Cookbook Spotlight: Start Simple by Lukas Volger

From veteran food writer, recipe developer, and creator of the James Beard Award-winning Jarry magazine comes an innovative approach to vegetarian cooking.

What have I got to eat? It’s a question we ask every time we open up the refrigerator or pantry door. It might be eggs, some cheese, and half a loaf of bread, or a box of wilting greens, garlic, and some sweet potatoes. Though these ingredients may not seem like much to make a delicious meal, recipe developer and author Lukas Volger knows it’s all you need. In Start Simple he offers a radically new, uncomplicated, and creative approach to cooking that allows you to use what you already have on hand to make great meals you didn’t think were possible.

Magic can happen with just a few ingredients: sweet potatoes, tortillas, eggs, cabbage, hearty greens, beans, winter squash, mushrooms, tofu, summer squash, and cauliflower. Volger advises readers to stock up on these eleven building blocks instead of shopping for a single recipe. A protein (tofu, beans, eggs) is a foundation. A crunchy garnish (cabbage, greens) is a finishing touch. Once these structural components of a meal are established, home chefs can throw in their own variations and favorite flavors—mixing, matching, and adding ingredients to customize their dishes.

While Start Simple is a vegetarian cookbook—none of the recipes include meat—Volger’s approach transcends categories. His methods aren’t about subscribing to a specific dietary regimen; they are about simply recognizing and embracing the way people cook and eat today. Creating weekly meal plans based on intricate recipes sounds good, but it can be difficult to execute. Having a well-stocked pantry paired with a choose-you-own adventure guide to creating simple yet inventive meals is more practical for your average home cook.

File Size: 192657 KB
Print Length: 266 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0062883593
Publisher: Harper Wave (February 18, 2020)
Publication Date: February 18, 2020
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
Language: English
ASIN: B07NVGQVQB

Purchase on Kindle for only $2.99*


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Task it Tuesday - July 21

Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task it Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.

Welcome back to Tuesday. I have to admit to feeling unproductive this week. I have tasks, but don't feel like tackling them. When I feel this way, I take a walk to clear my head or force myself to plod through. I took a short walk this morning and also watered the garden. This afternoon, I hope to go back into the garden for a bit to keep the weeds from growing too quickly.

Let's look at last week's list to see what I accomplished.

• Meal planning - DONE
• Daily Bible reading - DONE
• Update planner  - DONE
• Walk three days this week - DONE
• Book review due Wednesday - DONE
• Empty pantry Tuesday night or Wednesday morning - DONE
• Added - Clean upstairs bathroom - DONE
• Added - Clean bonus room - Started

So, last week was probably the most productive week I've had in a while. I'm thrilled.

Here is what is on my list this week.

• Daily Bible reading - on track
• Weed garden
• Update planner 
• Three doctor's appointments 
• WriteAngles meeting
• Walk three days 
• Start Strong from the Heart by Jon Land for August review
• Continue cleaning bonus room
• Finish chapter 2 of The Sisterhood

Looks like my week is full. What does your week look like? Anything specific you need to accomplish?

Movie Review: Frozen II (2019)

As a follow up to its popular Frozen movie released in 2013, Disney released Frozen II in November of last year. Now available on Disney+, Blu-ray, DVD, and Prime Video, this follows Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven on a journey to discover the secrets of the past in an effort to help their kingdom.

Elsa rules over the peaceful kingdom of Arendelle with her sister, Princess Anna, but she has steadily felt her powers growing and doesn't always feel Ardendelle is where she belongs. When a mysterious song continues to keep her awake, Elsa decides to answer the siren's call. Elsa, Anna, and their friends make their way to the enchanted forest to find the answers they seek, only to discover there is more to the history of Arendelle and their relationship with the neighboring tribe of Northuldra than they could ever imagine.

Captivating, exciting, and funny are all words to describe this sequel, but parents should be aware Frozen II is a bit darker and more intense than the original movie. When Elsa agrees to answer the siren's call, it comes at a cost. While, ultimately, things turn out the way one would expect in a Disney movie--happily ever after--the journey is fraught with danger and emotion (topics like death, feeling rejected and alone, Olaf talking about how he will understand everything once he matures, and the discovery of Arendelle's past) that may be intense for some children. The scene where Elsa extinguishes the fire in the enchanted forest might be frightening.

Overall, I felt this is a great movie with superb animation. Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff all sing songs that will tug at your heartstrings, and the ending will definitely make you smile.



Official Sites: Disney+ | Official Site
Runtime: 103 min
Language: English
Release Date: 22 November 2019 (USA)
Rated PG for action/peril and some thematic elements

I watched this movie on Disney+. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Mailbox Monday - July 20

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

How is it Monday again? Oh, right. Every day seems the same now that we are pretty much trapped in our houses together. LOL! Sometimes you just have to make a joke to lighten the mood. We are blessed to be healthy, so that's a good thing.

After a rough week, I drove to visit my mother-in-law so that my brother-in-law and sister-in-law could have a break. She had been with them since March and they haven't gone anywhere considering the pandemic. I'm not sure I would want to camp in the middle of a heat wave, but I am sure the change of pace is good.

As for me, I'm enjoying my new Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Unlimited. I've even watched a movie or two. With the gift card from my birthday, I bought the following two cookbooks that arrived this week.

I scooped up these two Kindle freebies.

I promoted this book when it first came out, but never had a chance to read it for the tour.

These are the books I grabbed through Kindle Unlimited. The first one I grabbed for curiosity's sake. I have a three-month free trial. If I don't read anything off my list, then I will cancel before October.

I have two more books arriving this week. I'm in the middle of reading one that will take me a while, so I will probably need to break off and read the next book I have scheduled for review in August.

That's it from my neck of the woods. What did your mailbox hold? Anything good you would like to share?

An Imperfect Christian Mom's COVID-19 Diary #13

 

Have you ever felt defeated? Not hopeless or angry, but downright defeated? Welcome to my world.

I am tired of asking for help cleaning the house while I try to balance home and work responsibilities. I am tired of being the only one who cooks or does laundry. You know who I have to blame for that? The person I see in the mirror.

In my desire to provide the girls a carefree childhood, I skipped over the importance of chores. By the time I tried to reverse that issue, they were no longer interested in being mama's little helpers. 

Now, I have to beg, cry, and sometimes scream to get help. Their rooms look like war zones. The bonus room is a disaster area. It seems no one cares about a clean house other than me. I try to ignore it, but the mess drives me crazy.

After a busy day, someone else cooking supper would be lovely. What would it feel like if I came home to clean laundry or vacuumed floors?

This week, I started a new Bible plan title Finding Peace by Charles Stanley. Yesterday's devotional was particularly helpful. It discussed the 5 Essential Beliefs for a Peaceful Heart. I might just read that for a few days to see if I can refocus my heart and mind on what's important.

What do you do to find peace?

Book Review: The Christian Christmas Condition by Scott Rankin

Author Scott Rankin asks readers to join him along a journey of considering many favorite Christmas traditions and viewing them from God's perspective.

The Christian Christmas Condition brings you through history to uncover how traditions like the Christmas tree were repurposed into symbols and celebrations of Christ's birth. But, is that how God wants it to be? Are we honoring Him and glorifying Him when we re-purpose a pagan tradition? Is it right to tell our children about the existence of Santa Claus and his expectations of being good to get gifts? When we finally tell them Santa Claus is made up, how can they believe us when we tell them an unseen God who loves and provides for us is real? These and other topics of discussion may have you reconsidering your holiday traditions.

I have to be honest with you: this is not an easy read. It's an excellent book, and it poses important questions to Christians about family traditions, but you can't help but feel uncomfortable by them. Who wants to be told their time-honored tradition of an evergreen tree harkens back to the time when Romans celebrated a festival where no one could be arrested or convicted for a variety of horrible crimes? I sure don't.

One, however, can't argue against the Biblical stories of Gideon and other ordinary men and women whose obedience to God came with great rewards ...just like the rewards our obedience gains for us. Rankin put together the puzzle pieces into an inspiring and encouraging way to allow us to see how Christmas can be so much more. I love how he reminded readers that God didn't focus on His Son's birth. He focused on Jesus as our Savior ...an act that was thirty-three years in the making. His birth isn't the important part. His death and resurrection are.

Am I ready to pitch my Christmas trees in the fire? I can't say that I am. However, Rankin has given me a lot to think about. I'm glad he shared how his family phased in changing their Christmas traditions, because, admittedly, he also felt there was nothing wrong with the Christmas tree and Santa Claus traditions when his wife first questioned them. Rakin encourages each of us to discover the direction God desires for us and reminds us not to be afraid to ask the question, "What does God say about this?"

Paperback: 196 pages
Publisher: Scott Rankin Publishing (November 25, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1734084804
ISBN-13: 978-1734084801

I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Task it Tuesday - July 13

Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task it Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.

Well, it has been a few weeks since I posted a Task it Tuesday. I don't keep a task list when I'm on vacation. That kind of defeats the purpose of vacation.

Let's face it---2020 has been kind of a bust. I had a stellar year planned in many ways. Then the pandemic hit; we lost my father-in-law; and, as much as we love each other, spending every day at home together isn't all it's cracked up to be. The vacation helped us a great deal. Now, I am ready to get back on track.

Here is this week's list:

• Meal planning - DONE
• Daily Bible reading - Started a new week-long plan
• Update planner  - on track
• Walk three days this week
• Book review due Wednesday
• Empty pantry Tuesday night or Wednesday morning - new doors and frame being installed

That's it for this week. Not sure if I will accomplish everything, but I need to stay focused.

What's on your to-do list this week?