The illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts

I didn’t really know what to expect when I ordered “The Illustrated Compendium of Amazing Animal Facts” by Maja Safstrom. I can honestly say I love this little book.  It is a small book much smaller than I expected. I haven’t measured it to get exact measurements but I would guess it is 5x7. It is a hardback book with black and white line drawings throughout.

The illustrations are kind of childlike drawings but still very appealing. There is approximately 100 animal and facts about them in this book. My teenage daughter came in and picked it up and said: “I really like this.” I was shocked. The facts are just cute little things such as “If a snail doesn’t like the weather it can go into its shell and hibernate until it gets better.” For up to three years.  Who knew?

I know adult coloring is very popular right now. This book isn’t intended for that purpose but I can see potential colorist wanting to color it.

I plan on using it in homeschooling just for some fun ideas during animal and unit studies. I don’t believe the facts are going to be life changing knowledge but who knows zoology might be in someone’s future. It makes a cute conversation piece. The book price of $14.99 might be a little pricey but if you can get it at a discounted price it is worth it.

I had reservations before ordering wondering if I would like it or not, or if it would be a waste of my time.  I am so glad I ordered! I received this book at no charge in exchange for an honest review.  You can purchase a copy for yourself here.

 

Country Cooking from a Redneck Kitchen

 

Country Cooking from a Redneck Kitchen by Francine Bryson and Ann Vokwein is my kind of cookbook. It is full country cooking and being from the south we love country cooking here. Many of the recipes I am familiar with but there are some that are new to me and I can’t wait to try them out.

Some of the categories are: Redneck Whatnots (dips and salads mostly), Yardbird (for all of you who don’t have a clue that’s chicken), Enough to feed a crowd (living in the Bible Belt we have a lot of after church dinners), Sides, ‘taters & ‘Maters among others.  There are 234 pages of recipes but I didn’t count the number of actual recipes. The food is beautifully photographed although not all recipes have a photo.

I love cornbread salad and the recipe in this book looks wonderful. There are so many recipes I could never list them all but a few that I can’t wait to try: Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Burgers,  Blue Cheese Spicy BBQ Burgers, Chicken Casserole, and surely can’t forget the desserts Brown Sugar Pie, and Oreo Brownies. I’m personally not a big fan of fried green tomatoes but there is a recipe in it for them and if you are looking for something to do with those green tomatoes fresh out of the garden many people love them.

If you are looking for a vegetarian cookbook you may want to stay away from this one. And I would say that if you are looking for low-fat this one isn’t for you. But if you are looking for some good southern comfort food grab it quickly. I wouldn’t suggest eating out of it every day but some indulgence is good for the soul. I believe this is one of my new favorite cookbooks and I will be using it frequently.

I received this cookbook at no charge from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase a copy of it here..

Pressing Pause: 100 Quiet Moments for Moms to meet with Jesus

 

Pressing Pause: 100 Quiet Moments for Moms to meet with Jesus by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk is a devotional for mothers who need some encouragement and quiet time with God. “Pressing Pause offers you a calm way to start your day, to refresh yourself in Jesus and drink deeply of His presence so that you are ready to pour out love, time, and energy into the people who matter most to you.” Karen Ehman is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and Ruth Schwenk is a pastor’s wife and mother.

This book has a beautifully done hardback cover. The devotions are short enough for the busy mom but contain enough encouragement to help you through your day.  There are 100 devotions that include a bible verse, the devotion and a prayer. At the end of each devotion there is a question section to help you think about the devotion and then each devotion has a few lines to write notes. The bible verses are from different bible versions . I noticed NLT, HCSB,  and ESV the others aren’t labeled.

I love the messages throughout the book the only thing I wish were different some of the note sections only include a small area to journal in. I wish there was at least a half page or an entire page to jot down thoughts.

If you are a busy mom looking for a few minutes to spend with God to renew your spirit each day I would recommend this one.  I received this book at no charge from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review