R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril IX

~ Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader ~ 10 Comments
Artist: Abigail Larson

I’m wild about this time of year. I love the crisp weather. I love the pumpkin flavored/scented EVERYTHING. I also really dig the R.I.P. event hosted by Carl of Stainless Steel Droppings. (Check out this link for details.)

There are many different levels of participation. I’m not committing to anything too grand at this point. I might read Dracula. I might not. I might watch a few spooky movies, or I might just binge watch Downton Abbey season 4 on DVD because I can never manage to watch a show when it airs on actual television. Sigh.
The only thing I’m sure of is that I’ll be joining in the readalong of The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson co-hosted by The Estella Society. I’ve never read it and that’s a crying shame. I’m off to hunt down a copy right this minute. 
Are you joining in R.I.P. this year? What are your spooky reading plans? (I need ideas!)

Cookbook Review: 100 Days of Real Food by Lisa Leake

~ Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader ~ 11 Comments

100 Days of Real Food by Lisa Leake
Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks
Publication Date: August 26, 2014
I was extremely happy to be chosen as a Cookbook Ambassador for Lisa Leake’s 100 Days of Real Food. The timing couldn’t have been better. My family has been trying to move away from processed foods over the past couple of months and I’d recently discovered Lisa’s blog. 
Once I dug into 100 Days of Real Food I kept having light-bulb moments. I repeatedly called out to my husband about this section, or that: Did you know that the wheat bread we’re eating is no healthier than white? Why aren’t we using honey as a natural sweetener? Holy cats, the skim milk we’ve been drinking for years is less healthy than we thought because they have to replace the fat with something. (That something is powdered milk which contains oxidized cholesterol, blech.) Finally he grabbed the book from me and read it for himself.
Every box, bag, and package at the grocery store screams out about how “healthy” its contents are. Every new article released about food contradicts the statements from the article that was released the day before. Confusing! Even though we’d made some changes in our eating habits I felt a bit stuck for ideas. Here is where 100 Days of Food really helped me. I’m less confused, that’s for sure. I’ve found some fantastic recipes and ideas. What more could you ask for in a cookbook? 

 Want to try a recipe? Here you go! Nom nom.

The amount of information in this book is fantastic, but not overwhelming. (Lunch box packing chart, hooray!) It’s beautiful, well organized, and a great addition to my kitchen. I have a whole new appreciation for how important it is to fuel my body with healthy ingredients. 
The recipes are simple, the directions are clear and accompanied by beautiful photographs. The index makes it easy to find what you are looking for as well. There’s even a handy list of recipes organized by dietary need.
I’ve prepared a couple of the recipes. The Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes on page 129 are incredible. The Homemade Chicken Nuggets on page 244 are delicious as well. Both of these recipes were a big hit with my family. They were tasty and healthy and I felt happy to serve them to the people I adore. I can’t wait to try more!
If you’re interested in getting away from boxed and processed “foods” you’ll want to pick up a copy of 100 Days of Real Food. I highly recommend it!