Debra said...
I would love a copyof this. I have the worst eating habits!
I saw a tweet by Sarah Mae about this book, clicked the link, saw that Kim was looking for people to review her new book and thought, " I have relatives who have diet restrictions, hmm." So, here I am reviewing an e-book.
I didn't even get to the recipes and I was hooked! In her introduction, she mentions using everyday products, minimal pots and pans, nothing fancy or complicated. As a mother of six, and one who HATES to do dishes, I was getting excited!
This was an eye-opener for me:
"I learned early on that it was in our best interest to eat foods in their whole form, as close to the way they were originally created as possible. I go to the grocery store equipped with my two target questions:
Is this something that was created as food?
Is it as close to the way it was created as possible?"
How many times out of 'convenience' do we grab the box of mac 'n cheese and hot dogs?
How easy are these groupings?
The Five Basic WHOLE FOOD Groups
Fruits
Vegetables
Grains
Beans
Nuts/seeds (and the oils of such)
Even those restricted to a gluten-free diet can still eat freely of four of the five food groups and only need to be selective about the grains you eat.
Getting more excited! I have friends who suffer from said syndrome.
"After we learned our foster son (now adopted) potentially had Asperger’s Syndrome, we began to eliminate gluten more thoroughly from our diet. Because most gluten-free recipes and products depended upon refined flours, gums and starches (devoid of fiber and nutritional value), I was committed to developing gluten-free recipes with whole ingredients. I was delighted to find that whole families could opt to prepare and consume the same gluten-free foods when they were enjoyable and affordable. No more purchasing expensive gluten-free foods for the member with health issues while the rest of the family ate “normal” foods! This whole exploration led to Everyday Gluten-Free."
This is the major reason why I am reviewing this book!
"Is this book just for vegans, vegetarians and those with food allergies?
Absolutely not. Anyone can benefit from incorporating these healthy, flavorful recipes into their diet. These nutritionally-dense meals will easily become family favorites, whether they’re served as a once-a-week “meat-free” selection or are simply part of a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle.
These wholesome staples also happen to be wheat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, yeast-free, sugar-free and egg-free and based entirely on plant-based foods, so those with dietary restrictions can eat freely of these foods!"
When I read the "Stocking the Basic Pantry" list, I was really excited! I have most of these ingredients already in my pantry! The only things were the oil, flax and sugar. Easy fixes.
Kim breaks the meals down into different categories, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Desserts/Snack. She is very thorough in explaining the how and why's to go about preparing grains, beans and the like for meal making. Upon reading, I was getting very excited to try some of the recipes because of their simplicity and overall yum factor. The three recipes that I picked are things my kids already enjoy: Fruit Smoothies, Chocolate Meltaways, and Mac and Cheese. I probably would have chosen more for this review, but I left the store without purchasing one major ingredient, flax! I forgot to write it on my list. I will, however, purchase this ingredient to try some of the other dishes because they really look delicious!
The Chocolate Meltaways have ingredients that I never thought of combining but they whipped up just like any other no-bake fudge. Well, after dinner, we tried them. The texture is similar to that of fudge. My two oldest children didn't really care for them, but my younger four devoured them! I thought that they tasted rather yummy. Like fudge, one must eat them in small quantities or you may start to gag on them, like my eldest did.
The Mac and Cheese dish was also very good. My children are cheese fanatics, so some of them upon recognizing that there was no cheese in the dish, refused to eat more. The other ones devoured the dish; my 11 month old especially! I thought that it had a great flavor to it.
The Fruit Smoothies were also delicious! All of my kids really liked them. They didn't even notice there was spinach in them! Definitely something I plan on making again. With the endless variations for what fruit to add, I think the kids will enjoy choosing different fruit combinations.
This book is great for families of all sizes! It also has different 'flavors' such as American, Mexican, Stir-fry, so you're able to mix it up a bit. I would definitely recommend this book to families who want to eat healthier, those wanting to simplify their pantry, who have dietary restrictions, or just want to try something different! There is something for everyone!
As a part of this review, I am also hosting a giveaway for a copy of the e-book. The giveaway runs today, December 9th, and Mr. Random will draw a winner at midnight EST. I will post the winner on December 10th, the date of the book launch! Once the winner is chosen, I will send your email address to the author who will send you the link for the book. If you don't win, and would still like to purchase the book, click on the link. From here you'll be able to purchase.
Click here to visit Simply Natural Health.
It was great fun reviewing this book and trying out the recipes within!
To enter the giveaway leave a comment stating why you'd like to win a copy. That's it, no need to follow me or anything like that if ya don't want, just comment.
I'll be linking this post over at Hip Homeschool Mom's
