Book Review = Easy Anti-Inflammatory Diet Air Fryer Cookbook: Clean and Quick Recipes to Fight Inflammation ... by Julie Andrews

 #partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

 Air fryer are still very popular, but I decided to get a countertop oven with air fryer functionality because for a little bit more countertop space it basically replaced my oven. And the best thing about this book is that it covers all kinds of air fryers, including the multi-funcion countertop oven. 

The recipes cover the whole range of food items from baked goods to appetizers to fish and other meat dishes and of course desserts. The recipes are clearly presented and use ingredients that should be widely available.  One of the first dishes I tried out was a dessert that air fried bananas and combined them with yogurt. A lot of the recipes can be modified, For the example the banana dessert can be done with adding a little bit of dark chocolate sprinkles or some more fresh fruit. For someone like me that likes to experiment, I appreciate starting off with an anti-inflammatory recipe and maybe making small modifications when serving the dish in company, who may not need a strict anti-inflammatory diet. 

The author is dietitian and trained chef, so the recipes are tasty and easy, while still achieving the medical goals of supporting an anti-inflammatory lifestyle through food. And the recipes are easy and also based on regular home cooking such as chicken dishes and basic brownie-like desserts. 

While not geared towards specific diets such as gluten free, readers will find some recipes for such diets as well.  It is just not a book that will focus on such diets.

The cookbook is using a lot of pantry staples and affordable ingredients, which is especially important in current times. A lot of the recipes use minimal ingredients and substitution ideas are often presented or as I stated earlier, the reader can use their imagination and develop their own favorite substitutions. 

If you suffer from chronic pain, autoimmune concerns, or simply want to live healthier, the recipes in the book are a fun and easy (and often affordable way) to do that. And you do not need a lot of chef experience since the emphasis is on easy for these recipes and to me that ensures that the recipes will also be used. I really enjoyed the book because the recipes are easy, flexible for all types of air fryers and can often be modified in simple ways to fit your tastes or use up specific items from your current pantry. 

available on amazon.com

 

This book was provided free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not influenced by any third party.  

Book Review - What Would Jesus Do? A Family Devotional for Preteens and Parents: Conversation Starters on Life, Love, and Faith by Lucy Rycroft

 #partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

While this is a religious book and each week has a different thought provoking topic and an appropriate prayer, this book is also useful if you do not want to force or guide your child towards religion before they are mature enough for the decision. 

For example a lot of kids grow tired of school and find it a burden. This book will provide parents with guidance to talk to kids about education as a privilege. Even without including religious aspects, the write up in this book can easily be a guide for parents to have this conversation with kids and teach them that lesson. I learned that lesson from my parents without the inclusion of religion because my parents live through a time when access to education was limited to a privileged few. 

But if you are a religious family and look for ways as a parent to bring the lessons of Jesus closer to your child, this book will provide weeks of inspiration. The same lesson on education can be based on what education Jesus may have received and how we have progressed since that time. Even in current times, many people have no access to education and by talking to your child how that impacts the rest of their lives and we should view education as a gift that needs to be cherished not wasted, it something parents can receive guidance for from this book. 

The target audience are parents of preteens (aged 1o to 12 years of age). Each chapter is intended to be the focus of a week and covers a basic reading, discussion topics and a concluding prayer. 

Besides Education and Schooling, other chapters cover 

• live in a frugal manner and save, but do so in a balanced way without becoming a hoarder
• honor your teachers, even if we disagree with them - I personally struggled with that a lot as a child
• be gracious and apologize, even if we feel that the other person may be wrong because getting along with others is worth pursuing
• responsible use of a phone - this is really important for kids today, who seem glued to apps 

 I really enjoyed this book and I encourage people to look at the larger lessons, if you feel that your child may feel negatively about too much religion. This book is certainly adaptable to the larger lesson and I consider this an excellent book on child rearing. 

available on amazon.com

This book was provided free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not influenced by any third party.  

Book Review - Two Truths and a Lie: Fun Facts, Unusual Knowledge, and Trivia to Test Your Wits by Drew Basile

  #partner @penguinrandomhouse Thanks for the free book  

This book will teach you something and you have fun in the process. The book has a number of chapters such as food or arts, then provide listings of three each in which the reader alone or in a group needs to figure out which is true and which is the lie. 

Whether you are killing time while waiting at an airport or you are stuck as a group until the movie theater opens, this book will easily move time along and do so in the fun and productive way. I have to say that I was impressed by the facts listed and was really enjoying that I learned something. It is important, and I can even after ready just a few pages, to check each word and focus on the questions. These are not intended for little kids - even though they can certainly learn. But the book is actually surprisingly challenging for adults too and I would say is more geared towards teenagers and older.

 You are sue to learn something in the listings for the 12 chapters included and no peeking because the solutions are at the end - so you have to use the brain first and then flip all the way to the back to see whether you were right. 

I like the versatility of this book because it can be used by one or a group of readers and the variety of topics covered are sure to find something of interest for everyone. If you like crossword puzzles or trivis games, this is the perfect book for you. 

 I highly recommend this book for the trivia fan and have it at home for when you need to have something on hand to make waiting easier or simply look for a fun way to entertain a group. 

 

available on amazon.com

 

 This book was provided free of charge to me in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not influenced by any third party.