Category: Blogging

Book Review: Food52 Vegan Cookbook

I received this lovely cookbook from Bloggingforbooks and initially I was motivated to review this cookbook because my brother has been curious about becoming vegan since he switched up his eating habits.

He even asked me for a few tips and advice since I’m a vegetarian and do frequently make vegan dishes. However, I am no expert and since I have been a vegetarian for over seven years, I’ve developed my own internal method and regimen when it comes to the foods I eat.

So, when I saw the opportunity to review Gena Hamshaw’s Food52 Vegan book it felt like fate because besides the recipes, the book offers beginners tips, ingredient substitutions options and a whole section on general vegan cooking basics.

Food52 Vegan by Gena Hamshaw

It was really difficult to pick just one thing to try out and review, so I ended up doing three from this book: Roasted Ratatouille, a Penne with Summer Squash, Corn and Herbs, and Sweet Pea Hummus, with a few alterations because of personal preferences.

Now, my photography skills are not as great as those in the book, but I am extremely proud of the fact that my creations resemble the originals so closely. ^__^

Sweet Pea Hummas by Gena Hanshaw

First, I did the Sweet Pea Hummus:

IMG_0339 IMG_0340     IMG_0342

This was really fun for me because I had never made homemade hummus before and it turned out fantastic! Not to mention, I that I am a snacker with crackers.

If I wasn’t spreading the humus on some Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil Triscuits…

IMG_0355

Then I was spreading on some rye toast and topping it with some scrambled eggs…

IMG_0354

Or putting it a veggie tortilla wrap with a Boca spicy chik’n patty. Soo yum!

 IMG_0357

Next, I tried the Penne with Summer Squash, Corn and Herbs recipe:

Penne with Summer Squash, Corn and Herbs by Gena Hamshaw

The first alteration I made to this one was that I used zucchini (which the book offers as an alternative) instead of summer squash because I felt that the dish would be sweeter than I would have liked.

The second alteration I made what I used my favorite pasta for this dish which was Ronzoni’s Garden Delights for an added pop or color and nutrition. And I topped it with a bit of tofu.

Gianna J's penne with tofu recipe photo

The third and final recipe I tried was the Roasted Ratatouille

Roasted Ratatouille by Gena Hamshaw

 

and it was really, really good.

Gianna J's roasted ratatouille recipe photo

Overall, I think this book is hidden goldmine. The recipes are extremely varied and easy to follow. The only thing I would like to point out is that if you are unfamiliar with figuring out how to adjust serving size portions, the recipes in this book could be a bit confusing.

All of the dishes in the book give serving suggestions, but since I was trying these out for only two people, my measurements and estimates were about a quarter or half of the recommended amounts in the book.

Thanks so much for reading. Until next time,

Gia.

Book Review: Daughter of Isis (Descendants of Isis #1)

“Her mouth parted slightly, waiting for Seth to breathe life into her own body, just like in the story. She wanted him to awaken her senses.”

Daughter of Isis by Kelesy Ketch

Daughter of Isis (Descendants of Isis #1)

by Kelsey Ketch

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Mythology

Release Date: October 26, 2013

Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N |Kobo | Smashwords

Synopsis:

Their worlds collide in California’s high desert.

The last thing Natara “Natti” Stone wants to do is to start anew at Setemple High School. She wished she had never left London. Yet the brutal murder of her maternal grandmother has made her life very complicated. The only clue related to her murder is an ancient, encrypted necklace Natti discovered after her grandmother’s death. And if trying to adjust to American life is not enough, Natti is being stalked by a mysterious, charming high school senior, Seth O’Keefe, who is annoyingly persistent in his attempts at seduction.

Seth O’Keefe is secretly a member of the Sons of Set, an order that worships the Egyptian god of chaos. Seth’s blessing from Set, his “charm,” never failed, except with one person: Natti Stone. Her ability to elude him infatuates and infuriates him, and he becomes obsessed with the chase. But the closer he gets to her, the more his emotions take a dangerous turn, and he risks breaking one of the most valued covenants of his order. The punishment for which is a fate worse than death.

The adventure this unlikely couple becomes engulfed in could cost them their lives and their souls.

*Note: Content for Upper YA*

Continue reading →

Book Spotlight & Interview Post For: Sanctuary

Sanctuary By. Zainab T. Khan book cover photo

Sanctuary
by Zainab T. Khan
Release Date: December 19th 2015 (Pre-order Now Available. )

Genre: Young Adult, Short Story

Synopsis:

Sanctuary (n.) the protection that is provided by a safe place.

“And Sanctuary was the right word to describe our small town with its mouth-watering Pakistani fruits, Spain’s bullfighting, Italian pizzas, French artists, Indian spices, Korean kimchi, and Turkish delights. Because to every single one of us – a Pakistani, Spanish, Indian, Korean, French, Italian, and Turkish – it was a sanctuary. Our own safe haven. Our home with its different cultural styles yet with a culture of its own.”

A Prelude to The Interview:

One of the main reasons I am so excited for Sanctuary’s release is the fact that it is built on such a multicultural foundation and, if you know anything about me, you should know how much I love studying, reading, experiencing and talking about all things multi-culture related. As a double plus, plus for this book promotion event, I had the opportunity to interview Zainab T. Khan, the author of this lovely novelette. My quick Q & A is just below, but be sure to check out Sanctuary when it’s released on December 19th and visit Zainab’s webpage.  ^___^

What’s was it that sparked your inspiration to write Sanctuary?

I’m a sociology student so it always strike me hard when I read about discrimination. It’s unfair. And I despise unfair things. So I tried to create a world (a town, basically) which had no discrimination of any kind, but mainly on ethnic grounds.

Were the stories in Sanctuary solo pieces that you put together, or were they always meant to be in a book?

They always meant to be in a continuous novel, despite its short length. It made more sense to have a multicultural town rather than writing solo stories.

What would you say was your favorite story from this book to write?
I loved writing about Italian wedding, Enrique and Giovanna’s. Also the masquerade ball.

Is there a character from Sanctuary, or any other book (that you’ve written or read) that you wish you could be friends with in real life? If so, why?
That’s a real difficult question. I’m not sure how to answer that. Just one person? Aw, man. Okay, it’s a tie, between Fern, from Making Faces by Amy Harmon, and Millie, from The Song of David by Amy Harmon. There is a long list of reasons behind my choice but I’m afraid if I start writing it down, the answer will turn into a lengthy essay.

What were some of the things you had to research before you began creating such a culturally infused town in Sanctuary?

Languages. Names. Their country’s specialties. And some of their traditions.

If different from the book, could you describe your ideal sanctuary?
Home. My ideal sanctuary would be home. It is my home. A sanctuary is described as a safe place. Home is one place where I feel nothing but at ease. So that’s my ideal Sanctuary. It’s all thanks to my parents and grandparents who turned house into a home, then home into a sanctuary.

Zainab T. Khan Author Photo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hello, you beautiful person.

The only thing you need to know about is my favourite book boyfriends (Yes, boyfriend(s), deal with it. We all have them.) Jesse de Silva, Maxon Schreave, and Flynn Rider (he’s a fictional character too) and of course Adrian Ivashkov. Oh, how I wish I could resist them. But, David ‘Tag’ Taggert has my heart. Sorry, you four gorgeous guys.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website |Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr

Thanks so much for the interview, Zainab! ❤  🙂

And thank you so much for reading. Until next time,

Gia.

 

Book Review: The Time Chamber

2 Comments
Daria Song's Time Chamber

The Time Chamber by Daria Song

I received Daria Song’s The Time Chamber book from Bloggingforbooks in exchange for an honest review. This was my first adult coloring book ever and I’m so happy to say that I think this book is really amazing. It made me feel like an artist! 🙂

This book is also really relaxing and easy to get lost in because it was so mind clearing and stress-relieving for me, it kind of reminded me of playing Sudoku or putting together a  jigsaw puzzle.

Page from The Time Chamber by Daira Song

There is no rush to get through the pages, or the little story inside of the book about a curious fairy (which made me think of Tinker Bell) who decides to explore the world outside of her home in a cuckoo clock. There is even a cute image index and hidden treasure key in the back of the book to reference for each page.

Page from The Time Chamber book by Daria Song

With so many tiny pieces of detail from cover to cover in this one book, there’s an endless list of color combinations, and levels of creativity that you can have with just this one book. Not to mention how much shelf life this book has.

You can take your time with these intricate images and watch them come to life the way you want them to. When I started to color in even the slightest bit of detail on a single page in this book, it felt like my mind and body began to relax.

There seems to be something very symbolic and meditative about coloring in all of these interactive details. Kind of like how as an adult you’re faced with millions of little problems and responsibilities all at once, but–as in life and–in this book you can really only do certain sections at a time.

That may be overtly dramatic, but you get my point. ^__^ I love, love, love this book. The patterns and layout is amazing. An instant favorite for some creative meditation.

Thanks so much for reading,

Gia.

A Writer's Update

A Writer’s Update – Long Time, No Write

Hello Readers,

I must admit that I did not imagine getting back to my posts or my Writer Updates would take quite this long. I was unfortunately recovering from an accident back in June and before I knew it I was drowning work projects and just trying to catch up with myself at one point.

Really bummed that I was not able to complete and upload my final Orphan Black episode review when it aired :-/ I still have my notes however and I will complete that series of reviews. The same goes for my Daredevil reviews. If it weren’t for buffer, I don’t even think my tweets would have stayed so current.

In case you do not remember, I did a post like forever ago about not letting the outside world steal you away from your Writers’ Realm and boy was I not only snatched away, I was deflected; still trying to figure out the direction I should be heading in next.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have quite a few books to throw myself into over the summer and they’ve been great at guiding me towards a new re-charged and motivated mode. So, that’s the reason for the new review addition to the site, also who doesn’t enjoy a good book review or recommendation every once and a while, amiright? 😉

My taste for a good solid book floats all over the board, so expect a wide range in material with the book reviews.

In addition, I have a number of new pieces for my Protector Series that need to be edited and dressed up a bit with specific banners/covers for each story. So, expect to see more of that soon.

As you will see below, I will try to promote & share interesting webisodes, cool music, or pieces of art that I come across for you guys as a bout of inspiration boost. I believe it’s important that we always laugh, love, think, learn and inspire one another in life. And sharing–as they say–is caring ^__^.  And I am happy that I’ve been fortunate enough to come across a few good things to share lately 🙂

Last, but certainly not least on my list of updates, is I will be introducing a Character Study portion to my site in late Autumn/ Early Winter. This addition will not be limited to shows and characters in the US only. I intend for it to be worldwide, as to introduce and spread the word about memorable and unique characters and shows that deserve a bit of attention.

This weekend’s promote & share is a Comedy Web Series written by Paul Carganilla, Jared White, & Stephen Young titled Winners.

Short synopsis of the show: It’s a group of ‘artists’ who lived together with their manager in his house trying to make it in Hollywood.

More info can be found on their Facebook page & the show’s website here. If you like it too, then please go and check it out. I’ve watched these episodes a zillion times ^__^.

NOTE: I do not know these people at all, I just enjoy their work and this is strictly an appreciation post from fan.

And, without further ramblings, I give you Winners 🙂

Thanks for reading & Happy Saturday. Until next time,

Gia.

‘Dune’ at 50: Why the Groundbreaking Eco-Conscious Novel Is More Relevant Than Ever

“Men and their works have been a disease on the surface of their plane… you cannot go on forever stealing what you need without regard to those who come after.”

Source: ‘Dune’ at 50: Why the Groundbreaking Eco-Conscious Novel Is More Relevant Than Ever