January 25, 2017
100 Weight Loss Bowls – Power Up 2017
Eating recipes specifically designed to be easily put together in a bowl is a great way to enjoy healthy food and weight loss – this is the basis behind 100 Weight Loss Bowls, featured in DK Canada’s Power Up guide.
About 100 Weight Loss Bowls
Bowls are a delicious way to lose weight and eat healthy, but they can also be laden with hidden calories. Every recipe in 100 Weight Loss Bowls comes in at under 400, under 500, or under 600 calories. The book is clearly labeled to allow you to easily build a meal plan each day that meets your daily target for gradual and sustained weight loss. The recipes are inspired by the very latest bowl food trends, such as pho, grain, smoothie, rice, poke, acai, and Buddha bowls. They are all color-coded with calorie bands, so you can easily find a nutritious, balanced bowl that suits you. Delicious, simple, and surprisingly indulgent, every bowl in 100 Weight Loss Bowls is guaranteed to be low in calories and high in flavor.
The book includes:
- 100 delicious recipes and a feast of different bowl types, including pho, Buddha, poke, burrito, grain, rice, smoothie, and acai bowls.
- Color-coded recipes by calorie count: either under 400 calories, under 500 calories, or under 600 calories-this makes it easy to select recipes that meet your required calorie intake for the day.
- Recipes organized into quick breakfasts, relaxed brunches, portable meals, bowls to create in under 20 minutes, and “instant-assembly” bowls.
- Smart tips for shopping, stocking up, prepping ahead, and building a weight-loss plan to suit any age and body type.
My Thoughts
I was so excited to receive this book! Who doesn’t love a healthy bowl of goodness, especially when it helps with weight loss?
This book comes divided into breakfast, on the go and meals more geared at lunch/dinner. They are further divided up into calorie groups (under 600,400,etc..) to better help you figure out where you want to be calorie wise and what options would better suit your diet. All of the recipes were easy to follow, with clear directions and ingredients that you would more than likely have on hand at home. Each recipe also came with a caloric breakdown that included total calories, protein, carbohydrates and fats (which I loved as I base my meals on higher proteins and lower carbohydrates).
The accompanying photographs were bright, large and appetizing! I was hungry just looking through this recipe book. It was hard to pick one to start off with but I narrowed it down to a brown rice and lentil combo to prepare before a night shift. The bowl was delicious and filling for my shift (not to mention easy to make as I prepared dinner for the rest of my family). I love how I can easily build a week’s worth of breakfast/lunch/dinner with similar ingredients that doesn’t take hours to prepare but still gives me a lot of variety and choices. There was an excellent selection of meat/non meat recipes, as well as a variety of meat options (fish/chicken/turkey, etc..) that will suit the needs of a variety of readers.
This recipe book makes a weight loss plan easy to set up, prepare and follow – it takes all the work away from you! You can purchase a copy of this book on DK Canada.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Heather Whinney is an experienced home economist, cookbook writer, and food stylist. She has served as the food editor for several national magazines in England and the United States. She’s the author ofCook Express and The Gluten-Free Cookbook (both by DK Books), and she was also the cookery school manager at Cordon Vert in England, where she developed her love of writing recipes.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
January 24, 2017
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir: Be Miraculous!
Straight from the heart of Paris, a third volume of the action adventure, comedy of Ladybug and Cat Noir is coming your way! This DVD will have you laughing and ready to Be Miraculous! The DVD will be available on January 10th, 2017.
The time is now and the city is Paris. And two amazing heroes, Ladybug and Cat Noir, stand to protect its citizens against evildoers. But can this uncanny duo continue to keep their city safe from these dastardly ne’er-do-well and get their homework in on time?! That’s right. The superheroes known as Ladybug and Cat Noir are actually Marinette and Adrien, two young students with super-secret lives filled with super-awesome excitement!
Episodes
- Ladybug & Cat Noir (Origins, Part 1)
- Stone Heart (Origins, Part 2)
- Animan
- Simon Says
- Pixelator
- Guitar Villain
- Kung Food
Our Thoughts
Our favourite two superheroes are back: Ladybug and Cat Noir! These two characters are funny, brave and always positive. They are the perfect superhero characters for your children in the positive messages that they send to children – not to mention their great humour! The characters are real, with everyday problems (even though they super powers) and are characters that your child can relate to. The animations are fantastic and one of the best cartoon animations that I have seen in a long time. This DVD is better suited for children 5-12 to truly appreciate the humour, lessons and plots. Be Miraculous is not only great for afterschool but will be a great addition to family movie time.
The Giveaway!
My Canadian and American readers can now enter to win their own Be Miraculous DVD and get ready to be fabulous with Ladybug and Cat Noir! Enter via the Rafflecopter form below – Good Luck!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this DVD in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
January 24, 2017
The Mark of the King Book Review
In The Mark of the King, twenty-five-year-old midwife Julianne Chevalier trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling 1720s French colony of Louisiana.
About The Mark of the King
After being imprisoned and branded for the death of her client, twenty-five-year-old midwife Julianne Chevalier trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling 1720s French colony of Louisiana, where she hopes to be reunited with her brother, serving there as a soldier. To make the journey, though, women must be married, and Julianne is forced to wed a fellow convict.
When they arrive in New Orleans, there is no news of Benjamin, Julianne’s brother, and searching for answers proves dangerous. What is behind the mystery, and does military officer Marc-Paul Girard know more than he is letting on?
With her dreams of a new life shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous, rugged land, despite never being able to escape the king’s mark on her shoulder that brands her a criminal beyond redemption.
My Thoughts
An incredible novel looking at the lives of those who lived during the eighteenth century both in France and New Orleans. France wanted to colonize it’s towns in North America – so instead of sending over willing individuals, they populated their colonies with convicts whether by choice or not. A practice that was actually quite frightening (not because of their criminal history or choices in life) but more so for the fear that these individuals must have gone through. They were sent with little choice into the unknowns and some were forced to wed in order to further populate the colonies. I can’t even begin to imagine the fear, uncertainty and anger they must have felt.
Julianne is one of these individuals but her criminal history almost blows your mind. She was imprisoned and branded over the death of her client! At a time when child birth was quite dangerous, it is hard to believe a midwife could be held responsible for the death of the Mother and further branded a criminal and imprisoned. Julianne felt her only way to escape the life that was now imposed on her was escape to New Orleans. I don’t think she could even imagine what she would have to deal with once she arrived.
There is little order, little rules and crime rules in this new world. Through Julianne, we uncover a harsh world, mysterious discrepancies and dangerous world. Marc-Paul is a man that she meets when arriving in New Orleans – after her marriage to another convict. Marc-Paul is there to provide support, guidance, care but also harbours his own secret that is tied to Julianne’s family.
The Mark of the King is well written and fabulous novel. I could not put it down in fear of missing what was going to happen next. I loved the rich history, culture and strong character development. This was one amazing novel that you will cherish over and over again.
You can purchase a copy of The Mark of the King here.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Jocelyn Green inspires faith and courage as the award-winning author of ten books to date, including Wedded to War, a Christy Award finalist in 2013; Widow of Gettysburg; Yankee in Atlanta; and The 5 Love Languages Military Edition, which she coauthored with bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman. A former military wife herself, her passion for military families informs all of her writing as well as her numerous speaking opportunities. Jocelyn graduated from Taylor University with a BA in English and now lives with her husband and two children in Iowa.
January 23, 2017
A Thousand Salt Kisses Later
The spellbinding sequel to A Thousand Salt Kisses – A Thousand Salt Kisses Later.
About A Thousand Salt Kisses Later
Four years ago, Crystal White fell in love with Llyr, a prince of the magical mer colony living off the coast of Starfish Island. For one summer, he enchanted her with stories of jeweled palaces and underwater gardens, but then he left, returning beneath the waves with her heart in tow.
Now, graduated and with no job in sight, Crystal is forced to go back to the island she thought she had left in the past. By the sea again, she realizes she is far from over her first love, and when an opportunity arises to contact the merfolk, Crystal can’t resist.
Once more with the mer, Crystal is forced to come to terms with the fact that Llyr has moved on, and also with her own magical secret that has endangered her life, his throne, and every mer kingdom. Working against all odds, she has to try to save the people she has come to love and—if she can—rekindle the romance of her first summer on Starfish Island.
My Thoughts
The second novel in this series is just as amazing as the first! In this novel, we dive deeper in the mer world – which I was so excited for! In this novel, Crystal returns to Starfish Island. She is clearly not over her love for Llyr, no matter how hard she keeps trying (and being honest, who can blame her?). This novel takes on a whole new twist that I can honestly say makes me love it even more than the first one.
At times I found myself frustrated and angry with Llyr but as the story evolved my anger switched to those around him that have caused this change. The story takes on a twist that leaves you turning each page to see how Crystal can stop it (I would love to say more but doing so would give it all away). It is up to Crystal though to save all the people she has come to love – her mer friends and lost love and her family. A tough job for a young girl right? But she is definitely up to the task.
A Thousand Salt Kisses Later is a well written and planned out novel, a great addition for young adults and those who love a great adventurous and sweet romance. You are drawn right into the novel and feel like Crystal is one of the girls. You want to protect her, see her happy and keep cheering for her right to the end. I enjoyed every moment of this novel.
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Josie Demuth is an author based in London. First published on Wattpad, her Salt Kisses series has garnered nearly four million reads and are now serialised on Radish Fiction. The second of this series, A Thousand Salt Kisses Later is her fourth novel.
Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads
The Giveaway!
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
January 20, 2017
Join the Annual ‘I Love DK’ Contest #ILoveDK
If you follow me regularly on my blog and social media, you will know how much I love reading. It is one of my favourite things to do and one of the number one things I encourage my children to consistently participate in. Reading is magical and full of adventure – each novel gives you something different.
DK Canada is once again holding their annual I Love DK Contest on their Facebook and Twitter pages. All you have to do is share on Facebook or Twitter what your personal all time favourite DK Canada book is! Simple, right? Make sure to include the #ILoveDK hashtag on your posts in order to be eligible to win.
So what do you win? One winner on Twitter and one winner on Facebook will each win a $250 DK shopping spree! Can you imagine all of the books you can buy with that shopping spree?!
My personal favourites from DK Canada are their recipe books. I use mine over and over again. My favourite out of my recipe book collection is the Plant Based Cookbook. You can find my full review here but what I loved the most was the wide array of recipes, easy to make and follow recipes and the gorgeous photos that adorn each page. You are hungry before you even start cooking. She even includes substitutes for certain vegetables if you are not a fan of the type she included (a must in our home). This book has become a staple in my kitchen.
So get online and start sharing your favourite DK books in order to win – good luck!
Disclosure: I did not receive compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.