Animal Treat Cookbook: Biscuits Pour Animaux by Cassandra Bouclé

Genre: Pet Cookbook
Language: French
81 p.
Publisher: Alter Real Editions
Published: Feb. 2, 18
Source: From Publisher for review
Stores (French resources): Amazon Fr, Publisher Website

Des recettes 100% bio, faciles et économiques, pour chats, chiens et rongeurs. 

Vous trouverez dans cet ouvrage des recettes de biscuits faciles et rapides à faire. Le livre se veut pratique : à chaque page, sa recette, avec la liste des ingrédients et des conseils pratiques. Les recettes peuvent être modifiées selon les goûts de votre animal, ou selon de sa santé. S'il doit éviter les biscuits sucrés ou salés, vous pouvez changer les ingrédients. 

Ce livre de recettes est pensé pour les animaux, mais aussi pour leurs maîtres, qui doivent prendre plaisir à cuisiner, que ce soit pour leur chien, leur chat, leur lapin ou leurs autres rongeurs.

Bon appétit !

English Translation:
100% organic, easy and economical recipes for cats, dogs and rodents.

In this book you will find easy and quick cookie recipes. The book is practical: on each page, the recipe, the list of ingredients and practical advice. The recipes can be modified according to the tastes of your pet, or according to his health. If it should avoid sweet or savory cookies, you can change the ingredients.

This recipe book is designed for animals, but also for their masters, who enjoy cooking, whether for their dog, cat, rabbit or other rodents.

Enjoy your meal!

My thoughts:

I got a note from Melliane from Between Dreams and Reality Blog about a interesting treat cookbook. The only thing... it was in French. Since it was a cookbook I figured I could translate it well enough (with a bit of bad Google translate... LOL) to make some treats. It worked out well.

The book also consulted with a veterinarian to make sure the treats were nutritious and well suited for the various animals in the book. There is a section for dogs, cats, and rodents. It wouldn't be hard to convert some of these treats for horses if you know your horse. The recipes are simple, easy to follow and my dogs found delicious. My only problem was translating the recipe amounts since America usually uses cups instead of grams and ml. However, with a few grams to cups translations on the web according to product and I was able to get it done.

Dog treats and monster pup waiting for it to fall...

I did use gluten free all purpose flour for the treats but I'm not sure it is as necessary to do so elsewhere. I have talked to many people who have gluten problems in the US but not in Europe. So these treats became gluten free. I also substituted the rice milk for plain water since so little was used. The treats were made in ball form (as the meat scrap ones suggested) for ease in making it. These small substitutions worked!

The big pup letting me know the cat isn't getting this...

I made the Dumplings with Meat Scraps, Cheese Bites, and Biscuits with Apple. My dogs LOVED the meat scrap ones as well as the cheese bites. The split was with the apple ones. My pup loved them and my big boy was a bit lukewarm about it. He is a bit on the picky side (not too bad) and he still ate a few which is a big deal to me.

I also thought I'd make the Diced Tuna treats for cats and perhaps see if my neighbor would give some to her cat. It never made it over there. My dogs loved that one so much as well. There was nothing in it that a dog couldn't have in those treats so they gobbled those treats up. In fact, my malamute that I had would have LOVED them as those breed of dogs tend to love fish. In fact, I often treated her with fish. The tuna I used was the healthiest I could find and the fish could easily be substituted with salmon (which I may try later as I feel better about salmon).

To sum it all up, I really liked this cookbook. The recipes are easy enough to make and also make substitutions when needed. You could also use these recipes to make your own tailored to your pets tastes. I give this one 5 stars (and I'm very picky about what my animals eat). I think my pups also give it 4 paws (they don't have 5 paws.. obviously! LOL) which is their highest rating. For the US peeps, this one is well worth translating with a little help from the web. The book is also filled with very cute animal pics waiting for their treats.

🐾🐾

Bloggy Note:

Today is also Rare Disease Day. I had planned to do something better than a note today, but my plans have been laughed at a lot lately. So, please take the time and go HERE to the official website to learn why it is important to fund these diseases and disorders. One treatment or cure can lead to other more common diseases and disorders to be cured as well.

✋

Cookbook Photography Review: In Her Kitchen by Gabriele Galimberti

Cookbook/ Photography Book
248 p.
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Published: 11/11/14
Source: Blogging for Books for review

Gabriele Galimberti's beautiful portraits of grandmothers from all over the world posing with their signature dishes remind us that sharing traditions through food is universal. 

As Gabriele Galimberti was preparing to set off on a trip around the world, his Italian grandmother was more concerned about how well he would eat than any risks or mishaps he might face on his travels. As a send-off, she prepared his favorite dish, Swiss Chard and Ricotta Ravioli with Meat Sauce. He then promised her that he would eat good food wherever he went, and while on his trip, persuaded grandmothers in 60 countries to cook a meal for him. At each grandmother's table, he became her curious and hungry grandson, tasting her dish and capturing her pride with his camera. The resulting book's stories, recipes, and loving photographs pay homage to all grandmothers and their cooking and provides a moving, anthropological glimpse into the national palates in faraway places. From a Swedish homemaker and her homemade lox and vegetables to a Zambian villager and her Roasted Spiced Chicken, this collection inspires great appreciation for our most cherished family members.

My thoughts:

As the blurb above tells the tell, Gabriele's grandmother gave him the idea for this book. In fact, she was the first grandma in the book. I just knew I had to check this book out from the fabulous cover! Each part of the book is a grandmother as varied as grandmothers can be. There are some that are surprisingly young and others with several great grandchildren. What they all have in common is their love of family and food. Each page has a picture of the grandmother and the ingredients (like the cover). The next picture is a full page of the dish. On the next pages there is a small paragraph or two about the woman and her meal with the recipe. The book is worth just the pictures and the small stories! Even dishes I would not want to try (caterpillar) still made me feel as if I would be happy to eat them because of the pride that went into cooking the food and why they made it. Other photographs made me wish I was there while they were cooking the food for the companionship and... well... the food! Some of the dishes were mouth watering.

I give this book 5 stars. It is a wonderful book if you just want it as a coffee table book, if you want some short stories about a grandmother's favorite dish or you want unique and interesting recipes. I know this book made me think of my grandma and her dish she made every Thanksgiving. Yes, it made me quite nostalgic. I highly recommend this book.

Photography by Gabirele Galimberti (his grandma's dish)
Other sneak peaks go HERE

Craft Book Review: Shaggy Dog Eats! by Christy Bright

Subtitle: 24+ Recipes for Easy, Delicious Dog Treats
56 p.
Publisher: Beachbrights Publishing
Published: 12/01/14
Source: from Net Galley and publisher for review

Now you can make your own healthy dog treats without spending a fortune. All the recipes in this book have been developed and made in my very own kitchen. There is a recipe for every special taste and sensitivity. Also, most of the ingredients can be modified. Have some fun and play around. Your four-legged friends will thank you. 

Most of these recipes are fast and easy to make. They also make great gifts and are perfect for bake sales raising money for animal rescue organizations.

A portion from every sale of this book will support animal rescue.

My thoughts:
First, I have to say that I love a book that gives back. I love that a portion of this book supports animal rescue. I also found the recipes in the book very easy to do. While I don't like to cook I will cook for my dogs. Perhaps that can be seen as animal cruelty but luckily they haven't complained. :) Oh and trust me, they can complain without using words.

While I couldn't use all the recipes in the book (I have one dog on a special diet) several of them are easily changeable. There are even recipes in the book that are extremely simplistic that anyone can use. For example, her ingredients for the kong toy. I feel that for some that was almost too simplistic and obvious while other people might like the suggestions. For me, the best recipe was for the sweet potato crisps for one dog (although I may omit one ingredient) and salmon patties for another. I have no doubt that my malamute will love the salmon one. She just loves fish.

I give this book 3 stars. I recommend this book for those that are just starting out wanting to make treats for their dogs at home. They are easy to follow and easily changed.

AimeKay Review: One Dirty Bowl by Christina Dymock

Cookbook
128 p.
Published: 6/10/14
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Source: From publisher for review

Quick desserts and even quicker clean up mean more time with your family and friends, and less time in the kitchen. With One Dirty Bowl, whip up show-stopping desserts like Hazelnut Puffs, Peanut Butter Truffle Bars, and White Chocolate and Strawberry Cupcakes,

Very Vanilla Brownies,Hazelnut Puffs, 3X Chocolate Cookies

From Christina Dymock, author of Young Chefs and The Hungry Family Slow Cooker Cookbook, this cookbook will impress your guests and satisfy any craving. And these quick, tasty desserts only dirty one bowl, which means more time with your family and friends at the table.

Fast desserts, faster cleanup—grab a bowl and get ready to bake!Quick desserts and even quicker clean up mean more time with your family and friends, and less time in the kitchen. With One Dirty Bowl, whip up show-stopping desserts like Hazelnut Puffs, Peanut Butter Truffle Bars, and White Chocolate and Strawberry Cupcakes, Very Vanilla Brownies,Hazelnut Puffs, 3X Chocolate Cookies

From Christina Dymock, author of Young Chefs and The Hungry Family Slow Cooker Cookbook, this cookbook will impress your guests and satisfy any craving. And these quick, tasty desserts only dirty one bowl, which means more time with your family and friends at the table.

Fast desserts, faster cleanup—grab a bowl and get ready to bake!

AimeeKay's Thoughts:

I really love One Dirty Bowl.

The author meant to provide recipes that are simple to make and require the use of the minimum amount of utensils. Which is especially great for dessert makers on the go during this crazy holiday season. Plus a lot of the finished desserts, like the various cookies, can be put in inexpensive decorated containers and used as gifts.

The author succeeded in keeping the recipes simple. You don't need to be a 5 star chef to pull them off. Also the recipes only need the bowl they are mixed in and the pan they are cooked in. With everything else that needs to be cooked at this time of year this is a definite bonus. But because of their simplicity a lot of these desserts can be made as regular treats all throughout the year. Some do require some time to set, cook, and so on. Be sure to check the times on the recipes so you don't feel rushed.

The only thing that I didn't like is that there aren't pictures of each item. There are pictures of most of them, just not all. However this is usually the case with cookbooks, and there are a lot more pictures than there would be in your average cookbook. So it's not too much of an issue. However I like to know what the food I'm cooking is supposed to look like. So while I will eventually try all of the recipes in the book, I will put off trying the ones without pictures, unless it's something like cookies, which I'm relatively sure of what they look like.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5. I think it's a great dessert book to pick up if you like sweets but don't like a lot of work. Or if you are looking for a great present for the cook in your life. As a bonus, if you give it as a gift, then you have the opportunity to not only give a great gift, but also enjoy any desserts that the cook decides to make! (This is especially true if you happen to live with said cook!)

AimeeKay Review: Glorious Layered Desserts by Glory Albin

Cookbook
139 p.
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Published: 3/11/14
Source: from publisher for review

These desserts are not to be 'trifled' with! Dessert genius and popular blogger Glory Albin shows how to combine delicious essential recipes into layered masterpieces. You'll love the Summer Berry Trifle, Pumpkin Mousse Parfait, Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake and each of the 60+ delicious recipes and ideas! In addition to her creative desserts, Glory also shares her unique tips and tricks, the best equipment and ingredients to use, and dozens of time-saving options. Whether you need a quick and easy recipe or an impressive dessert for a special occasion, Glorious Layered Desserts has the perfect treat for you!

AimeeKay's Thoughts:

I have to say there were things I loved about Glorious Layered Desserts, but there were also things that I didn't.

So let's start with the things I liked:

This book is a gorgeous hardback book. The pictures are also beautiful. Plus each recipe has its own picture, which I really loved since this isn't always the case with cookbooks. So you know what each desert is supposed to look like.

I also liked that the recipes gave you substitutions that you could use. For example you could swap out homemade fruit sauces for canned pie filling. While you can usually do this with most recipes, they don't always say so in other cookbooks. It's nice to know that you can without risking ruining a recipe.

Things that I wasn't so keen on:

Quite a few of the recipes require you to use other recipes from the book, such as the homemade fruit sauce. While you can substitute canned pie filling, if you want to follow the recipe exactly from the book it can be a pain to have to use two separate recipes for a dessert.

Also to make the recipes look as beautiful as they do in the pictures you need to make sure you have the special classes or jars that are used in the book. While the book does show you where you can find them it is one more thing you need to purchase if you don't already own them. Which can make these desserts into a real project or worse, if you're not prepared ahead of time.

Despite the things I didn't like about the book, the things I did like far outweighed them. As the holidays are soon to be upon us, I definitely plan on adding some of these beautiful desserts to the menu. Yes, they will require some extra work. Yes, I'll also have to purchase the glassware. But the gorgeous desserts will be worth it. I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 stars. 

 

Cookbook Review: Go Fresh by the American Heart Association

Cookbook
By the American Heart Association
320 p.
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Published: 7/1/14
Source: Blogging for Books for review 

The more you cook at home, with a focus on fresh ingredients, the easier it is to achieve a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Making meals with fresh ingredients is not only healthy and flavorful but also fast and easy with Go Fresh. The American Heart Association offers more than 250 recipes in this cookbook, inspiring you to bring nutritious and wholesome ingredients into your kitchen. Enjoy full-flavored favorites—all made from scratch, made healthy, and made fresh—including: 

• · Cauliflower-Carrot Soup
• · Blueberry-Walnut Chicken Salad
• · Blackened Fish with Crisp Kale and Creamy Lemon Sauce
• · Rosemary-Peach Chicken Kebabs with Orange Glaze
• · Tomato-Basil Pork Tenderloin
• · Butternut Squash Pasta
• · Dark Cherry and Apple Crumble 

In the book, you’ll also find Healthy Swaps for substituting seasonal fruits and vegetables in delicious new ways, Shop & Store tips for making the most of your trips to the market and what you buy, and Tips, Tricks & Timesavers for reducing prep time and getting meals on the table faster.

My thoughts:
I'm on the lookout for recipes for fresh food cooking. Yes, don't faint, I do look out for them even though I hate to cook. I'm on a medically necessary diet which must include fresh foods. I cannot have canned, packaged, or instant. So, I thought I might be able to adapt many of these recipes for my needs.

While I hoped to find more recipes that I wouldn't have to alter, I could not. However, I being a special case and this isn't a cookbook that accommodates my particular problem this did not surprise me.  Still, I think that several can be adapted easily to my diet. What I really liked is the guidelines on how to shop and store (there is even a chart as to where you should store it in the refrigerator) the fresh food. There is also a section at the end of each recipe which breaks down the calories, fats, sodium, etc as well as dietary exchanges for those on specific diets.

While I don't agree with everything presented in the healthy hints section, it does go with the recent suggestions for those that need to be cautious in terms of heart attacks. Since it emphasizes low sodium (there are heart conditions that actually require you to increase your sodium intake) I can make a safe guess that preventing general heart attacks is the goal of the book. There were also a few recipes with canned foods in the ingredients. While sometimes I know that is a choice that must be made depending on availability, I think a book that emphasizes freshness shouldn't have them in their recipes. However, these substitutions were rare.

I give this cookbook 4 stars. Although it wasn't exactly what I was looking for in a cookbook (but I didn't expect it either) I think it does a good job in presenting fresh food recipes aimed at improving the American diet.

Florence Review: One Hour Cheese by Claudia Lucero

Having a few cooking reviews that I thought I'd never have... I thought I better make a cooking graphic. Who would have thought? Not me. :D

This is a review from my mom. I keep trying to get her to do one, but to no avail... until now. Got her with a book that she was just too curious to not at least look at. Yea, she cooks and apparently it skips a generation... So, deal was that I would get it if she reviewed it. Here are the results of her labor:

cookbook
250p.
Publisher: Workman Publishing
Available Now
Source: From NetGalley for review

It's a DIY cook's dream come true: It's pizza night, and you've made not only the crust and sauce but the mozzarella, too. Or you're whipping up quesadillas for a snack, using your homemade Triple Pepper Hack. Or the dinner party's in high gear and out comes the cheese plate-and yes, you've made all the cheeses on it. Even better-you made them all earlier that day. In a cookbook whose results seem like magic but whose recipes and instructions are specific, easy-to-follow, and foolproof, Claudia Lucero shows step by step-with every step photographed-exactly how to make sixteen fresh cheeses at home, using easily available ingredients and tools, in an hour or less. The approach is basic and based on thousands of years of cheesemaking wisdom: Heat milk, add coagulant, drain, salt, and press. Simple variations produce delicious results across three categories-Creamy and Spreadable, Firm and Chewy, and Melty and Gooey. And just as delicious, the author shows the best ways to serve them, recipes included: Squeaky "Pasta" Primavera, Mozzarella Kebab Party, and Curry in a Hurry Lettuce Wraps.

Florence's Thoughts:

One Hour Cheese makes you want to jump in and start making cheese. Getting everything you will need to make the cheese may not be so easy or fast, depending where you live. I could not find rennet a needed ingredient locally. The nearest place I could get it was 45 miles away. Even so the recipes are simple and easy to follow. The step by step pictures shows what your cheese should look like during the process. You don't have to second guess if what it should look like and if you are doing it right. The pluses in the book are all the recipes, making crackers from vegetables for your homemade cheese spreads, and making butter and yogurt. If you only make cheese only one time, this book would be worth the money.

Aimeekay review: The Hungry Family Slow Cooker Cookbook by Christina Dymock

Cookbook
159p.
Available Now
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Source: From publisher for review

It's every busy mother's dream-come-true: dinner that makes itself! With the help of your trusty slow cooker and these healthy, easy recipes, like Peppery Cilantro Salmon, Sausage Stew, and Dark Chocolate Mini Cakes, you can put dinner on the table even on the craziest of days. Don't let the whirlwind of life stop you from feeding your family the food they deserve -- delicious, home-cooked meals straight from your slow cooker.

AimeeKay's thoughts:

I really enjoyed reading and using The Hungry Family Slow Cooker. I loved the size and the pictures. I tried quite a few of the recipes in the book, and while I'm not sure if they look quite as good photographed as the food in the book they did come out quite tasty. I also liked the fact that the author took time in the beginning of the book to really explain the uses and types of slow cookers; from the reasons for using

Steak and Potatoes

one, the different types that are available, to how to care for them. She really took the time to walk a newbie through it. I have been using slow cookers for years, but I have to say that I really would have appreciated instructions like this in the beginning. lol.

I only had two problems with the book. One is the chapter on Seafood, Pork and Other good stuff. I really didn't like how the recipes were organized. Personal preference, but I would have preferred if it had been first one, then the next, then the next. Maybe all seafood, then the pork, then the other? But instead they were intermingled. Again, personal preference, nothing to lose a star over or anything.

The second problem I had was with some of the recipes. I tried to vary which ones I tried. I definitely plan on trying more. For the most part the recipes are very easy. They all took me less than 30 mins to prep. For someone capable of moving a bit faster that prep time would probably be even shorter. Anyway back to what bothered me. After all the effort the author went into to explain slow cookers in

Pork Tenderloin

the beginning of the book she kind of let the reader drift in the recipes. For some of them it would have been nice to know that different cuts of meat would have been ok to substitute for the ones stated in the recipe. For others, items are mentioned, that if it wasn't for Google, I wouldn't have known what they were. A great example of this is the roasted chicken recipe. The author says to place 3 ramekins in the cooker to help prevent the chicken from soaking in its own juices. In this day and age it took me less than a minute to pick up my phone and google ramekins and see what they were. Since I have cooking experience it took me about two minutes more to pull similar items out of my cupboard and use them instead. But I tell you if it had been ten years ago? Um yeah, I wouldn't have had a clue. Of course when I mentioned ramekins to my mother she knew exactly what they were without Google..... I'm just saying that without Google I would have had to wait to complete the recipe, something that isn't always possible when it comes to certain ingredients. I think that with all the effort that was put in at the beginning the author would have thought to go into more detail on the items used in the recipes.

Overall I think the book is awesome. I tried quite a few of the recipes and plan to try more. The recipes are generally easy to prep and get started and all of them that I tried turned out wonderfully.

Pop Art: Decorating and Shaping Custom Cake Pops by Kris Galicia Brown

Pop Art: Decorating and Shaping Custom Cake Pops
171p.
Available Now
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Source: From publisher for review

You've never seen cake pops like these! Hot Air Balloons, Pineapples, Robots, and Easter Baskets---cake pop artist Kris Galicia Brown shows you how to shape, dip, and decorate over 40 amazing designs. Make your cake pops phenomenal with Pop Art!

Whether you're a beginner or a veteran, cake pop artist Kris Galicia Brown shows you how to shape, dip, and decorate over 40 amazing designs for any holiday or event. Learn her personal techniques, tips, and tricks to create the most mouthwatering and beautiful cake pops.

My thoughts:

Can you see those pictures on the cover? Don't think you can do them? Oh I think you can! Just follow the directions given by the author and it would be easy. 

Her ideas are so well put together. Plus everything is laid out well so you can attempt them yourself. Don't believe me? Check out this video:

One of these days I'm going to try out the little furry dog she has on one of her pages for my vet. They do so much for my furry spoiled babies that I thought those would be cute. They even have kitties, but since I have puppers... :) If you want to see more of what you can make check out her website on the Gallery page (HERE). That little puppy is on that page. 

I give this book 4 stars. It's something different and fun and I think the instructions are extremely easy to follow.

Author Bio:

With a love for sweets and a passion for design, Kris Galicia Brown is a light of inspiration in the cake pop industry. Kris skillfully crafts her sweets like works of fine art.

After graduating with a degree in advertising from the Art Institute of California-San Diego, she pursued a career in graphic design and worked as lead Creative for a local advertising and PR agency. After entering motherhood, Kris founded kCreative and began work as a freelance designer and ultimately stumbled upon the world of cake pops. Her background as a graphic designer has proved to be an excellent foundation for her newest venture.

Kris's originality, eye for detail, and addiction to precision sets her apart from other cake pop makers and has landed her a global audience. Kris lives in San Diego, California, with her husband and two daughters. In addition to running her business, Goods by kCreative, Kris also teaches cake pop classes and blogs regularly. Learn more about Kris Galicia Brown at www.goodsbykcreative.com.

The Hungry Family Slow Cooker Cookbook Blog Tour

It's every busy mother's dream-come-true: dinner that makes itself! With the help of your trusty slow cooker and these healthy, easy recipes, like Peppery Cilantro Salmon, Sausage Stew, and Dark Chocolate Mini Cakes, you can put dinner on the table even on the craziest of days. Don't let the whirlwind of life stop you from feeding your family the food they deserve -- delicious, home-cooked meals straight from your slow cooker.

Bio (from Amazon):

Christina Dymock was once at a dinner party where her husband was teasing her about the frosting-to-cupcake ratio on her dessert. The woman sitting across from them sniffed her delicate nose and said, "If my husband gave me a hard time about my frosting I'd quit baking. That'd show him." To which Christina's husband replied while pointing at his speechless wife, "Try to stop her!"

Christina divides her time between the kitchen and her computer and books and her family of six. (Naturally, the family gets the biggest share.) Because she reads everything, she also feels compelled to write in several genres.

Christina is the author of The Hungry Family, Young Chefs, 101 Things to Do with Popcorn, and the Widow's Mite.

Bloggy note:

Unfortunately, AimeeKay who is going to review this book, did not receive the book in time for the review, but I know she is excited to get started and even make some of the great things in the book for her family! So... check out this book in the meantime and her review will be coming!

A Sorcerer's Cookbook by Brigitte Bulard-Cordeau

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I do not like to cook. Sure, I'll occasionally bake, but that is usually from a box. So, when I spied this book, I was intrigued. The words on the cover also state "Recipes for Enchantment from Aphrodite's Oysters to Violet Bonbons". Just HAD to look. The book is cute filled with pictures of herbs and old advertising people. Instead of recipe, it is called a spell and gives a reason for making it. Most are positive in nature, but there are occasional one's for when your other has been naughty.

Will I learn to love cooking with this book? I doubt it. However, I just might try one or two and see what happens...