Day of the Dead Cookie Kit

I came across this cooking kit and thought it would be fun date night idea ( a very cheap date night idea as it was only $10 ). The kit came with sugar cookie mix, royal icing mix, edible watercolor palettes, brushes, black icing pen and a plastic cookie cutter. The instructions were pretty easy and straightforward.  The kit included most of the ingredients except for butter, egg, water, and powdered sugar. 

First, we made the sugar cookie mix and made the frosting while the cookies were baking. Since, we didn't have powdered sugar we used regular sugar and that was a bad idea. It came out too light and also grainy.  After we finished, frosting the cookies we used the watercolor paper palettes to paint the cookies. Perhaps, the kit was old but the colors took a lot of water before anything appeared on the brush. Sadly, the watercolors included was not enough for all the cookies we made. The kit was a fun idea but we probably would not get this particular one again.

Book Review - American Heart Association Grill It, Braise It, Broil It: And 9 Other Easy Techniques for Making Healthy Meals

Photo Credit - Random House

Ah, a cookbook that has different techniques to cooking delicious and healthy foods!  The cookbook employs 12 different cooking techniques to help put nutritious food on the table. Readers will learn how to make many great recipes like stir fried pork tacos and risotto with edamame from the microwave.  The cookbook is packed with 175 recipes and is organized by cooking technique used. Each easy to read recipe is accompanied by nutrition facts and along with helpful tips. There are also blurbs in the beginning of each recipe that provides additional information.

The one downside of the cookbook is that it only has 8 full page colors photos and it seems to be placed in a random locations. The book also has instructions on each technique, helpful guidelines on cooking and preparing foods, how to stock a healthy kitchen along with many other useful information. There were a couple of recipes that look delicious and have minimal downtime. A great cookbook for people who are actively trying to eat healthier.

**Disclaimer - I received a free copy for my honest feedback**

Book Review : Fried Chicken by Rebecca Lang

Photo Credit - Random house

Two little words that bring happiness, joy, love, and excitement to my heart. No, it's not "love you" from my significant other, but the words "fried chicken" when I ask what is for dinner.  When I was given the opportunity to read the cookbook for my blog, I jumped for joy. I have tried cooking fried chicken in different ways before, dredge in flour, covered in panko, sprinkled with black pepper and even saturated with beer batter. As soon as I cracked opened the book I realized I was in a different level when I saw there was three types of frying - skillet, deep frying and combination. Combination frying? I had never heard of it but oh, how the recipes look so enticing and delicious! 

The cookbook is packed with over 50 family friendly recipes. The Southern classic takes a global trot around the world with ethnically inspired flavors such as Saigon Street Wings, Chinese Lollipop Wings, Mexican-Lime Fried Chicken Tacos, and Korean Fried Chicken with Gochujang Sauce along with mainstay recipes such as Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Chicken Fingers and Gluten-Free Southern Fried Chicken. Most of the recipes are beautifully photographed in color. The instructions are clear and concise and easy to understand. The author also includes the recipes for all sauces and sides (if included) as a separate recipe. Which is nice, because I really wanted to make the chicken and waffles but I am a more of a frozen or mix type of gal than making it from scratch. In the beginning, Rebecca Lang spends some time explain smoking points of fats, types of chicken and even how to cut, wash and prepare the chicken. The cookbook is a comprehensive guide for how to make the fried goodness.

I think no matter how hard I want to cook every recipe like in Julia and Julia, it might be best if I don't otherwise I may not even fit into my fat pants. I didn't try an exact recipe from scratch but I used some of the recipes as inspiration for my own cooking. I never knew adding a bit of curry powder in the flour would add a nice complex flavor to the chicken. This book is a definite treat for anyone who loves fried chicken or likes to experiment with new flavors.

Disclosure - I received this book for free to provide my honest opinion.

Book Review - Einkorn: Recipes for Nature's Original Wheat

Image Source - Random House

What exactly is Einkorn? Einkforn is one of the only ancient wheat that has not been hybridized and modified. Many people who have gluten sensitivity (even though it has more than "regular" wheat ) use this type of flour to enjoy foods they might otherwise wouldn't. The author, Carla Bartolucci took to finding an alternative grain for her daughter Giulia to be able to eat certain foods. The book is packed with the history, science and information about Einkorn along with baking tips. 

The book contains roughly 100 recipes accompanied by 85 color photographs. I may be in the minority but I didn't find the pictures to be particularly appealing or appetizing. I did find a couple of recipes I wanted to try, especially the bread but was heartbroken to find that most of the supermarkets and specialty markets doesn't carry the flour. I did manage to find an online retailer, Jovial Foods (the author owns the company, if I am not mistaken) that sells a 10 pound bag for $33 not including shipping and tax. For that price, I might as well go and buy freshly made loaf every week. Granted, I do not suffer from any type of gluten sensitive so this book and type of flour I am not the target demographic. A nice book to flip through but it might be best for people who have gluten sensitivities.

**Disclosure - I was given a copy of the book for my full and honest opinion. The links attached are also affiliate links.**