white stuff.

Going to work at 5am that morning, I couldn’t wait to get off at 1:00 pm so I could go home and play in the snow. As soon as I got home the birds were covering the feeders eating as much as they could before the feeders were covered in a white blanket. My dog Daisy went out meeting the snow paws first running as fast as she could playing in the snow, with her toy. 

All in all, it’s been a good weekend 

Book review of Lava Cake and Lies Nova Walsh

 When life turns up the heat, Ginny Malone is ready to whip up a new beginning...

High-powered criminal attorney Ginny Malone never expected to swap her designer suits for flour-dusted aprons, but a twist of fate sends her fleeing to the quaint coastal town of Moonstone Bay, California. With her spirited—and mischievous—cat Shortcake by her side, Ginny sets her sights on starting a bakery on the boardwalk, armed only with her grandmother's secret recipes and a dash of determination.

But Ginny's dream of sweet success crumbles when a dead body is discovered during renovations, and her gruff yet oh-so-intriguing landlord, P.I. Vince Rinaldi, becomes the prime suspect. The ovens are cold, the drywall is crumbling, and now danger is lurking behind every display case.

With the help of her hammer-wielding new BFF Lois, a sprinkle of legal know-how, and a heaping spoonful of wit, Ginny sets out to fix more than just ovens and drywall. As she digs into the case, the quirky townsfolk begin to look less neighborly and more suspect—and Vince might need as much rescuing as her broken heater.

Between perfecting her luscious lava cakes and untangling lies, Ginny must race to clear Vince's name before her fresh start becomes a recipe for disaster. Can she serve up justice and save a budding romance before the real killer strikes again?

Lava Cake and Lies is a charming and witty cozy mystery filled with heartwarming friendships, banter-filled clean romance, cat antics, and recipes you'll be dying to try. Perfect for fans of Ellie Alexander and Joanne Fluke, this book is a culinary cozy mystery that promises to be a real treat.

This copy I read is an ARC copy, meaning an author still has time to take care of some imperfections, such as grammar and other problems so, my take on this will be for what I read before the book is finalized and published.

I enjoyed the storyline and setting and the characters grew on me quickly. Were there some issues that I hoped got fixed before publication? Sure, but I don't want to share them in a review to cause spoilers, I can say they didn't bother me to the point I wanted to quit reading the book I enjoyed it so much that I looked forward to continue reading it when I came home from work. I'm looking forward to the next book to see what kind of trouble Ginny and Vince get into.

If you're looking for a quick cozy mystery read with fun characters and a mystery that will have you guessing who did it, please give this book a try.

Review of The Christmas Baking Cookbook: ’Tis the Season for 100+ Festive Treats Editors of Cider Mill Press

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…to bake! Unleash the magic of baking this holiday season with 100 Christmas classics and unique indulgences.

’Tis the season for festive treats! Turn your kitchen into a haven of holiday cheer with The Christmas Baking Cookbook. From traditional gingerbread cookies to sweet innovations such as the eggnog-flavored cupcake, this cookbook is guaranteed to elevate your festive candies. Discover new favorites and expand your repertoire as you sit by the fireside this season with your favorite holiday goodies.

Inside you’ll

100 deliciously simple recipesStep-by-step instructionsEasy, festive decorating techniquesGather around the Christmas tree and treat yourself, delight your friends, and (most importantly) impress your in-laws. It’s time to deck the halls with loads of icing with The Christmas Baking Cookbook!

 Just what I needed to get the holiday baking started! 

I knew as soon as I opened the PDF to review this book, I had to have it. A few days later it arrived at my door and I have been baking since. LOL.  This book covers all of your holiday baking, everything from cookies to cakes, scones, muffins, sticky buns, bread, and more. 

I found the recipes easy to follow and loved the images of the finished product. 

Start with the Orange Cardamom cake, yummy! 

Book review of Shadows of Ravenwood by Blake Rivers

 

Who’s leaving cryptic messages in my small town of Ravenwood? Oh no… The mysterious Pumpkin Queen legend might be more than just a story.
Finding a centuries-old locket at the Halloween fair wasn’t part of my evening plans.
Yet here I am, drawn into secrets buried beneath our town.
A forgotten romance, a missing treasure, and a legacy no one talks about.
But then…
Victor Grimshaw’s lies go deeper than I thought.
And now, someone—or something—is watching me.
Uncovering Ravenwood’s secrets could mean risking everything.
But can I let Eliza’s story die without a fight?

I've read a lot of cozy mysteries but this book doesn't offer the cozy mystery story elements as countless others do. 

Put it to you this way, this book reads like a robot wrote it. 

The sad fact is, that this could have been a good book. The mystery surrounding the Pumpkin Queen is a good concept, but cozy mystery readers crave a show-me story. They want to know some tidbits about the town and characters, heck, even give us a bit of information about the cat, for that matter, but nothing. I've never read a book broken down into short sentences or small paragraphs like this one. 

Product review: Stainless steel liter box

 

IKITCHEN Stainless Steel Cat Litter Box, Small Metal Cat Litter Box, Deep Litter Box for Cats Kittens Rabbits, Easy to Clean Odor Control Durable Nonstick Smooth Surface 17.5 in x 13.5 in x 6 inches

Amazon link 

After over 40 years of being a cat parent and using plastic litterboxes, I'm screaming, "LITTERBOX GAME CHANGER!" The smell is nonexistent compared to the plastic, and if you have plastic litterboxes, you know what I mean. But it's not only the smell and cleaning difference, but it's also the wear with the plastic litterboxes and cats. They just end up in landfills in no time, which is something we don't need. I'll be changing all 8 litterboxes to stainless steel. 

Review of Craveworthy Baking

Finally, dairy-free and gluten-free recipes for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, bars, sweet breads, and savory breads that don’t compromise on taste or texture.   

If you have a gluten sensitivity, you most likely have, or will develop, a dairy sensitivity. This makes finding or adapting recipes a challenge—and none are tougher than baked goods. Author Danielle Cochran (The Salty Cooker) knows this struggle well. She’s spent years adapting and refining recipes to work without dairy and gluten. In Craveworthy Baking, she shares her ultimate collection of recipes. These are the hits that are so good, you don’t even need to tell people they are dairy and gluten  

Cookies and Chocolate Caramel Revel Bars, Cherry Hazelnut Biscotti, Snickerdoodle Cookies, Classic Apple Oatmeal Cookies, Banana Bread Cookies, Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies, Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal Bars, Gooey S’mores Brownies, Strawberry Shortcake Blondie Bars, Turtle Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie, Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches, Lemon BarsCakes and Hummingbird Cake, Upside down Pineapple Cupcakes, Chocolate Coconut Tres Leches Cake, Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes, Coconut Cake with Raspberry Filling, Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, Lemon Bundt Cake with Blueberry Swirl, Citrus Olive Oil Cake, Champagne Swiss Roll, Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, Angel Food Cake, Chocolate Cake Every Which WayCheesecakes, Puddings, and  Vanilla Crème Brulee, Sticky Date Pudding, Funfetti Cheesecake, Peaches and Cream Cheesecake Bars, Bananas Foster Cheesecake, Basque Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce, Black Forest Mini Cheesecake Bites, Flan, Cherry Clafoutis, Tangy Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce, Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars, Vanilla Bean CheesecakePies, Tarts, and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, Peach Cobbler, Eclairs, Cream Puffs, Cannoli Tart, Key Lime Pie, Raspberry Pistachio Galette, French Fruit Tart, Dutch Apple Pie, Pear FrangipaneSweet Breads, Muffins, and Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls, Coffee Cinnamon Rolls, Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Apple Sticky Buns, Bread Pudding with Chocolate Chips, French Vanilla Scones, Pumpkin Streusel Muffins, Monkey Bread, Orange Sweet Rolls, Orange Cranberry Muffins, Baked Fruit DonutsSavory Zucchini Bread, Soft Baked Pretzel, Pizza Dough, Cornbread, Focaccia with Rosemary, Parmesan, and Olives, Sweet Potato Bacon Biscuits, Bagel, Cheese and Scallion Scones, Dinner Rolls, Cathead Biscuits, Pepperoni Rolls, Buttermilk Biscuits, Buttery Panini Bread
Go make a batch of soft-baked pretzels for the party. Become a cinnamon roll connoisseur. Perfect that French fruit tart. Fix up an airy, golden loaf of Focaccia. You’ll do it all with ease because each recipe has been tested to ensure you have a flawless experience.

Start baking for everyone at the same time, with recipes that just happen to be dairy-free and gluten-free.

The cover says it all. 

It doesn't matter if you are looking to curve a few pounds by cutting out grains and dairy or if you are gluten-tolerant, Craveworthy Baking will help you curb your sugar cravings with easy-to-follow recipes that will have you drooling before you get past the first chapter. 

Review of : Beginner's Guide to Garden Planning and Design: 50 Simple Gardening Ideas for Adding Style & Personality to Your Outdoor Space (Creative Homeowner) Sustainable Gardening, Using Containers, and More Helen Yoest

 Get all the inspiration you need to plan and design your first garden! Gardeners are generally always looking for inspiration. In the forward this helpful gardening book, P. Allen Smith states, "Helen has outlined 50 ways to add style to express one's personal creativity in the garden — when in fact her 50 will inspire at least 50 more ideas." Rather than force her own creative ideas on you, author, gardener, and horticulturalist Helen Yoest teaches you to recognize and act on your own creativity! Inside this book, easy-to-follow sections are divided into four basic priorities to consider when thinking about your Garden Basics, Garden Styles, Garden Elements, and Your Garden Environment. Chapters include how to create rhythm, scale, and balance along with curb appeal to shape your owns ideas, plus a chapter on creating a sustainable garden environment where plants and animals can live together. You'll also learn about the importance of selecting the perfect space and sketching out your plan first, how to use containers effectively, how to think about fragrance in your garden, and how to incorporate other features including water, walkways, and walls. Let your imagination go wild and create an amazing space that will give back season after season, with Planning & Designing Your First Garden ! "Helen isn't interested in impressing readers with how much she knows. Rather she's concerned with readers impressing themselves with how much they can accomplish once they believe they can."

Are you looking to bring flowers and plants into your garden but don't know where to start? Well, this book would be a great place to start.

I've read all types of garden books and even taken Master Gardners classes and I still learned a few new things in this book I loved how the author covered sounds. Not many garden books cover garden sounds and believe me the more native plants you bring in the more birds, bees, and other wildlife sounds you have in your garden, it beats traffic noise any day. A simple bird splashing in the bird bath is one of the most simple sounds that brings gardens to life.

This book covers a bit of everything even vegetable garden and has wonderful pictures that will get your creative juices going.

Review: Chocolate Lover: A Baking Book―Decadent Treats

An irresistible collection of 60 recipes in a special package with metallic silver paper (just like a chocolate bar) and luscious photos of every bake, including cookies, brownies, cakes, tarts, sweet breads, pastries, and more, all featuring white, milk, semisweet, or dark chocolate.

Melty pools of chocolate in a warm chocolate chip cookie. A decadent, perfectly fudgy brownie. An oh-so-nostalgic yellow birthday cake with whorls of chocolate buttercream.


If your mouth is watering, join the club—and rejoice! Because this cookbook is here to satiate your every chocolate craving. These recipes run the gamut from easy 15-minute pleasures to impressive kitchen projects that double and triple down on chocolatey goodness:

• Weeknight treats like Peanut Pretzel Toffee Bark, Cocoa Tahini Marble Cookies, and Chewy Mochi Brownies
• Giftable sweets such as Chocolate Pumpkin Babka and Orange Olive Oil Chocolate Cake
• Morning indulgences from Lemon-Blueberry White Chocolate Muffins to Chocolate Frangipane Croissants 
• Special occasion bakes, including Strawberry White Chocolate Chantilly Cake, Coffee Caramel and Nutella Tart, and a stunning Neapolitan Icebox Cake

With guidance on melting chocolate, making ganache, caramelizing white chocolate, and so much more, Chocolate Lover is an indispensable baking book for chocolate enthusiasts everywhere, sure to become cocoa-smudged and frosting-stained from years of love and use. This is the perfect gift for the chocoholic in your life (including yourself!).

ACCESSIBLE, EVERYDAY RECIPES: This darling baking book is filled with approachable recipes that any home baker can follow. Novice bakers will find plenty of recipes to cut their teeth on (bark, hot cocoa, truffles), while more experienced bakers will revel in the project bakes (tarts, layer cakes, pastries). There is no complicated or finicky chocolate work here, no confections or candy. The well-tested recipes, thorough instruction, and multitude of photos ensure these desserts are easy to replicate. Like 100 Cookies or Snacking Bakes, this is good old-fashioned baking—the kind of sweet treats any home baker can make for a birthday, a bake sale, or a relaxing Sunday at home.

PERFECT GIFT FOR CHOCOLATE LOVERS: With a drool-worthy photo for every recipe, this baking book is ideal for holiday and Valentine’s Day (or anytime) gift-giving. How sweet (pun intended) alongside oven mitts, a fondue set, or a few fancy chocolate bars?

EXPERIENCED AUTHOR: Michele Song went to pastry school in San Francisco and externed at the widely acclaimed Manresa Bread on their pastry team. Her impressive background means all the recipes in this book are reliable, easy to follow, and well-tested; they work every time and are beyond delicious.

Perfect for:

• Chocolate and dessert lovers
• Home bakers of all skill levels
• Frequent bake sale contributors and little treat enthusiasts
• Shoppers looking for a Valentine’s Day, holiday, or housewarming gift
• Fans of dessert recipe books like 100 Cookies, Snacking Cakes, Snacking Bakes, Dessert Person, or Zoe Bakes Cakes

 Pinching myself to make sure I haven't died and gone to chocolate heaven! 

As I was skimming through the book I landed on something quick and simple, Anytime Chocolate Snaking Cake, OMG, it was moist and amazing. All recipes are easy to follow, with simple ingredients and an image of each recipe. I will be adding this book to my cookbook shelf. Heck, just run on over to Amazon's website and take a look at the images of this book and you'll see for yourself what surprise recipes await you.

The contents are as listed: Sweet treats, cookies, brownies and bars, snacking cakes, celebration cakes, pies and tarts, morning treats, fried and chilled, and bakery favorites. Not all recipes are chocolate so something for everyone in this book.

Review of Modern Sourdough: Sweet and Savoury Recipes from Margot Bakery Michelle Eshkeri

 

In Tahini and Rye, Michelle Eksheri shows you how to make mouth-watering treats from the basics (bagels, sourdough starter and bread), through to classics with a twist (challah bread and butter pudding, babka, rhubarb and custard danish, pistachio and flower shortbread). The secrets to the seemingly complex are broken down in an easy step-by-step guide so that the perfect sourdough loaf will no longer be a mystery, opening up a world for the sourdough starter to hot cross buns, croissants and so much more. The provenance of ingredients is highly valued, creating seasonal twists such as wild garlic buns and flavor-forward bakes like rye brownies. 

With over 100 recipes covering bread, biscuits, buns and cakes, desserts, savoury baking and store cupboard essentials, Tahini and Rye is full of recipes you'll want to make again and again.

Holy smokes this book is not only drool-worthy it will make a great sourdough baker a great companion book.

I’ve been baking most of my life and at fifty I have collected hundreds of cookbooks and baking books, but there is only a handful I use every week and I could see myself using this one all the time. I love sourdough and have been using the King Arthur Flour method for many years and have been happy with it. Still, I am limited with recipes I can use my sourdough in so before I know it the sourdough is gone and I have to make it again. Hence, I need to broaden my horizon and have more recipes I can use sourdough in and this book would most definitely do that for me.

Not only does this book offer chapter after chapter of recipes for your sourdough, but it also offers specialties recipes for things such as cookies, cakes, and muffins and there is also jam and spreads.



Each recipe offers step-by-step instructions and wonderful images.