The New American Herbal

From modern garden master Stephen Orr comes a new, definitive book on herbs to finally replace the dusty and outdated classics. Here are entries on hundreds of plants that are extraordinarily useful in cooking, homeopathy, and more; dozens of recipes and DIY projects; and beautifully styled photographs so you know just what you're growing.

With more than 900 entries, each accompanied by brand new photography and helpful growing advice, The New American Herbal takes the study of herbs to an exciting new level. Orr covers the entire spectrum of herbaceous plants, from culinary to ornamental to aromatic and medicinal, presenting them in an easy to use A to Z format packed with recipes, DIY projects, and stunning examples of garden design highlighting herbal plantings. Learn about the herbs you've always wanted to grow (chervil, chamomile, and lovage), exotic herbs (such as Artemisia, the bitter herb used in Absinthe, or the anti-inflammatory Meadowsweet), and ornamental varieties (Monkshood and Perilla). For cooks there is indispensable guidance on planting and maintaining a bountiful kitchen garden and crafters will delight in dozens of exciting new uses for fresh, dried, and distilled herbs. Here, too, are 40 delicious recipes such as Ragu Bolognese with Fennel and Lemon Semolina Cake with Lavender, as well easy steps for projects such as a hanging herb garden and instructions on how to plant, dry, and preserve your garden’s bounty.

Meticulously researched and exhaustive in its scope, The New American Herbal is an irresistible invitation to explore the versatility of herbs in all their beauty and variety.

My thoughts: I have always been interesting in using herbs more, for both cooking delicious dishes and to use medicinally. This book is perfect! I think it would work well for the experienced herbalist as well, but is especially perfect for those of us who don't know a whole lot about the wide world of herbs. I love that each of the herbs has a picture, which helps one identify them. I also especially like that the author has told us how to grow each plant and the safety of each one. This will be a book that my husband and I will use for years to come! It came at a wonderful time, since we are wanting to expand our herb garden. Right now, we are growing sage and..... sage.;)
So, if you are a gardener, this is a book you should have in your library!
I received this book from blogging for books in exchange for my honest review.

Pumpkin muffins

Fall is in the air! This time of year makes me want to don an apron and whip up some pumpkin goodies, so I recently did just that and made these delicious pumpkin muffins. The nice thing about this recipe is that I have also used it to make a pumpkin cake (really just bread in a cake like pan), since it turns out so tasty! The texture is amazing, and they are loaded with a lovely pumpkin/spice taste. I think we have a new favorite at our house!

Pumpkin muffins
1/3 cup melted butter
1 1/8 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/8 cup flour (I used unbleached, but I can imagine that using half wheat and half white would be good too!)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 400 Fahrenheit. Put your melted butter in a bowl and cream with the sugar. Add the egg, vanilla, milk, and pumpkin to creamed ingredients. Mix until incorporated. Add the rest of the ingredients, scrapping the sides with a spatula as you go, so everything is mixed nicely.
Grease your muffin tins (this makes 14-16 large muffins or 24 small) or loaf pan. Add the mixture, smoothing it out if you are making a loaf.
Bake for 8-12 minutes for the small muffins, 12-15 for large, and 30 minutes for your loaf. If you are making a loaf, be sure to insert a toothpick into your bread to make sure it is done, since it will depend on your pan. If the dough it pretty deep, then it might take longer to bake.
Enjoy with a glass of milk!

Chicken tomatillo soup

This year, we decided to grow some different things in our garden, like tomatillos. It was a fun experiment, especially since they did well. Though, the only problem with the fact that they gave us a nice harvest meant that we now had to find some recipes to use them up.;)
I came across a couple of different ideas on and wound up coming up with a chicken soup recipe that we all enjoy.

Chicken tomatillo soup
1 chicken breast, cooked and diced
2 cups tomatillo puree
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 T Italian seasoning
4 cups chicken broth
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin

Put the chicken broth and water in a saucepan. Once it it hot, add your onion, garlic, carrots, and potatoes. Cook until soft, then add the chicken, tomatillo puree, and seasoning. Cook on medium heat for approximately ten minutes.
When we make it, the recipe makes enough for four adults.
Bon appetit!

Ten books for people who like character driven novels

Top Ten Tuesday
1. Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay
I dare you to read this book and not fall in love with the characters! Samantha Moore is such a fun, bookish character who writes about her life to a mysterious benefactor. I'm in the midst of Ms. Reay's second book, and hope it will be just as good as this one.;)

2. Emma by Jane Austen
One of my favorites by Austen! I love how Emma grows in character as the story progresses.

3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I had a hard time getting started with this book, but it was hard to put down once I did! The characters are incredible and it is so easy to get caught up in the story.

4. The Story Keeper by Lisa Wingate
I know I have talked about this one a lot, since I just finished it recently. It is another one that I dare you not to get caught up in.;)

5. Sophia by Paula Kremser
This one is a sweet story, with fun characters who are rather surprising.;)

6. The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate
This one is another incredible story by Lisa Wingate. I like how she combines a story of days long past with that of a recent one.

7. With Every Breath by Elizabeth Camden
The characters are fascinating and the story sweeps one in!

8. Hidden in the Stars by Robin Carrol
I read this one in record time! The characters and mystery surrounding them just sweeps one away!

9. A Table by the Window by Hillary Manton Lodge
I have a thing with novels set in foodie environments. Especially if they have recipes included.;) The characters are lovely, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

10. The Color of Justice by Ace Collins
Wow, this story doesn't go where you think it will!
So, what is one your list? Leave me the link, and I will be happy to check it out! I love finding out about new books I need to read.;)

Sophia by Paula Kremser

Small-town Sophia Spencer can t believe her luck when an unexpected inheritance allows her to experience London s social scene. But her happiness disappears when she is caught napping in a grumpy gentleman's room and forced into an engagement to protect her reputation! Personalities collide and love blooms in this stunning debut novel.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this novel! It is a sweet story of a likeable young woman coming into her own when she is thrown into some unlikely situations! I very much appreciated the characters and the sweetness of the romance in the story. I think this author did a wonderful job introducing her characters and executing the story. I look forward to reading more by her in the future!

The Hardest Peace

The Hardest Peace

A young mother battling cancer invites readers to embrace grace in every season of life.

Kara Tippetts knows the mundane but rich days of mothering four kids, the joy of watching her children grow.and the devastating reality of stage-four cancer.

In The Hardest Peace, she invites readers to see the grace of the everyday in all seasons of life and to live well even when the living is hard. As the thousands of readers of her blog know, Tippetts explores the hardest questions of life with rare beauty and honesty. Most of all, she draws them back to the God who is present, in the ordinary and the suffering, and shapes every life into the best story of all.
Kara's site
My thoughts: In many ways, this book arrived in a fitting time, since my mother in law was just diagnosed with cancer. I actually started this book just before we received the news. So, I can imagine that I was more emotional as I read this book! It is such a beautiful account of one woman's battle with cancer, and how it has taught her to see the beauty of everyday moments with her family. Some of her writing mirrored some things that have been swirling around in my head recently: we aren't all guaranteed a long life on this earth. But, it isn't so much about the amount of time that we spend on this earth, but rather, how we spend the time we are given. I have known people who have done more in their 20 years here than most do in 80!
Another thing, why don't we see old age as a gift? In our youth geared society, we think that it's a burden to grow old. To slowly become dependent on others. No matter what amount of time we are given on this earth, it's a gift, and should be treated as such.
I appreciated the message of hope this book had.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

Citizen

For Rob Peabody, the young pastor at a mega-church in southern USA, the realization that his faith had little real connection with the world around him meant that something had to change. He redirected his church towards the poor on their doorstep and then took the larger step of moving to the UK to establish the missional fellowship 'Awaken'.

In Citizen he outlines the Kingdom-centered identity that is given to followers of Jesus. It's a wake-up call to the church in the West. Jesus' death and resurrection initiates and invites people into a life of so much more than the status quo. God is re-building, re-newing, and re-creating that which is broken and marred by sin, and he is doing this --- setting things right in the world --- through Jesus. As citizens of the Kingdom, we have been saved and set apart for this work. We have a new allegiance, a changed identity, and a new mission as we seek to establish the rule of God on earth as it is in Heaven.

I appreciated this book, with it's honesty and call to action. The book is easy to pick up and get through, which is a plus to this mama.:) The author weaves Scripture, personal stories, and bits of history together to encourage one to remember where our citizenship, as Christians, truly lies.