300 Sensational Soups Cookbook Review + Recipe

300 Sensational Soups by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds

Synopsis from Robert Rose: "A good soup nourishes the heart as well the stomach, spreading a feeling of satisfaction and contentment. Hot soup is warming on a winter day, while cold soup is just as welcome in the heat of summer.

From comforting creamy chicken and rice soup to refreshing gazpacho, 300 Sensational Soups offers something for every season, mood and occasion. There are 50 international soups, including Vietnamese pho, Italian wedding soup, and Middle Eastern harira. Soups from the sea include such favorites as snapper in Asian broth with habaero and shrimp, and shrimp and pea soup with lemongrass. Each recipe also includes tips and techniques along with garnishing ideas. As well, there are many creative variations and serving suggestions.

There is also the Just (Soup) Desserts chapter, which features 20 dessert soups, including coconut soup with mango fritters, chocolate soup with brownie croutons, and chilled cherry soup with creme anglaise swirl.

With 300 recipes to choose from, ranging from everyday fare to elegant dishes for entertaining, 300 Sensational Soups offers home chefs a perfect bowl of soup every time."

ISBN-10: 0778801969 ISBN-EAN: 9780778801962 

Price (CAD): $27.95 Format: Paperback Number of Pages: 384 Published Date: Oct 2012

Buy a copy on Robert Rose today!

My Thoughts: I give this book 5 stars for a great go-to soup cookbook. If you are looking for more ideas for soups or starting out with soups like myself, you will love this book. With 300 recipes there is a guarantee that there will be tons your family will enjoy making this a great addition to your cookbook shelf.

We have tried a bunch of the recipes and each and every one has turned out tasty, and a list growing each time I look at the book. I love the set up of this cookbook as each recipe is on one or two pages max, most are one page! For ease of reading it is clear on how many it serves, which I love this way you know if you will have left overs or can serve it to a crowd, or even freeze some for another meal later on. The page is divided into 2 sections with tips and a description and tips on the left of the page with the ingredients and recipe on the right. The recipes are clear and easy to follow even for beginners.

There is a whole section on toppings and garnishes if you would like to had croutons, creams, meatballs etc. I also love the first chapter of Stocks, it gives you tons of information on the basics of stocks and 14 different recipes.

Texas Cowboy Soup - serves 8-10

6 slices of bacon, chopped
1 1/2 lbs of lean ground beef (I used only 1 lb and it was plenty for us)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp chili powder (can change if you like it not spicy)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 freshly ground black pepper
2 baking potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cans (each 14-19oz/398 to 540 ml) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 oz/398 ml) diced tomatoes, drained
1 can (14oz/398ml) diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, with juice
4 cups beef stock
1 can (14oz/398ml) corn kernels, drained
Cornbread croutons (recipe in book page 369)

1. In a large pot, saute bacon over medium heat until starting to brown. Add ground beef and saute, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, onion, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper; saute until onion starts to soften, about 3 minutes. 
2. Add potatoes, beans, both cans of tomatoes and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes. Add corn and simmer for 10 minutes. 
3. Ladle into heated bowls and garnish with croutons.

Don't forget to head over and "Like" Robert Rose on Facebook This week until Friday they have a giveaway for a Juicing Cookbook.  

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn on behalf of Robert Rose. I received the above book for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Wordless Wednesday - Marty

Meet our fur baby Marty. He is our big tom cat who loves to just laze around whenever he can. Doesn't matter to him where is drops expect when someone trips or steps on him.


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Honeysuckle Love by S. Walden Review & Guest Post

Honeysuckle Love by S. Walden

Upper YA Romance - New Adult

Title: Honeysuckle Love

Author: S. Walden

Date Published: 11/19/12

ADD TO GOODREADS

Clara Greenwich is too young to take on the sole responsibility of caring for herself and her younger sister. She’s just sixteen. She should be focused on school, hanging out with friends, falling in love. Instead, she’s working to pay off the mound of bills her mother left behind then she vanished at the start of the school year. Left alone with her ten-year-old sister, Beatrice, Clara discovers that she is now the parent, the provider, and the responsibilities grow to be more than she can handle.

Buy e-book on Amazon or Smashwords. 

My thoughts: This was a very emotional book. Clara and her sister Beatrice are left all alone. Their mom walked out one day leaving Clara with all the bills and to care for her 10 year old sister. We learn that Clara's mom suffers from depression and this could be the reason for leaving the girls. Clara is in highschool and meets a nice boy Evan who is head over heels for Clara. He will do anything to spend time with Clara. Evan is popular and Clara isn't but that doesn't stop Evan from wanting Clara as his girlfriend. 

Clara starts to get overwhelmed with the responsibilities of running the house and caring for her sister. She also starts to hear voices in her head. Clara is heading in the same path as her mother but she has Evan by her side wanting to help her through the rough times. This book is about hardships, love, highschool drama and growing up. The book was well written by a teacher and faces many challenges that take the reader through an emotional journey with her characters. 

I have given this book 4 out of 5 stars.  

I also have a guest post today by S. Walden herself. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with my readers.  

Write However, Whenever. Just Write.

I’ve had people ask me how I write. Well, there’s no correct writing process. Sure, you learn
about the Writing Process in school, but it’s a bunch of hooey. Every person (who writes) writes differently, and all forms are acceptable. Now what’s not acceptable is never revising and editing your work. Ugh. Find some critique partners. Find an editor. It doesn’t matter if you’re going it alone as I am or signed with a big publishing house. Make sure you have an editor. And a good one.

My process is usually all over the place. I get an idea for a story, mull it over in my brain, take notes or make a loose (and I mean very loose) outline, and begin. Do I begin at the beginning? Never. I’ve never started a story from the beginning. I always start with whatever scene pops into my head first. But I write fiction. It may prove harder to write this way if I wrote nonfiction. Some might argue that this can mess up the whole character development thing, but I’ve never had that be the case. Sure, I end up changing scenes, sometimes a little, and sometimes altogether. Sometimes I cut them completely. But I always write whatever feels right in that moment. I don’t ever try to go Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and so on.

I’ve run into several dilemmas writing this way. You see, the good thing about writing linearly is that you seldom make mistakes in your plot progression with times, dates, information characters know or don’t know. But when you write all over the place—I like to call it the Chaotic Method—then you tend to run a higher risk of having conflicting information in your story. Take this morning, for instance. I’m in the process of writing my third novel, Going Under. I was writing a scene where a character makes reference to information she hasn’t yet discovered! And that’s because I’ve already written the scene where she discovers it, but the one I worked on this morning comes way earlier in the draft. Whoops. So yeah, that can be an issue. But that’s what your editor is for, right? (She’d love hearing that.)

Here’s the thing about it: I would never again (because I have in the past) give someone
instructions on the appropriate way to write. The correct process, if you will. I did that for a few years as a writing teacher, and felt like one huge fraud. It was frustrating for me and frustrating for my students. They thought they had to write a certain way, and I knew better. But my hands were tied—I had to adhere to the curriculum—though that’s no excuse. I should have been subversive in my teaching. It always makes you a better teacher when you’re subversive.

Remember that. In any case, I carry a bit of guilt for passing off the five-paragraph essay and Writing Process as the appropriate methods. I’m trying to atone for it now.

So write however you want. Find the process that works best for you. Maybe you are more
organized and enjoy writing linearly. It keeps you sane. It keeps your story sensible. It helps you write better. Go for it. Maybe you’re like me and ideas just explode in your brain at random. Before you know it, you’ve got an entire Word document filled with a bunch of unorganized scenes. Then it’s like a puzzle: move this around, that around, until it fits. Whatever works for you, do it. But however you do it, just do it. Keep writing.  

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received the above book for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Beer Money Book Tour + Giveaway!

Beer Money

In the explosive opening to an exciting new mystery series, private investigator Burr Ashland learns that his best friend, a history professor, has been murdered. Burr is plunged into an investigation that puts him in the middle of a violent struggle not just between the present and the past, but between good and evil. With nonstop action and breakneck twists, BEER MONEY is the next bestseller from Dani Amore, who Mystery Tribune calls “A sensation among Kindle owners who love fast paced thrillers.”

About Author Dani Amore

Dani Amore is a bestselling crime novelist living in Los Angeles, California. She is the winner of the winner of the 2011 Independent Book Award for Crime Fiction. Her books include THE CIRCUIT RIDER (A KINDLE SERIAL), The Mary Cooper Mystery Series, THE KILLING LEAGUE, The John Rockne Mystery Series, and TO FIND A MOUNTAIN.  

Follow Dani Amore Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Pinterest  

Purchase Beer Money on Amazon.

The author is giving away a $100 Amazon Gift Card. Fill out the form to enter! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow the Tour!

~*Disclaimer: This post was posted by Genuine Jenn on behalf of Promotional Book Tours. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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The Key Inheritance by Jen McConnel Book Review

ADD TO GOODREADS

Ten years after the trip to Scotland that changed her life, Lou is back in the misty, magical country. This time, however, she’s not on vacation: Lou is there to settle some distasteful and depressing family business. When Brian, her old Highland fling, turns up, Lou is forced to wrestle with a past that she thought was dead and buried. As tension between the former lovers mounts, something wicked is stirring in Scotland. Lou must use all her strength to handle the increasingly desperate situation, but will she be strong enough to battle both a vengeful ghost and her heart?

The Key Inheritance is a novella that takes place a decade after the events of The Burning of Isobel Key. This contemporary story crosses into the supernatural as Lou discovers evidence of a long-dead spirit who refuses to rest in peace. Lou may have thought that she was finished with the witch Isobel Key, but her inheritance is more than the young woman can handle alone.

 Want to purchase The Key Inheritance? You can buy it for $1 on Amazon. 

My thoughts: This is the second book in the series and I couldn't wait to get it on my e-reader. The first book ends where you are left to wonder if Lou will ever see Brian again or what will happen when she meets her biological family. This book picks up 10 years later when Lou goes back to Scotland to take care of some family matters, things have changed over the past 10 years but she meets Brian when she arrives. They have their ups and downs emotionally as would be expected after how Lou left Brian standing at the airport when he asked he to stay in Scotland 10 years ago. This is a shorter book, including more magic in it and we learn a bit more about Lou and her magical background. We also see more into the Isobel Key story just like in the first book we go back in time here and there. This time we learn more about the Dr. and Alexander, how they met and more about their personality. The characters are well developed along with a great story line of love, witchcraft and ghosts! 
 
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars!

Read the first in the series for $3 called The Burning of Isobel Key. See my review on The Burning of Isobel Key. 

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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The Odd Life of Timothy Green Review

Now that the busy Holiday season is done I got a chance to sit done and watch The Odd Life of Timothy Green. This movie came out in December just in time for the holidays. If you are looking for a touching story of parenthood, that is magical this is a fabulous movie. 

The movie starts of with Cindy and Jim Green at an adoption services office filing an adoption application. Here they decide instead of filling out the form in full they would tell their unique parenting experience and why they would be good parents. 

After trying for a long time Cindy and Jim were told they would never be able to conceive their own child. That night they make a list of traits they would want a child to have and place these in a wooden box that they bury out in the garden.  That night after they go to sleep there is a big storm and a young boy appears in their home from the garden with leaves on his legs. 

Beware the further you read there will be spoilers in this review. 

This young boy has a mission while he is with the Green's he teaches everyone around him that sometimes the unexpected can bring life's greatest gifts. Cindy and Jim learn that Timothy is an honest boy making his parents speak up for themselves and overcoming past problems. 

With each way Timothy touches someones life a leaf falls off, when all the leaves are gone it is time for Timothy to go also. This was a fabulous story of love, courage and belief. I highly recommend a box of tissues while watching this movie. As it is sad but leaves you feeling great afterwords. 

Another awesome Disney movie. I have not watched it with my children yet as I know it would be very emotional for my daughter who is five. It will be a great movie to watch when we have time afterwords to discuss what happened with Timothy and why. 


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn on behalf of Walt Disney films. We received the above movie for review purpose. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Wordless Wednesday - Snuggle Time

This month for Wordless Wednesday I have decided to feature some pictures of our fur babies. This picture is of Molly snuggled up with A while she was on the iPod. The photo was taken from Instagram, sorry for the fuzziness. It was also taken in a dark room.

 
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Excite Your Dinner with VH Sauces

Looking to make something different at dinner? Maybe something with a little kick? How about making dinner with VH sauces? 

I love to use grocery store helpers when making dinner. I find by using them they make quick, stress free and tasty dinners everyone loves. VH Sauces give some new excitement to dinner time with their different sauces, marinades and dips. Recently we were sent a fun little box of VH sauces, giftcard and some games/coloring supplies and some fun chopsticks! 

I decided to make a Butter Chicken on a bed of white rice. I didn't have broccoli - it was forgotten on the grocery list so instead I used red onions and red and orange peppers. This is likely one of the easiest, quickest and tastiest meals! The recipe is right on the jar of Butter Chicken cooking sauce. You can also head over to VH on Facebook for menu ideas, tips, and recipes. 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken cut into 1 inch cubes
• Butter Chicken VH cooking sauce
• 2 small peppers - green, red, yellow, orange your choice
• 1 small onion - I like red
• 1 - 1/2 cups of cooked rice

Directions: 

• Chop peppers and onions to your preference in size, preheat frying pan with pam. 
• Fry veggies for 5 minutes, remove from pan. 
• Cook chicken cubes until no longer pink on medium/high heat, add cooked veggies and Butter chicken sauce reduce to medium/low heat and cook for 5 minutes or until fully heated.  
• Serve over rice and enjoy!

My daughter loves Soya sauce on rice no matter what is on it already

 

 Love VH Sauces? Enter to win a VH prize pack. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
~*Disclosure – I am participating in the VH Excite Your Dinner blog tour by enCompass Media on behalf of Con Agra Foods. I received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion.”*~

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Grishmas by Kelly Ann Blount

That’s when it happened. Her foot caught on an exposed tree root and made the smallest of sounds. The Grishma instantly snapped its ginormous head around and zeroed in on Brooklyn as she was approaching the fast moving dark murky water.
Before the wretched beast could open it’s deadly jaws and release a bloodcurdling scream, Brooklyn hurled herself into the water.

Brooklyn gasped as her body entered the river. The water was so frighteningly cold that her limbs struggled to keep her afloat.
She could see the Grishma racing down the shoreline out of the corner of her eye. Luckily, the gruesome beast appeared to avoid entering the fast flowing water.
I’ve got to get to the other side, she thought paddling hard to the shore only a few feet away. “I’m going to make it!” she screamed.
Then something happened. The water’s already frigid temperatures dropped further and every laborious kick of her legs got heavier, like she was swimming through slush. She reached out to the shrubs. Her fingers grazed the leaves. She needed to find the strength to close her hands around the branches. Her teeth chattered, her hands were blue, just a little closer!
Suddenly, something brushed up against her leg. Brooklyn began to thrash and flail in the water. She kicked her legs wildly trying to move away from whatever just touched her. Now the branch was behind her, and out her reach. The current sucked her further down the river. Her head bobbed below the surface. She gasped for air, but water took its place and she choked.


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn on behalf of Release Day Diva. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Reading Challenges - What's in Store for 2013

When I was growing up I used to read all the time. I loved to get lost in a book, anything from the Babysitters club, RL Stine, to VC Andrews. After college I really didn't make much time for reading. I would still read here and there but I found it took me a long time to finish a book. After having kids, forget it. I didn't even try. Well okay, I tried a couple times but never finished them. Not because they were not good books but because I couldn't find the time to read. 

Late last summer I decided I was reading to start reading again. I also decided I would try e-reading. I still love paperbacks, the feel and smell of books. Going to the store and picking out a new book or two is always fun but again finding the time and quiet kids that could handle hanging out in a book store for an hour or more is really tough. E-reading makes it simpler to pick up the latest book, or what I love best find a new Indie Author! 

In August of 2012 I started reviewing with a couple book blog tour companies and I fell in love with reading Indie Author books. So many great authors out there and with Goodreads, bloggers etc we can find them more and more. From August to the end of 2012 I believe I read 21 or 22 books. That is a huge change from none a year or one in a year. I took part in the Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge which was a counter on my Goodreads page that would keep track of every book I finished and put it towards the goal I entered into the site. 

This year I am stepping it up a notch and put a goal of 50 books because I am actually starting this challenge on time this year. You can follow my progress on the right side bar of my blog or follow me on Goodreads. 

I have also decided to do two other challenges that can all over lap throughout the year.

The first one is Indie Fever, this is a read & review as many Indie Authors as you set your goal at. I am aiming for the Expert level - Choose to read & review 17-28 Indie Books.

The next challenge is a First Reads challenge. We are asked to read as many books by authors we haven't read before. In this challenge I have chosen the Fanatic level - read 25 or more new authors. 

This will be an exciting year for reading and I look forward to achieving my goals and adding new authors to my favorite list. I also want to say a big Thank You to Best Buy Canada for the awesome Christmas #dreamgift of a Kobo Glo to read most of my books this year.  



~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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2013 New Year's Resolutions - Do you make them?

Each January tons of people start talking about what their New Year's resolutions will be for the year and of course each year I try to make resolutions. Do we stick to them? I am sure we have all done this before - make a resolution only to break it within the first couple months. 

Last year I decided not to call mine resolutions but instead address them as goals. I found this was a lot easier on me as I didn't feel regret if I didn't make the goal. This year I am thinking the same way and have a list of things I would like to reach throughout 2013. 

This year I also thought I would look up a few things about New Years Resolutions before telling you my goals. 

From Wikipedia - "A New Year's resolution is a commitment that a person makes to one or more personal goals, projects, or the reforming of a habit. A key element to a New Year's resolution that sets it apart from other resolutions is that it is made in anticipation of the New Year and new beginnings. People committing themselves to a New Year's resolution generally plan to do so for the whole following year. This lifestyle change is generally interpreted as advantageous." 

Also did you know? -  "A 2007 study by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people showed that 88% of those who set New Year resolutions fail, despite the fact that 52% of the study's participants were confident of success at the beginning. Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they engaged in goal setting, (a system where small measurable goals are being set; such as, a pound a week, instead of saying "lose weight"), while women succeeded 10% more when they made their goals public and got support from their friends."

Now on to my 2013 goals!

Blog related:

• I would like to attend two blogging conferences, BlogHer '13 and Blissdom Canada '13. 
• I would love to take a creative writing course either online or in class.  
• Further my photography skills and work on my goal of upgrading my camera to a Canon Rebel. 
• Further my culinary skills and write more food posts. 
• Read more - reading goals to follow in a separate post in the very near future.

Home/Family/Health:

• Become more organized and purge everything and anything we do not use or need. 
• Move to a bigger home with a bigger yard for our kids and pup (maybe we will add a rescue dog in there also).
• Spend more family time together.
• Walk more often - I would like to walk 15km straight by the fall. Molly loves walking and so do I. We just need to find the time to get out on longer walks. 
• More date nights with the hubby.
• Bake more with A.       

That is the list so far. I may add or remove as the time goes by/completed. I would love to hear about  your goals for 2013. Please share your goals/links below in the comment section!

 
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Happy New Year! Welcome 2013

Happy New Year from Our Family to Yours! All the Best in 2013!

Here is a picture from my daughter, A. 

 
~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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