Its a Non-Fiction Saturday!

Lighten Up, Y'all 

Classic Southern Recipes Made 

Healthy and Wholesome 

by Virginia Willis

 5 Stars!

ABOUT THE BOOK -

A collection of classic Southern comfort food recipes--including seven-layer dip, chicken and gravy, and strawberry shortcake--made lighter, healthier, and completely guilt-free.

Virginia Willis is not only an authority on Southern cooking, a French-trained chef, and a veteran cookbook author; she is also a proud Southerner who adores eating and cooking for family and friends. So when she needed to drop a few pounds and generally lighten up her diet, the most important criterion for her new lifestyle was that all the food had to taste delicious.

The result is Lighten Up, Y’all, a soul-satisfying and deeply personal collection of Virginia’s new favorite recipes. All the classics are covered—from a comforting Southern Style Shepherd’s Pie with Grits to warm, melting Broccoli Mac and Cheese to Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Pie. Each dish is packed with real Southern flavor, but made with healthier, more wholesome ingredients and techniques. Wherever you are on your health and wellness journey, Lighten Up, Y’all has the recipes, tools, and inspiration you need to make the nourishing, down-home Southern food you love.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR -

Virginia Willis is the author of Bon Appétit, Y’all, which was nominated for the IACP Best American Cookbook award and voted the Comfort Food Book of the Year by the Chicago Tribune. She has been featured in Cooking with Paula Deen, House Beautiful, Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, and San Francisco Chronicle, among other publications. Willis has appeared on Real Simple Television, Martha Stewart Living, Paula Deen’s Best Dishes, and numerous local television shows across the country.

A graduate of L’Academie de Cuisine and Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne, Willis has served as a television producer for Turner South and Shirley Corriher, was the kitchen director for Martha Stewart Living Television, and the executive producer of The Discovery Channel’s Epicurious. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Learn more at www.virginiawillis.com.

MY THOUGHTS -

Woo hoo, now this is a healthy, low calorie cookbook that people can use! I am not up on the who's who in the cooking world so I did not know this author, but I will have my eye on her now!

This book is excellent. There are great, very usable recipes and lots of beautiful pictures. Many times in healthy book you get a lot of recipes that no-one would eat (even me, and I like that kind of stuff) or you get recipes with really strange ingredients - not this book! With this one you get very normal everyday food with ingredients that you would have in your cupboard already.

I have already flagged many recipes in here to make. Of course I love the soup section, since I love to make soups. 

This not really a diet cookbook, this is a healthier cooking cookbook. This is taking what you would have made before and making is lighter and healthier - definitely better for you. And, let me tell you, all the recipes look yummy!

Thank you "Blogging for Books" for sending me this book for my honest review - its a Keeper!

Get your copy from Amazon - HERE

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 Blue Ribbon Canning
Award-Winning Recipes
By Linda J. Amendt

5 Stars!

 

ABOUT THE BOOK -

Blue Ribbon Canning takes readers on a canning journey and celebrates two American traditions--preserved food and state fairs--with more than 140 prize-winning recipes for jams, preserves, pickles, vegetables, fruit, and more, plus tips and methods for making delicious--and safe--blue ribbon recipes at home. 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR -

Linda J. Amendt has written three award-winning cookbooks, including 400 Sensational Cookies and 175 Best Jams, Jellies, Marmalades & Other Soft Spreads, both of which earned Cordon d' Or Gold Ribbon International Cookbook Academy Awards. She also is a baking, canning, and jam-making expert, having won over 900 awards in state and county fair food competitions across the country, including over 600 first place blue ribbons.

 

MY THOUGHTS -

First summer at our new house - I am ready to garden and therefore - I am ready to do some canning! I am just eating up these canning books. This one is a great one, definitely one I will be using. 

 

The idea behind this book is kinda cool. They have recipes from blue ribbon winners. It tells a little about the winner - how many times they have won, where they are from etc. and even shows pictures of them. I think this is nice. Then there are some recipes from them. 

 

First there is a big section on all the basics of canning, which is very useful. I have done canning before but it has been a long time, so I do need some reminders. 

 

There are some very simple basic canning recipes in here - strawberry jam, canned beans but there is also some unusual and original ideas I would love to try. I am thankful for both actually because I do need the basics as well. 

 

Here are some that sound interesting -

Blueberry orange jam

Peach vanilla bean jam

Peach amaretto jam - woo hoo!

Strawberry margarita jam - in the summer, by the pool

there are also some salsa's and relishes I would love to try.

 

This whole book is very usable. If you are trying canning for the first time, or doing it every year - this is a great book!

 

Thank you Netgalley and Taunton Press for this e-book in exchange for my honest review!

Get your copy from Amazon - HERE