India: Try the World #7

I was very excited to discover the India box.

This box included tea, dosa mix, curry spice mix, baked chickpeas, basmati rice

Book Review: Okayest Mom by Natalie Gwyn

This book is the inspiration account of Natalie Gwyn and her journey through adopting 4 children. Her and her husband felt called by God to expand their family of four and they faithfully answered the call.

The book chronicles their experience from their decision to adopt, to their trip to Africa where they first met 4 of their children to the beginnings of a family bond between parents and children, and between both sets of her children.

I really enjoyed this book. I not only enjoyed reading the adoption story but this book contains many lessons but doesn't come across as "preachy", which is hard to do. In this case, Natalie's down to earth personality and desire to follow God shine's through.

*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: The Paperless Post

I am a lover of all things stationary: greeting cards, invitations, postcards. This made me super excited to try our Paperless Post when they contacted me about reviewing their service.

They have tons of e-card options for any occasion, holiday or event. I found the designs to be charming as well.

I sent a beautiful thinking of you e-card to my best friend who recently moved out to LA. I loved all the options for customizing the e-card- you can choose different stamps, envelope colors, envelope liner designs and even a background for the card to sit on. If you are sending an invitation you have options to customize the RSVP card as well. The only thing I didn't like was that I couldn't remove the RSVP card for the greeting cards. I was sending the card to my BFF so I wasn't too stressed out about asking her to respond to my well wishes- and she did with a sweet message- but if I was sending the cards to a casual friend or co-worker I would feel awkward about asking them to respond to a "get well", "sympathy" or "thinking of you message."

I also scheduled a birthday e-card to be sent to my mom later this week. If you are the type of person who sends a lot of e-cards this is a great function as you could essentially schedule your cards for the entire year in one session. I do this with my paper greeting cards. I choose one for each recipient and address and stamp the envelopes and file them by month. As the month nears, I write messages inside them and mail them out.

Paperless Post also offers the option to send print copies of many of their designs which I think is awesome as I love the designs. I had a hard time selecting a card for my mom because I found many that I thought suited her personality. The only downside I saw to this is that while you purchase coins to use for the e-cards (and each card is different number of coins and you can upgrade or downgrade), you can not use the coins to purchase actual cards. I'm never a fan of sites that make you pay in various ways. I wish it were a little more streamlined. I can understand the thought process for not using coins but it just makes life for the consumer slightly more difficult. This being the case, I would not order paper cards just to avoid the hassle.

Overall, I really liked the site design and found it intuitive to use. Another neat feature is the sight saves any cards you are sent through the site. When I signed up, I was delighted to find a copy of a wedding invitation from a friends wedding several years ago. Also, there are several free e-card options so you can try it out before investing in an upgraded serviced.

*This review was sponsored by The Paperless Post but all opinions are 100% mine and 100% honest.

Book Review: The Lucky Few by Heather Avis

Heather Avis was working as an education specialist when her and husband decided to start a family. After the painful discovery that the couldn't have biological children, Heather and her husband, Josh turn to adoption. The first child to come available has Down Syndrome and a serious heart condition. The couple pray about this situation and feel led to take a leap of faith and adopt their first child Macyn. They adopt two more children, Truly and August. August also has Down's Syndrome.

Avis tells her story beautifully. She faces infertility at the same time one of her students has an unplanned and most likely unwanted pregnancy. She chronicles the journey of parenting Macyn, who needed an open heart surgery and an oxygen tank. She also shares the miracle of Macyn's healing that allows her to be taken off oxygen and breathe on her own.

Avis's daughter Truly is fiercely independent and that brings a new set of challenges to Heather physically as well as emotionally as she learns how to parent a child that doesn't need her constant attention to be able to survive.

The adoption of August is what touched me the most as Avis was able to meet his mother before she gave birth to August. The moments surrounding his birth and transition from having one mother to two is heart wrenching.

This book gives great insight to the adoption experience as well as life as the parent of a child with Down's Syndrome.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

France-Try the World #8

Ooo la la!

This month's box featured products from France.

I think the coolest thing in the box was a package of crepes. They must been relatively fresh because they came with a little sticker that advised to eat them first.I ate banana nutella crepes and fruit and whipped cream crepes with chocolate sauce.

In the France box, I also received chestnut cream (recipe ideas anyone?), tea, cookies, herb crackers, fig jam, whole grain , salt, whole grain mustard and a spice mix.

I've tried the crackers with goat cheese and they are delicious. The salt was sprinkled over the caramel sauce filling off the macarons we made last weekend.

The crackers look marvelously dainty-almost like super thin Milanos before they are sandwiched.

Book Review: All Day: A Year of Love and Survival Teaching Incarcerated Kids at Riker Island by Liza Jessie Peterson

Liza Jessie Peterson quit her modeling career to search for her identity-her passion. After taking a theater class she began her transition into a performance poet and playwright. While struggling to make a living as an artist (don't we all) Peterson started teaching creative writing and journaling workshops to incarcerated youth. This led to her becoming a GED teacher for boys incarcerated at Riker's Island.

Peterson's recounting of that year is skillfully written, she obviously understands and has a way with words. All Day is written as if you are hanging out inside Peterson's head. A little deeper than just reading someon'es journal. You feel her energy, her nervousness and passion for the children.She presents a very real picture of the lives lived by incarcerated youth, before, during and after the system, as well as the life of a teacher of imprisoned teens. She doesn't hide any part of the system or of the realities behind bars, sharing with her readers the vocabulary and mindsets of her students. The book is peppered with comedic relief-Peterson shares non-serious classroom antics as well as a letting you know she needs to fart.

Overall the book is quite eye opening and inspirational. It sheds light on the way our children are being imprisoned and trained for a life of crime or a life inside the system instead of being rehabilitated and taught independence and vocational skills.

Book Review: Pinot, Pasta and Parties

Pinot, Pasta and Parties is an Italian cookbook by Dee Dee and Paul Sorvino The book is divided into ten sections, each featuring a themed menu (We Love NY, Music , etc.)

The menu can be served in it's entirety for a multi-course Italian feast or you can pick and choose a few recipes from the menu for a well--rounded everyday Italian dinner. I love that the book is so flexible.

The first section is a little different from the rest as it has only a few "meal" recipes but has a lot of recipes for traditional Italian sauces that are great building blocks for the rest of the book.

I love that each menu section is divided by conversations between DeeDee and Paul. It's a great way to let more of their unique personalities come through the book.

This cookbook really helps to make good Italian cooking accessible to the masses. I've marked some recipes I'm waiting to try including: Bite-Size Antipasto, Braciole, Eggplant and Zucchini Fries, Chocolate Chip Torta, Porchetta, Zabaglione, Biscotti and Chicken Scarpariello,

This book has excited me about hosting my first Italian themed dinner party! The recipes are simple and inspiring.

*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: How to Be a Hepburn in a Kardashian World by Jordan Chrsity

As an admirer of Audrey Hepburn's style and class, I'd had my eye on this book for quite some time.

Christy's compact book covers topics such as make-up, healthy eating, social media etiquette and making friends. In each chapter Christy tells about her experience with the topic and gives advice to the reader about how they should approach the topic if they want to be more like Audrey Hepburn. A couple of the chapters have magazine style quizzes to help the reader determine the best approach for their personality. I think this aspect of the book helps make it more accessible to different types of women.

In the first chapter How to Be a Hepburn in a Kardashian World she apologizes for hurts she may have caused when the book was originally released as How to be Hepburn in a Hilton world. I found this to be a classy move and one that took a lot of guts. It's hard for the average Jane to apologize to someone privately, much less openly and in writing. I didn't read the first book, so I don't know exactly what she is apologizing before, but I think this move really lends to Christy's credibility and makes me more likely to take her advice on classy behavior.

Overall, I  think the advice that Christy gives is practical, useful and true. None of the advice raised a red flag with me. I  think her advice is great for someone who is struggling to define who they want to be in life. I think the suggestions and example are on key too. I think this would be a great gift book for the high school graduate.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book Review: The Great Good Thing A Secular Jew Comes to Faith in Christ by Andrew Klavan

This is the true story of Andrew Klavan's journey to faith in Christ. It starts when he's a child, tells of his dysfunctional family, how he became a writer, how he developed his views on religion and moves on to how he married and created his own dysfunctional family. Eventually Klavan realizes that the thing he's searching for as he writes his novels has been calling to him all alone, and that is not, in fact, a thing, but God.

I so desperately wanted to love this book, It should be a very interesting, the shift of a world view as an agnostic Jew comes to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Yet, I found this book painful to finish, and in the end, know very little more about Klavan's journey. I know about his life, and the events surrounding a shift, but there really isn't any interior "path" to follow or understand. Also, Klavan's writing is very hard to follow-he rambles a lot. It's more like an unedited journal entry than a book. I suppose that could be intentional, showing his inner thoughts, interior dialogue and all that but really, it is just annoying. I wanted to be able to recommend this book because I find conversion stories so intriguing and was hoping to learn a new way to relate to those raised the way Klavan was, but, unfortunately, this book was pure torment to read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. .

Audiobook Review: The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller

The story opens with pastry chef Olivia Rawlings making a Baked Alaska to serve at the anniversary party of the hotel in which she works. That parrticular choice was the prefernce of Olivia's boss and boyfriend. Olivia parades the flaming dessert around the party room and after catching sight of her boyfriend with his wife and children, drops the dessert and lights the entire room on fire. Released from her duties, Oliva's flight instict kicks in and she drives overnight to her best friends house and indulges in a night of self-pity and binge drinking.


I'd like to know what happens next, but I could not continue listening to the audiobook any furhter. Jorjeana Marie is the narrator but perhaps she should stick with acting and comedy. Her narration is sardonic, her voice grating. Despite being intrigued by the story, I could not bear to listen past the 30 minute mark of the CD. Did noone on the procudtion team listen to this before it was released? Perhaps the protganist IS a sarcastic nitwit, but until I checkout the paperback version from my library, I will not know as I could not get past the narration. If the narrator is channeling the protganoist's personality, it is entirely too overdone.

*I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Try the World #4: Morroco

My mom went to Morroco when she was in high school and told me stories and showed me her photographs  from her trip when I was a child. Because of this, I've always been curious about Moroccan culture so I was delighted when I realized that my fourth Try the World box was based on Morocco!

This box contained:

1. Moroccan Green Tea ($11-13 on other sites) IT SMELLS DIVINE.
2. Orange Blossom Water (averages $7 on other shopping sites)
3. Anise Cookies ($5-6 on other sites)
4. Couscous (I couldn't find the precooked, but another site sells a box of this size Dari brand couscous for $16.95)
5. Couscous Sauce
6. Paprika Crackers
7. Harissa (averages $7 on other shopping sites)
8. Kefta Rub Spice Blend

I haven't made anything out of this box although I am planning on using the spice mix, harissa, couscous and couscous sauce to make a pot of couscous with. 

Do you have any ideas for the orange blossom water?

Also, if you'd like to give this service a try, use this link for two free boxes with the purchase of a subscription.

Cookbook Review: Cuba! Recipes and Stories From the Cuban Kitchen by Dan Goldberg, Andrea Kuhn and Jody Eddy

With the warming of  the  relationship between Cuba and the USA I find this book especially timely and interesting. Goldberg, Kuhn and Eddy actually traveled to Cuba to explore it's cuisine and culture. The recipes range from staples of the Cuban diet to updated versions of classics. The book is divided into ten main chapters. It begins with cooking the basics-beans, rice, sofrito. and them moves on to different sin categories of Cuban food- including a section for Cuban Chinese, and my favorite-desserts!

I made the Cuban fried chicken recipe  and it was fantastic. It will most likely be my "go-to" recipe for fried chicken. The one thing I didn't like about the recipe was that it didn't give a time estimate. It just assumed you knew what to do. Other recipes that have made it onto my "must make" short list include Mojito Cake,  Spicy Black Bean Soup with Lime Crema and Shredded Beef with Fried Eggs, Mojo and Yuca.

While the recipes seem like winners, this book does have a few downsides. The (stunning) photography is clearly the focus of the book and because of this the recipe text is too small, I have average eyesight and have to bring the book close to my face to read it. Also, the book tries to explore the lives of the people behind the food but falls short. The writing about the people and culture is done in a "tell" vs. "show" style and it made me not want to continue reading. I would have loved to had more background on the people the culinary trio met and had it told in a more narrative style, rather than this is what we did, this is what he said. I much preferred the writing style found in Victuals than this one.

Book Review: My Brother's Keeper by Rodd Gragg

My Brother's Keeper chronicles the actions of 30 Christians who risked everything to save others during the Holocaust. School teachers, men, women, business owners, doctors. The people profiled  ranged in profession, social class and income level yet they all chose to selflessly follow their heart. Some saved children, friends, co-workers or strangers. Others died trying.



The profiles are in narrative style and are easy to follow. The stories are woefully gripping. You want to keep reading, yet you almost cannot bear to continue. Gragg writes about a time period in history were it seemed many were faithless yet the faithful come to light in this book.

 This book is especially timely as it reminds those who do believe to stand up for what is right and to leave the consequences to God. It is a very convicting, emotional read. What would you do when faced with the decisions these 30 faced?

I highly recommend My Brother's Keeper and will be reading some of  Gragg's other works as well.

Book Review: Teaching Others to Defend Christianity by Cathryn S. Buse

Teaching Others to Defend Christianity comes from NASA engineer Cathryn Buse. Buse noticed that many of her colleagues had deep doubts and criticisms about Christianity. Searching for a way to communicate God's love to the logic minded, Buse wrote Teaching Others to Defend Christianity to fill a gap she felt lacking in most ministries. Eventually, Buse founded Defend the Faith Ministry to help others learn how to better explain their faith in Jesus.

In Teaching Others  Buse moves the critical thinking reader from a belief in an absence of any god to belief in the Christian God and the redeeming love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ in six logic based lessons. Buse expertly applies the laws of logic, philosophical principles and  scientific facts to lead the reader down a path of realizing the Christian truth. She breaks down proven or everyday sceanarios using logic principles and then applies those same principles to faith. A lesson I found particularly interesting was lesson 5 which proves the validity of the New Testament through internal evidence, external evidence and bibliographical evidence. At the conclusion of each chapter is a series of thought provoking questions designed to further reinforce the lessons learned in the chapter.

The book is designed to be a teaching tool to for those wanting to teach people how to lead their friends and colleagues logically from atheism to to belief in Jesus. However, I think it is a great tool for those wanting a better understanding of the "whys" and "how comes" behind their faith or deal with the questions and criticisms presented by the media and/or atheist friends.

*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Finding Father Christmas/Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn

Gunn richly paints the story of Miranda Carson's search for a father who doesn't know she exists. Miranda travels to England at Christmas time with only a photo and the name of a photography studio. She meets a cast of characters who help her along the way, one of which follows her into the next novel as a love interest. In both novels, Gunn uses delightful imagery to pain quaint and cheery Christmas scenes and lovable characters. It is easy to see why her books were chosen to become a Hallmark movie. I thought both stories were lovely and I have high hopes for Kissing Father Christmas, although it doesn't star Miranda as the protagonist.

I was glad that Finding Father Christmas and Engaging Father Christmas were bound in the same volume. It makes a lovely stocking stuffer. Also, I think I would have been disappointed if  I had to purchase the novels separately as I believe they were originally attended. Separately, I feel as they are more like novellas than novels. I think Finding and Engaging work together perfectly as one story.

*I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

ATM Favorite Cookbook: Victuals by Ronni Lundy

I was thrilled the moment I unearthed this book from its packaging. The cover is beautiful. The recipes are delicious. The research is well done and the stories beautifully told. It wonderfully explains the food of the past and present NC mountains. Can we just say that I am in love with this book?

This is one beauty that will not be leaving my shelf. Victuals is what you get when a well written history books and a delightful cookbook come together as one.

I made a huge list of recipes that I wanted to try from this book but thus far I have made:

Remembrances of Jerry's Past Chili- This chili was fabulously meaty. I can see why it inspires memories. My husband would have preferred more heat but I think it can go either way.

Doorbell Pork with Hominy and Greens. I subbed spinach for this but it turned out just as I imagined. My pork chops looked pretty much like the picture. This recipe is a prime example of how well written the recipes are and how simple they are to follow.

Cornbread- My cornbread turned out gritty. This is most likely user error. It smelled heavenly, thanks to the bacon grease.

Cornbread Soup- I thought this soup was a brilliant idea but I didn't really care for it. I thought the combination of buttermilk, leeks and celery was just too tangy for my liking.

Chipped Ham with Bigger Isn't Better Buttermilk Biscuits- The gravy is delicious. The biscuits are superb and simple and I will definitely be adding them to my repertoire.

Chicken and Dumplings-These are all the way from scratch y'all. And they are banging. Good flavor and the chicken was so juicy. I didn't have a lemon so I used an orange. Perfection. I'd make the roasted chicken again as a standalone main. It was so easy! I still can't get over how tender and juicy the chicken was.


I think I loved this book so much because, I, too, am from the porch sitting people that Lundy shares stories about and I dream of being a porch sitter in the hills of North Carolina. Victuals has inspired me to check out Mr. Lundy's other books.

*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a review. Opinions are 100% mine and 100% honest.

Book Review: Everything is Possible by Jen Bricker

Wow! What an encouraging read.


Jen tells her story in her debut book, Everything is Possible. Jen's life is a living embodiment of Philippians 4:13. Born without legs, and abandoned by her birth parents Jen found a way, to not just survive but to thrive. Jen lives a very full life with Christ at it's foundation.

Jen doesn't think of herself as handicapped and has never let her missing limbs slow her down. In fact, she seems to prefer moving around without her prosthetics better than with them. Jen learned to play sports and drive just like any other child. Now, she's an aerialist who toured with Brittany Spears! Jen published a portion of her dream list inside the book and I believe she will accomplish it all. She lives fearlessly and tries to teach us how in her book.

I breezed through reading Everything is Possible because it was just like chatting with my best friend. It's tone is bubbly and conversational. It's easy to fly through, soaking in bits and pieces of Jen's story and  attitude as you go. Although it is an "easy read" it contains great "meat" and is a book I anticipate coming back to again and again and taking away new lessons each time-just like spending time with an old friend!

I'm truly thankful that Jen was inspired to write such a book and have followed her on Facebook to see what she does next!

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Successful Women of the Bible by Katata Washington Patton

Successful Women of the Bible takes us through the lives of both well known and lesser known women in the Bible. It explores the lives of women like Miriam and Deborah as well Lois and Eunice and the values that can be derived out of their words and actions in order to teach us how to successfully live as biblical women.

I found this book really refreshing. It was approachable, not preachy. I liked how Patton told each woman's story, give each woman a modern "voice", explained the woman's story and the importance of her life and actions and then follows up with an "action plan" or "mission statement" for how we can try to live like the role models she discusses. I've read other books that venture to give Biblical characters fictionalized voices but push the limits of either belief or scriptural credibility and Patton's account does neither.

I think Successful Women of the Bible is a great jumping off point for a study focusing on women of the Bible. It's a book that encourages us to read God's Word and grow in Christ.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: JumpStart Your Priorites by John C. Maxwell

This book is broken down into 90 page segments. Each segment contains two pages. The first page contains an inspirational quote or verse and the second page consists of an assignment or exercise with space for writing or journaling. The topics fall in twelve different categorizes including attitude, health, family, faith and growth. The exercises range from self assessments to writing goals to writing declarations.

I really like that this book is broken down into bite-sized pieces. It makes making an improvement plan seem a lot more manageable. I think the premise of the book- that your success depends on your daily agenda- is very true. I also liked that the book has a workbook where you can apply the principles that Maxwell talks about.

However, a found the book to be a bit repetitive. I felt like it was more "90 days of advice on how to start getting serious about your priorities" than an "90-day improvement plan". But I guess, if the sole goal is after 90 days that you are more focused then it is an improvement. I guess from all the "hype" about Maxwell being a #1 author I expected a little more. All in all, it's not a bad book, but I wouldn't buy it for a friend.

Book Review: Feisty and Feminine by Penny Young Nance

Penny Nance is the CEO and president of Concerned Women for America and her book inspired me to be just that-concerned-for America, along with those who do not share my faith.

Nance's book is a rallying cry of sorts, for concerned, conservative women who have stayed silent for far too long. We've remained silent for a variety of reasons including fear. Nance's book is filled with statistics and stories to motivate as well as useful strategies to help enact change. Her book covers topics ranging from the devaluation of women, marriage, abortion, women in foreign policy and life balance. Each chapter is broken into two sections, the facts about the topic and ways that Nance encourages conservative women to change the world around them. The book is also peppered with profiles of successful women who hold conservative values,

Many of Nance's arguments had me chanting "yes yes yes!" as I realized that she was articulating ideas, emotions and beliefs that I had but couldn't express. Other topics, I didn't know as much about going into her book but Nance managed to bring me quickly to speed and left me with a passion to know more and do more.

If you're a conservative woman who's sick of having her values and opinions pushed aside or even mocked, this is definitely for you. If you're a conservative woman whose been fueling a silent fire, this is the book for you. If you're informed or uninformed about the issues in today's world, this book is for you. If you're informed you're glean new strategies and if your're uninformed you'll be prepared and educated. I've already started texting my friends pictures of this book as a must read. It is educational, inspirational and confirmational all in one book.

* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.