Author: Carma Spence

Carma Spence has been experimenting in the kitchen since she was four years old and loves trying out new recipe ideas. She is the author of Bonkers for Bundt Cakes and Your Perfect Pie, as well as author and contributor to several more non-food-related books. With Carma's Cookery, she is taking her passion for empowering people and blending it with her passion for cooking, gift-giving and entertaining.

Cookbook Reviews Healthy Living

Cookbook Review: “The Warm Kitchen” by Amy Fothergill

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date March 14, 2018

Many people are choosing to go gluten-free, some by necessity, other as a way to improve health and lose weight. Many people find cooking without gluten a challenge, especially when baking. With The Warm Kitchen, Amy Fothergill hopes to make gluten-free living accessible and flavorful.

Summary of The Warm Kitchen

The Warm Kitchen provides the home cook with gluten-free cooking techniques and tips, step-by-step instructions and family friendly dishes. It contains more than 150 recipes ranging from breakfast to dessert, each one using real ingredients. By using a single gluten-free flour blend that is easy to mix up, Fothergill shows you how to cook some of your favorite dishes like bagels, bread, zucchini pancakes, chicken pot pie, pizza, doughnuts, cupcakes, shortbread, carrot cake, chocolate chip cookies, and more. She also includes substitutions for dairy, eggs, and sugar, for those who want or need to avoid those types of ingredients.

What Worked for Me

There are plenty of favorite comfort food recipes included in this book, including Man and Cheese, Shortbread and Meatballs Stroganoff. The book is large with decent-sized print, so it is easy to read while cooking. The photos look real … and tasty.

The front matter includes a list of items to keep for a gluten-free pantry, which is helpful. Chef tips are sprinkled throughout, providing alternatives and technique explanations.

What Didn’t Work for Me

The book is perfect bound, and due to its dimensions, pages don’t stay open easily … unless you break the binding. Also, the book looks home-made, which gives a less than perfect first impression.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

There are two things I think would make a second edition better:

A format that makes using the book easier. This could be different dimensions, which increase the number of page so the can stay open under its own weight. Or a spiral or three-whole-punched binding. This is book meant to be used, so it would be nice if it were more usable.
Higher quality photography. The lighting on many of the images is low, making the images dark and, at times, blurry.

Recommendation

Don’t let the home-made look and feel of this book fool you. There is some solid advice and tasty recipes worth adding to your collection inside.

Rating for The Warm Kitchen

[one_fifth] [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth_last] [/one_fifth_last]

Specs

Full Title: The Warm Kitchen: Gluten-Free Recipes Anyone Can Make and Everyone Will Love
Author: Amy Fothergill
Editors: Jenn Gonsalves and‎ Carol Hunter
Format: Paperback
Publisher: The Family Chef
ISBN-10: 0989484300
ISBN-13: 978-0989484305

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’ve read past book reviews, you’ll know that I don’t pull my punches when I believe they are warranted. I also try to provide balanced information so you can make your own decision to read or not read the book, even if you disagree with my opinion.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

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Tags Amy Fothergill, gluten-free, The Warm Kitchen

Cookbook Reviews

Book Review: “The Farm to Table French Phrasebook” by Victoria Mas

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date March 7, 2018

If you love French cuisine or are traveling to France and wish to taste the local flavor, this French phrasebook will help you do it with savoir-faire. “By gaining insight into what, how, and why the French eat, you will come to appreciate a French meal to its fullest,” says author Victoria Mas, “and, perhaps, you’ll become a little bit French yourself.”

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book for review, however, I am under no obligation to write about it positively or otherwise.

Summary of The Farm to Table French Phrasebook

The Farm to Table French Phrasebook by Victoria Mas gives you an overview of the French language through the lens of food. It provides you not only with phrases for all the meals of the day, and for different places where you would find and consume food, but also the French culture’s relationship with food.

What Worked for Me

This book was well-written and provides a lot of interesting history and cultural information that puts food in the French perspective. After reading this book, you’ll have a good idea of how the French likes to eat and where and how they like to purchase their food. In addition, you’ll have a feel for how the French view food.

The words and phrases are organized by how you might need to use them, such as Meals, Grocery Shopping, and In the French Kitchen. This makes what you want to say easier to find than having to look through an English-French dictionary.

The book is also the perfect travel size. It is slightly larger than your average Mass Market Paperback, but because it is a hardback, it will withstand being shoved into and out of a purse or backpack multiple times.

What Didn’t Work for Me

This book is definitely written for someone who has a grasp of French pronunciation, as there is no guide for how to pronounce the French terms.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

I would love to see pronunciation guides in written format, as well as links to online resources where you can hear the words and phrases (at least the most common ones) being pronounced by native speakers.

Recommendation

If you’re headed off to France — or just want to experience French cuisine at home — and want to give your experience a greater sense of French-ness, this book is for you! The cultural information is fascinating and the phrasebook portion is relatively easy to use.

Rating for The Farm to Table French Phrasebook

[one_fifth] [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth_last] [/one_fifth_last]

Specs

Full Title: The Farm to Table French Phrasebook: Master the Culture, Language and Savoir Faire of French Cuisine
Author: Victoria Mas
Format: Hardcover or Kindle
Publisher: Ulysses Press
Language: English (and French)
ISBN-10: 1612433553
ISBN-13: 978-1612433554

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

Tags French cuisine, Victoria Mas

Recipes

Ruby’s Dark Chocolate Raspberry Milkshake

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date March 5, 2018

Ruby’s featured milkshake in February is Dark Chocolate Raspberry. They take their vanilla milkshake and add Hershey’s dark chocolate syrup and fresh raspberries. I’d been eying it all month and finally gave it a try last week. Very tasty.

It was so good, I thought I’d come up with my own recipe that I could make a home. I hope you enjoy it, too!

Ingredients

1 cup milk
2 cups vanilla icecream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp bakers chocolate powder
1 cup fresh, cleaned raspberries

Directions

Place ingredients in a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Serve in tall glasses.

Variations

Want a more intense choclate flavor? Here are some ideas:

Add 2 Tbsp chocolate syrup.
Melt 1/4 cup chocolate chips, let cool a little bit, and add to mixture. If you do this, use frozen raspberries.
Add 1/8 cup chocolate chips.

Want a more intense raspberry flavor? Here are some ideas:

Add 2 Tbsp raspberry syrup or sauce.
Add an additional 1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries.
Add 1 tsp raspberry extract.

Recipes

Meatloaf with Mushroom Sauce

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date March 2, 2018

I pulled together this meal on the fly. I baked the meatloaf on the weekend and made a fresh mushroom sauce to top on the night I served it. It was delicious!

Ingredients

[one_half]

Meatloaf

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup crushed Club crackers
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, minced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp mustard (prepared)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork [/one_half]

[one_half_last]

Mushroom Sauce

1 can beef broth (about 2 cups)
1/2 cub crushed Club crackers
1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup green onions (about one bunch), chopped
1/2 cup butter [/one_half_last]

Directions

Meatloaf

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a roasting pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
In a medium skillet, sauté onions in oil until softened. About 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly.
Add milk and Club crackers to onion mixture and combine until it forms a chunky paste. Add parsley, eggs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined.
Add ground meats and knead with hands until thoroughly combined. I like to use disposable rubber gloves to help keep my hands clean.
Form a loaf shape with the mixture and place on the roasting pan. There are two ways you can do this. 1. Form the loaf freestyle with your hands. Or 2. Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, press the meat mixture into the pan, turn the loaf out onto the roasting pan.
Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the loaf registers 160 degrees. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Mushroom Sauce

In a large saucepan combine broth, crackers, mushrooms, green onions, and butter.
Cook over medium heat, stirring often until the mushrooms cook down and the sauce is thick and golden brown.

Plating

Place slices of meatloaf on a plate. Then ladle mushroom sauce on top. Serve with mashed potatoes, root vegetables or rice.

Notes
The meatloaf recipe is inspired by the recipe found in The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen. The mushroom sauce recipe is inspired by “Easiest Mushroom Sauce” from Allrecipes.com.

Tags Beef, meat, mushrooms, pork

Cookbook Reviews Healthy Living

Book Review: “The Craving Cure” by Julia Ross

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date February 28, 2018

When I was offered a copy of The Craving Cure: Identify Your Craving Type to Activate Your Natural Appetite Control by Julia Ross, I was excited. After being hit by a car in 2016, I’ve been having a really hard time losing weight and my cravings just seemed to be getting worse. The book offered me hope … and did not disappoint.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book for review, however, I am under no obligation to write about it positively or otherwise.

Summary of The Craving Cure

In The Craving Cure, Julia Ross outlines her program for conquering food craving for good. She’s been developing this program over the past few decades helping clients at her clinic lose weight and regain control of their eating habits. She provides a history of how modern-day eating habits changed in the 1970s leading to today’s obesity epidemic and the suffering of so many people who just can’t stop eating junk food. Then she lays out a plan that can rebalance your neurotransmitters (the chemicals in your brain that cause cravings and more) so that they go back to working for you, rather than against you.

What Worked for Me

This book is a very interesting read. Ross’ writing style is perusable and engaging. I kept talking about the book and what I was learning with my husband (who, I’ll admit, would sometimes roll his eyes). But, given my background in biology (I have a Bachelor’s degree in Biology), what Ross was saying made sense.

She explains both the biology and the history of cravings in a way that is relatable and easy to understand.

Although I haven’t gone on the program fully, simply initiating some of her general principles (such as increasing protein, switching to whole milk, and reducing sugar and processed foods), I’ve already rid myself of about 80-90% of my junk food cravings. I’ve even started to lose weight!

What Didn’t Work for Me

This program isn’t all that easy to implement on your own. It can be done, but you need to have discipline. That was a little disappointing for me, at first. But since I’ve already seen progress without supplements, I do have hope for when I do focus on this program.

Frankly, most of the recipes in the back contain ingredients I don’t want in my mouth or I would find difficult (if not expensive) to find.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

I would love to see a companion cookbook with a wider variety of recipes and alternative ingredients for those of us who are finicky eaters.

Recommendation

Even if you don’t want to start taking amino acid supplements, I recommend reading this book. If you struggle with a french fry, ice cream or cookie habit, you’ll find information that explains how you got there and gives you some directions for taking control of your cravings.

Rating for The Craving Cure

[one_fifth] [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth_last] [/one_fifth_last]

Specs

Full Title: The Craving Cure: Identify Your Craving Type to Activate Your Natural Appetite Control
Author: Julia Ross
Format: Hardcover and Kindle
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250063191
ISBN-13: 978-1250063199

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Tags Craving Cure, Julia Ross

Flavor Blending Healthy Living

Healthy Breakfast Smoothies

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date February 24, 2018

I’m a big fan of smoothies. I have at least one, if not two or three, almost every day. I’m always experimenting with flavor combos — had a wonderful chocolate ginger cherry smoothie for breakfast this morning.

The following infographic from Recommended Things offers some interesting flavor combinations. I look forward to trying some out! What about you?

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Healthy Living

A Go-Getter’s Breakfast: How to Start the Day Right

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date February 2, 2018

There’s a reason why so many of us put such an emphasis on the food we eat and the fluids we drink: they’re the fuel that keeps our engine running! And, there’s a reason breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. If you’re looking to start the day with all the energy you can muster, then it’s important that you’re starting your day with all the right things that’ll keep you going throughout the day. Breakfast sets the stage for what will play out for your day. Below, I suggest some things you may want in front of you as you begin your day.

Start the Day with a Large Glass of Water

You’ve spent the whole night sleeping, but guess what? You’ve been losing fluid all that time — especially if you’ve been sweating. That’s why it’s important that you have a large glass of water as soon as you wake up; indeed, this is one of the most underrated ways to wake up. It’s free and simple, and will jolt your body into life after many hours of slumber. Before you move onto all the other tasty food and drinks that can use to form your breakfast, you’ll be readying yourself for a day of action: All thanks to good old H₂O.

Mixing up the Fruit

And now that you’ve had your water, let’s think about the other natural goodness that nature provides: Fruit! Most people are content with having a banana or apple on their desk, but true go-getters know that the only way to start the day is with all the colors of the rainbow present in a bowl. Mix your favorite fruits all in one bowl, add some all-natural yogurt, and you’ll ensure that you’ve got a big dose of the all the essential vitamins that are oh-so-important to good all-around health. You won’t be able to achieve anything if you’re laid up in bed all the time!

A note about yogurt: Look for one that is high in protein and low in sugar. My favorites include Greek Gods, Zoi and Fage.

The Tried and Tested Way to Start the Day

Of course, not everything about having an energetic breakfast has to be new or exotic. The old tried and tested have a reputation for energy and alertness for a reason: They work. We’re talking, of course, about coffee. Rich in variety, they’ll provide the caffeine hit you need to feel alert and ready for action. Don’t like hot drinks when the weather is nice? Buy the best cold coffee maker, and get all the benefits of a cup of joe without the heat.

Breakfast of Champions

Some people make do with grabbing a snack and running out of the door. But you? Oh no, you’re different. To keep going all day, consider making what can only be described as a breakfast of champions. That’s eggs. Scrambled, poached, hard-boiled, no matter how you like to serve yours up, they are packed with protein that will fuel your body and keep you feeling fuller longer.

I just finished reading The Craving Cure by Julia Ross (review to be posted soon, but as a sneak peek — I really liked it!), and she recommends eating up to 10 eggs a week! They are an excellent source of protein and amino acids necessary for proper brain function. They are a great way to start the day.

Going Light

Not that there aren’t light options too! To keep things light footed, consider having a salmon bagel mixed with cream cheese, or a pancake with peanut butter on top. Full of energy and oh so delicious, you’ll be running around with energy to burn like it’s the last day on earth.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Tags breakfast