Holiday Cookies

I absolutely love the holiday season.  There is an electricity in the air that is almost tangible.  The holiday spirit takes each person to a place they might not normally live in their every day lives.  For me, and many others, it takes me to the kitchen.  Being one that rarely (if ever) bakes during the rest of the year, I excitedly pull out my apron, and get started on traditional treats of the season.  

Usually I bake a pie or make some rice crispy treats but this year I really want to try something completely different and out of my comfort zone.    

Which is why I chose Holiday Cookies by Elisabet der Nederlanden.  Let me start my saying that this book is absolutely stunning!  The photos are gorgeous, yet the treats look like something that could be attained by anyone that attempts them.  The author talks you through everything throughout the entire book which is extremely helpful for one whose knowledge is lacking and she has a very down-to-earth language.  It has a "friend's swapping recipes" feel to me, especially when you read through the Cookie Tips & Tricks at the beginning of the book.

The "Very Merry Classics" chapter is pretty much the cookies that you'll see every holiday season but then there's the "Around the World" chapter which has cookies I've never even heard.  Many of the recipes look and sound delicious and have piqued my curiosity.  I also love the chapter entitled "Cookie Exchange Party" which are cookies that are easily massed produced for any of your holiday gatherings.  The way the entire book is organized makes it easy to find what you're looking for.

While skimming the recipes I did notice a few ingredients that I've never heard of before and I'm not sure how hard they will be to find if I attempt that particular cookie which could prove problematic.  I also have yet to try any of the actual recipes yet so I can't tell you how my results were just yet but I have several bookmarked and hope to bake them in the coming weeks.

I can't tell you if this book is good for the cookie novice but for a cookie newbie it is amazing!  Highly recommend!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ten Speed Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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Liberty Belle

I am currently in the process of reading three nonfiction books that are all in the Civil War era.  Usually when I'm reading about something that is deep and historical I like to mix in a fun fictional read that is also in that same time period, which is why I picked up Liberty Belle by Patricia PacJac Carroll.  

It's 1859 and Liberty Longstreet is left at the altar.  Feeling trapped in her current situation, with a confused heart and an overbearing mother, Liberty decides to take her life into her own hands and travel to Denver with her Aunt Flora.

At the same time that Liberty is running away Sheriff Wade Calder is running from his own demons after giving up his badge in exchange for revenge on his greatest enemy.  What he doesn't know is that the path to revenge is actually going to liberate him in ways he couldn't possibly foresee.

There are parts that are pretty predictable but most of the time there are little twists throughout the book that keep you turning the pages.  The characters are well developed and the book is wonderfully written.  There are a few parts of the story that do seem to drag out a bit but if you push through I don't think you'll regret it.  I do think the ending is a little predictable but by the time you make it there you wouldn't want the story to end any other way.   

This is a sweet story with action, love, forgiveness, and a happy ending which was exactly what I had hoped for.

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Ruth: Discovering Your Place in God's Story (Drawn In Bible Study)

I am drawn to art.  Artistic expression abounds in my family and even though I do not paint or draw, like other talented ones in my family, I appreciate those that can and do so much and find joy in their creations.  The only 'art' I can do with any sort of skill is coloring which is why adult coloring books are a favorite past time of mine.

I have reviewed another faith-based coloring book in the past and enjoyed doing the study with my son.  My latest Bible study/coloring book is Ruth: Discovering Your Place in God's Story by Eugene H. Peterson and it's one I chose to do solo.

This beautiful Bible study is centered around Ruth, an amazing woman who is an ancestor to Jesus Christ.  The study is broken down into four 'sessions' which parallel the four chapters in the book of Ruth in the Bible.  Each session starts with questions that are personal to you and then questions that are relevant to the Bible chapter itself.  Even though many of the questions are simple in nature, they are also very thought provoking, which is perfect to ponder when you're coloring.

All the Scripture that is quoted is from The Message which is a Bible version which is very easy for anyone to understand and interpret.

As far as the coloring itself, I tried out several color mediums to find the best fit for this particular paper as well as my own personal coloring technique.  My Copics bled too much for my liking and my Crayola colored pencils were too light.  I finally settled on Crayola SuperTips markers.  There is a lot of variety as far as color choices and there was no bleeding onto the next page unless I colored over one spot too many times.

This was not only a wonderful Bible study but also a beautifully designed coloring book.  I highly recommend for anyone and everyone!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review

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Love and Other Consolation Prizes

A beautiful story of love in an unlikely place, Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford had me entranced from the beginning.

The story takes place in two eras in a man's life and both are in years of the Seattle World's Fair: 1909 and 1962.  In 1909, Ernest Young is a young boy who has had a hard life in his short twelve years.  Being the child of a Chinese mother and Caucasian missionary father, Ernest is sold and shipped to America with other Chinese children.  Once in America he becomes a charity student at a boarding school and realizes his dream of belonging and having a family is quickly slipping away.

When Ernest gets a chance to go to the 1909 World's Fair he is beside himself.  This is a once in a lifetime event!  Every day there is a huge raffle and Ernest is astonished to find out that the day he goes is the day that a person is going to be raffled off, and that someone is him - a healthy, young boy.  The owner of the winning ticket is a madam of a high-class brothel.  Ernest finds himself in an unknown world, in a brothel, surrounded by some colorful characters that you can't help but fall in love with, working as a houseboy. 

Interwoven with Ernest's memories are his current life.  In 1962 he is married to a woman who doesn't remember him and the father of two daughters, one of which who is trying to find out the truth about Ernest's past.  The story see-saws back and forth between past and present and it is a wonderful balance.  Your heart goes out to all of the characters and the story itself and the writing of certain scenes in the story were very tastefully done.

This was a wonderful read and one that I am glad I took a chance on.  Love and friendship, despite your circumstances, can conquer all.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

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Yesterday's Promise

I love Michelle Paige Holmes' books and was so excited when I heard that she was coming out with another book, Yesterday's Promise, this being the first story in the Hearthfire Scottish Romance series.

Katherine Mercer is a nineteen-year-old English girl who has a passion for painting and a heart to help out her family financially.  With her father passing away and her stepsister off on her honeymoon it leaves Katherine and her stepmother to fend for themselves.  Katherine hopes to ease the financial burden by selling her paintings and can think of nothing else.

She soon discovers that her father, before his passing, has promised her to a Scottish lord that she has never met.  Before the poor girl can wrap her head around the idea of marrying a stranger, she is a wife to a man who seems to be indifferent to her and being taken to Scotland, an unknown land, or so she thinks.

During the journey to Scotland Katherine soon realizes is that her life and family are not what she thought.  She is connected to Scotland and her new husband, Collin, in ways that were unimaginable only days before and a whole new world is open to her.

Each chapter starts out with events that have happened in the past to both Katherine and Collin that you find as you read the chapter, parallel their current situations.  At first this was a little confusing to me but as the story went along I found it really beautiful how the author intertwined the past with the present.

This being the first book in the series the end does leave quite a bit open, but that's to be expected when you're reading a book from a series.  There are not so many questions that you couldn't read this as a stand-alone book.  For me personally, I cannot wait for the next book in the series to come out just so I can see what happens next.  Great story with wonderful characters.  Highly recommend!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

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