"Best Kept Secrets" authored by Sandra Brown is a romantic mystery. Alexander (Alex) Gaither was raised by her grandmother. After her mother was murdered, they moved away from where Alex's mother was raised. Alex grows up to be a prosecuting attorney feeling unloved by her grandmother who blames Alex for her mother's death. When her grandmother is dying, Alex asks permission to reopen the case hoping to show her grandmother who the real killer is.
Alex is convinced that the man who died in prison accused of her mother's murder is innocent and she believes one of three men did the deed --two were her mother's best friends and the other the father of one of them. As the oil business is drying up, the father, Angus, is trying to revive the local economy by building a race track which the locals are also heavily invested in getting approved. That doesn't make Alex very popular with anyone in town. Angus encourages his son Junior, a womanizer, to seduce Alex and get her to stop investigating. In the meantime the local sheriff and other friend of her mother, Reede, has designs of his own.
During her investigation a man who worked for Angus claims to have witnessed her mother's murder and can identify the killer but is killed himself before he can tell Alex who that person is. A local minister is trying to shut down the race track and more injuries occur before Alex is able to discover the real culprit behind the murders. If everyone hadn't been so busy protecting everyone else, maybe they would have looked for the truth at the time of her mother's killing and prevented more deaths.
I loved the mystery and the romance but could do without the romance details -- my imagination does well enough on its own, thank you! pazt
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Thursday, March 24, 2016
"The Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook"
Mark Hyman, M.D., is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, "The Blood Sugar Solution" so I decided to check out "The Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook" that he authored that is billed as having "more than 175 ultra-tasty recipes for total health and weight loss."
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE cookbooks and have quite a collection of them but now that I am working towards a Plant-Based diet, it is time to cull the ones on my shelves and sell or donate those that I don't plan to continue to use. New cookbooks I am trying to check out from the library so I can peruse them before deciding if they will be a good addition to my collection in light of my current health goals. Dr. Hyman has written at least eleven books so I'll be busy if I decide to check them all out.
In the "Note To The Reader" section of this cookbook, Dr. Hyman suggests reviewing his book, "The Blood Sugar Solution,: as well as joining the online community with free access to hundreds of videos which include cooking videos as well as health-tracking tools. Go to bloodsugarsolution.com to learn more.
I was surprised to learn in the introduction (although I'm not sure why it should surprise me!) that in 1900 only 2% of meals were eaten outside the home but today that number is over 50%. When I look at my own eating habits (for my spouse and myself), it should be obvious that that is true despite my desire to prepare and serve healthy meals at home. All my spouse has to do is offer to take me out to eat and I'm saying yes! I rarely say, "Oh, but honey, I have such a great meal planned to make right here at home!" That's especially true if the offer to dine out comes after one of the three days when I work outside the home -- or on a weekend -- or.....!
Did you know there are food scientists whose job is making the processed foods we purchase so yummy that we don't want to stop eating them?! Dr. Hyman says our tongue and brain may be fooled but our bodies aren't and aren't designed to handle these artificial substances...thus, the obesity epidemic we now face. Other risks from being overweight include the possibility of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, etc.
There is a thread in all of these books that I'm checking out from the library and that is that we need to take back control of our health. We need to be informed consumers of the food that we eat and we need to make our own healthy foods at home. Dr. Hyman suggests we start with our kitchens and do a fridge, pantry, and shopping cart makeover.
In his book, "The Blood Sugar Solution," Dr. Hyman "provides a step-by-step, goof-proof plan to reverse the root causes of diabetes and obesity."
Did you know that eating low-glycemic foods are recommended for diabetics or pre-diabetics? These are foods that don't raise blood sugar as much or as fast as high glycemic foods.
Do you know what your BMI (Body Mass Index) is? You can use his online calculator at bloodsugarsolution.com/tracking-tools. The goal for a normal BMI is less than 25. If yours is higher than that, you are considered overweight. Calculator.net is another site that will allow you to calculate your BMI.
Chapter 2 informs the reader on how to prepare the kitchen including a list of essential kitchen tools as well as how to have fun in the kitchen (a good way to encourage us to spend more time in our kitchens!).as well as how to detox and stock the kitchen. There are also tips on purchasing and preparing foods.
Chapter 3 gives suggestions on how to "unjunk your life and your diet" as well as ideas on the best choices to make.
Chapter 4 introduces the reader to Dr. Hyman's basic plan along with recipes. The smoothie and soup recipes look very good and like something I would try. However, I would avoid those that have meat in them although I do still have fish on occasion and I haven't given up eggs completely. I do avoid dairy but have cheese on occasion. I might make an exception for the "Healing Chicken Soup" on Page 88-89. I'm pretty picky about my salads so there were only a couple of salad recipes that appealed to me.
The Quinoa-Bean-Vegetable Cutlets sounded good but, if I'm going to commit to cooking more of my meals at home, they need to be simpler than this one and I do own some cookbooks which have quick and easy plant-based meals. Although, if a recipe sounds really good and makes enough servings that I'll have leftovers for a few days, I'm willing to put in the effort to try it. The sweet potato burgers fall into this category.
Many of the entrees also include oil which plant-based cooking avoids although I personally still use a little. I do substitute water or vegetable broth for the oil sometimes. I could also substitute tofu for meats or beans for the beef in Mexican dishes. Since I have some liver issues, I do want to try the recipe, "Roasted Veggies To Make Your Liver Happy" on page 164.
A key for me is assembling all ingredients before I start cooking because, if I don't, I find the cooking process is much slower or I'm missing an ingredient!
Chapter 5 covers the advance plan which is designed for individuals with more advance issues and/ everyone with full-blown type 2 diabetes to follow. The Strawberry Spinach Salad is something I will definitely try -- but without the onions. I just don't like raw onions. Another recipe that takes some advance planning to make is the Cashew "cheese" and I definitely will be trying that as I am a fan of Cashew "cream." If you haven't tried Cashew "cream,' I highly recommend googling it to find a recipe.
The book lists further reading and resources from Dr. Hyman which include brand names to look for.
One of the first recipes I think I'll try from this book is "Kristen's Kale Waldorf" as it sounds yummy! pazt
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE cookbooks and have quite a collection of them but now that I am working towards a Plant-Based diet, it is time to cull the ones on my shelves and sell or donate those that I don't plan to continue to use. New cookbooks I am trying to check out from the library so I can peruse them before deciding if they will be a good addition to my collection in light of my current health goals. Dr. Hyman has written at least eleven books so I'll be busy if I decide to check them all out.
In the "Note To The Reader" section of this cookbook, Dr. Hyman suggests reviewing his book, "The Blood Sugar Solution,: as well as joining the online community with free access to hundreds of videos which include cooking videos as well as health-tracking tools. Go to bloodsugarsolution.com to learn more.
I was surprised to learn in the introduction (although I'm not sure why it should surprise me!) that in 1900 only 2% of meals were eaten outside the home but today that number is over 50%. When I look at my own eating habits (for my spouse and myself), it should be obvious that that is true despite my desire to prepare and serve healthy meals at home. All my spouse has to do is offer to take me out to eat and I'm saying yes! I rarely say, "Oh, but honey, I have such a great meal planned to make right here at home!" That's especially true if the offer to dine out comes after one of the three days when I work outside the home -- or on a weekend -- or.....!
Did you know there are food scientists whose job is making the processed foods we purchase so yummy that we don't want to stop eating them?! Dr. Hyman says our tongue and brain may be fooled but our bodies aren't and aren't designed to handle these artificial substances...thus, the obesity epidemic we now face. Other risks from being overweight include the possibility of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, etc.
There is a thread in all of these books that I'm checking out from the library and that is that we need to take back control of our health. We need to be informed consumers of the food that we eat and we need to make our own healthy foods at home. Dr. Hyman suggests we start with our kitchens and do a fridge, pantry, and shopping cart makeover.
In his book, "The Blood Sugar Solution," Dr. Hyman "provides a step-by-step, goof-proof plan to reverse the root causes of diabetes and obesity."
Did you know that eating low-glycemic foods are recommended for diabetics or pre-diabetics? These are foods that don't raise blood sugar as much or as fast as high glycemic foods.
Do you know what your BMI (Body Mass Index) is? You can use his online calculator at bloodsugarsolution.com/tracking-tools. The goal for a normal BMI is less than 25. If yours is higher than that, you are considered overweight. Calculator.net is another site that will allow you to calculate your BMI.
Chapter 2 informs the reader on how to prepare the kitchen including a list of essential kitchen tools as well as how to have fun in the kitchen (a good way to encourage us to spend more time in our kitchens!).as well as how to detox and stock the kitchen. There are also tips on purchasing and preparing foods.
Chapter 3 gives suggestions on how to "unjunk your life and your diet" as well as ideas on the best choices to make.
Chapter 4 introduces the reader to Dr. Hyman's basic plan along with recipes. The smoothie and soup recipes look very good and like something I would try. However, I would avoid those that have meat in them although I do still have fish on occasion and I haven't given up eggs completely. I do avoid dairy but have cheese on occasion. I might make an exception for the "Healing Chicken Soup" on Page 88-89. I'm pretty picky about my salads so there were only a couple of salad recipes that appealed to me.
The Quinoa-Bean-Vegetable Cutlets sounded good but, if I'm going to commit to cooking more of my meals at home, they need to be simpler than this one and I do own some cookbooks which have quick and easy plant-based meals. Although, if a recipe sounds really good and makes enough servings that I'll have leftovers for a few days, I'm willing to put in the effort to try it. The sweet potato burgers fall into this category.
Many of the entrees also include oil which plant-based cooking avoids although I personally still use a little. I do substitute water or vegetable broth for the oil sometimes. I could also substitute tofu for meats or beans for the beef in Mexican dishes. Since I have some liver issues, I do want to try the recipe, "Roasted Veggies To Make Your Liver Happy" on page 164.
A key for me is assembling all ingredients before I start cooking because, if I don't, I find the cooking process is much slower or I'm missing an ingredient!
Chapter 5 covers the advance plan which is designed for individuals with more advance issues and/ everyone with full-blown type 2 diabetes to follow. The Strawberry Spinach Salad is something I will definitely try -- but without the onions. I just don't like raw onions. Another recipe that takes some advance planning to make is the Cashew "cheese" and I definitely will be trying that as I am a fan of Cashew "cream." If you haven't tried Cashew "cream,' I highly recommend googling it to find a recipe.
The book lists further reading and resources from Dr. Hyman which include brand names to look for.
One of the first recipes I think I'll try from this book is "Kristen's Kale Waldorf" as it sounds yummy! pazt
Sunday, March 20, 2016
"In A Far Country - The True Story of a Mission, a Marriage, a Murder, and the Remarkable Reindeer Rescue of 1898"
John Taliaferro tells a true story "In A Far Country" and it's also a history of the United States at the time. At least, I learned a lot about events of that day that I had not put together before.
Tom Lopp answered the call by Sheldon Jackson to become a missionary in Alaska. Jackson's idea was to divide the territory into parcels and allow missionaries from different denominations to serve as teachers to the native Alaskans. Their primary goal was to educate then convert because Jackson didn't want a repeat of what had happened to the American Indians. He was one of the individuals who convinced the government to assign responsibility for Alaska's native schools to the U. S. Bureau of Education instead of the traditional Department of the Interior whose reputation was tarnished by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. As more missionaries arrived, Tom fell in love with and married a young woman, Ellen, Together they raised their family at Cape Prince of Wales where their children knew the native language better than English.
Unlike some of the missionaries in Alaska, Tom had a true appreciation of the local natives and he sought to learn from them as much as to educate them. He also treated them with respect and friendship. When Jackson had the idea to introduce reindeer to Alaska, Lopp was a strong advocate also although, in the end, their ideas about how that should be accomplished differed.
The reindeer (as well as the part Tom Lopp played in driving them to Point Barrow to provide food for whalers trapped there over the winter by the ice) are a key element in this story but the history I learned along the way about the settlement of Alaska, the whaling industry, the Spanish-American War, the gold rush to Alaska, and much more make this book interesting reading. Unfortunately, the greed I see today among corporations was also present in that day and the whaling industry was just as much an environmental disaster as some that are occurring today.
One reason given for bringing reindeer to Alaska was the fact that the caribou were migrating further inland and reindeer would give the Native Alaskans a source of food and warm clothing. When the Lomens, who were white settlers, became reindeer owners, they began stealing reindeer from the Natives. An investigation by the Interior Department to "sort out the reindeer controversy" led to the passage of the "Reindeer Act of 1937" which made it illegal for anyone other than Native Alaskans to own reindeer. Ironically, eventually caribou returned and intermingled breeding with reindeer. The reindeer era is also what led to stories of Santa having reindeer.
Although I'm not the history buff that my husband and younger daughter are, I did enjoy this book. The hardback edition is about 400 pages so it wasn't a quick read for me. (I also enjoyed the pictures included in the book.) I lived in Alaska with my family for three years in the early 1980's and, fortunately, didn't have to endure the hardships of these early settlers. I'm not sure I would have endured!
Taliaferro's bibliographical notes at the end of the book also made interesting reading. Kathleen Lopp Smith, daughter of Dwight Lopp and Tom and Ellen's granddaughter, wrote a book before her death called,"Ice Window" that tells her grandparent's story. I am hoping that book is still available as it sounds like an enjoyable read that would tell the Lopp's story in more detail. pazt
Tom Lopp answered the call by Sheldon Jackson to become a missionary in Alaska. Jackson's idea was to divide the territory into parcels and allow missionaries from different denominations to serve as teachers to the native Alaskans. Their primary goal was to educate then convert because Jackson didn't want a repeat of what had happened to the American Indians. He was one of the individuals who convinced the government to assign responsibility for Alaska's native schools to the U. S. Bureau of Education instead of the traditional Department of the Interior whose reputation was tarnished by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. As more missionaries arrived, Tom fell in love with and married a young woman, Ellen, Together they raised their family at Cape Prince of Wales where their children knew the native language better than English.
Unlike some of the missionaries in Alaska, Tom had a true appreciation of the local natives and he sought to learn from them as much as to educate them. He also treated them with respect and friendship. When Jackson had the idea to introduce reindeer to Alaska, Lopp was a strong advocate also although, in the end, their ideas about how that should be accomplished differed.
The reindeer (as well as the part Tom Lopp played in driving them to Point Barrow to provide food for whalers trapped there over the winter by the ice) are a key element in this story but the history I learned along the way about the settlement of Alaska, the whaling industry, the Spanish-American War, the gold rush to Alaska, and much more make this book interesting reading. Unfortunately, the greed I see today among corporations was also present in that day and the whaling industry was just as much an environmental disaster as some that are occurring today.
One reason given for bringing reindeer to Alaska was the fact that the caribou were migrating further inland and reindeer would give the Native Alaskans a source of food and warm clothing. When the Lomens, who were white settlers, became reindeer owners, they began stealing reindeer from the Natives. An investigation by the Interior Department to "sort out the reindeer controversy" led to the passage of the "Reindeer Act of 1937" which made it illegal for anyone other than Native Alaskans to own reindeer. Ironically, eventually caribou returned and intermingled breeding with reindeer. The reindeer era is also what led to stories of Santa having reindeer.
Although I'm not the history buff that my husband and younger daughter are, I did enjoy this book. The hardback edition is about 400 pages so it wasn't a quick read for me. (I also enjoyed the pictures included in the book.) I lived in Alaska with my family for three years in the early 1980's and, fortunately, didn't have to endure the hardships of these early settlers. I'm not sure I would have endured!
Taliaferro's bibliographical notes at the end of the book also made interesting reading. Kathleen Lopp Smith, daughter of Dwight Lopp and Tom and Ellen's granddaughter, wrote a book before her death called,"Ice Window" that tells her grandparent's story. I am hoping that book is still available as it sounds like an enjoyable read that would tell the Lopp's story in more detail. pazt
Friday, March 11, 2016
"Play Dead"
"Play Dead" by Harlan Coben seemed so familiar as I was reading it -- Have I read it before or was it made into a TV movie? There were parts of the book that offered more detail than I remembered so, even though it was familiar, I read the whole book.
Celtics star, David Baskin, and supermodel/business owner, Laura Ayers, eloped to Australia but while honeymooning there, David went for a swim and never returned. Laura is devastated but, with no body for her to view and bury, she has more questions than answers.
The grieving widow returns home and withdraws from life until a good friend gives her some sound advice. She returns to her business but continues to seek answers. In the meantime, she has unresolved issues with her mother and David's estranged brother, Stan, arrives for the funeral. As Stan stays on in Boston, he and Laura's sister, Gloria, fall in love -- a truly unlikely event in Stan's case. Laura worries because Gloria's sister's past has left her in quite a fragile state.
Eventually, Laura has to come to grips with a complicated web of deceit that started thirty years ago with her mother and aunt and is affecting the present. A new basketball player arrives on the scene to replace David but his moves remind Laura and others of David's special moves. As the past and present collide, three deaths occur within a short time of one another and leave Laura searching for answers to solve the puzzle and put a killer out of commission. This is a great read! pazt
Celtics star, David Baskin, and supermodel/business owner, Laura Ayers, eloped to Australia but while honeymooning there, David went for a swim and never returned. Laura is devastated but, with no body for her to view and bury, she has more questions than answers.
The grieving widow returns home and withdraws from life until a good friend gives her some sound advice. She returns to her business but continues to seek answers. In the meantime, she has unresolved issues with her mother and David's estranged brother, Stan, arrives for the funeral. As Stan stays on in Boston, he and Laura's sister, Gloria, fall in love -- a truly unlikely event in Stan's case. Laura worries because Gloria's sister's past has left her in quite a fragile state.
Eventually, Laura has to come to grips with a complicated web of deceit that started thirty years ago with her mother and aunt and is affecting the present. A new basketball player arrives on the scene to replace David but his moves remind Laura and others of David's special moves. As the past and present collide, three deaths occur within a short time of one another and leave Laura searching for answers to solve the puzzle and put a killer out of commission. This is a great read! pazt
Thursday, March 10, 2016
"The 21 Day Sugar Detox Cookbook"
New York Times best-selling author, Diane Sanfilippo, BS, NC, authored "The 21 Day Sugar Detox Cookbook." Other books by her include "The 21 Day Sugar Detox Guidebook" and "Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and A Whole-Foods Lifestyle."
Sanfilippo gives us many compelling reasons for eliminating sugar from our diets and I agree with her that we, as Americans especially, consume too much sugar. She outlines the different levels of her detox plan and even shares a quiz to help the reader determine the level they should select.
However, I have difficulty with the amount of fat contained in her recipes and particularly the use of bacon fat! Growing up my mother always kept a container on the stove and the grease was poured into the container then used later for other purposes. I remember doing the same as a newlywed but the thought of it now horrifies me! It's been a very long time since I thought cooking with bacon fat was even healthy so I was immediately skeptical of many of her recipes.
I am in the process of adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet which does not include oils of any kind or meat or dairy or eggs. I am on a path and have not yet arrived to become a purist but, if I decided some of Sanfilippo's recipes were worth trying, I would substitute vegetable broth for sauteing in place of coconut oil or bacon fat.
The "Moroccan Cauli-rice Pilaf" which includes ground turmeric as one of its ingredients appeals to me and vegetable broth could be easily substituted for the ghee or coconut oil called for in that recipe. Since turmeric is a spice which has many health benefits (Look it up!), this recipe I might try.
If unlike me, you still want to eat meat, I am sure the reader could adapt many of her recipes by making slight changes to make them healthier (replacing the fats).
At the back of this cookbook, the author includes 2 pages of spice blends that I also want to try. In addition she has a "Guide to Common Food Allergens" as well as a listing of recommended products and brands.
I am interested in reading her "Practical Paleo, etc." book because it includes "A Whole-Foods LIfestyle" which sounds healthy but then so did this book and I did not find it to be entirely healthy -- in my eyes, at least. pazt
Sanfilippo gives us many compelling reasons for eliminating sugar from our diets and I agree with her that we, as Americans especially, consume too much sugar. She outlines the different levels of her detox plan and even shares a quiz to help the reader determine the level they should select.
However, I have difficulty with the amount of fat contained in her recipes and particularly the use of bacon fat! Growing up my mother always kept a container on the stove and the grease was poured into the container then used later for other purposes. I remember doing the same as a newlywed but the thought of it now horrifies me! It's been a very long time since I thought cooking with bacon fat was even healthy so I was immediately skeptical of many of her recipes.
I am in the process of adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet which does not include oils of any kind or meat or dairy or eggs. I am on a path and have not yet arrived to become a purist but, if I decided some of Sanfilippo's recipes were worth trying, I would substitute vegetable broth for sauteing in place of coconut oil or bacon fat.
The "Moroccan Cauli-rice Pilaf" which includes ground turmeric as one of its ingredients appeals to me and vegetable broth could be easily substituted for the ghee or coconut oil called for in that recipe. Since turmeric is a spice which has many health benefits (Look it up!), this recipe I might try.
If unlike me, you still want to eat meat, I am sure the reader could adapt many of her recipes by making slight changes to make them healthier (replacing the fats).
At the back of this cookbook, the author includes 2 pages of spice blends that I also want to try. In addition she has a "Guide to Common Food Allergens" as well as a listing of recommended products and brands.
I am interested in reading her "Practical Paleo, etc." book because it includes "A Whole-Foods LIfestyle" which sounds healthy but then so did this book and I did not find it to be entirely healthy -- in my eyes, at least. pazt
Saturday, March 5, 2016
"Death In Paradise"
The "Death In Paradise" I'm writing about here is a Jesse Stone novel by Robert B. Parker. Stone is settling into his job as Chief of Police of Paradise and seeing his ex-wife, Jenn, on a weekly basis but that doesn't preclude him from having other romantic interests. He's also playing baseball with a group of guys in town -- one of his favorite past times -- so life seems good until the body of a teenage girl is found in the town lake.
Billie Bishop was known as a girl who "put out" at her local high school -- which was not in Paradise so how did she end up dead there? A senior boy's class ring around her neck leads to her identity and parents who do not acknowledge her as their daughter. When they kicked their middle daughter out of the house, she was no longer their daughter.
Billie was shot and dumped in the lake with a concrete block to weigh her down but eventually her body floated to the surface and she was discovered. Stone is not happy about this girl's death and sets out to discover what happened to her and who murdered her. This is a very satisfying Jesse Stone mystery in terms of the murder inquiry itself and glimpses into Stone's personal struggles with alcohol and his love for his ex-wife. pazt
Billie Bishop was known as a girl who "put out" at her local high school -- which was not in Paradise so how did she end up dead there? A senior boy's class ring around her neck leads to her identity and parents who do not acknowledge her as their daughter. When they kicked their middle daughter out of the house, she was no longer their daughter.
Billie was shot and dumped in the lake with a concrete block to weigh her down but eventually her body floated to the surface and she was discovered. Stone is not happy about this girl's death and sets out to discover what happened to her and who murdered her. This is a very satisfying Jesse Stone mystery in terms of the murder inquiry itself and glimpses into Stone's personal struggles with alcohol and his love for his ex-wife. pazt
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