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Hazel (1853 KP) rated My Kitchen Table: 100 Cakes and Bakes in Books
Jun 16, 2017
Britain's most sexy television cook has one of the most luscious cookbooks for cakes and baked goods that you'll ever experience, and the recipes are extremely easy to use. You can read my full review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2014/08/15/rapture-ecstasy-and-bliss-from-your-kitchen/
Midge (525 KP) rated Batter Off Dead in Books
Dec 11, 2018 (Updated Dec 20, 2018)
Thoroughly enjoyable read (3 more)
I liked the author's descriptive style
Great for foodies - you can almost smell the cakes baking while you are reading!
Good portrayal of the lead character's relationship with her best friend
Absolutely Delightful!
Sophia Cummings, the owner of For Goodness Cakes, is catering for a charity fundraiser at Grape Valley Winery and must make it a successful event to win more catering jobs and pay the bills. Ray Peel, the Winery's landlord, has pledged to pay off a library loan in her hometown of Rumford, however, the event turns sour and Ray is murdered before the loan and Sophia can be paid. Can she figure out who the murderer is before the bakery collapses?
I have never read any of Maymee Bell's novels before, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. I particularly liked the author's descriptive style, especially the many references to the cakes sold at the bakery which were described so well that you could almost smell them baking in the oven! The portrayal of Sophia's relationships, especially Madison, her best friend, and Bitsy, her mother were also very good, although I think that there could have been a little more spark between Sophia and Carter Kincaid, her sheriff boyfriend. You were introduced to many characters very quickly at the start of the book which was a little confusing at first, however, I like that I was kept guessing all the way through as to the identity of the murderer. The ending to the book was finished off very nicely and I will be reading more Maymee Bell novels in the future.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book, supplied by Netgalley.
I have never read any of Maymee Bell's novels before, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. I particularly liked the author's descriptive style, especially the many references to the cakes sold at the bakery which were described so well that you could almost smell them baking in the oven! The portrayal of Sophia's relationships, especially Madison, her best friend, and Bitsy, her mother were also very good, although I think that there could have been a little more spark between Sophia and Carter Kincaid, her sheriff boyfriend. You were introduced to many characters very quickly at the start of the book which was a little confusing at first, however, I like that I was kept guessing all the way through as to the identity of the murderer. The ending to the book was finished off very nicely and I will be reading more Maymee Bell novels in the future.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book, supplied by Netgalley.
Irene M (130 KP) rated Game of Scones: All Men Must Dine in Books
Dec 7, 2018
THIS BOOK IS BRILLIANT!!!
All baking recipes are themed on Game of Thrones with an artistic or puntastic edge to them.
From Hot Pie’s Wolfbread (a basic wholemeal bread, shaped into a wolf like he did on the show) and Sansa’s Lemon Cakes to a Red (velvet) Wedding Cake (3 tier cake with ‘blood’ pouring down the side) and the one I really REALLY wanna try myself Oberyn’s Smashing Surprise (long story short a decorated chocolate shell filled with red jelly so you can re-enact the scene and squish it open with your fingers, just like The Mountain did to Oberyn’s skull, mwahahahahaaa).
Oh yes, I shall be making a few of these recipes.
All baking recipes are themed on Game of Thrones with an artistic or puntastic edge to them.
From Hot Pie’s Wolfbread (a basic wholemeal bread, shaped into a wolf like he did on the show) and Sansa’s Lemon Cakes to a Red (velvet) Wedding Cake (3 tier cake with ‘blood’ pouring down the side) and the one I really REALLY wanna try myself Oberyn’s Smashing Surprise (long story short a decorated chocolate shell filled with red jelly so you can re-enact the scene and squish it open with your fingers, just like The Mountain did to Oberyn’s skull, mwahahahahaaa).
Oh yes, I shall be making a few of these recipes.
Classic German Baking by Luisa Weiss is filled with 100 recipes of authentic German baking for breads and sweets! We learn what it means to bake like the Germans do and learn what techniques are different from us in America. With recipes like Apple Strudel to chocolate cakes that are to die for and even some healthy recipes as well. This book is the definition of German Baking that everyone will enjoy reading and making these recipes in their own homes!
This well-organized book is perfect of bakers from novices to pros. It the history of the each recipe before detailing in easy to follow step-by-step instructions how to bake. There's an extensive glossary of ingredients. My one recommendation is to have more pictures for a visual aspect.
I received this book from Ten Speed Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This well-organized book is perfect of bakers from novices to pros. It the history of the each recipe before detailing in easy to follow step-by-step instructions how to bake. There's an extensive glossary of ingredients. My one recommendation is to have more pictures for a visual aspect.
I received this book from Ten Speed Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Diabetic Pastry Chef in Books
Apr 27, 2018
The Diabetic Pastry Chef is a wonderful cookbook with more than just recipes. Stacey gives standard and metric conversions, lots of easy to read and easy to understand information about diabetes and food, descriptions of the various kinds of flour, how to use sugars and substitutes, and wonderful hints and tips for spices, various substitutes, and nutrition.
The recipes themselves are sorted into 8 categories, like Tea Breads, Cakes, Puddings, Breakfast, etc. They are clear and easy to understand, and at the bottom of each is a Nutrition Facts graph like on the back of most food, with all the information about what you’re eating.
Here is a photo of one of the pages: http://lh4.ggpht.com/_-sER6e5xCaQ/S2ojaEwxNFI/AAAAAAAAB-g/R7hfLIrb6nQ/s1600-h/DSCN0167%5B3%5D.jpg
The only complaint I have for this book is that there are no photos of any of the pastries. I like a book with photos… however. the pages are not glossy and have wide margins, so they’re the kind you can easily make notes and write on with no problem.
Overall I recommend this book to anyone who loves desserts but needs to watch their blood sugar, or even to those who want to watch their weight.
Visit Stacey at her blog: http://diabeticpastrychef.com/
The recipes themselves are sorted into 8 categories, like Tea Breads, Cakes, Puddings, Breakfast, etc. They are clear and easy to understand, and at the bottom of each is a Nutrition Facts graph like on the back of most food, with all the information about what you’re eating.
Here is a photo of one of the pages: http://lh4.ggpht.com/_-sER6e5xCaQ/S2ojaEwxNFI/AAAAAAAAB-g/R7hfLIrb6nQ/s1600-h/DSCN0167%5B3%5D.jpg
The only complaint I have for this book is that there are no photos of any of the pastries. I like a book with photos… however. the pages are not glossy and have wide margins, so they’re the kind you can easily make notes and write on with no problem.
Overall I recommend this book to anyone who loves desserts but needs to watch their blood sugar, or even to those who want to watch their weight.
Visit Stacey at her blog: http://diabeticpastrychef.com/
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Book
The Pig in the Derby Hat ( Trussel and Gout: Paranormal investigations 1)
By M.A. knights
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Young Clementine Trussel didn’t go looking for the supernatural. It found her.
When a small pig wearing a derby hat falls out of her Granny’s window, Clementine is inclined to believe she’s seeing things. Only someone else saw it too, the mysterious Theophilius Gout, and he claims to be an expert in the paranormal.
There is definitely something odd about the fat, tweed-clad man, and when her Granny falls deathly ill, Clementine is uneasy entrusting her recovery to a stranger. Even one as enigmatic as Mr Gout. Besides, he seems more interested in the cakes from her parents’ bakery than anything…otherworldly.
But with her grandmother's life, and Clementine's own future, hanging in the balance, she is forced to follow him into a world of magic and monsters hidden in the shadows of her quiet hometown.
Will they be in time to save her Granny? Is Mr Gout what he claims to be? And just what exactly is the pig in the derby hat?
This was a brilliant short read I loved it. A cosy paranormal story with fun characters, and so well written. Looking forward to reading more.
Book
The Pig in the Derby Hat ( Trussel and Gout: Paranormal investigations 1)
By M.A. knights
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Young Clementine Trussel didn’t go looking for the supernatural. It found her.
When a small pig wearing a derby hat falls out of her Granny’s window, Clementine is inclined to believe she’s seeing things. Only someone else saw it too, the mysterious Theophilius Gout, and he claims to be an expert in the paranormal.
There is definitely something odd about the fat, tweed-clad man, and when her Granny falls deathly ill, Clementine is uneasy entrusting her recovery to a stranger. Even one as enigmatic as Mr Gout. Besides, he seems more interested in the cakes from her parents’ bakery than anything…otherworldly.
But with her grandmother's life, and Clementine's own future, hanging in the balance, she is forced to follow him into a world of magic and monsters hidden in the shadows of her quiet hometown.
Will they be in time to save her Granny? Is Mr Gout what he claims to be? And just what exactly is the pig in the derby hat?
This was a brilliant short read I loved it. A cosy paranormal story with fun characters, and so well written. Looking forward to reading more.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2065 KP) rated Christmas Dessert Murder in Books
Dec 9, 2023
Two Christmas Murders in One Volume
This book has two Christmas Hannah Swensen stories for you.
In the first, Christmas Caramel Murder, Hannah gets involved when her business partner is accused of killing her husband’s new secretary, who just happened to be playing Mrs. Claus to Herb’s Santa in the community theater. This book borrows a bit from A Christmas Carol, and that makes it a little weird for fans of the series, but it is still enjoyable, with a good wrap up and cameos if not large parts for the regular characters.
The second story is Christmas Cake Murder, which flashes back to Hannah’s first Christmas after her father passed away. In an effort to get her mother out of her grief, Hannah agrees to help put on a Christmas ball filled with cakes. The mystery doesn’t really kick in until late in the story, although there are bread crumbs early on. What is most fun for fans of the series is watching Hannah build the life we are already familiar with.
Between the two stories, there are lots of recipes for you to try at Christmas.
Obviously, if you already have the two books, you’ll be fine skipping this collection. But if you’ve missed them, you might want to consider this way to get the stories.
In the first, Christmas Caramel Murder, Hannah gets involved when her business partner is accused of killing her husband’s new secretary, who just happened to be playing Mrs. Claus to Herb’s Santa in the community theater. This book borrows a bit from A Christmas Carol, and that makes it a little weird for fans of the series, but it is still enjoyable, with a good wrap up and cameos if not large parts for the regular characters.
The second story is Christmas Cake Murder, which flashes back to Hannah’s first Christmas after her father passed away. In an effort to get her mother out of her grief, Hannah agrees to help put on a Christmas ball filled with cakes. The mystery doesn’t really kick in until late in the story, although there are bread crumbs early on. What is most fun for fans of the series is watching Hannah build the life we are already familiar with.
Between the two stories, there are lots of recipes for you to try at Christmas.
Obviously, if you already have the two books, you’ll be fine skipping this collection. But if you’ve missed them, you might want to consider this way to get the stories.
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated The Lopsided Christmas Cake in Books
Feb 27, 2019
In trademark fashion, Wanda Brunstetter, along with Jean Brunstetter, has created another captivating Amish novel. It's a fantastic start to a new series, and kept me hooked until the end. The blended writing style of these two talented ladies was a refreshing experience!
Thelma and Elma's characters stole my heart completely! Their characters are unique! They are identical twins, but they are older, in their 30s. That's unusual in books like these but I loved that twist to the story! They are twins, yet so different. These sweet ladies really kept me smiling! Their devotion to their grandparents, God and to each other was really wonderful. The mishaps of their lives, the possibility of being old maids and never finding love, the quirkiness woven into the story, all of it kept me engrossed in the story. Watching one lopsided yummy cake change that, well it was not what I was expecting but was also refreshing.
I loved Joseph and Delbert's characters, too. They really livened up the story!
This is definitely a book worth 5 stars and 2 thumbs up. It's going to the top of my list of 2017 top reads. If you love yummy cakes, quirky characters, God and family, be sure and snatch this one up! You'll be left wanting more mishaps from these lovely twins! <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/review-the-lopsided-christmas-cake-by-wanda-and-jean-brunstetter/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
Thelma and Elma's characters stole my heart completely! Their characters are unique! They are identical twins, but they are older, in their 30s. That's unusual in books like these but I loved that twist to the story! They are twins, yet so different. These sweet ladies really kept me smiling! Their devotion to their grandparents, God and to each other was really wonderful. The mishaps of their lives, the possibility of being old maids and never finding love, the quirkiness woven into the story, all of it kept me engrossed in the story. Watching one lopsided yummy cake change that, well it was not what I was expecting but was also refreshing.
I loved Joseph and Delbert's characters, too. They really livened up the story!
This is definitely a book worth 5 stars and 2 thumbs up. It's going to the top of my list of 2017 top reads. If you love yummy cakes, quirky characters, God and family, be sure and snatch this one up! You'll be left wanting more mishaps from these lovely twins! <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/review-the-lopsided-christmas-cake-by-wanda-and-jean-brunstetter/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2065 KP) rated Christmas Cake Murder in Books
Dec 11, 2018
Hannah's First Brush with Murder
This book is set at the first Christmas since Hannah's father has died. Hannah has dropped out of her graduate program and is home trying to help her mother, Delores, deal with life after her loss, and Hannah is beginning to worry. Fortunately, Grandma Knudson and Annie come up with the perfect project to get Delores's mind off her loss. It seems Essie, a beloved member of the community, has fallen and broken her hip. In an effort to cheer her up, Delores is asked to organize a Christmas ball, with Hannah recruited to bake the cakes for the events. While all this is going on, Hannah begins to share her dreams of opening her own cookie and coffee shop. And a novel that Essie was working on captivates Hannah, Delores, Michelle, and Lisa.
You'll note my teaser doesn't mention the mystery. That's because it isn't until late in the book that it comes into clear focus, although enough bread crumbs have been laid out earlier that we do get a satisfying wrap up. Meanwhile, we get lots of planning for the ball and Hannah getting the things that will become staples of her life as we know it from the rest of the series. It's fun for series fans, although even then I thought the book could have been shorter. Those new to the series definitely shouldn't jump in here since it is so atypical.
You'll note my teaser doesn't mention the mystery. That's because it isn't until late in the book that it comes into clear focus, although enough bread crumbs have been laid out earlier that we do get a satisfying wrap up. Meanwhile, we get lots of planning for the ball and Hannah getting the things that will become staples of her life as we know it from the rest of the series. It's fun for series fans, although even then I thought the book could have been shorter. Those new to the series definitely shouldn't jump in here since it is so atypical.