Friday, March 30, 2018

Dear Abby - Vintage Easter Dogs

Dear Friends,

Just a short and sweet note from me today, wishing you a Happy Easter!   I found a few images of vintage Easter dogs that I thought you might enjoy.

This 1939 illustration by Mabel Rollins Harris features a Cocker Spaniel in an Easter bonnet along with a little girl - and chicks!


A little girl in an Easter bonnet hugs her dog.


A Jack Russell Terrier does not want to share a carrot with some bunny rabbits!


A Scottie dog gets an Easter visitor:


A Cocker Spaniel named Butch wears bunny ears and carries an Easter basket:


 A lovely Dachshund meets a bunny rabbit family:


I hope you enjoyed these vintage images.   Wishing you a wonderful weekend and a Happy Easter!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo


Book Review and Giveaway - A Most Noble Heir by Susan Anne Mason

Book Synopsis
When stable hand Nolan Price learns from his dying mother that he is actually the son of the Earl of Stainsby, his plans for a future with kitchen maid Hannah Burnham are shattered. Once he is officially acknowledged as the earl’s heir, Nolan will be forbidden to marry beneath his station.

Unwilling to give up the girl he loves, he devises a plan to elope--believing once their marriage is sanctioned by God that Lord Stainsby will be forced to accept their union. However, as Nolan struggles to learn the ways of the aristocracy, he finds himself caught between his dreams for tomorrow and his father’s demanding expectations.

Forces work to keep the couple apart at every turn, and a solution to remain together seems farther and farther away. With Nolan’s new life pulling him irrevocably away from Hannah, it seems only a miracle will bring them back together.

My Review
A Most Noble Heir is a historical novel set in 1880's England. Nolan Price is happy working in the stables at a Victorian manor house.  However, as his mother is dying she confesses that his father is the Earl of Stainsby, the owner of the estate.  Nolan has planned to marry Hannah Burnham, who works in the kitchen at the estate.  With this news everything changes for them both.  This novel tells the story of Nolan and Hannah, with many unexpected twists and turns on their path to happiness.

I love historical fiction, and especially enjoy Victorian settings.  Susan Anne Mason did a fine job with the manor house setting of this novel.  The period setting and the upstairs-downstairs details were fascinating.

I really liked both Nolan and Hannah.  They are strong, kind, independent people, and I admired the faith that they maintained even in the most difficult of times.  I really was pulling for their happiness!

I found A Most Noble Heir a very engrossing read - to the extent that I stayed up reading past my bedtime!   I could not put this novel down because I really wanted to know how it would all end up.

I recommend A Most Noble Heir for fans of historical fiction, Victorian settings, manor house novels, and Christian fiction.  It is a lovely read, and I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Author Bio
Susan Anne Mason’s debut historical novel, Irish Meadows, won the Fiction from the Heartland contest from the Mid-American Romance Authors Chapter of RWA. Also a member of ACFW, Susan lives outside of Toronto, Ontario, with her husband and two children. She can be found online at www.susanannemason.com.

Giveaway
If you’d like to enter for a chance to win Susan Anne Mason’s Courage to Dream series, plus A Most Noble Heir, here’s your chance!  (Giveaway ends 4/17)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4664b04915


I received a copy of this book from Bethany House.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Book Review and Giveaway - Lady Helena Investigates by Jane Steen

Book Synopsis
A reluctant lady sleuth finds she’s investigating her own family.

Step into Lady Helena Whitcombe’s world with the first novel in a series that will blend family saga and mystery-driven action with a slow-burn romance in seven unputdownable investigations.

1881, Sussex. Lady Helena Scott-De Quincy’s marriage to Sir Justin Whitcombe, three years before, gave new purpose to a life almost destroyed by the death of Lady Helena’s first love. After all, shouldn’t the preoccupations of a wife and hostess be sufficient to fulfill any aristocratic female’s dreams? Such a shame their union wasn’t blessed by children . . . but Lady Helena is content with her quiet country life until Sir Justin is found dead in the river overlooked by their grand baroque mansion.

The intrusion of attractive, mysterious French physician Armand Fortier, with his meddling theory of murder, into Lady Helena’s first weeks of mourning is bad enough. But with her initial ineffective efforts at investigation and her attempts to revive her long-abandoned interest in herbalism comes the realization that she may have been mistaken about her own family’s past. Every family has its secrets—but as this absorbing series will reveal, the Scott-De Quincy family has more than most.

Can Lady Helena survive bereavement the second time around? Can she stand up to her six siblings’ assumption of the right to control her new life as a widow? And what role will Fortier—who, as a physician, is a most unsuitable companion for an earl’s daughter—play in her investigations?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble



My Review
When we first meet Lady Helena of Lady Helena Investigates, she has just lost her beloved husband, Sir Justin Whitcombe.  Her brothers and sisters have begun inserting themselves in her life and planning her future.  When she meets her husband's physician, Armand Fortier, she is shocked to learn that the doctor thinks her husband was murdered.  There is another mystery involving the tenant farmers on her estate ... and she is beginning studying herbalism as well.

I love historical fiction and especially enjoy historical mysteries.  I found Lady Helena Investigates to be an engrossing novel from the first pages.  Lady Helena is an intelligent, independent thinking woman in early 1880's England.  I really enjoyed seeing her thought process and watching her emerging independence over the course of this novel.  

I also found Armand Fortier a very interesting character, and I liked his interactions with Lady Helena.

The setting was beautifully done.  The author, Jane Steen, has done a fine job of creating a world at the estate and the surrounding village.  The period details were lovely.   I loved some of the old fashioned words and phrases related to herbalism and 1880's life.

The mystery was well done and kept me guessing!   I am glad to read that this is the first in a new series, because I already look forward to reading more.

I recommend Lady Helena Investigates highly for anyone who loves historical mysteries, Victorian manor house settings, and a smart, well written period piece novel.

Author Bio
Jane Steen was born in England and, despite having spent more years out of the British Isles than in, still has a British accent according to just about every American she meets.

Her long and undistinguished career has included a three-year stint as the English version of a Belgian aerospace magazine, an interesting interlude as an editor in a very large law firm, and several hectic years in real estate marketing at the height of the property boom. This tendency to switch directions every few years did nothing for her resume but gave her ample opportunity to sharpen her writing skills and develop an entrepreneurial spirit.

Around the edges of her professional occupations and raising children, she stuck her nose in a book at every available opportunity and at one time seemed on course to become the proverbial eternal student. Common sense prevailed, though, and eventually she had the bright idea of putting her passion for books together with her love of business and writing to become a self-published author.

Jane has lived in three countries and is currently to be found in the Chicago suburbs with her long-suffering husband and two adult daughters.

For more information, please visit Jane Steen’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Giveaway
During the Blog Tour we will be giving away two eBooks of Lady Helena Investigates by Jane Steen! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below. 

Giveaway Rules 
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on April 13th. You must be 18 or older to enter. 
– Giveaway is open to US residents only. 
– Only one entry per household. 
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. 
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.  
Lady Helena Investigates

I received a copy of this book from Historical Fiction Virtual  Book Tours.

Monday, March 26, 2018

Book Spotlight and Giveaway - Cinco de Murder (A Taste of Texas Mystery) by Rebecca Adler

Book Synopsis
Tex-Mex waitress and part-time reporter Josie Callahan serves up more Lone Star justice in this spicy mystery from the author of The Good, the Bad, and the Guacamole.

It’s fiesta time in Broken Boot, Texas, and tourists are pouring into town faster than free beer at a bull roping for the mouthwatering Cinco de Mayo festivities. Tex-Mex waitress Josie Callahan, her feisty abuela, and even her spunky Chihuahua Lenny are polishing their folklórico dances for Saturday’s big parade, while Uncle Eddie is adding his own spicy event to the fiesta menu: Broken Boot’s First Annual Charity Chili Cook-off.

But Uncle Eddie’s hopes of impressing the town council go up in smoke when cantankerous chili cook Lucky Straw is found dead in his tent. And when Josie’s beloved uncle is accused of fatal negligence, she, Lenny, and the steadfast Detective Lightfoot must uncover who ended the ambitious chilihead’s life–before another cook kicks the bucket.



Author Bio
Rebecca Adler grew up on the sugar beaches of the Florida Gulf Coast. Drawn to the Big Apple by the sweet smell of wishful thinking, she studied acting on Broadway until a dark-eyed cowboy flung her over his saddle and hightailed it to the Southwest.

Prior to writing women’s fiction, Gina always found a way to add a touch of the dramatic to her life: dinner theatre in Mississippi, can-can club in Florida, and playing a giant Furskin in the New York Toy Fair, plus the occasional play and musical.

She’s currently content to pour her melodramatic tendencies into writing her Taste of Texas culinary mystery series. Set in far West Texas, her humorous stories are filled with delicious suspense and scrumptious Tex-Mex recipes. Her alter ego, Gina Lee Nelson, writes sweet contemporary romances with a sweet, Southern-fried flavor.

Author Links
Webpage: www.AuthorRebeccaAdler.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRebeccaAdler/
Twitter: @CozyTxMysteries
GoodReads: http://tinyurl.com/GoodReads-RebeccaAdler 

Purchase Links
Amazon  B&N  Kobo  Google Play  BAM  BookBub

Giveaway
(5) Print Copy - Cinco de Murder (A Taste of Texas Mystery) by Rebecca Adler.  Giveaway ends 3/31.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Friday, March 23, 2018

Dear Abby - Favorite Dog Movies: Asta from The Thin Man

Dear Friends,

Today we are going far back in dog movie history to talk about Asta the Wirehair Fox Terrier from The Thin Man movies of the 1930's. 


The Thin Man was a series of detective comedies starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles.  They lived with their dog Asta.  These movies were based upon The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett.  (My Momma asked me to add that the book is a great read!)

Asta was portrayed by Skippy the dog (also known as Asta) for the first two movies, The Thin Man (1934) and After The Thin Man (1936).   There were several later Thin Man movies that starred other dogs (who were still billed as Asta).   These movies were: Another Thin Man, Shadow of the Thin Man, The Thin Man Goes Home, Song of the Thin Man, and the 1950's TV series The Thin Man.

The popularity of Asta made Wirehair Fox Terriers a popular dog breed in the 1930's!


Skippy, who portrayed Asta, was born in 1931 or 1932 and worked in movies until 1941.  Skippy was owned and trained by Henry and Gale Henry East.  He had a reputation as being one of the smartest and most responsive dog actors in classic Hollywood.


Asta with owner Henry East
Skippy later appeared in The Awful Truth, Bringing Up Baby, and Topper Takes a Trip.

Here is a very short (and very cute!) video of Asta in After the Thin Man.



Have you seen any of The Thin Man movies?  I would love to hear from you in the comments!

Love,

Abby xoxoxo




Book Review - The Heart Between Us by Lindsay Harrel

Book Synopsis
Megan Jacobs always wished for a different heart. Her entire childhood was spent in and out of hospitals, sitting on the sidelines while her twin sister Crystal played all the sports, got all the guys, and had all the fun. But even a heart transplant three years ago wasn’t enough to propel Megan’s life forward. She’s still working as a library aide and living with her parents in her small Minnesota hometown, dreaming of the adventure she plans to take “once she’s well enough.” Meanwhile, her sister is a successful architect with a handsome husband and the perfect life—or so Megan thinks.

When her heart donor’s parents give Megan their teenage daughter’s journal—complete with an unfulfilled bucket list—Megan connects with the girl she meets between the pages and is inspired to venture out and check off each item. Caleb—a friend from her years in and out of the hospital—reenters her life and pushes her to find the courage to take the leap and begin her journey. She’s thrown for a loop when Crystal offers to join her for reasons of her own, but she welcomes the company and the opportunity to mend their tenuous relationship.

As Megan and Crystal check items off the bucket list, Megan fights the fears that have been instilled in her after a lifetime of illness. She must choose between safety and adventure and learn to embrace the heart she’s been given so that she can finally share it with the people she loves most

 

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | iBooks


My Review
The Heart Between Us tells the story of two sisters.  Megan had heart troubles throughout her childhood.  Eventually she was the recipient of a heart transplant.  She has learned to live cautiously because of her years of illness, in and out of hospitals.   Megan's twin sister, Crystal, had a happy, active childhood and as an adult she seems to have it all - handsome husband and career as an architect.  Then Megan meets her heart donor's family and her life changes.  They loan her their daughter Amanda's journal and Megan reads the young girl's bucket list.  She determines to follow the bucket list in order to fulfill Amanda's dreams.  Crystal surprisingly joins her on this quest, and in the process, they fulfill a few dreams of their own.

The Heart Between Us is such a lovely and uplifting novel.  It is told in alternating chapters about Megan and Crystal.  I found Crystal harder to warm up to at first because she seemed so perfect -- but I soon learned that was an illusion.  These were characters I cared about and enjoyed reading about.  I also loved Caleb, Megan's friend who has gone through a similar heart journey.  The romantic sparks between Megan and Caleb were fun to read!

I am a good armchair traveler but don't actually enjoy adventure travel myself.  However, I loved reading the travel scenes in this novel!   I especially loved the scenes in London and Paris.

This is a Christian novel and the message of faith is strong.  There is a wonderful message about trusting God, listening to his will, and being willing to take chances.

I loved the skillful way Lindsay Harrel drew these very different characters and moved their storyline along.  I found this a quick and compelling read.  (I could not put it down!)  It is well written and handles potentially heavy topics of health and life and death in a deft and positive manner.

I recommend The Heart Between Us for fans of women's fiction, Christian fiction, or anyone who is looking for an uplifting novel about changing your life.  I loved it!

Author Bio
Lindsay Harrel is a lifelong book nerd who lives in Arizona with her young family and two golden retrievers in serious need of training. She’s held a variety of writing and editing jobs over the years, and now juggles stay-at-home mommyhood with writing novels. When she’s not writing or chasing after her children, Lindsay enjoys making a fool of herself at Zumba, curling up with anything by Jane Austen, and savoring sour candy one piece at a time. Connect with her at www.LindsayHarrel.com.
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Connect with Lindsay

Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

I received a copy of this book from TLC Book Tours.

Monday, March 19, 2018

Book Spotlight and Giveaway - Playing With Bonbon Fire: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery by Dorothy St. James

Book Synopsis
Chocoholic Charity Penn must smoke out the killer to stop her newly inherited beachside chocolate shop from going up in flames in Dorothy St. James’ decadent follow-up to Asking for Truffle. 

Chocolate shop owner Charity Penn is finally settling into life in the quirky South Carolina seaside town of Camellia Beach cooking up chocolate treats. She’s even helped organize the town’s lively beach music festival which has brought rollicking crowds eager to dance the Carolina shag. That is, until one of the band’s lead singers is found dead beside a beach bonfire.

While also trying to balance the amorous attention of music star Bixby Lewis, in town for the festival, and her quest to perfect a new hot flavored bonbon, Charity dives into the investigation. Though it’s more spice than sugar when she discovers a threatening note, comes across decades of age-old secrets, and Bixby comes into the line of fire when a gas grill explodes on the deck of a beachfront house.

Now Charity must turn up the heat and catch the killer before her chance melts away in Playing With Bonbon Fire, the delightful second Southern Chocolate Shop mystery served up just right for fans of JoAnna Carl and Joanne Fluke.


Author Bio
Mystery author Dorothy St. James was born in New York but raised in South Carolina. She makes her home on an artsy island community in South Carolina with her husband, a neurotic dog, and fluffy cat. Though writing has always been a passion for her, she pursued an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Biology and a graduate degree in Public Administration and Urban Planning. She put her educational experience to use, having worked in all branches and all levels of government including local, regional, state, and federal. She even spent time during college working for a non-profit environmental watchdog organization.


Switching from government service and community planning to fiction writing wasn’t as big of a change as some might think. Her government work was all about the stories of the people and the places where they live. As an urban planner, Dorothy loved telling the stories of the people she met. And from that, her desire to tell the tales that were so alive in her heart grew until she could not ignore it any longer. In 2001, she took a leap of faith and pursued her dream of writing fiction full-time.

Known for the White House Gardener Mystery series, Dorothy is going back to her roots and setting a mystery series in a Southern beach town much like the one she’s called home for the past 20 years. The Southern Chocolate Shop Mysteries combine her love of fine chocolates, quirky Southern charm, with a dash of danger.

* Dorothy St. James is the alter-ego of the award-winning multi-published author, Dorothy McFalls. She enjoys writing in several different genres. Her works have been nominated for many awards including Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, Reviewers International Organization Award, National Reader’s Choice Award, CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, and The Romance Reviews Today Perfect 10! Award. Reviewers have called her work: “amazing”, “perfect”, “filled with emotion”, and “lined with danger.”

Author Links
Website: www.dorothystjames.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dorothystjames
Twitter: www.twitter.com/dorothymcfalls
Purchase Links
Indie Bound
Amazon
Kobo
Google Play
Barnes & Noble

Giveaway

One lucky winner will win a chocolate prize package from Dorothy St. James! (ends 3/25)

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Friday, March 16, 2018

Dear Abby - Favorite Dog Movies - Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey

Dear Friends,

I'm back to follow up on a previous Favorite Dog Movie.   We chatted about The Incredible Journey (1963) before.  In 1993 Disney remade this movie as Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey.

Like The Incredible Journey, Homeward Bound was based on the novel The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford.  Homeward Bound features an American Bulldog (Michael J. Fox), a senior Golden Retriever (Don Ameche), and a Himalayan cat (Sally Fields).  The pets belong to a family with a mother and children.  When their mother remarries and relocates to San Francisco, the pets end up staying with a friend on her ranch.  They decide to go exploring - and find their family, now far away.   The journey is long and dangerous, but they do safely make it home to be reunited with their family and the boy that loves them.


Trivia:

This is one of classic movie actor Don Ameche's final films.

Unlike The Incredible Journey, which relied on narration, the pets actually talk in this movie.

The pet breeds were changed from The Incredible Journey (1963).  In that movie they were a Labrador Retriever, Bull Terrier, and Siamese cat.

Here is the original movie trailer:



Have you seen Homeward Bound?  I would love to hear from you in the comments below.

Love,
Abby xoxoxo

Book Review - The Darling Dahlias and the Unlucky Clover by Susan Wittig Albert

Book Synopsis
NYT bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert returns to Depression-era Darling, Alabama…​where the ladies of the Dahlias, the local garden club, are happy to dig a little dirt!

In the seventh book of this popular series, it looks like the music has ended for Darling’s favorite barbershop uiquartet, the Lucky Four Clovers—just days before the Dixie Regional Barbershop Competition. Another unlucky break: a serious foul-up in Darling’s telephone system—and not a penny for repairs. And while liquor is legal again, moonshine isn’t. Sheriff Buddy Norris needs a little luck when he goes into Briar Swamp to confront Cypress County’s most notorious bootlegger. What he finds upends his sense of justice.

Once again, Susan Wittig Albert has told a charming story filled with richly human characters who face the Great Depression with courage and grace. She reminds us that friends offer the best of themselves to each other, community is what holds us together, and luck is what you make it.

Bonus features: Liz Lacy’s Garden Gate column on “lucky” plants, plus the Dahlias’ collection of traditional Southern pie recipes and a dash of cookery history. Reading group questions, more recipes, and Depression-era info at www.DarlingDahlias.com.

 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound



My Review
The Darling Dahlias and the Unlucky Clover tells the story of the ladies in a garden club in Depression era Alabama.  The book gives glimpses of their lives and follows them as they solve a mystery.

I love historical fiction, southern fiction, and mysteries, and cannot believe I am only now discovering the Darling Dahlias series!   This book was such a delight.   I grew up in the Deep South, and love the nostalgic, evocative small town that comes to life in this book.  I could almost smell honeysuckle and hear the screened doors closing!

I also loved the details of gardening and old time cooking.  From the Letter to Reader:

"We know that flowers nourish the heart and soul, but a big plate of stewed okra with tomatoes, buttered corn on the cob, and potato salad go a long way to comfort a body, especially these days, when jobs don't grow on trees and money is as scarce as hen's teeth.  Every Dahlia agrees:  If you've got a garden, you'll have all the wealth you need -- and good health to boost" (p. viii). 

This is my first Darling Dahlias read.  It took me a while to get all the characters straight, but the Autumn 1934 Club Roster, included at the front of the book, helped a lot with that.  I really got invested in the characters easily and enjoyed following their stories.  I especially loved the story of Liz Lacy's work at the law firm -- and re-emergence of her old beau.

The mystery aspect of the story was well written and well paced, with good little clues here and there.  I am very eager to catch up with the previous books in this series -- and to read upcoming Darling Dahlia books too.

The historical details were also well done, and brought a lot to the small town, 1934 Alabama setting.   I find the Depression Era fascinating, and rarely get to read books set during this time period.

For foodie fans, there are also some delicious sounding pie recipes at the end of the book!   They include some unique, old fashioned recipes like Vinegar Pie and Liz Lacy's Green Tomato Pie.

I recommend The Darling Dahlias and the Unlucky Clover highly for fans of historical fiction, southern fiction, and mysteries.  It is a delight from start to finish!

Author Bio
Susan Wittig Albert is the NYT bestselling author of over 100 books. Her work includes four mystery series: China Bayles, the Darling Dahlias, the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter, and the Robin Paige Victorian mysteries. She has published three award-winning historical novels, as well as YA fiction, memoirs, and nonfiction. Susan currently serves as an editor of StoryCircleBookReviews and helps to coordinate SCN’s online class program. She and her husband Bill live in the Texas Hill Country, where she writes, gardens, and raises a varying assortment of barnyard creatures.

For more information please visit Susan Wittig Albert’s website. Visit the Darling Dahlias Facebook Page. You can also find Susan on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, Instagram, and Pinterest.


Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away one paperback copy of The Darling Dahlias and the Unlucky Clover to one lucky winner!   To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.  

Giveaway Rules 
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 16th. You must be 18 or older to enter. 
– Giveaway is open to US residents only. 
– Only one entry per household. 
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. 
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.  
Darling Dahlias 

I received a copy of this book from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Book Review - Sweet Potato Soul by Jenne Claiborne

Book Synopsis
Jenné Claiborne grew up in Atlanta eating classic Soul Food--fluffy biscuits, smoky sausage, Nana's sweet potato pie--but thought she'd have to give all that up when she went vegan.  As a chef, she instead spent years tweaking and experimenting to infuse plant-based, life-giving, glow-worthy foods with the flavor and depth that feeds the soul.

The result? Her first cookbook, SWEET POTATO SOUL, offering 100 vegan recipes that riff on Southern cooking in surprising and delicious ways, beautifully illustrated with full-color photography. Jenné revives the long tradition of using fresh, local ingredients creatively in dishes like Coconut Collard Salad and Fried Cauliflower Chicken. She improvises new flavors in Peach Date BBQ Jackfruit Sliders and Sweet Potato-Tahini Cookies. She celebrates the plant-based roots of the cuisine in Bootylicious Gumbo and savory-sweet Georgia Watermelon & Peach Salad. And she updates classics with Jalapeño Hush Puppies, and her favorite, Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls.

Along the way, Jenné explores the narratives surrounding iconic and beloved soul food recipes, as well as their innate nutritional benefits--you've heard that dandelion, mustard, and turnip greens, okra, and black eyed peas are nutrition superstars, but here's how to make them super tasty, too.

From decadent pound cakes and ginger-kissed fruit cobblers to smokey collard greens, amazing crabcakes and the most comforting sweet potato pie you'll ever taste, these better-than-the-original takes on crave-worthy dishes are good for your health, heart, and soul.


My Review
I am a long time vegetarian, a southern girl, and a great fan of soul food ... so Sweet Potato Soul immediately appealed to me!   

The first thing to know:  this is a beautiful cookbook, with great food photos.  The recipes are laid out one to a page, with ingredients and 1-2-3 directions, just the way I like.

I really loved the introduction on southern food.  Jenne Claiborne even details pantry items for southern cooking, southern fruits and vegetables, spices, baking staples, sweeteners.  There is a short section on varieties of sweet potatoes!

I also loved her Five Healthy Rules I Live By (p. 19, longer details in book!):
1. Avoid all animal products.
2. Eat your colors.
3. Don't count calories or protein.
4. Go 80/20.  (unprocessed/processed)
5. Make everything delicious.

Now on to the recipes!  In Sweet Potato Soul you will find:
Breakfast
Salads and Soups
Greens and Sides
Mains
Sweets and Drinks
Pantry Staples and Sauces

I have three things I look for in cookbooks:

Are the recipes vegetarian (or can I tweak them to be veggie friendly)? 
Yes, this is a vegan cookbook!

Are the ingredients readily accessible at any grocery store?
Yes, the ingredients in this book are delightfully accessible foods that should be available anywhere.

Are the recipes straightforward and easy to make on a busy work night (i.e. 30 - 60 minutes tops)?
Most of the recipes are pretty straightforward.  Some do include multiple steps.  For instance, Low Country Grits (which looks amazing!) does require the cook to also make either Creole Red Bean Sausage or Smoky White  Bean Sausage ... so not a great work night recipe.

To give you an idea of the delicious variety of recipes in this cookbook, here are a few that particularly appealed to me:  Sweet Potato Skillet Home Fries, Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie, Bourbon BBQ Tempeh Sandwiches, Georgia Watermelon and Peach Salad, Coconut Corn Chowder, Jalapeno Hush Puppies, Spicy Fried Cauliflower "Chicken," Happy Hearts "Crab" Cakes, New Orleans Style Red Beans and Rice, Cajun Blackened Tofu Sandwich, Smoky Black Eyed Pea Cakes, Georgia Pecan Pie, Ginger Kissed Peach Cobbler ... and this is just a small sampler!

I rate this vegan cookbook five stars and highly recommend it to anyone who loves southern cooking, vegan cooking, or vegetarian or "Meatless Monday" cooks who want to add more plant based southern food to their diet!

I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books.