Five Soups with Toppings That Take Them to the Next Level for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

I love how toppings can take a simple bowl of soup to the next level. Here are five favorites:

White Bean Farro Soup with Chickpea Parmigiana by Terry Hope Romero uses chickpea flour for a fun, cheese-ish topping in a vegan soup. 

Moroccan Lentil Soup with Yogurt & Chili-Fried Onions--so many layers of flavor in this lentil soup by Diana Henry.

There's something about lentils and chili oil because Ottolenghi's Red Lentil Soup with Fried Tofu and Chilli Oil is another favorite.

And tofu cubes as a topping work really well in Chloe Coscarelli's Vegan Ramen Bowl with Crispy Hoisin Tofu.

Finally, there's Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Mushroom & Hazelnut Topping where the topping is a unique mix on Ellie's Krieger's simple pureed soup. 

I could easily find another five, ten or twenty soups for this theme! But instead, let's check out the Souper Sundays kitchen and see who is here:

First up is Melynda from Scratch Made Food with a slaw salad. She says, "Celery Root Carrot and Apple Slaw is easy, delicious! Fall is the perfect time to add a vegetable salad to your dinner table, and this one will become a new family favorite. We love this salad because it is delicious, and adding more vegetables to the table is always a good thing!"

Next is Debra of Eliot's Eats with her Spicy White Pumpkin Soup. Debra says, "After Halloween, I found a few pumpkins on sale—for 50 cents a piece. I had to buy some to roast. These were “white” pumpkins (Pumpkins Lumina). While I was writing this post, I was roasting them so it just made sense to utilize them for something Friendsgiving-like. I was also spending part of the morning going through my November magazines (bon appetit, Food & Wine, Southern Living, and Martha Stewart). I garnished with sliced jalapenos, cilantro, and crumbled cojita."

Finally, Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog shared her insta-pot Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup, saying, "Combined with red lentils, butternut squash makes a hearty cool weather soup that is filling, comforting, and delicious. The savory flavors come from tomatoes, peppers, onions, chiles, potatoes and cumin. Although this recipe could also be made on the stove top, I made this version the Instant Pot. It's fast and easy, especially if you buy pre-cut up butternut squash to avoid having to peel, clean out the seeds, and chop the firm squash (I peeled and chopped)."

Thank you Debra, Judee and Melynda for joining me this 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.
• Although we are pretty wide on what defines a soup, sandwich or salad, entries that are clearly not in the same family (ie: desserts, meats, random main or side dishes that aren't salads, etc.) are meant for another round up and will be deleted. 

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!

 

Ina's Chilled Cucumber Soup with Shrimp for Souper (Soup, Salad, & Sammie) Sundays

I usually wait until after Memorial Day to slide in a few chilled soups for the summer but the heart and stomach want what they want and I wanted cold cucumber soup. 

The trade winds died down this weekend and it's 80 degrees F., and so not having to turn on an oven or stove today was appealing. I chose Ina Garten's Chilled Cucumber Soup with Shrimp as today's recipe because the shrimp make this soup more substantial and satisfying. Crab or smoked salmon would be equally delicious on top. 

Chilled Cucumber Soup with Shrimp

From Ina Garten, Cook Like a Pro via Food Network

(Yields 9 Servings)

2 (17-oz) containers Greek yogurt

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

3 hothouse cucumbers, unpeeled, seeded, and chopped

3/4 cup chopped red onion

9 scallions, white & green parts, chopped

2 Tbsp kosher salt, or to taste

1 Tbsp black pepper, or to taste

1/4 cup fresh dill

3/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice (about 6 lemons)

3/4 lb cooked large shrimp, halved

thin slices of lemon, halved, for garnish

fresh dill for garnish

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yogurt, half-and-half, cucumbers, red onion, scallions, salt, and pepper. Transfer the mixture in batches to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until cucumbers are coarsely pureed and then pour into another bowl. Continue processing the soup until all of it is pureed. Fold in the dill, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until very cold. 

Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice. Serve chilled, garnished with the shrimp, lemon, and fresh dill.

Notes/Results: Tangy and refreshing from the lemon and yogurt I could almost feel this soup rehydrating me with every bite. The herby notes of the dill and sweetness of the shrimp are a nice contrast. I followed Ina's recipe mostly although I used my high-speed blender instead of dragging out my food processor and found I needed less salt (and pepper) than called for between the yogurt and the lemon. I love cucumbers in the summer and this soup makes the most of them. If you don't have a lot of experience with eating cold soups, I think cucumber is a good one to start with and this soup is quick and easy to make and would be perfect enjoyed al fresco with some crusty bread. I would happily make it again. 

Linking up with I Heart Cooking Clubs where the theme is Picnic Prep this week--recipes good for picnics and outdoor dining. 

It's just me in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week, but come and join me sometime with a soup, salad, or sandwich post. Details for joining in are below.

(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.
• Although we are pretty wide on what defines a soup, sandwich or salad, entries that are clearly not in the same family (ie: desserts, meats, random main or side dishes that aren't salads, etc.) are meant for another round up and will be deleted. 

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!

 

One Flew Over the Couscous Nest Middle Eastern Minestrone with Chickpeas & Israeli Couscous for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays and #BlendsBash2020

It's a bit of deja vu this week as last Sunday I was experimenting in my kitchen with a Book Blend from the The Book Club Cookbook's Lord of the Fries Garlic Seasoning Blend (you can see my Lord of the Fries Seasoned Pan-Fried Gnocchi in Creamy Garlic Soup here) and this Sunday finds me back in my kitchen and experimenting with another Book Blend; One Flew Over the Couscous Nest and creating another delicious soup inspired by it. Oh well, in my book you can never have too many soups or too many punny seasoning blends!

One Flew Over the Couscous Nest; Couscous Seasoning is of course named after One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a novel by Ken Kesey. Set in an Oregon psychiatric hospital, I think it was a rule that you had to read it at some point in the upper grades high school if you lived in the state, and watch the movie along with it. Wikipedia says that, "the narrative serves as a study of institutional processes and the human mind as well as a critique of psychiatry and a tribute to individualistic principles."

One Flew Over the Couscous Nest spice blend is hand blended from cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon and parsley and can be added to dry couscous to be steamed. I like the note on the side of the bottle: "Nurse Ratched would disapprove, but this earthy North African blend is a distinctive match for your couscous, adding a dose of individuality."  I'd also add this blend to eggs, rice dishes, any vegetables and fish or meat skewers.  

My One Flew Over the Couscous Nest Middle Eastern Minestrone with Chickpeas & Israeli Couscous is my Middle Eastern take on an Italian classic soup minestrone which basically translates to "big soup." This is a big soup in terms of flavor and ingredients as it's I have replaced the more traditional white or kidney beans with chickpeas and the Italian pasta with Israeli or pearled couscous. I added in eggplant and zucchini and of course the warm and exotic One Flew Over the Couscous Nest seasoning.

One Flew Over the Couscous Nest Middle Eastern Minestrone with Chickpeas & Israeli Couscous

By Deb, Kahahkai Kitchen

(Makes 6 Servings)

 

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 large celery stalk, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp One Flew Over the Couscous Nest Seasoning Blend, or similar flavor profile

1 tsp chili pepper flakes, or to taste (I used Aleppo pepper)

1 large zucchini chopped

2 medium Japanese eggplant, chopped

1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes + their juices

1  (24 oz) jar of your favorite brand of marinara or garlic pasta sauce

4 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups dried Israeli  couscous

sea salt and black pepper to taste

 

To serve: chopped fresh parsley and  yogurt or labni if desired. (If you want to keep it vegan, use a non-dairy milk version).

Heat the oil in the bottom of a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook about 10 minutes, until veggies have softened. Add garlic, One Flew Over the Couscous Nest seasoning blend and chili pepper flakes and cook another minute or two until fragrant. Add the zucchini and eggplant and stir to coat in the spices. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, pasta sauce, and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes. Raise heat until soup is bubbling and stir in the Israeli couscous. Cook about 8 minutes, until couscous is tender. Taste and add sea salt and black pepper as desired.

Serve in bowls garnished with chopped fresh parsley and a spoonful of yogurt or labne on top. Enjoy!

Notes/Results: A stomach and soul-warming soup, rich and full of exotic flavor and a little bit of heat. It's thick and chunky and almost stew like, so if you want brothier soup you can reduce the couscous or add more broth to get the consistency you like. I love the One Flew Over the Couscous Nest blend as it is aromatic, warming, slightly smoky and has a little touch of almost sweetness from the cinnamon--it's a blend that makes you take a step back and wonder what's in it. It transforms the soup and takes it up a level. I would happily make it again. (BTW: if you can't find Israeli couscous, you could use regular couscous or even bulgur wheat.)  

This soup is my third recipe created for for #BlendsBash2020. If you missed my Dukkah Earl Grilled Eggplant Toasts with Whipped Feta & Dukkah post, go take a look and see my introduction to Blends Bash, 2020 hosted by The Book Club Cookbook, purveyor of delicious seasoning blends cleverly named after books, television shows, and music. 

Many thanks to The Book Club Cookbook for providing me with this fun and delicious seasoning blend. I received no compensation for taking part in the virtual 2020 #BlendsBash party and my thoughts and experience using the blends are my own.

I'll be sharing at least  one more recipe between now and December as will more than 30 other bloggers as part of the 2020 Blends Bash!  You can check out all the bloggers participating in the #BlendsBash here.

Here's a sneak peek the blends i'm featuring from October to December in their adorable packaging. These blends are so delicious and fun--they make wonderful gifts for your foodie friends and fans of the many book, TV and song blends they feature. Check out a list of blends here.

Speaking of soup, let's take a look into the Souper Sundays kitchen and see who is here this week!

Crafty Gardener is back with some warming Chilly for Chili, saying "When it gets chilly out it is time to cook a pot of chili. I make lots and freeze it for later, as you never know when you need some comfort food. Once the chili is done, serve with some nice crusty bread and freeze portions for later." 

Thank you for joining me this week Crafty Gardener!

(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!

 

Cold Cucumber Yogurt Soup: Quick & Refreshing for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

This week, I bring you the soup I tossed together while waiting for Hurricane Douglas to approach Hawaii. As a mentioned in my update to last week's post, the storm bypassed the islands and we got really lucky.

This is a simple and refreshing cold soup and my attempt to use two softening cucumbers and some Greek yogurt nearing its best-by date. Onion, rice vinegar and a bottle of freeze-dried dill rounded out the flavors.

Cold Cucumber Yogurt Soup
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Makes 4 Serving)

1 small sweet onion, chopped
2 large English cucumbers, peeled and chopped (reserved some diced cucumber reserved for serving)
8 oz plain Greek yogurt
2 Tsp dried dill or 1 Tbsp fresh dill, or to taste
1 Tbsp rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add additional vinegar, dill, salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving and serve topped with reserved diced cucumber. Enjoy.

Notes/Results: I know that not everyone loves a cold soup or cucumbers, but they sure make for a simple cool, refreshing and really tasty soup. The vinegar and yogurt give it a brightness and the dill compliments the cucumber with its herby flavor notes. It takes all of about 10 minutes to put together and then just time to chill it. I will happily make it again.

We have some good friends in the Super Sunday kitchen this week--some that have been gathering since last week. Let's have a look at what they brought!

My friend, the lovely Tina of Squirrel Head Manor brought a salad and a sandwich this week. Her salad is one of my favorites Pea Salad, that she served with roasted chicken. Tina says, "For the life of me I can't find a recipe for the pea salad I had in mind so....I improvised.  Actually it's not like this is a hard salad to put together but I swear, think I saw one in Lee Bailey's cookbook or maybe Jacques Pépin.... No matter. ... This is a cold salad so for those us in the sweltering northern hemisphere, this is a perfect side dish. I can't call this a recipe as it's such a simple thing to toss together."

Tina also brought this delectable Avocado, Tomato & Cheese Melt. She says, "Let's talk lunch! It's an easy lunch you can make at home or on the road.  Do I post a recipe for this?  Nope - it's dead simple. ... This is vegetarian but you can obviously add any of your favorite ingredients like bacon. Oh, mushrooms would work for me too...or grilled or carmelized onions. Next time..............."

Beth Fish Reads joined us last week with these yummy-looking Faux Cubanos, saying "I did things slightly different from the recipe in the book. I don't know if our pitas were bigger than theirs, but we needed extra cheese and ham to cover the bread. So where the recipe says two slices of cheese and ham, we used three. Also, I am not a fan of mayo so we cut the ingredients in half and used the sauce on only one sandwich. Mr. BFR said the sauce was good. The photo is scanned from the cookbook because I was way too lazy and too hungry to set up a photo shoot.

Shaheen of Allotment2Kitchen shared Courgette Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce last week, saying, "Food at home this week has been light and simple all this week, because of my sensitive belly. The natural flavours from the vegetables and  fresh herbs came through in this Courgette and Tomato Pasta.  I also liked that the courgettes retained a bit of crunch.  Even though I was enjoying this colourful plate, I was struggling to eat everything on the plate, so the remainder was decanted into a tub and put in the fridge, either for later in the evening if I got hungry again or for the following day for lunch." 

Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog stopped by this week with Vegan Peach Caprese Salad with Cashew Basil Dressing, saying "I have my kids for dinner (on the deck) every Friday night. With the unbearable heatwave we have been having, salads are what we feel like eating. I made my salad vegan, and added a delicious sweet cashew dressing, but you could easily add mozzarella cheese balls or slices if you eat dairy." 

Thank you to everyone who joined in! 

(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!

 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "The Lucky One" by Lori Rader-Day, Served with a Recipe for (Not-From-A-Box) Macaroni and Cheese

Happy Aloha Friday! Once again, my week has been crazy and I am more than ready for the weekend. To kick it off, I am happy to be today's stop on the TLC Book Tour for The Lucky One, a mystery/suspense novel by Lori Rader-Day. Accompanying my review is a recipe for homemade Mac 'n Cheese with Greek Yogurt in the sauce, to make it just slightly healthier. ;-)
 

Publisher's Blurb:

Most people who go missing are never found. But Alice was the lucky one…

As a child, Alice was stolen from her backyard in a tiny Indiana community, but against the odds, her policeman father tracked her down within twenty-four hours and rescued her from harm. In the aftermath of the crime, her family decided to move to Chicago and close the door on that horrible day.

Yet Alice hasn’t forgotten. She devotes her spare time volunteering for a website called The Doe Pages scrolling through pages upon pages of unidentified people, searching for clues that could help reunite families with their missing loved ones. When a face appears on Alice’s screen that she recognizes, she’s stunned to realize it’s the same man who kidnapped her decades ago. The post is deleted as quickly as it appeared, leaving Alice with more questions than answers.

Embarking on a search for the truth, she enlists the help of friends from The Doe Pages to connect the dots and find her kidnapper before he hurts someone else. Then Alice crosses paths with Merrily Cruz, another woman who’s been hunting for answers of her own. Together, they begin to unravel a dark, painful web of lies that will change what they thought they knew—and could cost them everything.

Twisting and compulsively readable, The Lucky One explores the lies we tell ourselves to feel safe.

Paperback: 400 pages 

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (February 18, 2020)

My Review:

The Lucky One is my first book from Lori Rader-Day and I was pulled in by the premise and the fact that I am always fascinated by missing person cases and the non-law enforcement, civilians who try to solve them. The book starts with Alice who speeds much of her time on The doe Pages, a website devoted to the often cold cases of missing persons. A reason she wants to reunite people with their loved ones is that she was taken as a toddler but was tracked down and returned to her family--"the lucky one." On the website she sees the face of the man who kidnapped her, recently reported missing, and she and a couple of friends she has met through the network start searching for answers. Merrily is the young woman who reported her sorta stepfather missing on the site and soon Alice and Merrily's paths have crossed and they are looking for a man who impacted both of their lives. I don't want to go into any more details due to spoilers but I will say that many twists and turns kept me guessing throughout the book, and I guessed mostly wrong up until the very end--and I like when an author can make me doubt my crime-solving skills! ;-) It did take me about a third of the book or so to truly get into the story and the characters--at first I didn't like either Alice or Merrily, or any of the characters all that much, and I felt that it was taking too long to get to the action and suspense. What pulled me along were the twists and turns the story was taking--I really needed to know how it was all going to end up and I am glad I rode it out, because once the pace picked up, I was fully into it and didn't want to put it down. If you like a dark and twisty thriller, give this one a try. I will definitely be looking for more books from Rader-Day. 


-----

Author Notes: Lori Rader-Day is the author of Under a Dark Sky, The Day I Died, Little Pretty Things, and The Black Hour. She is a three-time Mary Higgins Clark Award nominee, winning the award in 2016. Lori lives in Chicago.

Find out more about Lori at her website, and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

-----

Food Inspiration:

There was not a lot of tempting food in the book but there were some mentions like soup, coffee, chocolate cake, Prosecco, little umbrella drinks, bacon, white wine, a Chicago hot dog, milkshakes, PBJ sandwiches with the crusts caught off that a construction worker brings for lunch, curry, cheeseburgers, corn, McDonald's fries and Coke, cereal, tea, pancakes with a bacon smile, beer, carrots in a garden, cake and lemonade. 

For my bookish dish, Alice is thinking about the night she was going to spend reviewing details on the missing persons website she volunteers with and macaroni and cheese from a box.

I was not that inspired by the food in the book but I am always up for macaroni and cheese and I had seen a recipe that incorporated Greek yogurt in an email that I wanted to try. Although Alice's macaroni and cheese was from a box, a good easy stove top version is quick and easy easy enough for a weeknight dinner.

Greek Yogurt Mac 'n Cheese 
Slightly Adapted from StoneyfieldYogurt.com 
(Makes 8 Servings)

1 medium Spanish onion (diced)
4 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup flour

2 cups Stonyfield Organic milk

1 tsp Tabasco or similar

1 tsp dry mustard powder

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock (optional)

3/4 lb sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)

1/4 lb Jack cheese or other favorite (shredded)

2 cups Stonyfield Organic Greek plain Whole Milk yogurt

16 oz pasta macaroni (cooked per instructions and set aside)

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 cup  grated Parmesan cheese

kosher salt and white pepper (to taste)

In a sauce pan, melt butter slowly and add diced onions and saute lightly for about 2 minutes. Strain onions out (you can discard them now) and return butter to pan. 

Add olive oil and flour and whisk until fully combined. Add milk 1 cup at a time and whisk to work out any lumps. Bring to simmer. Add spices and gently fold in cheeses then set aside to cool slightly. Once slightly cooled, add in yogurt one cup at a time.

Pour sauce over pasta and toss to coat. Garnish with toasted bread crumbs and Parmesan before serving.

Notes/Results: A tasty and easy macaroni and cheese. It's maybe not quite as cheesy as some mac 'n cheeses I have made but it's plenty creamy and there is an appealing tang to it from the Greek yogurt. I confess that my store did not carry Stonyfield yogurt so I used another brand--although I did use the milk. I definitely suggest buying the sharpest cheddar you have and topping it with the Parmesan and adding the ground mustard, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce to pump up the flavor. I bought seasoned panko for the top--another good idea for the crunchy bits. I happily ate a bowl for dinner and it was even better for lunch the next day. I would 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 Lucky One" was provided to me by the author and the publisher via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.  

You can see the stops for the rest of this TLC Book Tour and what other reviewers thought about the book here.