My review of cook/beauty book Eat Beautiful by Wendy Rowe

Eat Beautiful: Nourish your skin from the inside out by Wendy Rowe, Sienna Miller

   This a cookbook/beauty book from world renowned beauty and makeup expert Wendy Rowe. It is filled with delicious recipes which will help restore your hair, skin and nails. The antioxidants and vitamins from the natural ingredients in these recipes will make you glow! I loved the aspect this book takes- using cooking to fulfill ones beauty regime. The book also includes many beauty tips and natural homemade hair and skin treatments. I agree with most of the health advice presented in this book. However, I did not like the photos which are on the title page of each section. They are of beautiful, ''healthy'' (I doubt these models used the healthiest techniques before the photoshoots), glowing women who are unfortunately scantily clad. I didn't mind the photos in which the shoulders were shown, and obviously I don't mind legs...but when more is shown...no thanks! Even though I am a woman, this disturbed me. Besides, the models obviously had makeup, fake tans, etc. and didn't look natural despite their glossy wet hair and drops of water on their face.
Apart from the photographs, this book is a great cookbook and beauty help.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

World-renowned beauty and make-up expert Wendy Rowe knows skin inside out. In this refreshing beauty book, Wendy will teach you how to keep your skin healthy and let your inner and outer beauty shine.

Wendy has devised over 70 easy and delicious recipes specifically designed to feed your skin with the nutrients it needs to glow. Each of the recipes correlates to an essential skin-feeding ingredient that will help target specific skin problems and common complaints. From cucumbers, ‘the internal cleanser’, to limes, ‘the natural astringent’ and carrots, ‘the immunity booster’, there are also breakdowns of the vitamins and nutrients each of these familiar ingredients provide.

And not only will there be methods for feeding your skin, there will also be suggestions on how to keep your skin pampered with recipes for homemade masks, scrubs, mists, cleansers and toners, as well as an informative troubleshooting section for confidence-zapping skin problems. Wendy provides specific advice for foods to embrace or avoid depending on your skin.

Split into the four seasons, this stunning book can be dipped in and out of, or followed like a seasonal plan, and will ensure that you achieve beautiful, radiant skin all year round.  

A review of the cookbook Nourishing Meals by Alissa Segersten, Tom Malterre

Nourishing Meals: 365 Whole Foods, Allergy-Free Recipes for Healing Your Family One Meal at a Time

by Alissa Segersten, Tom Malterre

This is a large cookbook packed with 365 recipes which will delight and satisfy your entire family! The amazing thing about this cookbook is that the meals and dishes and even desserts presented within are healthy. Each recipe avoids gluten, dairy and soy causing them to be perfect for even the limited eater. I recommend this cookbook especially for families looking for such healthy recipes. The fact that there are 365 recipes in this book will delight those who are responsible for the cooking in their household!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

From two popular bloggers and leaders in the functional medicine movement, here s the ultimate guide to eating healthfully as a family a simple, practical cookbook that shows how easy it is to ditch processed foods one meal at a time with 365 delicious, whole food-based, allergen-free recipes that the entire family will love.
It can be daunting to live a whole foods lifestyle in today s busy world even more so to prepare plant-rich, allergen-free meals that ll get the whole family around the table. Popular blogger Ali Segersten and functional medicine expert Tom Malttere are a team devoted to teaching their children and readers the importance of living a whole foods lifestyle. Nourishing Meals makes it easy and fun with dishes that burst with flavor, such as their Cherry Pecan Salad, Butternut Squash and Pinto Bean Enchiladas, Chipotle-Lime Roasted Chicken, and Banana Coconut Cream Pie.
Every recipe in the book is free of the most common allergens: gluten, soy, eggs, and dairy, as well as refined sugar. And these dishes are designed to appeal to everyone, including vegan, vegetarian, seafood, and meat-eaters. In addition to wonderful food, Ali and Tom offer easy, doable steps to help you change your family's health, tips for making the transition easier, and ways to get the kids excited about wholesome foods. They map out the best foods and recipes for every stage of having a family, from pre-conception and pregnancy through each year of a child's life. And they explain in accessible terms what makes their recipes so effective for achieving optimal health. Originally self-published with an avid following, this edition will feature more than 30 new recipes, and many of the original recipes have been updated. This new edition will also include 100 beautiful all-new food photos featured in two inserts.
With an easy, tasty recipe for every day of the year, it s never been simpler to adopt a healthy, whole foods lifestyle!" 

Gluten-Free for Good: Simple, Wholesome Recipes Made from Scratch by Samantha Seneviratne

Gluten-Free for Good: Simple, Wholesome Recipes Made from Scratch by Samantha Seneviratne

No meal should be defined by what's not there. Gluten-Free for Good has 100 easy, healthful gluten-free recipes that are so delicious you’ll never miss the gluten.

I find this cookbook quite interesting as I must agree that gluten can cause a lot of problems and should be avoided if possible. I enjoy trying to cook desserts which are gluten-free, not to mention a variety of main dishes and sides which are vegetable and meat-based rather than wheat-based. One thing I dislike about this cookbook is that it includes mostly savoury recipes which are obviously gluten-free. I would prefer a gluten-free cookbook devoted to bready and desserty recipes. Also, gluten-free doesn't mean sugar-free; something which many of you know and may not even mind. 
The photographs in this new cookbook are beautiful and refreshing. The recipes look delicious. What a healthy addition to your kitchen library!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Here are dishes you may have thought you'd never enjoy again—not without resorting to expensive packaged gluten-free foods that aren't as delicious or healthful as the real thing. These quick-cooking meals are for any time of day, all made from scratch without hard-to-digest processed additives like xanthan or guar gum. Recipes include:

Miso Shrimp with Snap Peas
Roast Chicken with Whole-Grain Sausage Stuffing
Leek and Carrot Brown Rice Risotto
White Pizza with Blistered Tomatoes
Spanish Tortilla
Parmesan Cheese Crackers
Loaded Oat Bars
Upside-Down Skillet Plum Cake
Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting 
Blondie Bars
 
The best way to eat more of what you love is to cook real foods at home. With inspiring photographs and a simple pantry primer, Gluten-Free for Good shows how cooking gluten-free can be seamless, instinctive, and appealing.

Pure Delicious cookbook by Heather Christo

Pure Delicious: More Than 150 Delectable Allergen-Free Recipes Without Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Shellfish, or Cane Sugar

by Heather Christo

As a chef, former caterer, and much-loved food blogger, Heather Christo’s life revolves around food, so when she and her daughters were diagnosed with severe food allergies, she thought her life—and career—were over. With ingredients like gluten, dairy, nuts, and even cane sugar and black pepper permanently off the menu, Heather had to teach herself to cook all over again. Much to her surprise, however, she discovered that taking control of her family’s diet and wellness led to a new sense of empowerment, bringing her family closer together than ever before while permanently banishing the ill health that had been their “normal” for years.

This beautiful hardcover cookbook was a delight to review. The recipes are extremely appealing. There is now an abundance of health-focused cookbooks out there and some are not so inviting. Pure Delicious is full of delicious-looking recipes accented by true-to-life photos of the finished products. This cookbook highlights recipes which are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, tree and peanut-free. Gluten-free eaters will be overjoyed with this book. I personally don't avoid dairy but find this book very helpful. Besides- dairy and eggs are easy to substitute back into recipes if desired! One thing that disappointed me about this book was the inclusion of beet sugar instead of organic cane sugar. I am not certain why the author uses beet sugar as that is less healthy than cane sugar. She also doesn't use honey or stevia, something which I find disappointing but fixable as I attempt the sweet recipes in my own kitchen. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Super Foods Every Day by Sue Quinn cookbook review

Super Foods Every Day: Recipes Using Kale, Blueberries, Chia Seeds, Cacao, and Other Ingredients that Promote Whole-Body Health

by Sue Quinn

  This is a small, concise and easy to understand cookbook from one of my favourite publishers! When I first glimpsed this book I was surprised by its smaller size as most of this publisher's cookbooks are large and hardcover! However, it wasn't long at all before I realized that the smaller size of this paperback cookbook is incredibly useful for every day use! Also, it has a unique format which will delight and inspire cooks of all ages and expertise! The method in which the recipes are laid out would be fun for children as well. Each recipe features a colour photo of the ingredients for the recipe followed by a colour photograph of the finished product! The recipes are easy to understand and there isn't much text to confuse new cooks! 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

A collection of more than 60 dishes that showcase super foods--ingredients from kale and seaweed to cocoa and avocado that are brimming with vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting nutrients.
     Featuring straightforward delicious dishes, this easy-to-follow guide contains recipes like Wonder Smoothie, Vitaboost Frittata, Supercharged Carrots, Cauliflower Risotto, and Plum and Cranberry Crisp that showcase sensational super foods in every meal of the day. These recipes are designed to pack the maximize number of super foods into ones diet, using approachable, nutrient-dense ingredients. This collection of delicious sweet and savory dishes makes it easy to pack every meal with nutritional punch.

A review of The Whole Coconut Cookbook by Nathalie Fraise

The Whole Coconut Cookbook: Vibrant Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Recipes Featuring Nature's Most Versatile Ingredient

by Nathalie Fraise

How excited I was to see a cookbook from one of my favourite publishers, featuring one of my favourite foods! Coconut is rightly known as a superfood! It is packed with nutrients and can help with a variety of health issues. I know personally it will help counteract my fungal allergies as well as my tooth problems. Unlike all nuts, seeds, legumes and grains, coconuts do not contain phytic acid which is what causes mineral deficiences and in the end, tooth and bone decay! Needless to say, I love coconuts and wish I lived in the tropics in order to have better access to them! 

 This little cookbook would make the perfect addition to your library or collection. It would also be perfect in a gift basket for a wedding or shower! It is the perfect size for giving as a gift. It is also beautiful to look at and would make a sweet coffee table book. However, I can assume that it will mostly take precedence in the kitchen where you will be using it daily! Featured in this cookbook are all types of recipes, from soups and curries to desserts and snacks! You will not be disappointed. 

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. 

More about the book below:

This beautiful and inspiring recipe collection helps you incorporate nature’s perfect superfood—the coconut—into your everyday cooking. From tangy coconut yogurt for breakfast to creamy coconut curry for dinner, The Whole Coconut Cookbook showcases infinite ways to enjoy this nutrition-packed fruit.    

With all of their creamy goodness and adaptability, coconuts are an indispensable ingredient in many recipes, from smoothies and curries to cakes and salads. Moreover, they are an incredible superfood, providing essential nutrients and healthy fats in recipes that are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. In The Whole Coconut Cookbook, this amazing fruit is celebrated in all its glory, from the familiar coconut water, coconut oil, and sugar, to creamy coconut milk and coconut aminos. These ingredients shine in delicious recipes like Coconut, Ginger, and Cilantro Mussels; Coconut Sesame Noodles with Baby Bok Choy and Tamarind Dressing; Spicy Coconut Chips; and Coconut Orange Cookies. With a primer on the different parts of the fruit and a guide for using fresh coconuts at home, this beautiful book is perfect for anyone looking to incorporate this nutritional powerhouse into their every day home cooking.

Yogurt cookbook by Janet Fletcher

   This is a simple yet delightful cookbook featuring the popular food: yogurt! Contained within this book are many recipes using this healthy and tasty product. Try roasted tomato bruschetta with yogurt cheese, or meatballs in a warm yogurt sauce or perhaps golden yogurt cake! The recipes range from sauces to dips to desserts!
I am an experienced cook and could live on yogurt and I personally was pleased with this book which I received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 
Recipes come from Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, India and more. 
Also includes basic instructions on how to make your own yogurt- an easy and essential part of life in my opinion!
As always with this company's cookbooks, this yogurt cookbook is also filled with pleasing photography of the meals. 

Simply Ancient Grains: Fresh and Flavorful Whole Grain Recipes for Living Well by Maria Speck

Simply Ancient Grains: Fresh and Flavorful Whole Grain Recipes for Living Well

by Maria Speck

I was excited by this cookbook because for one thing, I am an extremely healthy eater and cook! Another aspect is that I am very interested in eating the way our ancestors did! Grains in the old (and I mean old) days were beneficial and healthy! I was hoping the author in Simply Ancient Grains would go in-depth to explain how to best prepare grains by soaking and sprouting and then cooking for the most nutrient-dense meals.
I was disappointed in that Maria Speck simply prepares the grains as most people do; by steaming or boiling, etc. Also, the recipes are a little too simple for my tastes and expertise. However the book is quite beautiful and full of the colorful photographs which the publisher is known for. Thus, I do recommend this book to those of you who desire many recipes for grain dishes! The recipes look tasty.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review!

The award-winning author of Ancient Grains for Modern Meals , Maria Speck makes cooking with ancient grains faster, more intuitive, and easier than ever before in this collection of recipes, most of which are gluten-free.

From black rice to red quinoa to golden Kamut berries, ancient grains are showing up on restaurant menus and store shelves in abundance. Yet in home kitchens, many fear that whole grains are too difficult and time-consuming to prepare. In Simply Ancient Grains, Maria makes cooking with these fascinating and nourishing staples easy and accessible with sumptuous recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Her family-friendly dishes are Mediterranean-inspired and delicious, such as Spicy Honey and Habanero Shrimp with Cherry Couscous; Farro Salad with Roasted Eggplant, Caramelized Onion, and Pine Nuts; and Red Rice Shakshuka with Feta Cheese. Maria’s tips and simplified approach take whole grain cooking to the next level by amplifying the flavor and enduring beauty of these nutritious grains.

Cookbook review: My New Roots by Sarah Britton

    I am absolutely delighted by this new, beautiful cookbook from popular health blogger Sarah Britton! As an artsy cook, I was drawn to this book by its pleasing cover and design. The interior is full of lovely photographs depicting various dishes as well.
Published by Clarkson Potter, this book will not disappoint. In looks or quality of recipes.
As I read through the cookbook, I was surprised and delighted by the similarities I share with author Sarah Britton. I suppose you could call me a health nut. I am also a chef for our large family and delight in not only trying recipes from around the world but also inventing hundreds of my own dishes.
In the past several years I have become quite talented at producing a variety of extremely healthy dishes and delights. Although I don't usually need a cookbook, I am excited by ''My New Roots''....I think I will try more than 75% of the recipes in here! I will point out that I am not Vegan or Vegetarian yet I love recipes which fall into that category thus I will benefit greatly from using this cookbook.
I loved how the title referenced to how Sarah Britton changed from a normal city girl to a healthy cook and blogger. The cookbook includes her story, which I thought an interesting read.
So, to close: don't miss this beautiful hardcover cookbook from the ''queen bee of health blogs''

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Effortless Healing Dr. Joseph Mercola; Foreword by David Perlmutter, M.D.

Effortless Healing

9 Simple Ways to Sidestep Illness, Shed Excess Weight, and Help Your Body Fix Itself

Dr. Joseph Mercola; Foreword by David Perlmutter, M.D.

Being an advocate of healthy living, and having trusted Dr. Mercola for the past 10 years I was especially elated when I discovered this new book!

 Have you ever felt like it didn't make sense that everything healthy is hard to accomplish? Did you ever feel too discouraged to begin exercising because you couldn't do it like the pros? 

Well, Dr. Mercola explains through his website and now this marvelous book Effortless Healing that humans were wired to heal themselves! You don't have to devote hours a week working out just to get the body you want. You don't have to pay thousands of dollars to follow some other person's diet plan. Treat your body as it should be treated, and it will indeed heal itself. Drawing from centuries of healthy ancestors, Joseph Mercola explains in understandable ways how our bodies function. 

After reading this book, you will come away amazed at the intricate functions of your body and the power God has given it to heal. 

You will be inspired to put foods into your body which will help your organs work well. And you will be energized to actually lose weight or become stronger by implementing good habits and easy exercises rather than overwhelming exercise plans.

Does this lifestyle work? I have to say: yes! My family and I have been adhering to such a healthy lifestyle for the past several years, and I have seen drastic changes. I began as a teen, and I saw myself gain clearer skin, more flexible muscles, not to mention that I transformed from a chubby girl into a lean young woman! I am ever inspired when I read Mercola's writings..in fact spring is the perfect time to get back into the great healthy eating and living style he recommends! I don't know about you, but I'm going for it!

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. 

LET YOUR BODY DO THE WORK

Do you have to tell your leg to heal from a scrape? Your lungs to take in air? Your body that it’s hungry? No. Your body does these things automatically, effortlessly. Vibrant health is your birthright and within your grasp; you just have to step out of the way. In Effortless Healing, online health pioneer, natural medicine advocate, and bestselling author Dr. Joseph Mercola reveals the nine simple secrets to a healthier, thinner you. The results are amazing and the steps can be as easy to implement as:

·         Throwing ice cubes in your water to make it more “structured”
·         Skipping breakfast, as it could be making you fat
·         Eating up to 75 percent of your calories each day in fat for optimal health, reduction of heart disease, and cancer prevention
·         Avoiding certain meat and fish, but enjoying butter
·         Eating sauerkraut (and other fermented foods) to improve your immune system and your mood
·         Walking barefoot outside to decrease system-wide inflammation (and because it just feels great)
·         Enjoying a laugh: it’s as good for your blood vessels as fifteen minutes of exercise

Effortless Healing is the distillation of decades of Dr. Mercola’s experience and cutting-edge medical knowledge. With his wisdom and that of your body, you can optimize your health, your weight, and your life…effortlessly.

Cookbook review- Pure Food: Eat Clean with Seasonal, Plant-Based Recipes

Pure Food: Eat Clean with Seasonal, Plant-Based Recipesby Veronica Bosgraaf 

   As you may have noticed by now, I have a thing for healthy cookbooks. Although I am an experienced cook and have mastered the art of creating unique and healthy meals for my family, I absolutely love and appreciate new ideas! Pure Food is a simple cookbook full of healthy recipes you can rely on over and over again. The recipes are simple compared to the healthy ones I mostly accomplish, making it the perfect cookbook for someone interested in getting into healthy eating.

The recipes are printed on attractive green-highlighted pages, while the photographs of some of the recipes can be found in the center portion of the book. Recipes include Chocolate Rice Pudding, Scalloped Potatoes with Onion, Garlic, Peppers Savory, and Dill, Vegan Orange Cream Pops, Cheddar Artichoke Dip, Hummus, Tomato, and Caper Bruschetta, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes.

   From what I have observed, the recipes are free of meats and don't usually include milk. 

The sweetener is often agave nectar or honey. 

This new cookbook from Clarkson Potter publishers will make the perfect spring addition to your cookbook collection! I can also imagine that it will make a delightful wedding shower gift. The beautiful cover of this paperback cookbook is so appealing. 

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have always been passionate about feeding my family the best foods, but as a busy working mom with three kids, cooking can be overwhelming. I know that fast food and frozen options are not the solution. I wrote Pure Food to inspire people to get back in the kitchen. Cooking doesn’t have to be hard or time-consuming. It can be simple, therapeutic and rewarding too!

The 120 plant-based recipes in Pure Food are modern, healthier versions of my Midwestern favorites passed down from my grandma and mom. I talk about how to cook with alternatives to processed sugars, dairy and flours, and I’ve created recipes that use unique and interesting ingredients like amaranth, coconut flour, tapioca, and turmeric. I’ve included some of my personal tips for cleaning your kitchen and lifestyle – from drying your own herbs to eliminating chemical cleaners.

I’m so excited that the dream of creating my own cookbook has become a reality and I can’t wait to share my journey with you and your family – Veronica

- See more at: http://thepurebar.com/pure-food-cookbook/#sthash.YNF9Sths.dpuf

This Is What You Just Put in Your Mouth? by Patrick Di Justo book review

This Is What You Just Put in Your Mouth?: From Eggnog to Beef Jerky, the Surprising Secrets by Patrick Di Justo 

If you know me, you know that I would jump on a chance to read such a book as this! 

From a young age, I had a strange satisfaction in analyzing the ingredient labels of everything I did-and didn't- eat! Now that I have fully embraced a strictly healthy lifestyle, it amazes me what most people consume daily. Did you really just put that into your body? 

This book is an easy read; paperback and lightweight, it packs into 200 pages as much information as you need to know to maintain a healthier existence. Seriously, after finding out what is in your pizza pockets, enfamil baby formula, gum, etc. etc. you won't want to continue with the hazardous habit of daily poisoning yourself! 

Even if you are not a health fanatic, the humorous aspect of respectable humans loading themselves with such poisons is sure to tickle you. Keep this book on your coffee table; sure to initiate some interesting conversations!

 Personally, I found this book slightly confusing at times. It didn't always explain what was wrong with the ingredients described. Since I have done some study on my own previously I knew, but most readers wouldn't get the full impact. Also the author, although writing with humor, is not an excellent writer which makes reading this book difficult.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. 

More about the book:

What do a cup of coffee and cockroach pheromone have in common? How is Fix-A-Flat like sugarless gum? Is a Slim Jim meat stick really alive? If I Can't Believe It's Not Butter isn't butter, what is it?

All of these pressing questions and more are answered in This Is What You Just Put In Your Mouth? Based on his popular Wired magazine column What's Inside, Patrick Di Justo takes a cold, hard, and incredibly funny look at the shocking, disgusting, and often dumbfounding ingredients found in everyday products, from Cool Whip and Tide Pods to Spam and Play-Doh. He also shares the madcap stories of his extensive research, including tracking down a reclusive condiment heir, partnering with a cop to get his hands on heroin, and getting tight-lipped snack-food execs to talk. Along the way, he schools us on product histories, label decoding, and the highfalutin chemistry concepts behind everything from Midol to Hostess fruit pies.
Packed with facts you're going to want to share immediately, this is infotainment at its best—and most fun!—which will have you giving your shampoo the side-eye and Doritos a double take, and make you the know-it-all in line at the grocery store.

A Good Food Day by Marco Canora with Tammy Walker cookbook review

A Good Food Day by  Marco Canora with Tammy Walker, with a Foreword by Tim Ferriss 

This is another healthy cookbook to inspire both healthy eaters as well as those who are just starting on the journey to ultimate health and vitality!
Written by a man who suffered from junk food and an all-round unhealthy lifestyle, it presents healthy living in a fresh new way. The photographs are appealing and full of colour. This hardback book, as with all of Clarkson Potter publisher's cookbooks, is not only useful in the kitchen but also a beautiful coffee table book! I especially loved the macro shots of spices, nuts or herbs. 
As for the recipes, I was excited to critique them. I am an avid and experienced cook. Not only that, I have been rigidly healthy for the past few years so I love to review not only cookbooks, but healthy ones particularly. The recipes in this cookbook are quite basic. Although experienced cooks will enjoy this book, I would recommend it for beginners. The ingredients included in even the entrees are basic and remind me of the recipes I create on a busy day when I don't have time to look at a cookbook. 
The flavours incorporate classic Italian and American, and are sure to please most people! 
The author seems to have a good appreciation for healthy fats and cultured foods. Therefore you can rest assured that most of the recipes are indeed healthy. The only thing that caught my attention which I wouldn't consume was the whole wheat pasta the author uses. You can't blame him-after all, he is Italian!
As for the desserts in this book, there are hardly any recipes in that section but those included use maple syrup, honey or coconut palm sugar. As with other recipes, the dessert recipes are simple and easy to prepare. They include berry crumble, granola, hazelnut brownies, blueberry pie and more. 

About the cookbook

After years of mindless eating habits that led to weight gain and a slew of health issues, I knew I had to make some changes. But no way in hell was I giving up flavor for health. Instead of dieting or depriving myself, I created simple, whole foods-based recipes fit for a food lover’s palate.

In A Good Food Day, I team up with certified health coach Tammy Walker to explain the powers of good-for-you ingredients (such as low-GI carbohydrates, bone broths, and alkaline-forming greens), and I build these into 125 recipes that are all about satisfaction. Dishes like Amaranth “Polenta” with Tuscan Kale, Black Rice Seafood Risotto, Citrus-Spiked Hazelnut and Rosemary Granola, Chickpea Crepe Sandwiches, and Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries will show that with a healthy diet, there is still joy in eating.

If you love food and want to clean up your diet with a collection of super delicious, satisfying recipes that actually inspire you to want healthy foods in every meal, then A Good Food Day is for you.

The Paleo Chef by Pete Evans- a review

The Paleo Chef by Pete Evans

   The very fact that has brought television personality Pete Evans criticism from the general public is what had me the most interested in reading his Paleo cookbook!
Wondering what topic that could possibly be? Simply the aspect of activate almonds!
Yes, you can believe that I was delighted when I opened Pete Evan's cookbook ''The Paleo Chef'' and discovered in the beginning chapters that he highly recommends soaking and slowly roasting all nuts and seeds! I knew I could trust this guy. ;)
I was also pleased to see that this author doesn't recommend overdoing it on grains! I am not Paleo, but my diet corresponds often to that of the Paleo eater so I am able to benefit from such cookbooks and recipes.
Yet again I was delighted from this cookbook published by 10 Speed Press. Will they ever disappoint?
This new recipe book is packed with interesting and healthy recipes which I am eager to try.
The ones which have especially caught my eye include: Licorice Root Sausages with fried eggs and greens, Moroccan carrot salad, Roast chicken thighs with garlic, lemon and herbs, and I am definitely going to be making chocolate beet mudcakes for Valentines this year!

For your interest, this Australian chef uses raw honey for the sweet things in this book but that can be substituted or left out by the talented stevia-lover. Pete Evans also uses coconut oil and other wonderful fats and-to my delight- avoids soy products.

The recipes concentrate mainly on vegetable dishes, but there is enough variety that any cook will be fascinated and pleased with this book!

More about this cookbook:

Acclaimed international chef and television personality Pete Evans takes a whole new approach to making gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free meals that are worthy of a restaurant but effortless to prepare. More and more people are discovering the health benefits of the Paleo lifestyle by cutting out processed, sugary foods and instead eating quality proteins and fats, fresh vegetables and fruits, and nuts and seeds. However, following this way of eating doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor or spending a long time in the kitchen. In The Paleo Chef, Evans provides more than 100 recipes for gorgeous food that is satisfying, distinctive, and good for you, including Kale Hummus, Vietnamese Chicken Wings, and Key Lime Tart.

Each and every one of Evans’s innovative recipes pops with flavor and is brought to life with stunning, full-color photography. Living—and eating—the Paleo lifestyle has never been so effortless and so delicious

Clean Slate cookbook/guide from the editors of Martha Stewart Living

Clean Slate: A Cookbook and Guide
 from the editors of Martha Stewart Living published by Clarkson Potter
336 pages

What better way to start the new year than with a clean yet delightful diet? 
  I was overwhelmed by the beauty of this cookbook! In keeping with Martha Stewart Living's clean and fresh style, this book is a pleasure to the eyes. It makes a great coffee table book. But it goes much, much further than that of course! To my great surprise and delight, this cookbook is packed with incredibly healthy, very inspiring and too delicious to be true recipes! 
   I am extremely rigid with my rules in healthy living, and usually have to ignore half the recipe in even a ''healthy'' cookbook. This book, however, overwhelms me with it's thoroughness and attention to health concerns. Happily, the reader/cook can rest at ease concerning the foods presented in this book. Martha Stewart Living has long provided healthy and absolutely delicious recipes; this cookbook continues with that tradition. 
Contained within this new large paperback cookbook are dozens of exciting recipes which follow the mantra of the cookbook: Reset your health, detox your body and feel your best! 
  I must insert a note to fellow extreme nutritionists: this book doesn't include soaking or sprouting the grains used in the recipes. On that note, it does include many recipes involving grains (quinoa, etc). However, I am assuming we can simply prepare the grains as we normally would, while following the recipe for the remainder of the preparation. The desserts don't seem to incorporate stevia, but use honey. A couple of the recipes include brown sugar. But they seem simple enough to play around with according to each cook's level of ''fanaticism''!
I would say that this cookbook's strong point is in the vegetable dishes and snacks! 
For those of you who are curious as to how many new recipes this book presents...I can't answer you precisely, but I did recognize many recipes from the Martha Stewart Living magazines. However not every recipe is a double. 

Helpfully, this book also includes guidelines for restocking your pantry with whole grains, beans and legumes, lean proteins, and healthy fats; glossaries of the best sources of detoxifiers, antioxidants, and other health-boosting nutrients; and menus for a simple 3-day cleanse and a 21-day whole-body detox, with easy-to-follow tips and strategies for staying on track.

Clean Slate is organized into sections as follows....
Replenish: Get off to a good start
Whole-Wheat Waffles with Strawberries and Yogurt;
Poached Eggs with Roasted Tomatoes

Reboot: Drink to your health
Grapefruit, Carrot, and Ginger Juice;
Green Machine Smoothie

Recharge: Load up on vegetables
Roasted Mushroom Tartines with Avocado;
Steamed Vegetable Salad with Macadamia Dressing

Reenergize: Choose your snacks wisely
Warm Spinach-White Bean Dip;
Trail Mix with Toasted Coconut

Restore: Make meals with substance
Wild Salmon, Asparagus, and Shiitakes in Parchment;
Grilled Chicken with Cucumber, Radish, and Cherry Tomato Relish

Relax: Have a little something sweet
Dark Chocolate Bark with Hazelnuts;
Berry-Almond Crisp

I am excited about using this cookbook, and hope you will as well!
I received Clean Slate from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.