Trim Healthy Mama

I have never heard of Trim Healthy Mama, or THM, as it is often referred to in the cookbook. I am interested in finding healthful meals for my family so I found the title of the book interesting. However, I immediately felt like I had joined a group of people that had been together for years and didn't quite get their inside jokes. There was no introduction to the authors and the book immediately jumped to serving sizes, portions, and knowing the plan. There is also a list of ingredients to round up, like mineral salt, integral collagen, pristine whey protein, and suggestions for fake sugar. I love to cook and make dinner every night and quite often make desserts and treats, but this book made my head swim trying to figure out how I could make some of these recipes using all-purpose flour and traditional sugar. All of this is to say I don't think this book was written for me since I am not interested in the Trim Healthy Mama Plan. 
However, this is a huge cookbook and I was able to find quite a few meals that my family would like with only a little tweaking. The pictures are beautiful and the book is filled with family stories of how the sisters developed the recipes and how their family enjoys them. 

I received this book from Blogging for Books, but the opinions are my own. 

If you are interested in knowing more about the Trim Healthy Mama Plan, you can buy the book here Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook

Michael Symon's 5 in 5 For Every Season

Michael Symon's 5 in 5 For Every Season is a great book for the home cook who loves to cook seasonally. I enjoyed Michael Symon's easy style of writing and the pictures are simple and delicious-looking. The chapters are divided into Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Holidays. I skipped immediately to "Fall" and found several meals that I could make right away and that my whole family would like. 

Spring: I love that Symon included two recipes for ramps. They have a great, delicate flavor, but I never know what to do with them. There are so many fresh meals with seasonal vegetables, meat, and seafood. 

Summer: This chapter wasn't of much interest to me at this time (it is the end of the summer), but the section is filled with grilled recipes that are great for the summer and eating dinner in the hot weather. 

Fall: There are also two recipes for kohlrabi, which I have never eaten, but am interested in trying. I also saw several meals that I want to try right away, like Rigatoni with Mushrooms & Sage and Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Shallots. The recipes use few ingredients, but look flavorful. 

Winter: Symon utilizes root vegetables and one pan meals without being too heavy. The recipes are fresh and light and use seasonal fruits and vegetables. 

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my review, but all opinions are my own. You can pre-order/purchase the book here: 5 in 5 For Every Season

The Broad Fork

I love trying new vegetables and attempting to eat fruits and vegetables in season, but don't always know what to do with sunchokes or morels. The Broad Fork by Hugh Acheson is inspirational and accessible. This book has four sections for the four seasons and is chock full with ideas for using ingredients you don't often use. It is not a vegetarian book, as I was afraid, and includes recipes that everyone will love. 

Infuse

Infuse (Eric Prum & Josh Williams) is a beautifully photographed book full of recipes for infusing flavor into oil, spirits, and water. I had done a little infusing in the past, such as rosemary simple syrup for  Rosemary Lemonade and making flavored olive oil. I had been wanting to continue my knowledge and skills of infusing flavor into oil especially, and the recipes in the book were just what I was looking for. 

Infusing oil: I have bought a lot of flavored olive oil in the past. There is a stand at Pike Place Market in Seattle that sells many varieties of flavored olive oil and balsamic vinegar. However, it is a bit expensive and sometimes a pain to get to when I have a great loaf of bread. The Olio Santo (spicy Calabrian chili oil) and Garlic Confit Oil are exactly what I need in my kitchen for dipping bread and drizzling on meat and popcorn. I also really like the four easy vinaigrette adaptations. 

Infusing spirits: There are several combinations in this section that I can't wait to try. I have always wanted to make my own Overnight Limoncello and Coffee Liqueur, and the Roasted Pineapple Mezcal looks amazing. 

Infusing water: This is not something I had a lot of experience prior to this book. I have added mint leaves or whole fruit to water in the past and not noticed much of a difference. I plan to take the Hanoi Cold Brew when I go camping and all of the teas in this section look delicious. 

The photos in this book are beautiful and have me wanting to make every recipe before remembering I don't like jalapeno peppers or cucumber. If you are interesting in infusing flavors into oil, spirits or water, this is the book for you. 

I received this book from Blogging for Books in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Punch for a Crowd

My husband and I love having people over, but often get distracted by making individual Lemon Drops for each guest. Punch Bowls & Pitcher Drinks by Jeanne Kelley & Sarah Tenaglia is just the type of book I have been looking for. I am most excited to try the Kumquat-Tangerine Smash, Pimm's Punch, and Meyer Lemon Drop Champagne Punch. 
One major disappointment to me was lack of serving sizes. The recipe would say "serves 4" but what does that mean? Serves 4-8 oz drinks or 4-16 oz drinks? Some of the recipes say to serve it in a small glass, but how many ounces in a small glass? 
I also thought that some of the recipes seemed old fashioned and most pictures could have been styled to be a little more modern. However, the recipes look delicious and I can't wait to try them for my family and friends. 
I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review, but all the opinions are my own.

The Only Meat-Smoking Book You Need

I love everything about Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto by Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay. I initially got this book for my husband, who is an amateur smoker always looking to improve. However, once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I didn't get halfway through the book before wanting to run to the store to get a quality brisket and make my own smoker. 


The first chapter of this book is dedicated to how Franklin took his interest in smoking meat from a hobby to a food truck to the successful lunch-only restaurant he runs today. I was really interested in the back story and appreciated his insight into starting a business and following your passion. 

Chapters 2, 3 & 4 are The Smoker, Wood, and Fire + Smoke. The Smoker covers everything from how to choose your smoker to building your own. In Wood, Franklin discusses how to find the best wood to use in your smoker and how to find a good source for it. Fire + Smoke is devoted to building a fire and creating that magical smoke that will take your meat from good to great. This may sound boring, between the style of writing and the details, I found all of it fascinating. 

Chapters 5, 6 & 7 are Meat, The Cook, and Serving + Eating. Meat is an incredibly interesting chapter on how to choose good meat and some of the "behind the scenes" from Franklin's restaurant. I went to the store armed with all sorts of things to look for in order to find meat that would be worthy of the time it took to smoke it. The Cook prepares you for smoking your meat and includes a few recipes. At first, I was a bit disappointed at the vagueness of Franklin's recipes. However, he encourages the home smoker to start smoking and develop their own tastes and recipes and I see the value of his words. Serving + Eating shows how to properly cut a brisket and includes a few more recipes for sauces and sides. 

If you are at all interested in smoking meat, this is the book for you. The cover is beautiful, the chapters well organized, and the information is invaluable. 

If you would like to purchase Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto, click here

I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review, but all the opinions are my own.

Practical Advice for Moms of Young Children

As a mom to two young children, I found this book to be really helpful and full of concrete examples for positive discipline. I also really appreciated the chapters on potty training, sleeping, and eating.