Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur BOOK REVIEW

Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this book up at the Book Fair thinking it would be good for my daughter, and of course that means that I need to read it first. I like to know what they are reading so that if they ask me something I can talk with them about it.

This is a coming of age story about a girl, Elsie, who is entering middle school and turning 12, and all the horrors that come with that. My daughter entered the junior high school last year, and this book captures some of that girl drama perfectly, although there is so much more in real life.

It is also about her finding herself, and who she is in a unique way since her parents are not around and she lives with her aunt and uncle. It is a really well written story. I enjoyed it even as an adult. I have passed it on to my daughter and I look forward to discussing it with her. I am hoping that the story will help her to deal with some of the girl drama at school that she has had to deal with this year.

I would recommend it to any girl to read the summer before they move up to the middle school or junior high school. Not to scare them, but to let them know, if this happens, it's ok. This is what you do, not this. I think it is the perfect book to help get parents and girls talking about the troubles and bullying at school and issues of who am I and what is my purpose that this age brings.

Well done!

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Breakfast Green Smoothies by Terry Hatfield BOOK REVIEW

Breakfast Green Smoothies 40 Easy Delicious Green Smoothie Recipes for by Terry Hatfield
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Breakfast Green Smoothies is written by Terry Hatfield. Terry is a culinary trained chef, who has worked in a number of upscale restaurants, and has been focused on healthy eating for the past 15 years. He is currently a personal chef and has two other healthy eating books published.

The first major plus of this book is that Chef Terry explains why we all need to eat more green, leafy vegetables. Not just the plain bullet points you hear on the news, but explains the different vitamins and nutrients that we get from them, and why they are important. For instance, the fact that our body can not make or absorb the vitamins from any other source. It is a great start to the book, and focuses on why this is important, which is better than any book out there I have seen.

The second major plus is that Chef Terry explains the different leafy greens to you, what you get from them, and differences in tastes. I really loved this part because I am not familiar with some of the greens, and this really helped me to know which to start with and which to save for later. He also explains about starting slow, with things you are used to eating and then branching out. This is good advice, too many people jump into the smoothie revolution with both feet and find it hard to swallow. Taking small steps makes it a lifestyle change for good.

The recipes and pictures were great. The pictures done well, making you want to try them. In fact there are a couple I think I might be able to sneak in on the kids tomorrow. Although the title says breakfast smoothies, these can be drunk at anytime of the day. There is an apple pie one that would make a great desert after a meal.

This is the first smoothie book that has made me want to try them, and since I have kids, this is something that is important to me. Getting a better, more healthy diet into my children. Couple that with the fact that it was written by a real chef, and this is just an overall winner in my book.

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Practical Belly Fat Cure - 4 Weeks To Lose Belly Fat & Get a Lean Tight Belly

Book Review If you are looking for another fad diet, a body wrap, or weird and strange exercise that will just wash the belly fat away while you sleep, then put this book back down and walk away. You won't find it here, what you will find in here is good, honest truth! Imagine that! Believe you me, as a mom of three, I know belly fat, and I know all about the gimmicks out there, so I on my guard when I picked up this book. This book is well written, not too overly educated, almost anyone can understand it, and it is written so that anyone can follow the instructions, understand why they are following them and change their life. I think that last part makes it so much different, she explains, why we need to do this, why just doing crunches don't work and what to do instead. Covering diet and lifestyle, it addresses the reasons and things that got us to this point in the first place, and the lack of motivation keeping us here, and how to change all that to move on to a new life. If you are serious about making a change in your life, then this is the book for you. Come join me in the revolution to lose the baby belly forever!

Aftertaste by Meredith Mileti

Aftertaste: A Novel in Five Courses by Meredith Mileti

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Love the Goodreads First-Rads program, which is where I got this book. It allows me to read a number of books that I might not have picked up before.

I looked at this book, and I read the back cover, an I just couldn't decide if I thought I would like it, so I kept picking it up and then putting it back down and reading something else, but I have a number of books that I have in that pile and I just decided that it was too big, i had to read from that pile, so I went ahead and picked it up, only to be glad I did. Turns out i really liked the book.

I related to and understood the main character, Mira, who upon finding her husband and the waitress in the restaurant engaged in martial relations, she jumps on and attacks, only to get ordered to anger management classes. I think most women who have been in that situation would have loved to do exactly what she did, and why is she to blame, the waitress knew he was married, I mean really she should have taken some of the blame.

The book follows Mira as she tries to pick up her life, file for divorce, loses her restaurant and moves back with her dad, only to find that maybe that is what she really needed in the first place. I found that I was routing for Mira, I wanted her to leave her ex-husband behind, to find herself and to find a new life outside what she originally thought was important, to find a new purpose for her life and to find the love and joy of life again.

This was so well-written, and the added food content was so much fun! Talk about making you want to cook. Their was recipes and food and it was just mouth-watering. I loved it all so much and I recommend this to anyone who loves to cook!



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Affairs of Steak by Julie Hyzy (White House Chef Mystery, #5)

Affairs of Steak by Julie Hyzy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Affairs of Steak is the fifth book in the White House Chef Mystery Series by Julie Hyzy.  She is another of my very favorite authors and I love reading her books.

This book finds Ollie being teamed with Peter Sargeant, you remember the guy who hates her, in helping the First Lady plan a birthday party for theSecretary of State of the President.  They are looking at locations for the event, off-site, not at the White House and they have visited four places. As they are walking to the last location they run into Peter's nephew, although Peter is none to happy about it, and once they make the final location, they find that the assistant that was suppose to met them is nowhere to be found. As they are looking through the venue and the kitchen, Peter notices something that looks like blood, and Ollie opens a hugh tilt-skillet only to find the missing assistant, dead. They call the police and as they are showing the police the body, they hear talking which turns out to be a cell phone, upon opening the second tilt-skillet they find the President's Chief of Staff, also dead.

As we follow along the story, we learn more about Ollie and her relationship with Gav is explored and the reality of weather they are going to be able to have a relationship or not, or are they only going to be good friends because of their respective jobs.  Also, the tension between Ollie and the first-family's personal chef, Virgil that started in the last book when a new first-family was installed in the White House, continues. Even so far that Virgil leaks information to a newspaper that puts Ollie and Peter's lives in danger!

So many things occur in this book, and this series, we learn about the workings of the White House and the Secret Service, I am sure not the true workings, but so many things that are wonderfully written and explained, like the changing pins that each Secret Service Agent wears on his lapel, that can be changed each day, or if on Presidential detail as often as each hour, to keep outsiders out, even comes into play in this story.

I love the story. I love Ollie and Gav. originally, in the first book Ollie was dating a Secret Service Agent, Tom, but he just could not understand or back her knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and her ability to figure out what was going on long before the secret service or other police agencies did.  I could never understand why Tom was so put off by this, or why he couldn't understand her, but I am glad that she was introduced to Special Agent in Charge Leonard Gavin, or Gav as she comes to call him. He is able to understand her, and to even appreciate her abilities, so much so that he teaches her and encourages her, which I find attractive.

I am looking so forward to more books in this series and to the relationship with Gavin. I love the series. Another awesome author. I actually have two books in another series by this author in my to-read pile.


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Death by the Dozen (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery #3)

Death by the Dozen by Jenn McKinlay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is the third book in the Cupcake Bakery Series, and it was as well written andenjoyable as the first two!

I have enjoyed the characters, Tate, Mel, Angie, Uncle Stan, Joyce and all the DeLaura brothers! In this book, the Bakery gets an intern, Oz, that looks nothing like a baker, but turns out to have some mad skills!

The Scottsdale Food Festival is in town, and the Challenge to the Chefs is upon them. Mel and Angie entered the pastry division, and of course Olivia Puckett is entered and trying to make waves from the beginning, including standing on the stairs blocking the enterance to the office so that they can't turn in their registration, but you know that isn't going to stop Angie, not growing up with seven brothers, they have a plan and make it on time.

The contest involves baking with a mystery ingredient, and the all the judges for the contest were t culinary school with Mel, two were teachers and another student. She has a history with them all, but her favorite teacher, Vic, who helped her through her father's death is there and he is counting on her winning. On the day of the first bake-off, Vic is no where to be found, until Mel and Angie wander to the margarita tent, only to find Vic in the freezer, dead.

Baking competetion, poisionings and more keep this book jumping to the end. I loved it! can't wait for more!



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