[Review] Modern Potluck: Beautiful Food to Share

Modern Potluck: Beautiful Food to Share

Uncover the best dish
 Modern Potluck is a cookbook and guide for today’s potluckers that delivers Instagram-worthy dishes packed with exciting, bold flavors. These 100 make-ahead recipes are perfect for a crowd and navigate carnivore, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan preferences gracefully. With beautiful color photographs and lots of practical information such as how to pack foods to travel, Modern Potluck is the ultimate book for gathering friends and family around an abundant, delicious meal. 

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I have always been obsessed about potlucks since coming from a different country, it was more like a way of eating than an actual event. We would always bring dishes whenever we went to someone's house and with several families that attended, that was our "potluck". Modern potluck is a gorgeous book that really does tell you how to present the dishes best and cook enough for the whole crowd. 

Beautiful presentations and amazing variety on the dishes, Modern Potluck really is an amazing book to get your hands on and hopefully actually taste the dishes! 

I received this book free from the publisher through the BloggingforBooks book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

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[Review] The Wurst of Lucky Peach: A Treasury of Encased Meat

The Wurst of Lucky Peach

The best in wurst from around the world, with enough sausage-themed stories and pictures stuffed between these two covers to turn anyone into a forcemeat aficionado.

Lucky Peach presents a cookbook as a scrapbook, stuffed with curious local specialties, likecevapi, a caseless sausage that’s traveled all the way from the Balkans to underneath the M tracks in Ridgewood, Queens; a look into the great sausage trails of the world, from Bavaria to Texas Hill Country and beyond; and the ins and outs of making your own sausages, including fresh chorizo.

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If you enjoy eating sausages as much as thinking, cooking, and dreaming about sausages - you will enjoy the "sausage" book. It was a combination of history, stories around the world and recipes about pretty much every sausage you can imagine. And if you think that this did not make sure drool - you are wrong. Because I want sausage as I speak about this now lol 

Overall, loved the humor and the stories, definitely must if you want to know what's up about your sausage ;)

I received this book free from the publisher through the BloggingforBooks book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

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[Review] The Sleep Revolution

The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time

We are in the midst of a sleep deprivation crisis, writes Arianna Huffington, the co-founder and editor in chief of The Huffington Post. And this has profound consequences – on our health, our job performance, our relationships and our happiness. What is needed, she boldly asserts, is nothing short of a sleep revolution.  Only by renewing our relationship with sleep can we take back control of our lives.

In her bestseller Thrive, Arianna wrote about our need to redefine success through well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving. Her discussion of the importance of sleep as a gateway to this more fulfilling way of living struck such a powerful chord that she realized the mystery and transformative power of sleep called for a fuller investigation.

The result is a sweeping, scientifically rigorous, and deeply personal exploration of sleep from all angles, from the history of sleep, to the role of dreams in our lives, to the consequences of sleep deprivation, and the new golden age of sleep science that is revealing the vital role sleep plays in our every waking moment and every aspect of our health – from weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease to cancer and Alzheimer’s.  

In The Sleep Revolution, Arianna shows how our cultural dismissal of sleep as time wasted compromises our health and our decision-making and undermines our work lives, our personal lives -- and even our sex lives. She explores all the latest science on what exactly is going on while we sleep and dream.  She takes on the dangerous sleeping pill industry, and all the ways our addiction to technology disrupts our sleep. She also offers a range of recommendations and tips from leading scientists on how we can get better and more restorative sleep, and harness its incredible power.

In today's fast-paced, always-connected, perpetually-harried and sleep-deprived world, our need for a good night’s sleep is more important – and elusive -- than ever. The Sleep Revolution both sounds the alarm on our worldwide sleep crisis and provides a detailed road map to the great sleep awakening that can help   transform our lives, our communities, and our world.

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I need more sleep, that's the whole idea behind my stress. And I know that. So when I picked up The Sleep Resolution, I really thought that it would be a good book to read and figure out a way to get better sleep. And although it had a lot of great information on different facts that had to do with sleep and the science behind it, I felt like it was repetitive and kept saying that you have to commit to sleep. 

Overall, even though a good read to knowledge yourself about the structure and facts of sleep and sleep deprivation, I was slightly disappointed with it. Hope that everyone that does get this book is not reading it up all night and actually gets some sleep :) 

I received this book free from the publisher through the BloggingforBooks book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

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[Review] The Productivity Project

The Productivity Project

A fresh, personal, and entertaining exploration of a topic that concerns all of us: how to be more productive at work and in every facet of our lives.
 
Chris Bailey turned down lucrative job offers to pursue a lifelong dream—to spend a year performing a deep dive experiment into the pursuit of productivity, a subject he had been enamored with since he was a teenager. After obtaining his business degree, he created a blog to chronicle a year-long series of productivity experiments he conducted on himself, where he also continued his research and interviews with some of the world’s foremost experts, from Charles Duhigg to David Allen. Among the experiments that he tackled: Bailey went several weeks with getting by on little to no sleep; he cut out caffeine and sugar; he lived in total isolation for 10 days; he used his smartphone for just an hour a day for three months; he gained ten pounds of muscle mass; he stretched his work week to 90 hours; a late riser, he got up at 5:30 every morning for three months—all the while monitoring the impact of his experiments on the quality and quantity of his work.

The Productivity Project—and the lessons Chris learned—are the result of that year-long journey. Among the counterintuitive insights Chris Bailey will teach you:
·         slowing down to work more deliberately;
·         shrinking or eliminating the unimportant;
·         the rule of three;
·         striving for imperfection;
·         scheduling less time for important tasks;
·         the 20 second rule to distract yourself from the inevitable distractions;
·         and the concept of productive procrastination.
In an eye-opening and thoroughly engaging read, Bailey offers a treasure trove of insights and over 25 best practices that will help you accomplish more. 

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The Productivity Project was definitely one of those books that made me feel lazy at first. This guy has done nothing but sleep only a couple of hours a day and then accomplish more in 24 hours than I would in a month, hell maybe a year! But the realization from Bailey's technique was really incredible because it made me realize that I could put some of these items to use. Some of the chapters really made me consider changing the way I live right now and what I spend my time on. His "What would you do if you had more free time" line has really gotten to me. 

Ever since I've read The Productivity Project, I really started to think about my life. It is a very good and easy read that makes you keep your attention longer. Some of the stories were just incredible to read, I'm glad I picked this up. 

I received this book free from the publisher through the BloggingforBooks book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

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[Review] Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction

Superforecasting

A  New York Times Bestseller

An Economist Best Book of 2015

"The most important book on decision making since Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow."
—Jason Zweig, The Wall Street Journal
 
Everyone would benefit from seeing further into the future, whether buying stocks, crafting policy, launching a new product, or simply planning the week’s meals. Unfortunately, people tend to be terrible forecasters. As Wharton professor Philip Tetlock showed in a landmark 2005 study, even experts’ predictions are only slightly better than chance. However, an important and underreported conclusion of that study was that some experts do have real foresight, and Tetlock has spent the past decade trying to figure out why. What makes some people so good? And can this talent be taught?
 
In Superforecasting, Tetlock and coauthor Dan Gardner offer a masterwork on prediction, drawing on decades of research and the results of a massive, government-funded forecasting tournament. The Good Judgment Project involves tens of thousands of ordinary people—including a Brooklyn filmmaker, a retired pipe installer, and a former ballroom dancer—who set out to forecast global events. Some of the volunteers have turned out to be astonishingly good. They’ve beaten other benchmarks, competitors, and prediction markets. They’ve even beaten the collective judgment of intelligence analysts with access to classified information. They are "superforecasters."
 
In this groundbreaking and accessible book, Tetlock and Gardner show us how we can learn from this elite group. Weaving together stories of forecasting successes (the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound) and failures (the Bay of Pigs) and interviews with a range of high-level decision makers, from David Petraeus to Robert Rubin, they show that good forecasting doesn’t require powerful computers or arcane methods. It involves gathering evidence from a variety of sources, thinking probabilistically, working in teams, keeping score, and being willing to admit error and change course. Superforecasting offers the first demonstrably effective way to improve our ability to predict the future—whether in business, finance, politics, international affairs, or daily life—and is destined to become a modern classic.

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Ever since I have started learning about stocks and the Wall Street market itself, I was really interested in how people forecast the future and predict on what is going to happen. Superforecasting really showed on what it is like to have that ability and learn the skill in the modern world. 

It was a good book to begin with but over time, it felt a little predictable. And if you're reading a book about forecasting and it becomes predictable, it's either you already a pro at this subject or it's getting boring. I still have gotten a lot of information but the overall morale of the book was clear: Use number to make your predictions in a well established time frame and always question your predictions until the time runs out. 

I received this book free from the publisher through the BloggingforBooks book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

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[Review] Project Inspired: Tips and Tricks for Staying True to Who You Are

Project Inspired

Based on the Project Inspired website created by Nicole Weider—a model and actress who integrates her behind-the-scenes experiences with guides on modest fashion, beauty, and advice—teens ages 13 and up will discover positive ways they can uphold their values in today's world.

Nicole Weider is on a mission: to help young girls avoid the traps that culture sets, which baits teens into thinking they must sacrifice their self-worth in order to be beautiful and popular. After experiencing the dark side of fame firsthand as a model, Nicole launched Project Inspired in 2010 (www.projectinspired.com), a website for teen girls that analyzes pop culture and explores ways girls can live in their authentic beauty.

In Project Inspired, Nicole shares tips for teen girls to stay true to themselves and how they were created to be, as well as how to dress modestly yet fashionably, make a positive difference in the world, and enjoy their teen years while staying true to their faith. With photographs, real behind-the-scenes stories from inside the fashion world, and an honest look at living a life that looks great on the outside and feels great on the inside, Project Inspired is a book teens will turn to time and time again.

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I LOVE THIS BOOK. It is truly inspiring. Ever since I was a little young, I have had some struggles with confidence and my overall self so this is just proves that you have to teach young women from young age to be truly to themselves and not worry the world and what its standards are. The images that Nicole & Kristin provided are incredible, I am glad that they decided to come out with truth and actually show that fashion world is not all blitz & glam. Incredible read, should be a part of every girl's life!


I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

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[Review] Let the Journey Begin

Let the Journey Begin

Powerful, life-changing messages for a vital time in life.

Graduation is a time of excitement and uncertainty. For graduates the question is, will they face the future with or without God? Let the Journey Begin repack is filled with godly wisdom, encouragement, and guidance from bestselling and trusted author Max Lucado for students about to embark on new steps in their life journey. Graduates will be reassured that they are not alone-God is with them every step of their way.

This bestselling book will include thirty-two additional pages of new content, all consisting of excerpts, quotes, and scripture as well as an updated interior design to appeal to a new generation of graduates. Included are pages for personal goals, favorite verses of scripture, and prayers.

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Graduating just in couple of months, this book has been an eye opener for me. Although I already have a job and pretty stable on where I am, I know that when I graduate, my life will change. Let the Journey Begin provided a great guide on what to expect from life and my spirituality. Max Lucado truly is a great author and made believe that my path will be exciting and although I will face challenges, it's a part of life and I should take it as it comes. 


I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

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[Review] Believe Student Edition: Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus

Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus

Written for teens, Believe: Student Edition is part of the national church-wide campaign led by bestselling author Randy Frazee that takes teens on a journey to become more like Jesus in their beliefs, actions, and character.

It’s one thing to know the story of the Bible. It’s another thing to live it.

From bestselling author and pastor Randy Frazee comes an exciting new all-church discipleship program inspired by the success of The Story. Introducing students and teens to the big ideas of Christian life and theology in a way that is clear and accessible, Believe: Student Edition helps them understand how to live out God’s story in their own lives. As they walk through the three big categories of faith—beliefs, practices, and virtues—they’ll begin a journey that will take them closer to the heart of Jesus and deeper into the words of Scripture.

Relevant, practical, and deeply fundamental, Believe: Student Edition is a must-read for any student serious about their faith.

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Believe Student Edition is a great guide for anyone who is trying to get closer to God and revalue their morals to be more stronger. It is divided into 3 sections for easy formatting and really does a great job of making sure that the teen is good in studying scriptures and understanding more of their meaning. 

Highly recommended, I agree with the format and think it's a great addition to any household. 
I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

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[Review] A Bone to Pick by Mark Bittman

A Bone To Pick 

Since his New York Times op-ed column debuted in 2011, Mark Bittman has emerged as one of our most impassioned and opinionated observers of the food landscape. The Times’ only dedicated opinion columnist covering the food beat, Bittman routinely makes readers think twice about how the food we eat is produced, distributed, and cooked, and shines a bright light on the profound impact that diet—both good and bad—can have on our health and that of the planet. 

In A Bone to Pick, Mark’s most memorable and thought-provoking columns are compiled into a single volume for the first time. As abundant and safe as the American food supply appears to be, the state of our health reveals the presence of staggering deficiencies in both the system that produces food and the forces that regulate it. Bittman leaves no issue unexamined; agricultural practices, government legislation, fad diets, and corporate greed all come under scrutiny and show that the issues governing what ends up in our market basket and on our tables are both complex and often deliberately confusing. Unabashedly opinionated and invariably thought provoking, Bittman’s columns have helped readers decipher arcane policy, unpack scientific studies, and deflate affronts to common sense when it comes to determining what “eating well” truly means. As urgent as the situation is, Mark contends that we can be optimistic about the future of our food and its impact on our health, as slow-food movements, better school-lunch programs, and even “healthy fast food” become part of the norm. 

At once inspiring, enraging, and enlightening, A Bone to Pick is an essential resource for every reader eager to understand not only the complexities inherent in the American food system, but also the many opportunities that exist to improve it.

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With so many different views on "Gluten--free", GMOs, and other factors that have been considered in the food industry, it is hard to tell what is true and what is not true when it comes to this industry. Mark Bittman tells us how it is on where the food comes from, where this whole industry is going and how everything reflects our future and the future of children. 

As knowledgeable as this was, it was a little hard not to feel like Bittman just wanted us to stop eating all of the "junk" all together and just eat the plants that we grow in our house. I understand the whole aspect of having this mindset and I have thought about it. More often we don't think about how the food is produced in the first place, especially when it's processed. But this was a very interesting read and I found it fascinating. 

I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging For Books book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

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[Review] What Keeps You Up at Night?: How to Find Peace While Chasing Your Dreams

What Keeps You Up at Night?

“I just can’t ever seem to shut off my brain and rest.”

It's easy to feel paralyzed by uncertainty. We want our questions answered, our decisions affirmed, and our plans applauded. But life doesn't come with an instruction manual and rarely follows a straight path. How would your life change if you learned to lean into uncertainty instead of waiting on the sidelines for just the right moment or opportunity?

The paradox of faith is that you can't activate it until you act on it. Trust compels us to move forward. If you don't, then you'll be left with a laundry list of unrealized expectations. You were meant to experience a life of abundance and blessing, not frustration and failure.

Clarity only comes when we look back. So if you wait until you have clarity, you'll never find it. Instead, you must move forward even when you feel scared to death. That is when you'll be able to turn the fears that keep you up at night into fuel for your journey.

If you want to experience a breakthrough in your life, then you must find a new cadence that will provide the strength you need to move forward in spite of your doubts, questions, and fears. The rhythm of faith is not hinged upon our circumstances but our willingness to surrender.

In his most insightful work since the debut bestseller, Plan B, Pete Wilson provides a plan for living that will lead you to a place of peace that you've only dreamed about and a life filled with meaning, significance, and satisfaction. 

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What Keeps You At Night is a lot more than just a study on how to overcome your fear of the unknown and try to get to the bottom of the issue of those thoughts that keep you from getting good night's sleep. This has been one of my problems for a very long time since my brain is always working, figuring out possibilities on the future, the next day, and going over all the worries that I have on my plate. 

This book is highly recommended to those that are strong in their faith but also those that are in question with God and His existence. It gave me a lot to think about and try to understand the process that my brain goes through while trying to get to sleep and going through the day. It is extremely well written and very enjoyable.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

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[Review] Yogurt: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Yogurt 

A fresh, modern yogurt-centric cookbook that showcases the versatility of this dairy superstar in 50 recipes for appetizers, salads, soups, sauces, marinades, beverages, and desserts, and provides fail-proof directions for making your own yogurt at home.
  
Americans have fallen in love with yogurt, thanks to its creamy texture, tangy flavor, and health-promoting probiotic cultures. In Yogurt, a fresh and modern full-color cookbook, author Janet Fletcher demonstrates the versatility of this dairy superstar in more than fifty recipes for appetizers, salads, soups, beverages, and desserts. From roasted tomato bruschetta with yogurt cheese to meatballs in a warm yogurt sauce to a golden yogurt cake, these recipes showcase yogurt in dishes both rustic and sophisticated. Drawing inspiration from the culinary traditions of Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, India, and beyond, this useful handbook includes a guide to purchasing yogurt (all of the recipes work with quality store-bought brands), advice on choosing a yogurt maker, and easy methods for making yogurt, Greek yogurt, and yogurt cheese at home.

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Yogurt: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner is an incredible book that is so much more than recipes. Starting with description of history and trajectory of yogurt, it includes tons of health benefits and many many possibilities that could be made from it. 

Perfect for clean eating, vegetarians and anyone overall, this recipe book really takes the subject of yogurt serious. One of the interesting things that I have found about this is that the texture of yogurt itself could make the dish very different. Using it for breakfast, lunch, and YES dinner is incredible. 

The illustrations are truly work of art. Beautiful piece to have at home and make great recipes for the whole family.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

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[Review] Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan

Food: A Love Story

“What are my qualifications to write this book? None really. So why should you read it? Here’s why: I’m a little fat. If a thin guy were to write about a love of food and eating I’d highly recommend that you do not read his book.” 

Bacon. McDonalds. Cinnabon. Hot Pockets. Kale. Stand-up comedian and author Jim Gaffigan has made his career rhapsodizing over the most treasured dishes of the American diet (“choking on bacon is like getting murdered by your lover”) and decrying the worst offenders (“kale is the early morning of foods”). Fans flocked to his New York Times bestselling book Dad is Fat to hear him riff on fatherhood but now, in his second book, he will give them what they really crave—hundreds of pages of his thoughts on all things culinary(ish). Insights such as: why he believes coconut water was invented to get people to stop drinking coconut water, why pretzel bread is #3 on his most important inventions of humankind (behind the wheel and the computer), and the answer to the age-old question “which animal is more delicious: the pig, the cow, or the bacon cheeseburger?”

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“I love the phrase "I have a sweet tooth." I always want to say, "You're ordering it for your tooth? That's interesting, because it's going straight to your butt. I think your butt owed your tooth an explanation.”

Jim Gaffigan has done it again. After reading his first book, Dad is Fat, I have found a new respect for this comedian. This food definitely describes the unhealthy relationship with food that most of people have but do not want to be honest with themselves about the problem. Either way, I absolutely loved and need to get a physical copy of this ASAP! 

“When a thin person announces, “Here’s a great taco place,” I kind of shut down a little. How do they know it’s so great? From smelling the tacos? If they only ate one taco, the taco could not have been that great.”

Audiobook Notes. INCREDIBLE! Jim Gaffigan narrated the book himself so you know it's going to be good since he is astand-up comedian. Worth the try!

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