Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables at Home: Creative Recipes for Lactic Fermented Food to Impr

A clear and simple guide to basic sauerkraut and brine pickles. The book does discuss health aspects of lactic acid fermentation, but what distinguishes this book in my mind is its clear description of the process. The authors leave you with enough understanding to experiment and troubleshoot for yourself. Great fun--my first couple of batches were consumed by German friends who had been forced to eat the pasturized stuff for too long.

Even though this is a thin book, this is packed with information basically everything you need to get you started.

The author(s) talk about why people make sauerkraut/pickles, a little bit about their use in various ancient and more modern cultures and how pickles saved the sailors from scurvy starting with 18th century, when ships started carrying them.

Sauerkraut/pickles are fermented foods, and the fermentation happens because of lacto-bacteria (named like that because they were first discovered in milk/dairy products). Actually, there are two types of them: for milk products and for vegetables. Organic products have more bacteria and ferment easier. Raw (i.e. unpasterized) milk sours by itself; pasteurized milk spoils... The white film you can find on organic veggies (e.g. plums, cabbage) is lacto-bacteria. Those bacteria and fermented products in general are beneficial for digestion.

The best container for fermentation is Harsch search the web to see it. I learned from this book that the white yeast that appears over open fermentation pots is actually harmless, just it has a bad taste.

It is easier to get better results with more veggies or with more types of plants versus one type only. Salt is needed for fermentation, authors say, to allow veggies to withstand a couple of days without decay until fermentation begins. If you have organic veggies, or good container (such as Harsch), there is less need for it. Whey could also be substituted, but not fully (i.e. you still need some salt).

What else is in the book? The spices, of course. And some therapeutical applications of pickles.

And, last but not least, some recipes that seem interesting to me.

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This is a great book. If you want to learn why fermented foods are so much better for you than pastuerized and heated products along with learning how to prepare them yourself, then this book is for you. It even describes a crock that eliminates all chances of spoilage or maintenance. The contents are sealed from the air the whole time the contents are fermenting. You can even use less salt. The finished product comes out crisp, fresh, and with incredible flavor.

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This book does exactly what the cover promises. The layout and format is clean and the flow of information is logical as well as being easy to digest.

Not only does this little book go into details of pickling cabbages and other veggies, it does you one better. There is extensive treatment on the healthful advantages of eating cultered vegetables. For example, did you know that eating a pound of sauerkraut a day for three months, will shrink and remove colon polyps?

Then just when you think you couln't cram any more information into a little book, you are given some great ideas on what to do with your lacto-fermented foods, in a recipe section. All in all, a much better experience than "Wild Fermentation" and absolutely no political axe to grind.

If you are looking for a no-nonesense introduction to making your own lactic fermented food, then you are in the right place.

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I was too hasty in ordering to see that there's only 64 pages in this "book" in the product description. There are very few fermentation recipes. A majority of the recipes are what you can make with your sauerkraut after it's done fermenting.

I already have Nourishing Traditions and Wild Fermentation, two books with much more information and many more recipes. I was disappointed with this book as I didn't read anything that I already didn't know. What was in here is good info if you don't have either of the two books (which I highly recommend you make a space for in your collection). So the quality is good, it's the quantity to price ratio that is lacking as it's nothing you couldn't find in web articles, recipe sites or Youtube videos.

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Heart Disease For Dummies

This was a great read for anyone who needs to know more about the heart.

This book makes it so easy to understand everything a lay person might want to know about heart disease, how to prevent it and how to understand a diagnosis. It answers questions in a very easy to understand, yet thorough manner. Great book!

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I recommend this book! Here's the short course on Heart Disease. I've had two heart attacks and will have to have more stents soon. It's all here. Why it happens. How it happens. How it's fixed temporarily. Diet. Exercise. Supplements. A little coverage of drug therapy. Surgeries...

This should be standard issue for everybody! I paid $1.49 for my copy. Cheap info indeed.

Maybe the Insurance Corporations will start handing this out! Don't hold your breath...

Even if you don't have symptoms get this book and read it. I am SURE that one day you WILL have a heart condition.

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Five-Star Trails: Louisville and Southern Indiana: Your Guide to the Area's Most Beautiful Hikes

Many hiking books, though informative and accurate, are dry and uninspiring. Askren's book, on the other hand, is a real treat. Though Askren is obviously an authority on Louisville area hiking, there aren't many guidebooks that are as entertaining as this one. She whets your appetite for exploration with her varied trail selections, and keeps your interest with saucy commentary, sprinkled with a dab of history and topped with suggested side trips. Whether you're on the trail stretching your legs or stretched out on the couch planning your next trek, Askren's book is an excellent companion.

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The Essential Stay-at-Home Mom Manual: How to Have a Wondrous Life Amidst Kids and Chaos

I'm surprised how few reviews there are here, and how few are actual reviews. This book is one of the most negative takes on parenthood that I've read.

I was really disappointed with this book. I have read her blog a little bit, and although I don't always identify with her on her blog, she has pumped this book so much I thought I'd give it a read. I wish I'd skipped it. If you are really finding stay-at-home parenting terribly difficult, then check out her blog, especially the archives. I went back to it and checked some things just to see if I could figure out why this book seems so negative. If you like what you see, give this book a read, perhaps something in there will strike you as helpful, but don't fall victim to the "whoa is me" mentality. Childhood is too short, and parents need to stay positive to get through the rough spots. (Do keep in mind that she asked her blog readers to review this book on Amazon, so the initial reviews may be slanted toward those who already identify with her world-view.)

I did find the organization of the self-care chapters week-by-week to be a good idea, although completely underdeveloped on most topics. I kept thinking "that's it?", but that may be a consequence of her working to knock out the book on a strict time schedule, as she describes in her blog.

Bottom line, I really just can't get behind her worldview. Sure, all parents, SAH and otherwise, have tough days like she describes, but the days are not all like that. She really over-emphasizes the negative. We all hit some very, VERY difficult periods during our parenting years, but her writing suggests she still has trouble seeing past those hard parts. I can see talking a bit about challenges, but it is a chronic thing in this book, there is very little positive. (She does recommend taking note of your blessings at the very end of a chapter, but again, that seems underdeveloped.) In a book like this, an editor might have suggested she step back and give it another edit after not looking at it at all for a few months, because as it is, I have trouble seeing the "wondrous" for her readers through all the negative.

Parenting is truly the toughest job you'll ever love, but you do have to stay positive. Lamenting what you don't have is definitely not the best way to do that. In one chapter on creating a group of friends, she recommends avoiding the envy of the "mansion on the hill", but in the very next paragraph, she says to stick with people of similar "circumstances, houses, cars, clothes, activities, and values." And a few pages later when discussing the benefits of a smaller home, she says of a house in her small town, "Take that, big mansion on the hill!" She is specific about the neighborhood she speaks of, and I find that, in and of itself, disparaging and mean. How is this avoiding envy, as she recommends? So to paraphrase she is saying is: if you have a good friend in your life, but you find yourself envious of them due to their "circumstances", don't keep them in your core circle of friends, you'll be happier that way. REALLY? You can't just take some time to work on your own values to figure out why you are so bothered by envy? Why can't you be happy for what you have, and be happy your friends are happy too? She's a psychologist, and her solution is to stay away from people who make you feel too envious. This is upsetting, to say the least. If you are suffering greatly from envy because you are struggling with any number of issues we all struggle with, financial, spousal help, body image, lack of support from the extended family, etc., then consider speaking to a therapist or your pastor for support! I highly doubt most would tell you to avoid any people whom you envy!

She talks at length about how hard it is when they are babies, and how little free time you have, but she really over-dramatizes this. It is true, but it is of course worse at first, and then gradually gets easier as the kids grow, although each phase brings new challenges. Her SAHM experiences do not seem unusual, yet no one I know views it as harshly as she does. Her family continues to call one difficult period, "the Summer Genevieve Screamed All the Time and Mama's Hair Fell Out." She says the girls don't really remember it, but they still talk about it. Now first of all, she mentions more than one period of hair loss on her blog, so I doubt blaming the two year old will be useful for this one. Secondly, how damaging is it to keep reminding the now five-ish child (and her sister) that she screamed all that summer and her mom's hair fell out? Thirdly, is it wise to be so specific, so publicly, about difficult periods your children went through? How will that child feel when someone asks her, at age 14 in front of friends, "Oh, are you the one who screamed for the whole summer and caused your mom's hair to fall out?" I think the author may need to work on her own stress relieving mechanisms, so I'm not sure she's in a position to tell us how to relieve stress. Not only that, she appears to have significantly more help from her spouse than many SAHMs I know, yet she seems to feel she has been burdened with an unusual amount of stress, and that other people will be able to scare up a lot more help than she had (My spouse doesn't have time to "take over" every evening so I can workout or paint my nails, he works a long day and sometimes odd hours. I did not intend to be a SAHM, but his odd hours preclude me from most jobs. And like many Americans, we do not live near our extended family, so my days are always completely dependent on my ability to stick with it, whether I'm extremely sick or stressed or otherwise. Ultimately, even on my worse days, after a little whining to my mom over the phone, I manage just fine and come out feeling fulfilled, if a bit tired. But keep in mind, my mom had it far tougher than I or the author, so I only get to whine for a moment or two, then it's time to cheer up and get back to it.

The chapter on fitness seems to assume that the average person would define leftover baby weight as being a little "soft around the middle," and with some regular movement we'll all "rock those skinny jeans in the preschool pick up line." I find that a bit unrealistic and quite unsympathetic to the rest of us. Between the book and her blog, we learn that she has suffered numerous exercise-related injuries from overdoing it, so again, she is probably not the best choice for advising us. We all know we need to move more, and any magazine at the supermarket checkout can give us the "tips" she shares, but the practical advice is lacking, and the overall chapter is disjointed.

Unfortunately, all of this fits very well in her list of types of "friends" to avoid: those who are "competitive, unsympathetic, superior, unsupportive, or have a divergent world-view." Yet she asks readers to join her "tribe" at the end of the book. I don't think so, I'd rather not take self-care advice from a "friend" like that, thank you. All this negative energy really puts her in several of the categories she lists for types of "friends" to avoid. I get the impression this book was more therapy for her than help for us, which was not worth my $15. I have had little help from my spouse or extended family, and kept to a tight budget, but I truly appreciate what I have. Sure it is hard some days, REALLY hard other days, but there are people who leave their little kids and go halfway across the world to protect our freedoms, and earn far less than the worth of those efforts. If they, and their families at home, can get through their day, I can get through mine. And I can do it without overwhelming envy and whining. People have been doing this parenting thing for thousands of years, only the circumstances change, and whether you enjoy it or just get through it is all about attitude. I'd rather enjoy it, and this book didn't help me with that. In fact, I think if I were earlier in my SAHM journey, it would have made me rather depressed. I really, really wanted to like this book, the title was very promising, who doesn't want their life to be more "wondrous"? But I'm sorry to say, her negative world-view just isn't very relatable for the average person with a vaguely optimistic outlook. If people start following her example and advice, I'm afraid optimism and positivity will be completely lost in their homes.

Not only am I bummed I wasted money on this book, I found it depressing that there are people out there this negative on parenthood, and they are trying to give advice to the rest of us. If you want something more positive on SAHMotherhood, consider "Steady Days: A Journey Toward Intentional Professional Motherhood", and if you are transitioning to SAHMotherhood and could use some positive guidance there, Sanders and Bullen's "Staying Home" would be a good choice.

I wish this book was around when I first became a SAHM 8 years ago. Had I read this book back then, my first year of being home wouldn't have been so isolating, confusing, and overwhelming. I could relate to so many situations that Shannon Hyland Tassava describes throughout the book that sometimes I felt she was in my own house witnessing one of my days as a SAHM. Shannon Tassava writes with such honestly, vulnerability, and insightfulness. She really captures the essence of modern day mothering and offers many helpful and practical tips on how to fully enjoy and embrace being a mom. This is a must have for ANY new mom whether you stay home, work part-time, or work full-time. Just like Shannon states in the book...."If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." So if you are searching for ways to be a happier mama, then this is the book for you!

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This was a huge disappointment. I'm not sure why the tone of the book came across as forced and disingenuous. I then checked out this blog about this book and found out why. This author so wants you to believe she has these values and makes these sacrifices, but really, she wants to live in the McMansions all her well-to-do friends can afford and she can't in her "sacrifice" to be a SAHM. She reminds her daughters constantly about this and is pretty harsh. Don't let her fool you, if she could, she would drive a huge Escalade and live up on the hill. It's just misleading to write something you don't fully believe, we can see right through it! How can we feel good about her message if she herself does not believe it? I'm very sad this book ended up being such a sham, because I was really looking for a good manual. It's also too bad she posts so many good reviews about herself. I confirmed this by going to her blog and found she distorts comments and is very dishonest. I have lost respect for this author as a woman and as a writer. It's misleading and very fake.

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I have read this book on a NOOK app and now am SO excited to be able to get it in hard copy! I've already given several copies to mom-friends who have new babies or young children -I think it's the PERFECT new-mom gift (or birthday gift for a mom, or anytime gift for a mom!). The information offered is both down-to-earth/practical and professional/insightful, offering ideas and perspectives I had never thought about myself before. I esp. appreciate how the author looks at mothering *as* a job -I mean, we all know it's a *job*, but how she draws analogies between mothering and the realities of a job outside the home. If I had been thinking along those lines when I was a 100% stay-at-home mom with pre-preschoolers, I'd have likely had an easier time of things. As it is, now that I'm a *work*-at-home mom (as in, my professional work *and* my mothering work coexist under the same roof), I am confident that putting into practice some of the insights in this book will truly be beneficial to all in my family.

This book is very well-written, broken down into very useful and user-friendly sections, and I'm anxious to see the hard-copy layout because e-books, though I love them, only go so far. I've done some online searches and there really seems to be no other book like this "out there." Whether you're a full-time SAHM or a part-time at-home mom *or dad*, this book has something in it for you!

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This book is very beneficial for a new stay at home mom like me or even a veteran.... This book help us mothers to never forget about us while taking care of our family...

Happy Mommas make happy homes

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Remarried with Children: Ten Secrets for Successfully Blending and Extending Your Family

As I read Remarried with Children--Ten Secrets for Successfully Blending and Extending Your Family by Barbara LeBey, all I kept thinking was: where was this book when I needed it.

Many years ago I married a man who had a nine-year-old son and an eleven-year-old daughter. Since I had never had children, I entered this marriage ill-equipped--I was virtually clueless--to deal with the children of the man I loved. LeBey's book could have saved me so much grief (the checklist alone on pages 113-115 would have been invaluable), prevented the myriad mistakes I made, and helped me work through the conflicts and problems that are inevitable when two people marry and one or both bring their children into the marriage. You aren't just marrying that man or woman, you are also an "instant family"--one that was there years before you came on the scene. Without the knowledge and tools to deal with this complex situation, the probability is that you will deal instead with ongoing tension and conflict, every conceivable form of resentment, disagreement and confrontation. And, in many instances, the stress of the stepchildren/stepparent relationship can erode the very foundation of the marriage itself. It did in my case.

Every chapter in Remarried with Children would have served to enlighten me, to calm my anxieties, and offer the kind of sage advice that I could have used on a day to day basis. The book is filled with reader-friendly stories that serve to illustrate--dramatize,really--every point LeBey makes. Her style is compassionate, often witty, entertaining, but above all, always delineating the problems with clarity and insight, and giving the reader the awareness, motivation and the means to make their newly blended family a shining success.

As I said, I definitely needed this book, and now after reading it, I know it would have been all that I needed.

I bought this book based on the positive reviews here on Amazon, and was extremely disappointed in it. The author gives way too much benefit of the doubt to the adults who are remarrying, assuming that they are rational, thoughtful people who can look out for other people's interests as well as their own. She also assumes that these people have eased into the relationship somewhat slowly, have had ample exposure to the kids involved, and do not live together before marriage. That's not the reality for a lot of people I know.

There also seems to be a fairly strong anti-child bias (example: "The Taming of a Step-Brat" page 19 why the hostile wording?), and the theme that as long as the adults are happy the kids will just have to suck it up and adjust permeates the book. On page 164, there is a section on what do IF your kids are going to be involved in your wedding to new spouse. How can you create a "new" family while not including the kids? (and what's with the hint: Let your photographer know in advance that you don't want a wedding album filled with pictures of only "cute kids". Seriously?) The chapter "Sensitive Issues and Bad Influences" is just weird and disturbing on page 210 there begins a section called "Lolita and Stepdad" where the author talks about "Jill" who decides that she's going to try to seduce her stepdad as a way to show her mom who's in control and then on the next page says that "most inappropriate sexual incidents take place between a stepfather and stepdaughter". While she does ultimately say that it's always the adult's fault for sexual abuse, it takes several paragraphs to get there, and in the meantime buys into the stereotype of the teenage girl who uses her body as a weapon.

While there are some good ideas in this book full disclosure about financial obligations, getting along for holidays/birthdays/etc this is a book that could be picked up by people who are totally self-involved narcissists and could easily find dozens of things that would justify treating their kids and other family members as interlopers into their super-special relationship (which will always trump the needs of everyone else). So you may end up with the love of your life, but your kids might not want anything to do with you.

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This book shows how important it is to put the marriage first. The focus is on putting aside the time to create a good relationship and preventing another divorce and more trauma for the children. The author tries not to push every relationship into one mold and she offeres a variety of options for some problems. I really enjoyed reading this book and I highly recommend it for those whose lives have fallen into any of these situations.

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As a divorced single mom who eventually remarried, I found a lot to like in this book.

Sadly, I read it after the fact --but still found it helpful.

This is one of the better books for spelling out the issues you'll need to consider.

Read it alongside Ginger Kolbaba's excellent book "Surprised by Remarriage" which is

also here on Amazon.

Clear, concise, and insightful analysis of the issues you'll confront. If you are

already remarried --you'll find yourself in these pages.

Well-written and useful. Five stars for clear consistent writing.

Barbara Sheldon, M.S.W.

I also highly recommend: Happily Remarried: Making Decisions Together * Blending Families Successfully * Building a Love That Will Last

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This book is full of useful information. It is one of four books that my husband and I received when we got remarried. I am reading through it and finding it helpful. My husband has been less interested --he prefers more of a "story-telling" approach, he tends to read a lot faster and skip over things. Both of us have found this book helpful in our remarried life.

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Maximum Strength: Get Your Strongest Body in 16 Weeks with the Ultimate Weight-Training Program

This book is a must-read. I heard a lot of hype about this book before purchasing, and I'm glad I finally bought it. I did the entire 4 month routine and honestly, my body feels better than it ever has in the past.

I was used to the traditional bodybuilding bodypart split of chest on Monday, legs on Tuesday, Arms on Wednesday, etc etc. For years, I just accepted that this was the way to train your body. I just dealt with back pain and shoulder pain as part of the "price of working out." Doing 5 exercises for your back in one day, and 5 exercises for your shoulders in one day is the absolute wrong way to train your body, unless you are an actual bodybuilder, but for the average fitness enthusiast, that just doesn't apply.

Eric's book outlines splitting your routines into upper body days and lower body days. The routines are easy to follow. Full detailed pictures, and explanations. One of the most important things he advocates is varying the rep range each week within the 4 week routine. You probably never have done any exercise of 8 sets of 2 reps or 10 sets of 3 reps. You have to keep in mind Eric is a Strength & Conditioning Coach with the goal of getting you stronger. I was hesitant, but you have to open your mind and try it.

My body feels stronger, and more balanced. There are a few non-traditional exercises that you probably have never heard of, or are hesitant to try out. My advice would be to do everything in the book to a T. It works. You may be reluctant to do so much deadlifting and squatting. You may have never hear of scapular push ups, walls slides, face pulls, or behind the neck band pull aparts. Open your mind. Follow the routines exactly and you will be glad you did. I know I am. Your body will feel so much stronger, more balanced, and your posture improves. I hope this doesn't sound like a 3 a.m info-mercial testimonial for the latest fitness product, because it's not. I'm a Certified Personal Trainer and a Certified Gym Rat who has been lifting for 11 years. Open your mind, try the routines, follow to a T. Your body will thank you.

Eric Cressey knows how to get people bigger and stronger, period. I got to do the Maximum Strength Program last summer and during that time I had my 1RM deadlift go from 275 to 400lbs in four months. I am more mobile than ever and I am no longer in pain (used to be low back). I now have great posture and have built a great base of strength.

This book outlines the four phases with multistep pictures of the exercises (both strength training and mobility/warm-up). Also there is a nice section dedicated towards nutrition as well.

Eric is 110% correct when he says you need to get stronger to get bigger. If you have stalled with your progress and want to get bigger and stronger, there is no better way then with Maximum Strength, for under $15 you can not go wrong.

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Eric Cressey delivers on his promise to get you stronger in 16 weeks. I know because as a former client I completed the Maximum Strength program and posted personal bests in all of my lifts. Which lifts? The ones that matter, that show true strength. Completing Maximum Strength, I would have been pleased if only my bench press numbers increased, and they did, but so did my deadlift, squat, and chin-up (my broad jump increased, too).

The 16-week program is not the only reason to buy "Maximum Strength." Eric does a phenomenal job of showing how to perform each exercise correctly, which a) eliminated bad habits I picked up in the past and b) keeps me injury free.

It's the old story of teaching the man how to fish: Eric provides a program that increases strength and sets a path to continue getting stronger after those 16 weeks. If you're serious about strength training, you need to read "Maximum Strength."

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In Eric's introduction to this book, he describes his aspiration to be strong and fit, but not huge. The introduction alone is worth the price of the book. This is a man that deadlifted 650 lbs in competition at a body weight of 181. He knows how to get people strong, yet keep them healthy. His entire program is designed to progress in power, speed and absolute strength while addressing many commonly flawed movement patterns.

I'm a 47 year old male that has begun to find it difficult to move without pain and stiffness. I am now 9 weeks into the 16 week program and I have progressed to the point were my passive ROM in my joints has improved as well as my mobility. I haven't benched in 4 years due to shoulder pain and had all but conceded that I would never again be able to, but I'm now benching without pain. I just can't say enough positive things about this book and for the price is a steal.

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A fine treatise on the fundamentals of strength. It is precise, well researched and innovative. Also, I really liked the voice of the book....casual and humorous but informative.

This guy is close to genius on the subject. A free thinker that backs his theorys with science. He draws heavily on research and builds his program from the fundamentals. That combination together with the innovative style makes a unique approach plausible and possibly the bible on the subject.

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