Hardcover: 896 pages

From the Publisher…

James Beard was the “dean of American cookery” (New York Times), and he put practically everything he learned about cooking into this single magnificent–now classic–cookbook. JAMES BEARD’S AMERICAN COOKERY includes more than fifteen hundred of his favorite and most successful recipes, as well as advice on dozens of cooking questions, from choosing meats and vegetables to preserving fruit and making real cheeseburgers. A celebration of the roots of cooking in the American style, this repackaged edition features the original text and color illustrations, and a new foreword by Tom Colicchio. Like Mastering the Art of French Cooking and The Joy of Cooking, it is a standard reference no kitchen is complete without.

Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time!

From the Publisher…

The producer of An Inconvenient Truth, Laurie David’s new mission is to help America’s overwhelmed families sit down to a Family Dinner, and she provides all the reasons, recipes and fun tools to do so.

Laurie David speaks from her own experience confronting the challenges of raising two teenage girls. Today’s parents have lots to deal with and technology is making their job harder than ever. Research has proven that everything we worry about as parents–from drugs to alcohol, promiscuity, to obesity, academic achievement and just good old nutrition–can all be improved by the simple act of eating and talking together around the table.

Laurie has written a practical, inspirational, fun (and, of course, green) guide to the most important hour in any parent’s day. Chock-full chapters include: Over seventy-five kid approved fantastic recipes; tips on teaching green values; conversation starters; games to play to help even the shyest family member become engaged; ways to express gratitude; the family dinner after divorce (hint: keep eating together) and much more. Filled with moving memories and advice from the country’s experts and teachers, this book will get everyone away from electronic screens and back to the dinner table.

About the Author…

Laurie David, ex-wife of Larry David, is a media savvy powerhouse. She founded the Stop Global Warming Virtual March, produced the Academy Award winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth, and launched the Stop Global Warming College Tour with Sheryl Crow. She’s been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Today, and Good Morning America; is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post, and is author of The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming (Scholastic, 9/07).

My Thoughts…

The Family Dinner is the kind of cookbook that no family kitchen should be without.  This cookbook will challenge, inspire, and leave you looking forward to digging back into it.  No other cookbook have I picked up that encourages family time in the kitchen like this one. You’ll find yourself  not just making great meals for your family but wonderful memories with your children!

The Family Dinner includes words of wisdom, kid friendly recipes, conversation starters,  living green, and games…I love it.  There’s so much in this book that there’s no way I could cover all that I like about it. So let me list the sections you’ll find in this book and what they are about!

• Why Family Dinners Matter – Sharing the importance of family togetherness and the benefits of eating together.
• Ten Simple Steps – Ten steps that are key for making family dinner time a success!
• Setting the Scene – How how to make the dinner table appealing looking!
• Fast Recipes – My favorite chapter, hands down! It’s filled with recipes that can be prepared quick.  I love it teaches us how to keep a well stocked pantry for this task too!
• “Cook” Together at the Table – A chapter filled with ideas and recipes for meals that can be prepared at the table, so each family member gets to be involved.
• Souper Dinners – Features many  Soup recipes that are great during the Fall and Winter season.
• Take it Slow – This chapter includes recipes for dishes that you can make when you have more free time and then save or freeze them for the days you don’t have much time. Another favorite chapter!
• Meatless Monday – This chapter is filled with vegetarian dishes.
• Kids in the Kitchen – Spotlights lots of  kid friendly recipes that they can help prepare.
• Your Green Table – This chapter has tips on being green and how you can teach your children to be eco-friendly!
• Table Talk – This chapter has tips and ideas for conversation starters and games that can be played at the dinner table.
• Read Around the Table – This chapter includes more ideas and tips for discussions.
• Grandparents and the Extended Family – This chapter includes recipes and tips for including other family members into the family togetherness.
• Two Homes, One Table – This chapter suggests ways to keep the family together even after a divorce.
• Grace is Gratitude - This chapter has tips and ideas on ways to show and teach gratitude.
• Play With Your Dessert – This chapter is full of fun. It includes dessert recipes and games that can played after dinner to keep the togetherness going.

I tried out one of the Apple Sauce recipes from this book and loved it! I can’t wait to try out several more such as the Rainy-Day Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons, Homemade Tomato Sauce, and even a few of the recipes for home made cleaners (no kidding, this book has everything)!

I highly recommend this book to be on the shelf of every kitchen! You can purchase this book on Amazon for under 20.00! You can also check for it at your favorite bookstore! But thanks to Hatchett, one of my readers is going to have a chance to win this fantastic book!

Win it!

One winner will receive The Family Dinner Cookbook. Giveaway is open to USA & Canada only.

To Enter: Let me know what one recipe you always enjoy making during the Holiday Season!

Extra Entries:

1. Blog this giveaway, link back to this post. (2 extra)

2. Follow on Twitter @erinlowmaster & Tweet (daily entries available)

3. Post this giveaway on a Giveaway Linky/Site and let me know where!

4. Email a friend(s) about this giveaway. (Leave name of friend)

5. Subscribe to my blog by RSS or E-mail (Feed Burner) and let me know!

6. Become a Facebook Fan of Connected2Christ and leave me a comment there letting me know you are coming from this giveaway.

Giveaway running till 11/20/10 . Winners will be notified shortly afterward by email. Please respond within 48 hours or you forfeit your prize to another participant. USA & Canada only. One winner per household.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinions. The book copy information and cover image were provided by Hachette Book Group. I did not receive any monetary compensation. All opinions and thoughts expressed in this post are my own.

Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN-10: 0316083372
ISBN-13: 978-0316083379

Breakfast, Brunch, and Beyond from New York’s Favorite Neighborhood Restaurant

From the Publisher…

The Clinton St. Baking Company is one of the hottest brunch spots in a city obsessed with brunch. A tiny thirty-two-seat eatery on Manhattan’s trendy Lower East Side, the restaurant draws long lines of customers who come from far and wide to sample fresh-baked goods, hearty omelets, sugar-cured bacon, and light-as-air pancakes with maple butter.

In the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook, owners DeDe Lahman and Neil Kleinberg share more than 100 treasured recipes that have made their restaurant a sensation. Learn the secret to their house-made buttermilk biscuits and tomato jam, irresistible muffins and scones, delicious soups and sandwiches, and their decadent, eye-catching desserts. Helpful techniques, like Neil’s patented omelet “flip and tuck,” and gorgeous color photographs throughout will have readers cooking like pros in no time, and sharing the delicious results.

About the Authors…

DeDe Lahman is co-owner of the Clinton St. Baking Company and Community Food & Juice. She began her career as an editor and advice columnist at Seventeen magazine. She has worked as a book researcher, freelance writer, brand consultant, and cook.

Neil Kleinberg was raised in Brooklyn, and opened his first restaurant, Simon’s, at the age of 22. After four years at The Water Club under Rick Moonen, he returned to his native Flatbush to reopen the legendary seafood star, Lundy’s. Neil co-authored The Lundy’s Cookbook (Harper Collins, 1998), and is a distinguished member of The James Beard Foundation.

My Thoughts…

If you are in the mood for eating or if you are pregnant, I would not recommend opening up this cookbook. I made that mistake and was longing for several delicious recipes I didn’t have the current means to throw together! Note also that I am a huge lover of breakfast and brunch foods so I was practically drooling over the pages featuring full color photos for each recipe found in this cookbook.

In the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook you’ll find that it’s broken down into the following categories all the while featuring extremely helpful hints and tips along with easy to follow step by step instructions!

• Biscuits
• Muffins and Scones
• Eggs, Eggs, Eggs
• Pancakes {The Best in New York}
• Soups
• The Sandwich King & Queen
• Fried Chicken {A Clinton St.  Specialty}
• Sides
• Condiments
• Dessert {Made from Scratch}
• Drinks

This morning I was in the mood for more than just a bowl of cereal and tried out the Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins recipes! I love baking from scratch instead of using mixes. I know what’s going in my muffins and don’t have any odd additives or preservatives, which I’m not a huge fan of when baking for myself or my family.  I was extremely happy with how my muffins came out and will most definitely be making them again!

I really can’t wait to try some of the other recipes out like the Fried Green Tomatoes, Homemade Caramelized Applesauce, Potato Pancakes, and more!

I would highly recommend this cookbook to anyone and can’t help but think what a great gift this would make during the Holiday Season! You can find the Clinton St. Company Cookbook on Amazon.com for under twenty dollars but how about the chance to win one?

Win it!

One winner will receive the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook. Giveaway is open to USA & Canada only.

To Enter: Let me know what one recipe you always enjoy making during the Holiday Season!

Extra Entries:

1. Blog this giveaway, link back to this post. (2 extra)

2. Follow on Twitter @erinlowmaster & Tweet (daily entries available)

3. Post this giveaway on a Giveaway Linky/Site and let me know where!

4. Email a friend(s) about this giveaway. (Leave name of friend)

5. Subscribe to my blog by RSS or E-mail (Feed Burner) and let me know!

6. Become a Facebook Fan of Connected2Christ and leave me a comment there letting me know you are coming from this giveaway.

Giveaway running till 11/20/10 . Winners will be notified shortly afterward by email. Please respond within 48 hours or you forfeit your prize to another participant. USA & Canada only. One winner per household.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinions. The book copy information and cover image were provided by Hachette Book Group. I did not receive any monetary compensation. All opinions and thoughts expressed in this post are my own.

Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Life & Style
ISBN-10: 0446572098
ISBN-13: 978-0446572095

Easy, Elegant, and Irresistible Recipes

From the Publisher…

Claire Robinson, the hot new Food Network star of 5 Ingredient Fix and Food Network Challenge, helps people get dinner on the table with little fuss and a few great ingredients. The quest for simple, affordable, and fresh, mouthwatering food is over. 5 INGREDIENT FIX helps put delicious and sophisticated meals on the table in a snap. With people struggling to simplify, streamline, and budget, the Food Network’s Claire Robinson is here to help. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated to be impressive; simplifying the process with fewer ingredients saves time, frustration, and ultimately, money.

About the Author…

Claire Robinson is the host of Food Network’s 5 Ingredient Fix and the daily primetime series Food Network Challenge. Claire cites her French-speaking grandmother as a major influence on her love for food. Claire graduated from the French Culinary Institute, is an accomplished private chef, and has produced several cooking series, including Food Network’s Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello.

My Thoughts…

I fell in love with this cookbook right away and just from the mouth watering photos alone! And I loved the promise that I could make extremely tasty recipes of all kinds for my family and friends with as little as five ingredients, I was in heaven. And with that being said, you can’t blame me for doubting it! Doesn’t it almost sound to good to be true?  We’ve been trying to keep a tight budget around here and to make great tasting food with a minimal grocery list of ingredients is a huge plus.

Trying to figure out what to make wasn’t easy! But after browsing through the eight different sections, I went with a dessert that I served to my family and friends. I was fully putting my trust into the recipe because I commonly don’t just serve the guest I have over a dessert or recipe I haven’t tried personally myself. And with that being said, the Millionaire’s Shortbread recipe I tried out from this cookbook was a huge hit! I had never had or personally made shortbread before but with the minimal ingredients and easy to follow instructions, I’m up to making it again! I can’t help but think how irresistible and elegant this dessert would look and be enjoyed  during the holidays to tempt taste buds of many!

This cookbook has lots of great recipes, many I can’t personally wait to try out. My fourth wedding anniversary is coming up soon so I’ve been browsing around for something to cook that’ll make the dinner extra special with minimal amounts of work and time in the kitchen. Perhaps I’ll cook the Cornish Hens au Vin or maybe the Classic Southern Blackened Catfish!

I wouldn’t hesitate at all to  recommend 5 Ingredient Fix: Easy Elegant and Irresistible Recipes to anyone! This cookbook would be a great addition to your kitchen or perhaps someone else you may know! You can purchase it at numerous bookstores locally and online. Right now you can find this cookbook on Amazon for just 16.95!

Disclaimer: A Special Thanks goes out to Anna over at Hatchett for the opportunity to review this book.

THE GEOMETRY OF PASTA pairs over 100 authentic recipes from acclaimed chef Jacob Kennedy with award-winning designer Caz Hildebrand’s stunning black-and-white designs to reveal the science, culture, and philosophy behind spectacular pasta dishes from throughout Italian history.

This isn’t your ordinary cookbook. The Geometry of Pasta instead of just providing delicious recipes to it’s readers, it also educates us about the huge variety of pasta types out there. I honestly had no idea there are well over three hundred! The rich history behind a single type of pasta, the common dimensions, and what this pasta is most commonly used and can be paired with what sauce is just so much fun to know. Yes, I do realize this might not appeal to everyone but I’m totally eating up it up (No pun intended).

There are some real mysteries held inside this book. For instance, do you really know the truth about Alfredo sauce, like why it’s hard to find in Italy?  Being pregnant myself, I honestly got a kick out of the fact that the creator was a husband trying to find something his newly pregnant wife could keep down without getting sick.

I imagine in the future I’ll be trying my hand at some of the delicious recipes found in this book but for now I’m enjoying it as a quite enlightening new read.

The Geometry of Pasta is published by Quirk Books and is listed for $24.95.

DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Quirk Books for providing this book for review. My thoughts are mine and my family’s own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for hosting this giveaway.

Chocolate: A Love Story is a vibrant new cookbook that includes 65 original recipes narrated in the quirky, captivating voice of Max Brenner, the restaurant’s visionary founder and “bald man.” Bold original illustrations inspired by Art Deco poster graphics, full-color photographs, easy-to-follow, delicious recipes, and a serving of Max’s unique vision for spreading “chocolate culture” around the world make this book a must for every chocolate lover.

My Thoughts…

I adore this book because it’s a mix of my two most favorite things chocolate and art! I myself have not ventured so much as to make lots chocolate filled dishes in my own kitchen but after browsing through this book, I just may give it a shot soon. I love the names of the recipes because they are so not typical! You’ll find recipes titled “The adult and child chocolate buger joint venture, The eternal chocolate bliss Indian lassi, Recipe 66 ( the book features 66 recipes…the name is only suitable!), and so many more! I appreciate  the individuality of Chocolate: A Love Story and applaud the author on making his book so much more different by featuring illustrations by Yonatan Factor. This cookbook is so much more than typical and while it would make the other cookbooks in your kitchen jealous, it could also be featured on your living room coffee table!

I think this book would make a wonderful gift this Holiday season, especially to those whom really appreciate all types of art forms because as we all know cooking is one in it’s own!

You can learn more about Max Brenner here. You can purchase the book at Amazon for about $20.00!

About How to Roast a Lamb…

A rising star in the food world, Michael Psilakis is co-owner of a growing empire of modern Mediterranean restaurants, and one of the most exciting young chefs in America today. In How to Roast a Lamb, the self-taught chef offers recipes from his restaurants and his home in this, his much-anticipated first cookbook.

I know without a doubt, that when our next child comes into the picture, I’m going to have several months worth of meals ready to go in the fridge and freezer. I have resources like  Jane Doiron’s cookbook “Make-Ahead Meals For Busy Moms” to see to that.

In this fantastic cookbook, you’ll find the following sections: Introduction, Helpful Tips,  Appetizers, Breakfast and Brunch, Dessert, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Soup, Measurements Equivalents, and an index of all the recipe.

I really appreciated the helpful tips section as I learned many new things! Did you know that they make buttermilk in a powder format? I had no idea! Knowing this, I can make more recipes I love when I want to without having buttermilk going bad in my fridge!

Most of all the recipes found in this book tell you what you can do to prepare most if not all of it a day ahead. I found the recipes that featured freezing directions to be the most helpful to myself! I have not tried any of the recipes this yet but there are so many tasty selections to choose from. Next week I’m probably going to try the pumpkin pie recipe out and freeze my pies to cook later! I recall helping my own mother the day before Thanksgiving and being nearly worn out on Thanksgiving Day due to all the cooking and cleaning of the house. If things like pies and casseroles can be frozen and taken out to cook on the day when you need them, so much rush, stress, and anxiety can be lifted so you can enjoy your time with family and friends. That is of course unless the kitchen is your stress free safe haven. Whatever the case may be, I really encourage everyone to pick up Make-Ahead Meals For Busy Moms, you won’t be sorry!

If you’d like to purchase this cookbook, you can find it at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com for about $16.00.

Win It!

Jane has generously offered a copy of  Make-Ahead Meals For Busy Moms for giveaway to one of my readers!

To Enter: Visit Jane’s website and let me know a name of a recipe that can be found in her book!

Extras:

1. Add me to your blogroll or add my button.
2. Blog it, link back to this post. (2 extra)
3. Favorite my blog on Technorati
4. Friend/Fan @ Facebook
5. Subscribe by email/RSS. (2 extra)
6. Sign up to win giveaways at Janet and Kristinia’s blogs..( let me know which ones)
7. Follow on Twitter @erinlowmaster & Tweet (daily entries available)
8. Email a friend about this giveaway. (Leave name of friend)
9. Sign up for Jane’s Newsletter!
10. Follow her Blog!
11. Grab her Button!

Tweet: (copy/paste)

RT: Win a must have cookbook for busy moms! 12/05 @erinlowmaster (add url)

This Giveaway is only open to U.S and Canada

Giveaway running till 12/05/09 . Winners will be notified shortly afterward by email. Please respond within 48 hours or you forfeit your prize to another participant.

Disclaimer: I was given Make-Ahead Meals For Busy Moms cookbook to review. This review is 100% my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this product review.

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson Inc (Oct 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595553010
• ISBN-13: 978-1595553010

SYNOPSIS
The rich tradition of country cooking, the distinctive taste of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, and the heritage of rural America are all elegantly captured in Jack Daniel’s The Spirit of Tennessee Cookbook. Included are more than 350 recipes, stunning full-color photographs, and stories of the people, places, and traditions of Middle Tennessee.

My Thoughts…

Being from the south, I appreciate the JACK DANIEL’S THE SPIRIT OF TENNESSEE COOKBOOK quite a bit. Nothing say southern hospitality like a home cooked meal from the heart. This  book is   full of stories about Lynchburg, TN which is the birth place of Jack Daniel’s Distillery featuring photos that are historic as well as contemporary. I’m proud to say that after reading through this book that I learned more about southern culture being that I was born and partially raised in the deep south myself.

Be warned that this cookbook is not to be read on an empty stomach, I know I was completely hungry and my mouth was about watering as I flipped through the various Appetizers, Soups & Salads, Vegetables, Breads, Entrees, Outdoor Cooking, Desserts, Cakes & Pies, and Accompaniments. I found a biscuit recipe in this book that I’ve been making for my own family for years thanks to my own southern roots!

If you decide to pick up this book, you’ll find as I did  that not all recipes in this book call for Jack Daniels Whiskey. For instance a recipe in this book called “Outside Burgers” which my husband and I threw together contained no alcohol at all. Thrown together, that’s the best phrase I have because most of the recipes you shouldn’t have to look much further than your own pantry to make a delicious foods, that is  minding that you are already cultured and a have a taste for southern foods.

Real people, easy to make meals, and a bit of southern heritage…it’s doesn’t get much better than that. This cookbook would make a wonderful addition to any kitchen and a fantastic gift to give around the Holiday season!

I received JACK DANIEL’S THE SPIRIT OF TENNESSEE COOKBOOK for free to review from Thomas Nelson Publishers.

The History of Gooseberry Patch…

Gooseberry Patch was started 25 years ago in Delaware, Ohio  by two moms, next door neighbors in fact, whom were looking for a way to do what  they loved and stay home with the kids too.

Both sharing a love of home-cooking, vintage kitchenware & antiques and making memories with family & friends, after many a conversation over their backyard fence, Gooseberry Patch was born.

Goose Berry thus has grown into an amazing mail order company that spotlights many people who love cooking, decorating and creating!

My Thoughts…

I recall when I first received my very first Gooseberry Patch cookbook. My mother-in-law lovingly gifted me “Welcome Home For The Holidays” my second Christmas in being welcomed into their family. And now, thanks to the good people over at Gooseberry Patch, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on one of their newest holiday cookbooks called “Christmas with Family & Friends”.

I had such a good time browsing through this cookbook and  it’s many features which include;

• Over 200 recipes that are perfect for the holiday season!
• Many useful Holiday craft ideas and tips!
• An entire chapter dedicated to Homemade Memories!
• 224 pages
• A beautiful illustrations and a full color  hard back cover
• It’s 9-1/4″ x 6-1/2″ which makes it perfect to display with most other cookbooks
• Chapters include Homemade Memories, Breakfast & Brunch with Friends, Home for Christmas Dinner, Festive Family Desserts & more…

I could not wait to make a recipe from “Christmas with Family & Friends and decided that since I have such a sweet tooth that I would start my search in the Cookies & Cocoa section. It didn’t take long before I decided to make the Gingerbread Men cookie recipe. I enjoy making Gingerbread during the Holiday season and have made this my families tradition.

I loved how my Gingerbread Men cookies turned out! The taste wasn’t too much and I loved the variation of using white sugar instead of the brown I usually use.  This slight change made the flavor be subtle at first and then fills your taste buds with such flavorful delight.  I had fun decorating my cookies with frosting and am looking forward to making this recipe again during this Holiday season!

Cookbooks are very special, as this sort of gift can be passed down to my children and my children’s children.  It also is a gift the keeps on giving long after the Holidays are over! I am very grateful for the people over at Gooseberry Patch for putting together such a heartfelt cookbook to share with us.

Gooseberry Patch offers many types of gifts perfect for every member of the family, even the kids! Why not check them out this Holiday Season?

For the latest news and updates, you can follow Gooseberry Patch on Facebook! They often share great thoughts, recipes, special giveaways and more! You can also join their e-newsletter found on their website!

Win it: Gooseberry Patch has offered one of my readers a $25.00 Gift Card to spend at their store!

To Enter: Visit Gooseberry Patch and let me know another product that you might like or someone else you know!

Extras:

1. Add me to your blogroll or add my button.
2. Follow Gooseberry Patch on Facebook
3. Blog it, link back to this post. (2 extra)
4. Favorite my blog on Technorati
5. Friend/Fan @ Facebook
6. Subscribe by email/RSS. (2 extra)
7. Sign up to win giveaways at Janet and Kristinia’s blogs..( let me know which ones)
8. Follow on Twitter @erinlowmaster & Tweet (daily entries available)
9. Email a friend about this giveaway. (Leave name of friend)

Tweet: (copy/paste)

RT: Win a 25.00 Gift Certificate to Gooseberry Patch! 11/30@erinlowmaster (add url)
This Giveaway is only open to U.S and Canada

Giveaway running till 11/30/09 . Winners will be notified shortly afterward by email. Please respond within 48 hours or you forfeit your prize to another participant.

Disclaimer: I was sent a cookbook to review from Gooseberry Patch . This review is 100% my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this product review.