Hello. My name is Lisa and I entertain, when I entertain, reluctantly. In other words, hospitality does not come easily to me. I lack motivation, not to mention organization. Is there help for someone like me? Oh yes, indeed there is. It is to hesitant hostesses like myself that Sandy Coughlin writes her new book, aptly named The Reluctant Entertainer: Every Woman's Guide to Simple and Gracious Hospitality. From the get go, Sandy offers gentle encouragement and inspiration to those of us who struggle with inadequacy and unrealistic expectations in the entertaining department. It’s Real Entertaining for Real People (coincidentally the title of the first chapter). Other topics included are: Overcoming the Pitfalls of Perfectionism, Simplifying Entertaining, Discovering Your Inner Martha, and The Heart of Hospitality: Conversation (all chapter titles). Sandy shares some of her favorite recipes as well as gorgeous photography from her ...
Category Archives: Food and Drink
Celebrating Cupcakes and Muffins
So there I am just walking along at the Book Expo when I spied with my little eye this delicious Celebrating Cupcakes and Muffins book by Michal Moses. Now, I like cupcakes. The fun thing about being a wedding photographer is that you get to taste a wide variety of cakes and cupcakes at people's weddings. Every bride is different. This year cupcakes seem to be all the rage at weddings and I have been delighted with some of the flavors our brides have chosen. Naturally, I always come home with the intent to make such cupcakes for our family. But how?! These wedding cupcakes are amazing and how on earth am I supposed to create such things in my own home kitchen?!? Now I know! In ...
Eat! Move! Play!
With childhood obesity on the rise and in the news on a daily basis, along side nonstop advertisements for junk food and a growing sedentary lifestyle for families, there's no denying the fact that more parents are concerned about their children's health than ever before. In response to the growing interest in these topics, the well established group Weight Watchers has recently released Eat! Move! Play! A Parent's Guide for Raising Healthy, Happy Kids. Part lifestyle advice, part workbook, and part recipe guide, Eat! Move! Play! is a fabulous comprehensive guide for families trying to be conscious of how they stay healthy in their eating and exercise habits. This book includes information and thought-provoking sections on the contemporary challenges to healthy living. Solid advice and points to consider when making personal decisions are ...
Once Upon a Time in the Kitchen
Over the last decade or so, I've amassed a sizable collection of children's books, for which I'm truly grateful. While most tend to be the standard picture book fare, a small part of the collection is made up of cookbooks written for use with young children. With the release of Carol Odell's book Once Upon a Time in the Kitchen: Recipes and Tales from Classic Children's Stories, I've added a unique and standout item to this part of the collection. As the title makes evident, this book isn't merely a series of recipes for children to enjoy, but instead offers excerpts from twenty-one pieces of classic children's literature, along with a related recipe for families to make as an accompaniment to the reading. When one opts to read a little Winnie-the-Pooh, what better to snack on than ...
Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon
If there was an award for a unique and catchy book title, I'm pretty certain that Mark Di Vincenzo's Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That, and Go There would be among the finalists. Eye-catching and perfectly summarizing what a reader should expect, most definitely! Based on extensive research conducted by Di Vincenzo, a journalist by trade, this book includes information and answers from experts through interviews or readings. The topics covered range from when to make purchases of everything from eggs to homes, when to travel, and when to get some items on your to-do list crossed off. Issues revolving around personal health care, education, and employment are also included, as well. With such a wide range of information included in this small book, ...
Keeping the Feast
My takeaways from reading Paula Butturini’s memoir, Keeping the Feast: I want to go to Rome I want to shop in an open market I wish I were Italian or at least had some Italian friends who cook I am hungry for fresh fruit and vegetables and for homemade pasta I better understand depression and what it means to love someone who suffers from it I am grateful for the simple ritual of eating a meal with my family and the bond that is forged through it Keeping the Feast is beautifully written. Butturini’s prose is so beautiful! It "sings"! Her account of one seller’s produce at an open market in Rome, the Campo dei Fiori, is enough to make even a non-foodie like me yearn for asparagus of all things! I don’t even like asparagus! When tragedy strikes not even a month after Butturini marries her husband John, ...
Cake Wrecks
Maybe I'm a really sick person but I get a lot of kicks and jollies out of looking at other people's cake decorating disasters. I know that this isn't kind of me, but it's very true. You see, I submitted myself to a Wilton Cake Decorating Class once and used my (valid) excuse of a sprained wrist to get out of it. Those flower petals were SO beyond me! I was outclassed by everyone else in the class! Therefore, I especially am interested in people's cake disasters. They make me feel better because I've had so many disasters of my own, I guess. I know we're all trying and we practice, practice, practice to improve, right?! But you can only make so many cakes to practice on before everyone hates you for those extra 10 lbs. they gained ...
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Jennifer Donovan
Managing Editor -
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