::book:gift:ideas::

One day...

WOOHOOOO!!!!!!!!! 

Black Friday is coming up! 

Do you guys actually shop on Black Friday? I never have...and I won't be tomorrow as I'm broke as a joke! Damn...it's 

Murphy's Law, eh? You have a bit of money, you can't find nuttin....you don't have money? You want the entire world! 

I have got a long list for Santa this year {of course, nothing can really top the Vitamix from last year, seriously!} such

as books, boxing gloves, clothes {gym ones too!}, some things for the pups {an awesome HOWLiday gift idea post coming up in the next few days too!} and much, much more. What's on your guys' wishlist for the year? 

I know that I gotta take those pennies and spend on some kidlets for thie Christmas. I would have loved to get Travis' nieces and nephew a BUNNY for Christmas, but not sure if his Sister {my shopping partner-in-crime} Lori would appreciate that. LOL. So the hunt continues! 

During the Fall/Winter there are a lot of new things that usually come out, new clothes lines, new movies and music that are highly anticipated, new games and electronics and of course, new books. 

Lots of new books! 

As most of you know, I have quite a collection - that I adore. There are times when on the weekend I will sit in my spare room/office {hahaha, it's totally not an office but it makes me sound more 'accomplished'} and I'll sit there and endlessly peruse older books, cookbooks, textbooks, encyclopedia's, paperbacks, picture books. There is just something about books that I can't get enough of. Especially when you get your hands on a really good one? I am still reeling over "Girl on the Train" - I loved that book! Or a good series, like the Hunger Games. 

But nothing beats my cookbooks, I've always been enamoured with food {good and bad thing, lol} and just love the descriptions of certain dishes and the gorgeous, colourful pictures. 

Sigh...just books...I love books! 

So here is a quirky book holiday gift-idea post for the cookbook/book lover in your circle. :)

Pricing MAY be a little different {talking about the Amazon Canada site} as I started this post about a month ago. 

Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook: Over 100 Delicious Recipes from My Personal Cookbook Hardcover – Oct 13 2015

by Rachel Khoo (Author), David Loftus (Photographer) $25.67

Living a life as colorful and creative as Rachel Khoo-star of three BBC television series, author of bestselling cookbooks, illustrator, and international tastemaker-creates a constellation of ideas and inspiration. All of her gifts pack this exuberant more-than-a-cookbook, with its rounded corners and hefty notebook feel. Each turn of the page offers doable and delicious recipes, style-setting ideas from around the globe, 250 photographs, and Rachel's charming illustrations and engaging notes. Here's a cookbook unlike any other-one that brings a smile of surprise and delight every time it's opened.

The Vitamix Cookbook: 250 Delicious Whole Food Recipes to Make in Your Blender Hardcover – Oct 13 2015

by Jodi Berg (Author)

$31.05

Discover simple ways to incorporate more whole foods into your daily diet using a blender with this gorgeous cookbook featuring 200 delicious recipes and more than fifty full-color photos—the first widely available cookbook from the Vitamix brand.

Recently known primarily to professional chefs, over the past decade the Vitamix blender has become one of the most sought after kitchen appliances in home kitchens. Now, Vitamix has created a gorgeous companion cookbook to help you enjoy the benefits of a whole foods diet. Here are more than 200 simple, scrumptious, easy-to-prepare recipes that use a blender—most taking less than thirty minutes.

The chefs at Vitamix believe that the only way to make lasting, healthy changes to your diet is to enjoy the food you eat. With The Vitamix Cookbook they’ve created mouthwatering food you’ll want everyday:

breakfast and brunch, including smoothies, breakfast mains (muffins, breads and scones), pancakes, waffles, egg dishes

soups and sides (amazingly, the Vitamix heats the soup while blending it, making it table ready in less than ten minutes!)

entrees, including wraps and sandwiches, burgers, pizza, pasta, poultry, meat and seafood

sauces and dressings

drinks, including nut milks, juices, and even cocktails

desserts, including sorbets, ice creams, milkshakes and baked desserts

Throughout The Vitamix Cookbook, you’ll find helpful sidebars with inspiring stories of people who have improved their health using their Vitamix, as well as tips for a nutritious whole foods diet.

Crazy Sexy Juice: 100+ Simple Juice, Smoothie & Nut Milk Recipes to Supercharge Your Health Hardcover – Oct 20 2015

by Kris Carr (Author) $24.29

Hello, gorgeous!

Welcome to a juicing and blending adventure!  

     If you've picked up this book, it's likely that you're looking to bring more zing into your life. Perhaps you're feeling a little tired. Bloated. Out of sorts. Whatever it is, you've come to the right place. Get ready to say good-bye to feeling meh and hello to feeling fabulous!

     In Crazy Sexy Juice , wellness advocate and New York Times best-selling author Kris Carr teaches you everything you need to know about creating fresh, nutritious juices and smoothies, and creamy, indulgent nut and seed milks. With enough recipes to keep your juicer and blender humming through every season, she shows you how to fit them into your life, helping you make health deposits-instead of withdrawals! Cha-ching!

     She guides you through her wonderful world by teaching you:

·         How to create flavor combinations that tantalize your taste buds

·         How to choose the best juicer, blender, and kitchen tools

·         Ways to save money while prioritizing fresh, organic produce

·         Troubleshooting advice for common kitchen mishaps

·         Tips for selection, storage, and preparation of ingredients

·         Answers to frequently asked questions and health concerns

·         Suggestions for juicing and blending on the go

·         Tips on how to get your family onboard and make this lifestyle stick

·         And oh, so much more…

     Whether you're an old pro at making liquid magic or just starting out, Kris will help you experience juicing and blending as a fun and delicious journey into the transformative powers of fruits and veggies! By simply adding these nutrient-dense beverages to your daily life, you can take control of your health-one sip at a time.

     With more than 100 scrumptious recipes and oodles of information, you'll be ready to dive into a juicing paradise. Cheers to that!

Includes an easy and energizing 3-day cleanse!

Thug Kitchen Party Grub: For Social Motherf*ckers Hardcover – Oct 13 2015

by Thug Kitchen (Author) $25

From the duo behind New York Times bestseller, Thug Kitchen, comes the next installment of kick-ass recipes with a side of attitude. Thug Kitchen: Party Grub answers the question that they have heard most from their fans: How the hell are you supposed to eat healthy when you hang around with a bunch of assholes who couldn’t care less about what they stuff in their face? The answer: You make a bomb-ass plant-based dish from Thug Kitchen. Featuring over 100 recipes for every occasion, Party Grub combines exciting, healthy food with easy-to-follow directions and damn entertaining commentary.

From appetizers like Deviled Chickpea Bites to main events like Mexican Lasagna, Thug Kitchen: Party Grub is here to make sure you’re equipped with dishes to bring the flavor without a side of fat, calories, and guilt. Also included are cocktail recipes, because sometimes these parties need a pick-me-up of the liquid variety.”

  

Happy Cooking: Make Every Meal Count ... Without Stressing Out Hardcover – Nov 3 2015

by Giada De Laurentiis (Author) $40

Best-selling cookbook author Giada De Laurentiis is picking up where Feel Good Food left off. Filled with even more fresh recipes and day-to-day living strategies, the Food Network superstar shares her year-round approach to living a healthy and happy lifestyle.

     Giada De Laurentiis, one of the most recognizable faces on the Food Network lineup, invites readers to get to know her as never before. The celebrity chef is back with nearly 200 new recipes and helpful advice on everything from hosting a potluck or open house to what to pack along for lunch every day. Drawing on the time-saving tips and healthy eating strategies that keep her functioning at the highest possible level in her roles as working mom, restaurateur, and tv personality, she has assembled a year-round roadmap to vibrant good health and delicious eating. Readers will be inspired to try new ingredients, new wellness practices, and create a wholesome balance between peak nutrition - and the occasional decadent indulgence. Featuring her New Year's cleanse, homemade Christmas gifts, and ideas for every holiday, special occasion, and casual weekend in between, this is Giada’s 365-approach to cooking up a happy life.

Mark Bittman's Kitchen Matrix: More Than 700 Simple Recipes and Techniques to Mix and Match for Endless Possibilities Hardcover – Oct 27 2015

by Mark Bittman (Author) $36.09

Bestselling author Mark Bittman anthologizes his popular Matrix series in a boldly graphic new cookbook that emphasizes creativity, improvisation, and simplicity as the keys to varied cooking.

For years, Mark Bittman has shared his formulas, recipes, and kitchen improvisations in his popular New York Times Eat column, in which an ingredient or essential technique is presented in different variations in a bold matrix. Accompanied by striking photographs and brief, straightforward instructions, these thematic matrices show how simple changes in preparation and ingredient swaps in a master recipe can yield dishes that are each completely different from the original, and equally delicious. In Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Matrix, Mark’s matrices come together to create a collection of over 400 flexible recipes covering vegetables, fruits, meats and chicken, and even desserts.  Whether you're cooking up soup (creamy, brothy, earthy, or hearty), freezing ice pops (in fruity, savory, creamy, or boozy varieties), or preparing asparagus (steamed, roasted, stir-fried, or grilled), following Mark’s approach to culinary improvisation will deliver stand-out results.  

Laura in the Kitchen: Favorite Italian-American Recipes Made Easy Hardcover – Oct 6 2015

by Laura Vitale (Author) $20.68

At long last, the companion cookbook to the hit YouTube cooking show with recipes for 120 simple, delicious Italian-American classics

When Laura Vitale moved from Naples to the United States at age twelve, she cured her homesickness by cooking up endless pots of her nonna’s sauce. She went on to work in her father’s pizzeria, but when his restaurant suddenly closed, she knew she had to find her way back into the kitchen. Together with her husband, she launched her Internet cooking show, Laura in the Kitchen, where her enthusiasm, charm, and irresistible recipes have won her millions of fans. 

In her debut cookbook, Laura focuses on simple recipes that anyone can achieve—whether they have just a little time to spend in the kitchen or want to create an impressive feast. Here are 110 all-new recipes for quick-fix suppers, such as Tortellini with Pink Parmesan Sauce and One- Pan Chicken with Potatoes, Wine, and Olives; leisurely entrées, including Spinach and Artichoke-Stuffed Shells and Pot Roast alla Pizzaiola; and 10 fan favorites, like Cheesy Garlic Bread and No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake. Laura tests her recipes dozens of times to perfect them so the results are always spectacular. With clear instructions and more than 100 color photographs, Laura in the Kitchen is the perfect guide for anyone looking to get comfortable at the stove and have fun cooking.

  

The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook: Over 300 Delicious Whole Foods Recipes, Including Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, and Egg-Free Dishes Paperback – Apr 29 2014

by Tom Malterre (Author), Alissa Segersten (Author) $23.89

Food is powerful medicine and whole foods, or foods in their natural unrefined forms, offer us vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that prevent diseases and create a state of balance and health within us. Nutritionist Tom Malterre and Chef Alissa Segersten understand that food can be both healing and delicious and in THE WHOLE LIFE NUTRITION COOKBOOK they provide information on the importance of living a whole foods lifestyle, and how to transition into one. Readers will learn to prepare foods that promote optimal health, prevent disease, and energize the body. With over 300 delicious, nourishing recipes, readers will discover amazing, new ways to cook whole grains, fish, poultry, meat and veggies. THE WHOLE LIFE NUTRITION COOKBOOK includes:

Evidence-based information on whole foods

Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and soy-free recipes

A complete guide to stocking your whole foods pantry

The whole story on the current diet trends and how to adapt them to best serve your individual needs

The real story behind toxicity in food and avoiding PCBs GMOs and non-organics

Recipes that any vegan, vegetarian, carnivore or omnivore will love

Whether serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks or desserts, readers will enjoy their food while healing their immune system, decreasing the inflammation that causes disease, balancing hormones and promoting better overall health.

-S.*