Two Crafty Book Reviews

I recently received two fun book as gifts, so I thought I would share.

My brother and sister-in-law gave me Sew Liberated by Meg McElwee for my birthday and I'm so excited about it. I still have yet to make anything from it, but there are some very creative projects. I love how most of the projects are for the beginner level sewer.  I also discovered the author, Meg's super fun blog.

I received One-Yard Wonders by Rebecca Yaker from my mom for Mothers Day.  This book really is awesome. The photography and illustrations are superb and who doesn't love 101 projects that only require one yard of fabric? I already have a huge list going of ones I want to start on!

So now there are no excuses, you have two great books to get your creative juices flowing!

Book review: The Creative Family

A few months ago, I purchased The Creative Family by Amanda Soule. It's a super cute book that is full of great creative ideas for kids. It has wonderful photography throughout which I love. There are many simple project ideas with detailed instructions for things you can make with your kids or for your kids to aide in their creativity.  There are also fun and practical ideas and suggestions on how to keep a spirit of creativity alive in your household.  I'm excited to try some of her ideas with Lula once she is a little older, like having a family "art night".  Amanda has another book out called Handmade Home that I am excited to purchase next. You can check out her fun blog here!

Cookbook Review: 500 Best Healthy Recipes

A few years ago, I purchased the cookbook 500 Best Healthy Recipes  by Lynn Roblin.  I was looking for a cookbook that had easy and healthy recipes.  Let me tell you, this is the best cookbook I own! Every single recipe I have made out of this book has been delicious and easy. I love that the nutrition information is listed on each recipe, so you know just how many calories, fat, sodium etc are in each dish.  Most recipes are very low in calorie, but the quality of taste does not suffer! I also love that real, fresh and whole ingredients make up most of the dishes in this book.  I have been trying to get away from processed and packaged foods in my cooking. If you are also wanting to start eating real food, this is a great resource!

Some of our favorites from this book are:
Hummus
Tortilla bean salad with creamy salsa dressing
Chicken tortillas
Chinese lemon chicken w/red peppers and snow peas
Spaghetti squash with vegetables and tomato sauce
Spicy rice, bean and lentil casserole