Reservations for two

A culinary concoction of taking chances and finding love in the most delectable places
 
 
Food writer-turned-restaurateur Juliette D’Alisa has more than enough on her plate. While her trip to Provence might have unlocked new answers to her grandmother’s past, it’s also provided new complications in the form of Neil McLaren, the man she can’t give up. 
 
Juliette and Neil find romance simple as they travel through Provence and Tuscany together, but life back home presents a different set of challenges. Juliette has a restaurant to open, a mother combating serious illness, and a family legacy of secrets to untangle – how does Neil, living so far away in Memphis, fit into to her life? 
 
As she confronts an uncertain future, Juliette can’t help but wish that life could be as straightforward as her chocolate chip cookie recipe. Can her French grandmother’s letters from the 1940’s provide wisdom to guide her present? Or will every new insight create a fresh batch of mysteries?

*My Wife's Thoughts*

I requested this book for my wife to review because she was looking for a new book to read. As we were browsing the site looking for a book, she had me stop on this one because it peaked her interest. 

If you are looking to read a good romance, then you might just like this book.  Hillary Manton Lodge did a great job with detailing in this book. My wife said she enjoyed reading about the different culture. The recipes in this book are really good too.

*Disclaimer*

I received this book free from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Daily Painting-A Book Review

A unique system for jump-starting artistic creativity, encouraging experimentation and growth, and increasing sales for artists of all levels, from novices to professionals.
  
Do you want to bring the joy back into your art?

Have you landed in a frustrating rut? Are you having trouble selling paintings in galleries, getting bogged down by projects you can’t seem to finish or abandon, or finding excuses to avoid working in the studio? Author Carol Marine knows exactly how you feel—she herself suffered from painter’s block, until she discovered “daily painting.” The idea is simple: do art (usually small) often (how often is up to you), and if you’d like, post and sell it online. Soon you’ll find that your block dissolves and you’re painting work you love—and more of it than you ever thought possible! 

With her encouraging tone and useful exercises, Marine teaches you to:
-Master composition and value
-Become confident in any medium
-Choose subjects wisely 
-Stay fresh and loose 
-Photograph, post, and sell your art online
-Become connected to the growing movement of daily painters around the world

-My Review-

This is a wonderful book packed full of valuable information. I looked through the book and immediately. I don't paint(very well lol), but I requested this book for a young teen who at the moment has beaten her cancer! She loves to paint and it wonderful at it. I thought she would enjoy this book. 

Disclaimer-I received this book free from bloggingforbooks.org in exchange for my honest review. 

Rooted in Design-Book Review

A stylish and full-color guide to creatively integrating indoor plants with home decor from the owners of the popular Sprout Home garden design boutiques.

Indoor plants play a large role in the design and feel of a space. Focusing on indoor gardening--from small containers and vertical installations with air plants to unique tabletop creations--Rooted in Design provides readers with the means to create beautiful and long-lasting indoor landscapes. Tara Heibel and Tassy De Give, owners of the successful Sprout Home gardening stores, offer expert advice for choosing plant varieties and pairing them with unique design ideas. Sharing practical tips honed through hundreds of plant design classes, Heibel and DeGive tell readers everything they need to know to care for their one-of-a-kind green creations.


Rooted in Design shows beautiful and creative ways to use indoor plants as art and decor. I really wish more information about how to keep the plants alive would have been added. The book includes instructions for building the different types of displays and containers for the plants. I think that this book has the potential to inspire people to use plants in their home decor.

*Disclaimer*

I received this book free from bloggingforbooks.org in exchange for my honest review. All opinions given are my own.

Book Review- Just Add Watercolor

A beautifully illustrated, easy-to-navigate guide to creating contemporary watercolors, pairing full-page paintings with insights and tips for artists.
     Featuring 200 of the best works of young, modern watercolor painters, paired with bite-sized painting tips and art instruction, Just Add Watercolor gives aspiring artists access to information about–and examples of–top work in the medium. Artist and instructor Helen Birch breaks down each painting by techniques, subject matter, and tools, providing art enthusiasts and painters with a one-stop resource and gallery of the best that modern watercolor has to offer. Its small trim size with one painting per spread provides a bold, but user-friendly alternative to traditional, process-heavy painting instruction texts. Just Add Watercolor shines the spotlight on featured paintings, while still giving readers all the insights needed to get started painting in this popular medium.


My Thoughts-
This is a great book. It's smaller than I expected, not sure why I thought it would be a bigger book. It's about the size of a greeting card, with over 200 pages full of beautiful images, ideas, suggestions, and techniques from about 70 different watercolor artists. 

Each page spread features a full-color print of watercolor art on one side (sometimes a grid of several from the same artist), and one or two paragraphs on technique, plus a "tip" on the facing page.

There are no step-by-steps in this book. There's no "here's how to get started in watercolor". Instead, this book is more of a tiny exhbit of gorgeous watercolor works, plus a little insight on how the artist created them.

This is such a great book. I actually requested this book for review, send this book to a friend who loves painting. Highly recommended.

*Disclaimer*

I received this book free from bloggingforbooks.org in exchange for my feedback. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Sweetapolita Bakebook: 75 Fanciful Cakes, Cookies & More to Make & Decorate

Paint, doodle, and sprinkle your way to stunning one-of-a-kind sweets. 
 
The world of Sweetapolita is sparkly and sprinkly and charming as can be, with 75 recipes for everything from pretty homemade cookies to decadent layer cakes. But what really sets these treats apart are interactive designs that let everyone in on the fun of decorating: Painted Mini Cakes are served with edible “paint” for guests to personalize at the table, the fondant-covered tiered Chalk-a-Lot cake is paired with homemade edible “chalk,” and Rainbow Doodle cookies are made for kids to go to town on with edible markers. 
 
Rosie Alyea, the creator of the Sweetapolita blog, frolics in flour and frosting, and she loves to get her two young daughters involved, too. The pages of her debut book are full of playful ideas that will inspire creativity in bakers of all levels—including a recipe for making sprinkles at home and numerous ways to showcase them, such as the Sprinkle-Me-Silly Pizza with rainbow jimmies and nonpareils galore. 
 
With 75 full-color photographs of cookies, cakes, and more plus step-by-step technique tutorials, The Sweetapolita Bakebook will change the way bakers decorate, while entertaining every kid—and kid-at-heart.

*My Review*

This book has so many amazing recipes. It has things I didn't even know about and I have been baking for many years. My grandmother taught me to cook and bake at a young age, and for that I am so thankful. This book has such useful information and how-to's. I am excited to try out all the recipes! I even found the perfect recipe for my wife's birthday next week.

Sweetapolita has so many cute ideas. There are a bunch of recipes that children would enjoy helping with. I have three children(11, 5, & 3) and they have all looked through this book many times to see which recipe they want to help make. 

From the moment this book arrived at my door I haven't been able to stop looking all the wonderful recipes and all the information this book had.

I recommend this book to everyone who loves cooking/baking...I would say for that special woman in your life, but I'm a guy and I absolutely love this book. It would make a great wedding/housewarming gift! 

*Disclaimer* 

I received this book free from bloggingforbooks.org in exchange for my honest review. 

{{Book Review}} Franklin Barbecue by Aaron Franklin

A complete meat- and brisket-cooking education from the country's most celebrated pitmaster and owner of the wildly popular Austin restaurant Franklin Barbecue--winner of Texas Monthly's coveted Best Barbecue Joint in Texas award.

When Aaron Franklin and his wife, Stacy, opened up a small barbecue trailer on the side of an Austin, Texas, interstate in 2009, they had no idea what they’d gotten themselves into. Today, Franklin Barbecue has grown into the most popular, critically lauded, and obsessed-over barbecue joint in the country (if not the world)—and Franklin is the winner of every major barbecue award there is.
 
In this much-anticipated debut, Franklin and coauthor Jordan Mackay unlock the secrets behind truly great barbecue, and share years’ worth of hard-won knowledge. Franklin Barbecue is a definitive resource for the backyard pitmaster, with chapters dedicated to building or customizing your own smoker; finding and curing the right wood; creating and tending perfect fires; sourcing top-quality meat; and of course, cooking mind-blowing, ridiculously delicious barbecue, better than you ever thought possible.

*My Review*
As you can see from my other reviews that I usually review cook books! I Love BBQ and this book is simply amazing, while it isn't FULL of recipes, it does tell you everything you need to know about creating the perfect meat. It also tells you how to build a smoker. I personally cannot wait to build my own and start using the tips and tricks shown in this book! 

*Disclaimer*
I received this book free from bloggingforbooks.org in exchange for my honest opinion

Punch Bowls and Pitcher Drinks by Jeanne Kelley and Sarah Tenaglia -Book Review-

Find inspiration in fresh fruit, smoky spices, and potent spirits, and mix a bowl or pitcher of punch for any occasion or season. Whether it's a drink served in champagne flutes at a holiday party or in Mason jars and paper cups in the backyard, you'll take cocktail hour to a whole new level with every one of these drinks:

• CLASSIC COCKTAILS, such as Pimm’s Punch
• SANGRIAS AND CHAMPAGNE-BASED PUNCHES, such as Meyer Lemon Drop Champagne Punch
• TROPICAL DRINKS, such as Kumquat-Tangerine Smash
• HEIGHT OF SUMMER, such as Watermelon-Tequila Punch
• FIRESIDE COCKTAILS, such as Aztec Chocolate Punch
• NONALCOHOLIC PUNCHES, such as Mixed Berry Lemonade

My Thoughts

This book is packed full of excellent recipes and ideas for fun party drinks.

My absolute favorite punch is the Vampire Brew! This is a non-alcholic fun punch that is perfect for Halloween.

This book is going on my recipe shelf for keeps.

*Disclaimer*
I received this book free from bloggingforbooks.org in exchange for my honest opinion