Starter Vegetable Gardens: 24 No-Fail Plans for Small Organic Gardens

Starter Vegetable Gardens: 24 No-Fail Plans for Small Organic Gardens

Barbara Pleasant

5 out of 5

No only is the book visually stunning, but it's darn useful too.

Based on the theory that with a good plan you can't fail, Barbara Pleasant shows you the three year plan for multiple garden layouts with year by year guilds to make this a fun no fail hobby. What Pleasant does, is gives you not only a shopping list, but a step by step plan for easy gardens from first time gardener to "beyond" beginner. I guess it's up to you how you want to rank yourself. Using planting guides and crop rotations, you too can have the garden that you have always wanted, but have only been able to see in magazines.

Definitely a must have and a must keep on your shelf for years to come with insight and experience from a master gardener.

Veracity

Veracity

Laura Bynum

2 out of 5

Unfortunately, I lost interest half way through this book, moved it to the bottom of the pile and pretty much forgot about.

Harper Adams, a Monitor capable of reading people's emotions, identifies enemies of the Confederation of the Willing, an oppressive state designed to control the words and thoughts of it’s inhabitants. Like everyone else, she has a “slate” implanted in her neck, in place to execute her if she utters one of the many words that have been outlawed or “Red-Listed” by the government. Pushed to revolt when her daughter's name, Veracity, is banned, Harper is recruited by the resistance and becomes their secret weapon.

Though Harper’s character is drawn to relay the physical and emotional pain that she is going though in hopes to keep her daughter real to her, Bynum over does it with the constant feel of “oh, poor me” that has a way of turning me away from characters no matter how well other parts of the story are.

Maybe if I had stuck with the book through to the end I would have found something or someone redeemable in this futuristic story, but there just wasn’t enough of a hook after half of the book to make me want to keep reading

True Food: 8 Simple Steps for a Healthier You

True Food: 8 Simple Steps for a Healthier You.

Annie B. Bond - Melissa Breyer - Wendy Gordon

4 out of 5
If you have never stepped foot into the green movement or done any exploring into the realm then this is a good resource. But if you have been poking around for awhile, very little of what these authors have to offer will sound new.

The 8 steps involve: Eat Local, Eat a Variety, Go for Organic, Eat Lower on the Food Chain, Eat Fresh, Eat Whole Foods, Stocking your pantry, Green Your Kitchen

By reviewing the list, you can see that many of the subjects repeat themselves. Local food is cheaper to transport, higher in food value since it doesn't have to travel as far, etc., but we know this, tell me something more. Their "what is in season guide" is good, since we are so used to supermarkets that offer watermelon in January, it's good to come back to reality from time to time.

If variety is the spice of life, eat the rainbow. Great advice. Vary what you eat, colors mean something and each have their own hidden values.

Going organic is a great idea if 1) you can afford it and 2) if you trust you source. Choose wisely.

Lower on the food chain. Become more of an herbivore and less of a carnivore. This was a really good chapter. Explained a couple of things that I didn't know. Complementary Protein Combinations.

Eating Fresh sort of recaps everything that has been already covered.

Whole Foods. Fiber. Sugars. Whole Grains. Think unprocessed and you pretty much have it.

Stocking your pantry. Personally, when the term Green is used too much I get a little concerned. Apparently, this means different things to different people. Restocking your pantry can be a very pricy undertaking so they suggested slow and steady. Make the best choices you can when the opportunity presents itself - and I will guarantee you, most markets don't even have the products that are suggested.

Green Your Kitchen. Once again, back to that Green word. Keep your kitchen clean, don't use harsh chemicals and use common sense.

Over all, it is a very good book. Very helpful information and very good recipes. I recommend it as a good starting point for jumping off into a new "Healthier You".

Looking Forward to This One

Be CentsAble

Chrissy Pate and Kristin McKee


Now more than ever, people are desperate to save money without scrimping on every little purchase or sacrificing their lifestyle. Like most Americans, stay-at-home moms Chrissy Pate and Kristin McKee spent the lion's share of their budgets on what they assumed to be static costs such as groceries and utilities. But when using traditional couponing and cheapskate guides didn't help their budgets shrink by a dime, Pate and McKee decided to come up with their own way to save.

Within a few months, their household expenses dropped by more than half-from spending $800 each per month to less than $350! only a few years after developing their "be centsable" system, Pate and McKee have helped thousands of subscribers save money without spending hours finding and cutting coupons, or giving up "extras" like travel and entertainment. In this prescriptive guide, these authors show how anyone can save thousands of dollars on cleaning supplies, pet care, toys, travel, and most importantly, groceries-without giving up healthy foods, favorite products, or the occasional splurge.