Sunday, September 29, 2019

(Vegan) Caldo Verde Soup for Cook the Books August/September Pick: The Food Explorer & Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

It's Cook the Books time again, and your truly was the host for our foodie non-fiction, The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats by Daniel Stone. (See my announcement post here.) Of course the deadline for entries is tomorrow as per usual, I am dashing in at the last moment with my review and book-inspired dish.


The Food Explorer hits all my foodie book buttons as I love reading about botany, food history and travel, and it has plenty of all three. I was given mangoes from a friend's yard recently, I packed seedless grapes for lunch this week, and I can't go too long without avocado toast. that these foods are part of the vast selection of produce from beans to watermelon, that we have available to enjoy today, we can thank David Fairchild who brought these and many other crops to America from around the world in the late nineteenth century. I had no idea that kale came from Croatia (called capuzzo by the people of Austria-Hungary) and that he introduced the gorgeous cherry blossoms to Washington DC. Although there were a few dry spots in the book, it is a fun read and even a bit of a nail-biter reading about Fairchild's exploits and his brushes with the law, disease, and bureaucratic red tape. There are two kinds of people, those who eat to live and those who live to eat and I think the later group can't help but be charmed by this interesting book. Many thanks to my Cook the Books co-host Simona of briciole who sent me a list of books as suggestions for my pick as it might not have come across my plate (pun intended) otherwise.


For my book-inspired dish, I had to go with kale, probably one of the most polarizing ingredients--at least among people I know. they either seem to love it and eat it regularly, or call it bitter and avoid it at all costs. I am closer to the love camp--if it's Tuscan kale (aka black or lacinato kale) and if it's prepared well. I like a good kale salad, love it sauteed in lots of garlic with a runny egg, and also I enjoy it in soups.


When it comes to kale soups I like the humble Portuguese Caldo Verde, simple and delicious. I decided to look to Nigel Slater's Classic Caldo Verde from TheGuardian.com as my starting point and make a vegan version. 

Nigel says, "In its purest form, this heart-warming Portuguese broth contains nothing more than potatoes, garlic, couve gallego (a type of kale) and water. A soup for hard times. Even with freshly picked kale and new garlic without a hint of bitterness, the basic soup will warm and fill us, but little more. Most people will be looking to take this soup upscale by swapping the water for stock and adding some onion, bay leaves or smoked paprika. Many will add slices of chorizo."


The Recipe:
Cook a finely chopped onion and clove of garlic in a little olive oil for 2 minutes. Add 3 or 4 large potatoes, peeled and diced, cook them for a minute or two, then pour in a litre of water or stock. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are soft (if they break up then all to the good). Thickly slice 150g of spicy sausage then fry briefly in a nonstick pan. Remove the sausage, leaving the fat behind, and drop it into the soup. Finely shred 2 generous handfuls of kale and stir it into the hot soup. Serve with a small pool of olive oil floating on the surface. Serves 4. 

The Trick:
Traditionalists will make this with water, but vegetable or chicken stock deepens the flavour immeasurably. The trick is knowing when to stop tinkering. Caldo verde was a soup born to cope with an empty store cupboard, and gussying it up too much will lose its rustic soul.

The Twist:
Complete as it stands, this warming greens-based broth could be embellished with a few ingredients of your choice. Hide a round of garlic toast in the bottom before you ladle in the broth; introduce some cooked pasta – perhaps the diminutive rice-shaped orzo – or stir in some rinsed canned cannellini beans. Kale is standard, but any of the brassica family will work – the tougher and more fibrous the better.

Deb's Notes: I wanted a vegan but still meaty version so I started by slicing and cooking some Field Roast Vegan Italian Sausages in olive oil until the sides were browned and slightly crispy. I scooped out the sausage to drain on paper towels, then tipped the oil into a large soup pot, adding finely sliced onion and a clove of minced garlic and sauteing about 10 minutes until the onions started to brown. I added a couple of dashes of hot smoked paprika and sliced baby Yukon Gold potatoes and sauteed for another minute before adding 6 cups of non-chicken broth. I simmered the soup for about 15 minutes until potatoes were soft, then added the cooked sausage and one bunch of Tuscan kale, finely sliced. I simmered the soup for another 10 minutes before tasting for seasoning with salt & black pepper.


 Notes/Results: A tasty bowl of soup that could almost pass as meat-filled with the crispy bites of sausage. I like the slight bitterness of the kale and the sweet, creamy little potatoes. A classic soup, not too fancy. Next time I'll try Nigel's trick of the slice of garlic toast in the bottom of the bowl. I would happily make this again.


The deadline for this round of Cook the Books is tomorrow, September 30th and I'll be rounding up the entries on the CTB site soon after. If you missed this round and like food, books, and foodie books, join us for our October/November pick, The Temporary Bride: A Memoir of Love and Food in Iran by Jennifer Klinec, hosted by Claudia of Honey From Rock.


I am linking up this Nigel Slater recipe with I Heart Cooking Clubs where it is Potluck week. Our chance to cook with any of our 19 featured chefs. 
 

And finally linking up to September's Foodies Read. You can check out the September Foodies Read linkup, hosted by Heather at Based on a True Story, to see what everyone is reading this month.   


Now let's look into the Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays Kitchen and see who is here.

 
Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog shared Asian Quinoa Slaw Salad and said, "This festive Asian Quinoa Slaw will make a beautiful presentation at any get together. It's a colorful healthy recipe that includes shredded red cabbage, shredded carrots, crunchy pecans, raw sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and chopped green scallions and is mixed with a generous portion of flavorful tricolored quinoa and Asian dressing."


Tina of Squirrel Head Manor brought Irish Beef and Root Vegetable Stew and said, "I was told this is a very easy recipe and prep. Oh. My. I wish I could share the aroma of this stew as it brewed. Incredible. I highly recommend this Irish Stew.  This was prepared in the Instant Pot but I'm sure it could be adapted to a Dutch Oven....not sure if it would be as tender though."

 
Thanks to Judee & Tina for joining in this week!

About Souper Sundays:

Souper Sundays (going since 2008) now has a format of a picture link each week where anyone interested can post their soups, salads, or sandwiches at any time during the week and I post a recap of the entries the following week.

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
 
If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...


To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

  • Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.
and 

On your entry post (on your blog):
  • Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
  • You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!
 

Sunday, September 22, 2019

(Not) Chicken Enchilada Soup: A Vegetarian Jackfruit Take for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

The September Eating Well Magazine had an article on Kindersoups--soups that would appeal to kids. I think of myself as a big kid sometimes and was drawn to the Chicken Enchilada Soup which looked so creamy and inviting. Since I don't eat meat or chicken, I replaced it with canned jackfruit, as it works really well in soups and stews. My changes to the recipe are noted in red below.


Eating Well says, "Corn tortillas thicken this chicken enchilada soup, but Cheddar and cream cheese give it the richness you'd expect from an enchilada. Serve it with something fresh and crunchy like a jicama slaw dressed with a little olive oil and lime juice for a healthy dinner that will appeal to the whole family."


(Not) Chicken Enchilada Soup
Adapted from Eating Well Magazine, Sept. 2019, Recipe by Annie Peterson
(Serves 6

1 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used no-sodium non-chicken broth)
1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted tomatoes)
1 (4-oz) can diced green chiles 
(I added 1 1/2 cups frozen corn)
6 corn tortillas, chopped (I added 2 extra tortillas when I stirred in the cheese)
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (I used about 3 cups seasoned jackfruit*)
4 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese (I used a sharp cheddar cheese)
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
fresh cilantro, sour cream and/or guacamole for garnish

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes, chiles, (corn) tortillas, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Add chicken (jackfruit) and cream cheese, stirring until the cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat. Combine shredded cheese and cornstarch in a small bowl and gradually add to the soup, stirring until melted. (I also added two more chopped corn tortillas as mine had completely melted.) Return the pot to medium heat and cook until hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the soup with cilantro, sour cream and/or guacamole, if desired.

*For the jackfruit, I rinsed and drained two cans (about 3 cups total) of jackfruit and used my fingers to pull it apart. I sauteed it with a little olive oil and my favorite taco seasoning mix before adding it to the soup.


Notes/Results:  Like a rich and creamy tortilla soup, this one is a very tasty bowl-full. It is very thick (I did add extra tortillas) so if you like things more soup-ish than stew-ish, you might try adding an extra cup of broth. I liked the addition of the corn, hominy would be good too. If you want to make it vegan, just sub in vegan cheese, cream cheese and sour cream. I am looking forward to my lunches of this soup this week. I'd happily make it again.


Let's look into the Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays Kitchen and see who is here.


Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog shared a few of her Carrot, Jicama, and Apple Coleslaw recipes, saying, "If you are looking for an easy, but healthy simple vegan side dish, think about sweet and juicy apple jicama coleslaw! Everyone seems to enjoy it, and it can literally be made in minutes with the shredding blade of your food processor. If you don't have jicama, I've included another dairy free, gluten free recipe that is also made with apple !! I'm not talking about the commercial mayonnaise drenched coleslaw that you can buy at the store. My recipes are fresh, low calorie, (zero points on WW), raw, nourishing and versatile."

Elizabeth of Literature and Limes shared Moroccan Lentil Chickpea Stew, inspired by a recent read and said, "Like I said, there were a lot of mentions of food in this book. Nothing in this book though was entirely crucial to the telling of the story. It was all mentioned rather in passing. So the reason I chose the Moroccan stew is because there was a scene that sort of revolved around this dinner with the stew. I didn’t make it with the lamb and the apricots that were discussed in The Great Believers, because unfortunately buying lamb is really hard at my local stores and when I can find it, is very expensive. ... This hearty stew was a great way to begin into soup season, with us meeting one of our colder nights since summer started."

  
Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach shared a recipe for Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Chicken that can be used as sandwich fixins' on rolls or buns. She said,"This is so quick and easy to get ready for the fridge, and tastes really good. ... Serve on buns or rolls (gluten-free if you are on a GF diet) as sandwiches. ... It was very good but since the flavor wasn’t quite as bold as I like, when I make it again I’ll double the sauce ingredients. The recipe says it makes 6 servings but for us it was a lot more than that."

 
Debra of Eliot's Eats shared the Kale-Quinoa Salad with Pistachios and Raisins and Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette inspired by our current Cook the Books read, The Food Explorer. She said, "Because of the kale, quinoa, pistachios and raisins that Fairchild “discovered” along with wanting to give a nod to Meyer, I decided to make a salad combining all these flavors. ... This salad turned out quite tasty if I do say so myself. The pistachios paired well with the nutty quinoa and the raisins gave it the right amount of sweet. I have to say that this kale salad was both charismatic and delicious!"


 Thanks to everyone who joined in this week!

 About Souper Sundays:

Souper Sundays (going since 2008) now has a format of a picture link each week where anyone interested can post their soups, salads, or sandwiches at any time during the week and I post a recap of the entries the following week.

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
 
If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...


To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

  • Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.
and 

On your entry post (on your blog):
  • Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
  • You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!
 

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Mark Bittman's Shrimp and Egg Drop Soup with Wonton Ribbons for Souper (Soup, Salad, & Sammie) Sundays

It's still feeling like the peak of summer here with the humidity making the mid-to-high 80s feel like the mid-to-high 90s. I was going to make a cold soup but I was craving egg drop soup and wanted to try Mark Bittman's Shrimp and Egg Drop Soup with Wonton Ribbons from Dinner for Everyone. The quick cooking time made it bearable to be in the kitchen and since the soup is not too heavy, it works for the warmer weather too.


I was mostly intrigued with the combination of ingredients that Bittman uses to flavor this one saying, "Since making shrimp or stock is neither fast or easy  for weeknights, the secret way to crank up flavor in a hurry is to simmer anchovies, soy sauce, and lemon juice with water along with peeled shrimp. Egg drops and fresh wonton "noodles" make the Easy soup a meal."

I made a few small changes based on my likes and what I had on hand, noted in red below.


Shrimp and Egg Drop Soup with Wonton Ribbons
Slightly Adapted from Dinner for Everyone by Mark Bittman
(Serves 4)

2 Tbsp good quality vegetable oil
4 scallions, white and green parts separated and chopped
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 Tbsp chopped ginger
salt and pepper
2 anchovy fillets, or to taste
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or to taste
(I added 1 Tbsp tamari/soy sauce)
(I used 3 cups light veggie stock with 4 cups water)
1 1/2 lbs peeled medium shrimp (I used the jumbo I had on hand)
(I added 3/4 cup frozen peas)
16 wonton skins, cut into wide ribbons (I used 8 eggroll skins)
4 eggs
(I added toasted sesame seeds & chili oil to serve)

Put the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the scallion whites, garlic and ginger and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the aromatics are soft and beginning to color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the anchovies and cook, mashing with a spoon until they've dissolved. 

Add the lemon juice (and soy sauce) and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom. Add the shrimp (and peas) and seven cups water (or water and stock) and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue cooking until the shrimp just begin to turn opaque (about a minute or 2 for small shrimp, 3-4 minutes for large)

Add the wonton skin noodles and adjust heat so the broth bubbles gently. Put the eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork. Pour the eggs into the pot in a slow stream, stirring constantly. You want them to scramble softly and form ribbons, so it's essential to keep stirring until the eggs are cooked, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove soup from heat, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Serve right away, garnished with the scallion greens (and sesame seeds and chili oil if desired).


Notes/Results: I like this soup quite a bit. I was a little concerned that the anchovies and lemon would make it odd, but neither flavor stands out. I ended up using part light veggie stock and water for the broth and think it added more flavor. The shrimp and peas are lightly sweet and the wonton (or eggroll) skin noodles are fun and with the egg make the soup more satisfying. I would make this again. 


Linking this post up with I Heart Cooking Clubs were this coming week's theme is S is for September--dishes featuring ingredients that start with "S" --like shrimp and scallions.


 Let's look into the Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays Kitchen and see who is here.


Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog shared her Instant Pot Butternut Squash Sage Soup and said, "Butternut squash seasoned with fresh sage makes a delightful soup that is both soothing and delicious. The temperatures are getting a little cooler, and I'm starting to think about fall flavors and comforting soups. I made my soup in the Instant Pot, but it can also be made on the stove top for those of you or are still holding out. The recipe has only 7 ingredients and is easy to make. It's a light soup and is a zero point soup of Weight Watchers!"



Harriet of RecipePocket is back at Souper Sundays this week with a salad accessory, these  Easy Savory Sweet Potato Muffins. She says, "These easy savory sweet potato muffins are soft, moist and are oil and sugar free. Delicious hot, warm or cold, they are perfect for breakfast or, the lunchbox and can be served with salad for a healthy light evening meal."



Tina of Squirrel Head Manor brought Pizza Salad and said, "I had been reading an autobiography by Eric Clapton and enjoying that during lunch. One of my lunches was a clean-out-the-fridge mission which inspired a pizza salad. Lots of salad greens, radish, cukes, pea pods, carrots and a deconstructed bit of pizza toppings. I scraped the cheesy veggie topping off and mixed it with the salad. It was good! And I avoided the extra carbs by harvesting only the cheese and veggie toppings. Alas, pizza is my always my downfall with a weight loss plan. I love it so. Maybe I'll just walk more......."

 
Thanks to Judee, Harriet & Tina for joining in this week!

 About Souper Sundays:

Souper Sundays (going since 2008) now has a format of a picture link each week where anyone interested can post their soups, salads, or sandwiches at any time during the week and I post a recap of the entries the following week.

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
 
If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...


To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

  • Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.
and 

On your entry post (on your blog):
  • Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
  • You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!
 

Friday, September 13, 2019

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "The Only Skill That Matters" by Jonathan Levi, Served with a Recipe for Baked Eggs in Avocado with Salsa

Friday the 13th and a full micromoon make this Friday a bit more unique than many. If you want to learn and remember the history and science behind it but just don't learn or remember quickly, today's TLC Book Tour of The Only Skill That Matters by Jonathan Levi is for you. It's a book about becoming a superlearner--reading faster and remembering more. To fuel your learning, there's a recipe for Baked Eggs in Avocado with Salsa paired with my review.


Publisher's  Blurb

In the next ten years, every knowledge worker on earth will become one of two things: invaluable or obsolete. No matter the industry, the pace of progress and new information is faster today than ever before in human history—and it’s accelerating exponentially.
In this new reality, how can we possibly hope to keep up? How can we learn, unlearn, and relearn fast enough to stay relevant in the world to come?

In The Only Skill That Matters, Jonathan Levi unveils a powerful, neuroscience-based approach to reading faster, remembering more, and learning more effectively. You’ll master the ancient techniques being used by world record holders and competitive memory athletes to unlock the incredible capacity of the human brain. You’ll learn to double or triple your reading speed, enhance your focus, and optimize your cognitive performance. Most importantly, you’ll be empowered to confidently approach any subject—from technical skills, to names and faces, to foreign languages, and even speeches—and learn it with ease.

Lioncrest Publishing
Paperback: 185 Pages


My Review: 

I consider myself to be a relatively fast learner and reader and pretty good about remembering what I am interested in learning about but The Only Skill That Matters  taught me a lot in under 200 pages. Jonathan Levi breaks down the science of the brain in an easy and intriguing way, teaching techniques for chunking down learning and reading in order to move through it quickly while still retaining what you've read. A few of the techniques I had heard of or used before but I was interested to read the reasons behind why they work. I found Levi's methods for remembering names particularly helpful as it normally takes me several times of hearing a person's name before I have it down. I made a point of using his highly detailed visualizations for the names of the new hires in the orientation I led this week, and found myself remembering their names more quickly and easily than ever before. Levi freely admits most of his methods take effort and practice, making them go beyond "quick hacks"--but he provides exercises and supplements them with extra information and free tools on his website including a Speed Reading Flight Checklist and a Learning Preparation Worksheet. There are also several interesting interviews about memory and learning and Superlearner Success Stories in video and podcast form. I think this book will appeal to students and younger learners as well as those of us "older dogs" who want to learn new skills and keep our retention and memory capacity at an optimum level. I am looking forward to practicing more of Levi's techniques and exploring some of the tools he mentions.

-----


Author Notes: JONATHAN LEVI is a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, podcaster, and bestselling author of the Become a SuperLearner book and online course series. After struggling for decades as a student and “slow learner,” Jonathan discovered a powerful methodology for learning faster and remembering more. Since 2014, Jonathan has taught this methodology to over 220,000 people in 205 countries and territories. His award-winning podcast, SuperHuman Academy, has been downloaded over 3 million times. Jonathan has been featured in such media outlets as The Wall Street Journal, Inc., BusinessInsider, and LifeHacker UK. He lives in Tel Aviv, Israel, with his wife, Limmor. To learn more, visit superhumanacademy.com.

-----
 
Food Inspiration:

In a short book about learning and memory there was not much food focus, however Levi offers a chapter about good habits to get into like getting enough sleep, napping, and eating right. He recommends getting plenty of Omega 3s through things like fish and chia seeds and suggests switching out your breakfast bread and cereal for the healthy fats and protein in eggs and avocado. So for my book-inspired dish I decided to make eggs bake in an avocado and top it with salsa for extra flavor.


There are plenty of recipes for the keto-friendly avocado baked eggs online. I kept it simple with just a few ingredients and a big punch of flavor from the chunky salsa on top.


Baked Eggs in Avocado with Salsa
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Serves 1 or 2)

1 large, ripe avocado
2 small eggs
sea salt and black pepper
1/4 cup salsa

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, F.

Slice avocado in half and remove pit. If the pit is small, spoon out a bit more of the avocado flesh to make room for the egg.  

Gently crack the eggs into a bowl, be careful to keep the yoke unbroken. Place the avocado halves in a small baking pan, keeping them against the edges so avocados don't tip. Spoon a yolk into the avocado half and spoon in enough egg white to fill the the rest of the hole. Repeat with the remaining avocado half. Gently place pan in oven and bake for about 15-17 minutes until egg whites are set.

Top the baked avocados with salsa and serve immediately. Enjoy.


Notes/Results: Just an easy and satisfying breakfast or dinner that takes just a few minutes to prepare. I loved the creamy avocado and runny-egg-yolk combination--the whites set just right and the slightly spicy salsa on top. I'll happily make it again.


I'm sharing this post with the Weekend Cooking event at Beth Fish Reads, a weekly event that is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share. For more information, see the welcome post.

Note: A review copy of "The Only Skill That Matters" was provided to me by the author and the publisher, via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for my review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own. 
 
You can see the other stops for this TLC Book Tour and what other bloggers thought of the book here.