Fine Print: I was given a copy of the book for review and the publisher is giving five to readers. All opinions and statements below are my own.
A good cookbook is something that can save any parent’s day. I don’t know about you, but I have actually made a list of easy dinners and TAPED it to my refrigerator (which my husband constantly teases me about) because I can’t always think of things to make on the fly. My life is more manageable if I have something to glance at or something to inspire me in the kitchen.
I was recently given the opportunity to check out the new Lisa Cain cookbook Snack Girl to the Rescue!: A Real-Life Guide to Losing Weight and Getting Healthy with 100 Recipes Under 400 Calories. Unlike many cookbooks that I own and have read, this book is two-fifths guide to healthy living, educational manual and food suggestions and three-fifths cookbook. My first reaction to seeing that was, do I really want to read a book BEFORE getting to the meat of the recipes? And the answer was – yep, it’s actually very interesting!
In her book, Ms. Cain delves into her educated opinions on diet programs (i.e. Atkins, Jenny Craig, etc.), food habits, cooking for one vs. many, alcohol, emotional eating and many other topics that we hear about/talk about, but don’t often get suggestions for. It’s one thing for your doctor to say, “You really need to lose 15 lbs” and reading about the issues that you may deal with (and likely DO deal with considering the number of issues discussed) while in the privacy of your own home – with no judgement!
Then you get to the recipes. My favorite part of this cookbook is the large list of Recipes by Calories per Serving. Looking for something under 100 calories to serve as a side dish? Take a quick gander at this list, flip to the page of the recipe and get cooking! It’s an extremely handy tool.
The recipes themselves are fairly basic American-skewed cuisine, but there are some items I hadn’t thought of (Cocoa Chili anyone?). I am a HUGE fan of the recipes of Snacks, as I always find myself in the same predicament – what can I grab and make that will take only 5 minutes so that the kids can get to their homework? This list provides a good guide of items that you’re familiar with (Ants on a Log) to some that maybe you aren’t (Dried Figs Dipped In Chocolate). Also, at the bottom of each recipe there is a breakdown of calories, fat, carbs, sugar, protein, fiber and sodium, so you’ll have a good feeling for what you’re serving.
I have one major complaint about this cookbook and it is the lack of photos. There is not a single photo of food (or anything else) within the pages of the cookbook. While this doesn’t really impact any of the information or recipes provided, the voyeur in me really wanted to see how beautiful my food could turn out. Let me stress the word COULD in that sentence, as I am not the world’s best cook!
To get everyone excited about new ideas on how to snack, I am giving five lucky winners a copy of the Snack Girl To The Rescue Cookbook!
To enter this giveaway, complete any or all of the options listed below. Giveaway ends 5/11. Good luck!
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Alli is a Chicago based wife and mother of two children. She has turned money-saving into a game and enjoys searching out the best deals to help you save money! Alli shares her insight, tips and up-to-the-minute deals for local and national retailers and brands. Her hope is that you will play the game and learn to save money at the same time!