About Me I am a retired librarian and I now support books and authors through my reviews.

I have always loved to read and I was able to share that love through my work as a public librarian for 22 1/2 years. I now promote literacy by reading, and then writing reviews. I love to support authors by sharing my reviews with others!

Friday, June 4, 2021

Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Healthy Options Cookbook: Health Begins in the Kitchen with over 200 Recipes, Tips, and Remedies from the Amish by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Healthy Options Cookbook: Health Begins in the Kitchen with over 200 Recipes, Tips, and Remedies from the Amish

ABOUT THE BOOK


Loaded with dozens of Amish recipes for the health conscious.
New, from New York Times bestselling author of Amish fiction, Wanda E. Brunstetter, is valuable cookbook that offers healthy recipe options.
 
Everyone wants to feel healthy, right? Food can be one of our best medicines, and many Amish are known for seeking ways for health to begin in the kitchen. Brand new, from New York Times bestselling author of Amish fiction, Wanda E. Brunstetter, is a helpful cookbook from Amish and Mennonite cooks who offer healthy recipe options. Over 200 recipes are divided into traditional categories from main dishes and sides to desserts and snacks with labels for gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, etc. Also included are health tips and remedies. Encased in a lay-flat binding and presented in full color, home cooks of all ages will be eager to add this cookbook to their collections.


MY THOUGHTS.....


Are you gluten intolerant? Do you need dairy free foods, or those with less sugar? If you're looking for new recipes that meet these restrictions, then this is the cookbook for you! Amish Friends Healthy Options Cookbook has over 230 recipes, divided into 7 categories, and there are also useful tips, homemade remedies, and a section devoted to Superfoods. I especially like that it is easy-to-use, with a Table of Contents, two Indexes that allow you to find a specific recipe, and a plastic comb spine binding that allows it to lay flat. There are also colorful photos that show the finished products and inspirational Bible Scripture scattered throughout the book. This is definitely a book meant to feed both body and soul!

Amish cooks are considered to be among the very best, and these recipes are certainly worth trying. Wanda E. Brunstetter has once again gathered recipes used in Amish kitchens, and she's combined them into this new cookbook that is geared especially for those of us who are interested in healthier foods. I'm looking forward to good food and better health!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. These are my own opinions.


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


ABOUT THE AUTHOR



New York Times 
bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. With over 11 million copies sold, Wanda's stories consistently earn spots on the nation's most prestigious bestseller lists and receive numerous awards.

When Wanda visits her Amish friends, she finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and family ties. She and her husband, Richard, have been blessed with two grown children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.


To learn more about Wanda, visit her  Website  Facebook  Twitter  Pinterest


Thursday, June 3, 2021

To Catch a Hummingbird (Miller's Creek, #1) by Mindy Steele

To Catch a Hummingbird (Miller Creek, #1)ABOUT THE BOOK

Since her father’s death, twenty-three-year-old Lydia Miller stays busy, trying to keep the family farm afloat. It leaves little time to think and to regret what she did. Her mother runs the local bakery and unexpectedly sells their home without Lydia’s thoughts on the matter. Worse, they now must live with the local widower, and Lydia is expected to care for his children. Nothing in life has prepared her for the resistance she will face or the quick attachments she makes.

Widower Silas Graber fell right into the Bishop’s plan. He did need help, but he thought he was getting Hazel Miller not her daughter with a chip on her shoulder. Her ways are nothing like his late wife’s, and it’s clear she knows nothing about raising children.

However, he can’t help but notice how she quickly breathes life back into his world. And his children notice it, too. Before long, she has become a part of their lives, and she starts learning to leave the past behind her. And falls in love. But she’s not so certain Silas is ready to give his heart away again. Neither is he.


MY THOUGHTS.....

Lydia Rose Miller is a bundle of energy, but she's also an emotional wreck. When we first meet her, she is filled with guilt, grief, anxiety, and frustration. Not your usual Amish maiden, right? This is one reason I enjoyed this book so very much. Author Mindy Steele understands the Amish way of life, but she also knows that it isn't exempt from problems, and she's woven an intriguing tale of a mother and daughter facing a financial burden that can't be resolved. Hazel Miller's decision for them to leave their home to help widower Silas Graber care for his three young children is certainly not a happy choice for her youngest daughter Lydia!

'Lydia knew little of Silas Graber other than he'd lost a wife, seldom spoke, and never smiled. Why, then, should she be expected to help him care for these three motherless children? She just couldn't, even though circumstances made it necessary'.

I loved the chemistry between Lydia and Silas, and it's apparent that their initial reservations toward each other may be temporary. I also enjoyed watching Lydia's maternal instincts blossom as she cares for these precious Graber children. Lydia finally experiences the best kind of emotions....love, joy, and hope. Until...a tragic accident threatens Miller Creek forever!





To Catch a Hummingbird is a touching, romantic, and realistic look at the Amish way of life and I look forward to returning to Miller Creek. I recommend this book to all who enjoy Amish fiction.





I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. There was no obligation for a favorable review. These are my own thoughts.



My rating: 5 of 5 stars 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Mindy Steele writes sweet Amish fiction as well as romantic suspense. She is an author of 7 novels. The Miller's Creek Amish series, Christmas Grace, Christmas in Cranberry, His Amish Wife's Hidden past, and An Amish Flower Farm, releasing 2021. If not gardening or visiting her Amish neighbors, she is on the family farm writing her newest inspiration. To learn more about Mindy, go to her Website     Facebook     Instagram