Sidonia’s Thread: The Secrets of a Mother and Daughter Sewing a New Life in America
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Memoir is a difficult form, relying as it must on memory. In Sidonia’s Thread Hanna shares that she began to piece her mother’s narratives together so that she could understand her life before she was born. And that is how Sidonia’s Thread is told–in pieces that the reader must weave together. In a sense, Hanna withholds salient points just as her mother had and thereby makes the mother-daughter relationship difficult to comprehend. But there is redemption at the end–some peace for Sidonia and growth in Hanna. Sidonia’s Thread is a rich tapestry, if not colorful.
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19 Lessons On Tea: Become an Expert on Buying, Brewing, and Drinking the Best Tea
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Having reviewed half a dozen books on tea on Amazon, I recommend this guide. It’s concise, but well-written and lively. Chapters are short enough for easy perusal, but detailed enough (an online guide is given for more elaboration) to encourage beginners to get past tea bags at the local market.
Chapters range over types, brewing basics, buying tips, pots, accessories, regional and ritual information, pairings with food, and health. Each concludes with a vignette from history, integrating this material elegantly into the particular theme. In the paperback equivalent, space for notes is allowed; the varieties themselves are introduced with times, temperatures, and whether milk, sweeteners, or lemon are added.
The world of premium quality tea is every bit as complex and fascinating as wine, and 19 Lessons On Tea is the ultimate guide to everything you need to know about this healthy and flavorful daily indulgence.
– Are you interested in learning about tea but don’t know where to start?
– Do you want to impress your friends or business associates with your knowledge?
– Have you been drinking tea for a while but want to round out your knowledge or become a true connoisseur?
– …or do you simply want to walk into your local tea shop and know enough to order something you’ll enjoy?
Read this book and in a few hours and you’ll be set for all this and more.
Novice Or Pro, You’ll Benefit From This Book
If you’re new to tea, we guarantee you’ll walk away from our lessons feeling confident enough to talk tea with the most experienced tea experts. You will gain immediate fundamental knowledge of purchasing, brewing, and consuming the best teas as you read through each lesson. If you’re already knowledgeable about tea, you’ll still pick up a few new bits of information along the way.
19 Lessons on Tea is a comprehensive tea guide that will help you gain a thorough understanding of the drink. This book primarily covers premium loose leaf tea served hot, but provides information on all major styles of tea.
These Lessons Cover The Many Facets Of The World Of Tea
– Green, black, white, herbal, oolong, and pu-erh teas.
– Teapots and important tea accessories and equipment.
– How tea can fit into your daily routine in a way that will help improve your health.
– Popular specialty tea variations and blends such as Kombucha, Chai, Earl Grey, breakfast teas, bubble tea, and blooming teas.
– Tea culture and traditions from around the world.
– How to correctly pair tea with food.
– …and much more!
Plus, This Book Answers Many Important Questions That Every Tea Drinker Should Know
– Which teas have the most caffeine and how can you quickly decaffeinate any tea?
– What teas should you never add milk, honey, or lemon to? And which benefit most from these additions?
– How can excellent quality loose leaf tea actually be cheaper than lower quality tea bags?
– How long should you brew each type for the best flavor?
– Which country in Europe consumes the most tea per person? (hint: probably not who you think!)
This book is a collaboration by people with an true interest in tea, allowing you to learn not only the tea basics but the ultimate insider approach to picking your teas based on more than a name on the box. And as you progress in your knowledge of tea, you will be able to quickly and easily refer back to this book as a quick reference guide.
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30 Perfect Popcorn Recipes : How to Make Sweet & Savory Gourmet Popcorn at Home (The Green Gourmet)
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I love popcorn and am also turning into a huge fan of Ms Stewart. Combine the two and you get this fantastic book.
I have played around with different popcorn recipes before – some were quite successful (peanut butter popcorn) others were less so (sweet and salted didnt quite work for me) but the recipes included in this book were just begging to be made. So in the name of research (of course!) I tried a few.
My absolute favorite is the Pistachio Praline Popcorn. Hence the title of this review. If you only try one recipe try that one – it is just amazing. I couldnt share it with my kids as it didnt last til they got home from school. Will have to make it again.
For a savory snack you should try the five spice peanut popcorn. It wasnt hard to make and once tried you will never buy the store one again.
Top marks for another green gourmet classic.
It is a common misconception that popcorn is an unhealthy snack. The reason some people avoid popcorn is because they don’t understand the real culprit! Behind its supposedly unhealthy status, are the seasonings and additives, often added to commercially packaged products to liven up the bland natural flavor and to lengthen it’s shelf life. The popcorn itself is a wholegrain, and these can help prevent cancer and lower the risk of heart disease, while also supplying healthy nutrients that support our vision.
There are many different methods to create popcorn, but the basic principle stays the same. All you have to do is make the kernels hot enough to heat the moisture contained naturally inside, and turn that into steam. The steam creates pressure from inside the hard shell casing and before you know it, POP! – the kernel is turned inside out and is ready to be consumed. As long as you can generate heat and have some kernels on hand, you can make popcorn!
Enough of the history, what about the recipes? I’ve gathered 30 of the finest popcorn recipes from around the world for your snacking pleasure, and have tried to keep them free from artificial sweeteners, preservatives or other nasty additives wherever possible. I’ve specified 9 cups of popped corn for most recipes, as that gives 3 generous cups per serving – you can have as many or as few servings as you fancy, but keep an eye on the calories! For your convenience, I’ve also included nutritional data from the USDA for each recipe (that’s the U.S. Department of Agriculture and not the United Square Dancers of America!)
My preference for both flavor and health reasons, is freshly air-popped popcorn – so I have used that kind for all of these recipes. Everything in this book can be made with kernels you have freshly popped, or if you are in a hurry (or feeling lazy!), then you can always use the plain store bought pre-popped variety – just make sure you check the packaging for artificial nasties!
Most of the ingredients for these recipes can be found at your local grocery store or deli, but if you get stuck, then the slightly more unusual ones can also be bought online via a link at the end of the book.
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Price: FREE
This story opened my eyess to the adoption process -both open and closed. My heart ached for the author as she waited for her baby. Witty and hilarious at times, this book is as entertaining as it is informative.
A middle-aged wife, mother, and teacher, Dyer “tells it like it is” in hopes that waiting adoptive parents, birthparents, adoptees, and those close to them will find kinship through her story.
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Paleo Breakfast Recipes: For Busy Moms and Dads
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Great recipes that make being Paleo easy without too many fancy ingredients or fancy equipment needed. Yes, you’ll need Almond Flour and Coconut Oil and the like, but if you’re going Paleo you’ll need to stock up on these anyways. A great book for jumping in and cooking today.
This book has you covered. You’ll find everything from frittatas, smoothies and scrambles to muffins, pancakes and other baked goodness. Here are a sample of some recipes you’ll find:
Summer Surprise Blueberry Muffins
Biting into these muffins reminds us of walking through a primordial forest and stumbling on a dewy, glistening patch of fresh blueberries. How could you help but gobble up every juicy, surprising morsel? We think you’ll love the way the berries form little pockets of sweetness throughout the dough.
Arizona Dawn Sweet Potato Frittata
If a meal seems more appetizing to you when it’s beautiful to look at, prepare to salivate. Not only does this dish taste like the best of wild, Southwest American cuisine, it also incorporates the gorgeous colors of the Southwest landscape: red (sweet potatoes) like the towering rocks, green (bell pepper) like mountain pine, and yellow (egg) of the glorious morning sun. Great for special occasion brunch or first course.
Solstice Spice Pancakes
Don’t wait until Halloween to try these magical pancakes. The earthy nutmeg, barky cinnamon, and snappy ginger evoke memories of pumpkin pie, autumn harvest, and huddling together before a roaring bonfire.
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