About the Book:

At 36, Kendall Haynes has begun to feel like she’s doomed to the single life. Even though she’s a successful medical doctor with a thriving practice of her own, she can’t help but wonder if she’s missing out on something. It doesn’t help that her younger sister keeps trying to coax her to give her a family heirloom engagement ring because she thinks Kendall will never use it. Just when she’s about given up hope, Kendall meets two men who pique her interest; another doctor with plans to help those less fortunate and an Air Force who is currently grounded from flying and has recently become the guardian of his younger brother whom he barely knows. One of these men will lead her astray and get her mixed into some really bad business, the other has to deal with issues in his past before he can let himself love her. What unfolds is a beautiful story that shows that love doesn’t only happen to those in their twenties and that life goes best when we chose to let God lead the way.

My Thoughts:

I really liked reading this book, especially since it was set in Colorado Springs where I currently live. I was also able to relate to the military aspect of this book since I am a proud Air Force wife! I was really able to find myself in the setting of the story and really put myself in the middle of it. The characters were easy to relate to and I often found myself rooting for the “right” couple to end up together. I enjoyed how the characters each had their own story, their own issues to deal with, yet their stories were beautifully intertwined. This is the first book I’ve read by Beth K. Vogt and I hope to read more in the future.

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Buy the Book:

If you’re interested in checking out this book you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

About the Book:

 When her father dies unexpectedly, Meg Cole is thrust into running the family’s hugely successful oil company. Even though she has zero interest in the oil industry, she must spend hours and hours learning about it and how to keep the company and her father’s ranch running smoothly. It’s at Whispering Creek ranch that she meets Bo, the man who runs her father’s thoroughbred horse farm. Horses are another thing Meg has zero interest and she lets Bo know that she will be shutting down the thoroughbred business. Though they are determined not to like each other, Meg and Bo find themselves falling fast for each other. Just when things are going well, Meg’s sociopathic ex-husband makes an appearance and tries to ruin Meg’s life for the second time. All the while, Meg is learning to trust God more and more and to stop worrying so much about what others, especially her family, think of her. Just when she thinks her father’s death and the events that occur following it might overwhelm her, she finds that they’ve all been a part of a bigger plan.

Check out the trailer:

My Thoughts:

You can’t go wrong with cowboys, Texas and romance; it’s like a recipe for a good story. When you add a sociopathic ex-husband into the mix, it makes the story even more interesting.  I really enjoyed this new book by Becky Wade; she took what could have been another run-of-the-mill Christian romance novel and made it so much more than that. The element of suspense she added kept it interesting and kept me turning the pages. I noticed that this book is being marketed as book #1 in the Porter Family series, I can’t wait to follow the Porter family through Becky’s future novels!

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Buy the Book:

If you’re interested in checking out this book you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

I can remember hearing about Maryam and Marziyeh a few years ago.  I remember calls for prayer going out for these two women who were jailed in Iran simply for being Christian. I also remember thinking it was a sad story, but at the same time feeling distanced from their plight.  I think that is often  the case when we hear of Christians in foreign countries jailed for their beliefs. As Americans with the freedom to practice any religion we choose, I find that we have a hard time really grasping what the persecution our Christian brothers and sisters face in other countries. Captive in Iran really opened my eyes about the struggles some people face and how they deal with them.

Maryam and Marziyeh were jailed in Iran’s Evin prison, a place known for brutality. Amazingly, these two women took what man had meant for harm and truly used it for a great purpose; they saw it as the perfect opportunity to spread God’s word.  Maryam and Marziyeh knew that they had nothing to lose if they shared God’s love at Evin since they were already in prison. They spread God’s love through their actions and love for people; people who said they didn’t believe in Christianity came to them for prayer and wisdom. Even after repeatedly being offered the chance to recant, Maryam and Marziyeh stood firm in their faith and did what they knew God was calling them to do. Captive in Iran is a great book to read, a wonderful account of situation the majority of us will never find ourselves in.  It’s an awesome testimony and great encouragement.

If you’d like to learn more about Maryam and Marziyeh and their story, head over to Captive in Iran.

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Buy the Book:

If you’re interested in checking out this book you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Stress Test
By
Richard L. Mabry, M.D.

In order to appease his girlfriend, Dr. Matt Newman is giving up his private practice and heading to a career in academic medicine. After his last night at his practice, his life definitely changes but not in the way he’d expected. Matt is kidnapped on the way to his car. When he wakes up in the hospital hours later he finds he’s also been charged with murder. Shortly after this, his girlfriend dumps him. It seems his life is headed downhill quickly.

Enter Sandra Murray, Matt’s new lawyer. She believes Matt is innocent and will stop at nothing to help prove this. She won’t let him just give up, she makes him fight to clear his name even when it seems like the cards are stacked against them. With her help, Matt endures and overcomes the hardest time of his life.

This book is filled with suspense and mystery from the very first chapter; there are twists and turns that I was completely unprepared for. Night after night I found myself turning pages (rather swiping the screen of my iPad) late into the night. If it weren’t for my need for sleep, I would not have put it down. The action just kept coming without any of the lulls that can make you get bored with a book. I really enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.

Richard Mabry is celebrating the release of Stress Test with a Nook HD Giveaway! Enter today.

One winner will receive:

• A brand new Nook HD
• A $15 gift certificate to BarnesandNoble.com

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 27th. Winner will be announced on 4/29/13 at Richard’s blog.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Buy the Book:

If you’re interested in checking out this book you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

About the Book:

Callie DeBoyer is spending the winter on Bridal Veil Island as the governess for the Bridgeport family. Though she loves her job and the family she works for, she can’t help but wonder if there is something else she should be doing. Perhaps she should join her parents on the mission field in Africa? Or go to work at a school that has offered her a job?

Then, when Mr. Bridgeport enrolls her in golf lessons alongside his son Thomas, Callie begins to develop feelings for the instructor, Wes. Just when she realizes that she’s falling for him, she discovers that Wes is keeping secrets from her.

As if all that is not enough, she learns that the house her grandmother left her in Indiana has been destroyed by flooding and Callie finds herself a suspect in a string of burglaries around the quiet, little island. Are all these signs that she should head to Africa?  Or is God teaching her something else?

My Thoughts:

This is the second book I’ve read in this series and I enjoyed this just as much as the first one. As I said in that review, I always enjoy reading historical fiction.  It takes me back in time and makes me feel as if I’m right there with the characters in the given time period. I enjoyed reading this book and trying to figure out what would happen with the thefts and how the ending would bring the characters together. Honestly, this book took me a while to get through but I think that’s mostly due to the fact that by the time I have the chance to sit down and read it’s 10:30 or 11:00pm. I did enjoy reading this book more than the first one in the series, but I think as whole it’s a great series and something I’d recommend to anyone looking for a a historical fiction read.

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Buy the Book:

If you’re interested in checking out this book you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

I really enjoyed reading this book, but the storyline is a bit much for me to explain.  So here’s the synopsis from thomasnelson.com:

Being married to a saint isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.

Beth’s husband won’t be joining the family on vacation at the beach this year. He’s not even joining them in the house. Instead, Rick has holed up alone in the backyard shed. Nobody knows exactly what he’s up to. Maybe he’s immersing himself in prayer. Maybe he’s lost his mind. Maybe he’s even the modern-day prophet or the saint the neighborhood artist imagines him to be. But while “St. Rick” waits for an epiphany, Beth will have to figure out what to do with herself and their teenage sons, possibly for the rest of her life.

What happens next is both uproarious and bittersweet: a peace march turns violent, her son is caught with drugs, and she embarks on an ambitious road trip that turns into something nearly surreal. Will Beth rediscover the idealistic woman she used to be, once upon a time? Can her marriage survive Rick’s backyard vigil? Will anything ever be the same? And should it be?

Truthful, comic, heartbreaking, and magical in the very best sense of the word, The Sky Beneath My Feetgently tears the veil off our egos and expectations to reveal the throbbing, redemptive, and achingly beautiful life beyond and within us.

I have to say that this is one of the most unique books I’ve read in a while. While Beth’s husband checks out of life and holes himself up in the shed, she’s faced with discovering who she really is. During this time, she makes trips to a Rent-A-Mob meeting as a well as an unorthodox halfway house run by a woman who calls herself Mother Zacchaeus. She also discovers disturbing news about her son, all without her husband there to help and comfort her.  She’s sort of left to do life alone and figuring out who she is meant to be. While I am not sure how someone can come up with a story line quite like this, I really enjoyed reading the book. It was a quick read that kept me turning pages to figure out what bizarre event would occur next. It was well written, quirky and humorous.  It would make a great beach read this summer if you’re in the market for one of those.

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Buy the Book:

If you’re interested in checking out this book you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Jane Kirkpatrick has found an interesting niche in the writing world, her novels are fiction based on historical fact.  Unlike other historical fiction that focuses on created characters during a certain period, Kirkpatrick seeks to tell the story of actual historical figures while taking some artistic license to create engaging stories. She does this by doing a great deal of research on the subjects she chooses, she then takes the information and crafts a tale around it.  These stories are not 100% truth, but given the information at hand Kirkpatrick writes a story that is completely plausible given the time period and research on the subject’s life. This is the third of Jane Kirkpatrick’s novels I’ve read and I’ve learned a great deal from each of them, although some are more engaging than others.

In One Glorious Ambition Kirkpatrick tells the story of Dorothea Dix, a woman who championed reform in care for the mentally ill. Before the creation of asylums and mental institutions, those who suffered from  mental illness were treated as criminals and housed alongside them.  Upon discovering this, Dix made it her mission to be a voice for those who couldn’t speak for themselves.  At first she took her case state by state, but eventually ended up fighting for reform at the national level in Washington, D.C. Jane Kirkpatrick does a beautiful job telling Dix’s story in a way that is simultaneously engaging and informative. The story is well written and the characters kept me entertained. I enjoyed getting to know about Dorothea Dix and what drove her to seek reform for the mentally ill.  I am grateful that Jane Kirkpatrick has found this niche and retells history in a way that is much more engaging and entertaining that your typical American History book. I look forward to seeing who’s story she chooses to tell next.

If you’d like to see what I thought about the other books I’ve read by Kirkpatrick, click here and here.

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Buy the Book:

If you’re interested in checking out this book you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

So far I really like the program, I haven’t received any produce that was already past it’s prime and compared to going to the Whole Foods and buying the same things, it’s one heck of a deal. However, there is one great perk that I didn’t expect when I first started participating, we have tried veggies that I would never have tried on my own. It seems each week we get some sort of veggie that I’ve never seen before. Sometimes I’m a bit intimidated when I open my box and find something like this:

Or this:

But usually all it takes it my best friend Google to help me figure out what it is and what to do with it.  And if nothing else I use my new motto “when it doubt, roast it.”  LOL

In case you’re wondering, the top picture is celery root and I think the bottom is a sugar beet. And those are just two of the new veggies our family has tried since the beginning of the year. Without much complaint, my kids have tried celery root, sugar beet, butternut squash, asparagus, artichoke, brussels sprouts and zucchini just to name a few. My husband and I have also eaten these foods, but let’s face it the kids trying them is the bigger victory!

Overall, I am really enjoying getting a random box of produce each week And sometimes I even get a nice little surprise like this smiley avocado!

I highly recommend the Bountiful Baskets program, but it’s not available everywhere.  To see if it’s available in your area, go to bountifulbaskets.org.  If your area isn’t listed, check out localharvest.org to see if there are any CSA’s you can join near you.

See how small they are?

I’m sure it’s not all the altitude that screwed up that recipe, it probably doesn’t help that I took a recipe that called for AP flour and just put in 100% whole wheat. Still, I didn’t want to try and tweak that recipe anymore so I started googling.  

While I love making bread, I’m not into the recipes that take forever and require multiple rises and massive amounts of kneading. I started searching for no-knead bread recipes and most of the ones I found required 12-24 hours between making the dough and baking it. I was delighted when I stumbled upon this recipe and I tried it out right away. However, because of it’s rapid rising time the inner structure of the loaf wasn’t very stable. It did have a great flavor though, so I used some of the knowledge I’d picked up from Pie in the Sky and made some tweaks. What resulted was a loaf of bread, slightly larger than I’m accustomed to, that held together beautifully and had amazing flavor. The best part is that it only takes about an hour from the time I start proofing the yeast until I pull it out of the oven!

Look at the difference!  That’s a gorgeous loaf of bread!

High Altitude No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread

(adapted from baking bites)

4 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour (you can find this with other wheat flour)
1 3/4 cups warm, not hot, water
4 tsp active dry yeast
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup butter, melted (you could probably use coconut oil in place of this)
1 3/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place flour in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30-40 seconds, until warm to the touch.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast, honey and 1 cup of the water. Combine and let sit for about 10 minutes, until yeast foams.

Add the remaining water, butter, salt and about 2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon.

Attach dough hook to stand mixer, turn to recommended setting when using the dough hook.  (My mixer’s manual said to use the dough hook only at speed 2.) Continue adding flour gradually until dough forms into a smooth ball and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn mixer speed up a notch or 2 and mix for 1 minute. (I know this breaks the rules with my mixer, but it hasn’t hurt anything…yet!)

Butter a 9×5 loaf pan well.

Turn dough into loaf pan and press down to form it a bit to the shape of the pan.

Lightly grease a piece of plastic wrap and lay it over the pan. Don’t seal it, you’re just trying to keep out cool air. (I use my Misto for this so I don’t have to worry about the junk in the spray cans of oil)

Allow dough to rise for about 20 minutes or until dough has risen approximately 1 inch above the sides of the pan. Depending on the weather, the temperature in your house, etc. your bread may rise faster or slower, just check on it every 5 minutes or so to see how fast it’s rising.

When bread had risen, remove plastic wrap and place pan in oven.

Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, then turn the heat down to 350 degrees and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Bread should be a dark golden brown and sound hollow when you tap on the top.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then place on wire rack to finish cooling.

If you can resist the delicious smell of freshly baked bread, let it cool completely before cutting into it.  Cutting into warm bread often results in a mess!

If you can’t resist it, enjoy anyway!

Until a couple weeks ago, I was unaware that mini-cupcakes had the ability to sink in the middle! Who knew they were big enough to even do that?!?!?!?!?

Thankfully I was given a cookbook recommendation that has restored my ability to enjoy baking! It’s called Pie in the Sky and the author definitely did her research.  She took the time to test and adjust over 100 baking recipes at 4 different elevations, 3,000 ft., 5,000 ft., 7,000 ft. and 10,000 ft.

(If you’d like to check out the book for yourself click on the picture, it’ll take you to the Amazon page.)

When I got this book, I read through it like it was a novel.  I wanted to understand what makes high altitude baking difficult and how to adjust my recipes to make them successful. Thankfully, she does a wonderful job of this; providing adjustments for her own recipes as well as guideline for adjusting your own.

Following Susan G. Purdy’s advice, I took one of her basic recipes and made it my own by incorporating lemon zest.  The end result was an AMAZING lemon cake that didn’t sink one bit and was fully cooked throughout! This came just in time too, since I’d already committed to making a cake for a friend soon. I cannot wait to try some more of her suggestions and start crafting some more delicious sweets.

I realize that this sounds just like any of the other book reviews I’ve posted, but this is not a formal review. I just wanted to share this info with anyone else who might be having the same issues I was having.

Next up, I’ll be on a quest to perfect a 100% whole wheat bread that tastes delicious, doesn’t just fall apart, and doesn’t rise to fast that is jeopardizes the structural integrity of the loaf.  Any suggestions?