Freda's Voice

By Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, Author of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes The use of fresh herbs has exploded in the American kitchen today. I recall that as a young apprentice in Italy -- at my great-aunt's apron strings -- for every herb we had in the garden, there seemed to be a pot on the stove to match. Some herbs were better to cook with while others were better added at the end to a finished dish. For example, rosemary, bay leaves and thyme are mostly used for long cooking where their oils are extracted slowly out of their leaves. Sage, oregano and marjoram need very little cooking time, and herbs such as basil, parsley and mint are great to toss in raw at the end -- just enough to release their refreshing aromas. If you have small children a wonderful way to introduce them to the enticing aromas of herbs is to gently crush the herbs in your hands and let them smell. I did this with my grandchildren when they were very small and it

BOOKS READ: 1. Life Lesson From A Horse Whisperer - Dr. Lew Sterrett 2. The Shack - William Paul Young (recommend) 3. Everyday Easy Chicken (cookbook) 4. Do It or Age Quickly - J.B. Berns 5. Saint Patrick - Jonathan Rogers 6. To Sin With A Scoundrel - Cara Elliott 7. Houseworks Revised - Cynthia Townley Ewer 8. The Rough Guide To The Beatles (3rd edition) - Chris Ingham (recommend) 9. Pocket Kama Sutra - Tracey Cox 10. Three Cups - Mark St. Germain (recommend) 11. Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure - Allan Richard Shickman (young adult)(recommend) 12. The Cook's Herb Garden - Jeff Cox & Marie-Pierre Moine (recommend) 13. Mastering the Art of French Cooking - Julia Child (cookbook) (recommend) 14. Gold Digger Nation - Hal Roback 15. Sons of Thunder - Susan May Warren (recommend) 16. Say You're One Of Them - Uwem Akpan (audiobook) 17. Raven Stole The Moon - Garth Stein (recommend) 18. Girl On Top - Nicole Williams 19. Around the World Cookbook - Abigail

Hosted by: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com * Grab your current read. * Let the book fall open to a random page. * Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. * You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given. * Please avoid spoilers! My Teaser: I don't know if it was the home-brewed beer Fred had given me when I passed by his room, or if it was the comments Bobo and Peter Santilli had made about Luca before I left the other hotel, but I dropped off around midnight like a ton of rocks and fell into one of the most beautiful deep sleeps I can ever remember. I started having these incredible dreams--dreams that were crisp, vivid, and radiant, different in size and color from my normal dreams, like the difference between watching a movie on a television set versus a large screen at the theater.

Synopsis: When Jenna Rosen abandons her comfortable Seattle life to visit Wrangell, Alaska, it's a wrenching return to her past. The hometown of her Native American grandmother, Wrangell is located near the Thunder Bay Resort, where Jenna's young son, Bobby, disappeared two years before. His body was never recovered, and Jenna is determined to lay to rest the aching mystery of his death. But whispers of ancient legends begin to suggest a frightening new possibility about Bobby's fate, and Jenna must sift through the beliefs of her ancestors, the Tlingit, who still tell of powerful, menacing forces at work in the Alaskan wilderness. Armed with nothing but a mother's protective instincts, Jenna's quest for the truth behind her son's disappearance is about to pull her into a terrifying and life-changing abyss. THANKS TO Sarah & Terra Communications, I HAVE 1 COPY, OF THIS FABULOUS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN A COPY!

Synopsis: From tips on how to improve your skills to inspirational ideas and projects to fire your creativity, Digital Photography: An Introduction shows you how to make the most of your digital images, from image manipulation basics to special effects. Fully revised and updated to include all the latest developments in cameras and the ever-changing market, renowned photographer and digital expert Tom Ang shows you how to master the essentials of digital photography, from which camera to buy to posting images on the web. ©2009 My Opinion: Lately, I have read a few digital photography books as I'm trying to hone my amateur skills. This, by far, is the best book I have come across to date. There is information that covers every aspect of digital photography, including editing, different cameras, different lenses, and more. This book is a must have for any photography enthusiast! (5/5) ~I received a copy from DK Canada. I was not compensated for my opinion.~

Synopsis: The 40 days leading up to Easter, known as Lent, are set aside as a time for reflection and self-denial in preparation for the celebration of Easter. This year at Lent, orient your life toward Jesus Christ with this unique devotional taken from Holy Bible: Mosaic. Encounter Christ by reflecting on the words of Scripture and the art and writings of Christians across time and cultures. Includes full-color artwork; contemporary and historical writings; prayers, poems, and hymns from throughout church history. Full text of each week’s devotional Scripture readings is also included. ©2010 My Opinion: I find it especially hard to be critical on a bible devotional booklet. As a person who reads my bible daily, I enjoyed having this booklet throughout Lent, to remind me of our purpose. Why we are here. Ironically I had a revelation today about the book. When they had Jesus in front of them, and asked him if he was guilty of those charges. Did he call himself the Son of God. And he an

Synopsis: In Rick and Bubba’s Big Honkin’ Book of Grub, America’s sexiest fat men share wise observations and stories about grub as only they can tell them. Rick and Bubba’s Big Honkin’ Book of Grub is exactly what a diet/recipe book should be—full of hilarious stories, good eating, and not a single mention of calories! New York Times bestselling authors Rick and Bubba are not ashamed to admit they eat for one reason and one reason only: they like the way food tastes. With family recipes from their wives Sherri and Betty (who have been keeping these two in grub for years) as well as the winning recipes from Rick and Bubba's Big Honkin’ Recipe Contest, this book is a keeper. So pull up a chair, grab a fork, and enjoy! ©2010 My Opinion: Honestly, I'm a little disappointed in this book. You see that cover and think it must be a fantastic book, filled with awesome recipes. Well, it's not. There is some recipes in the back, but mostly it's opinions and some humor. With that

Synopsis: Well past the middle of the night Zan felt a shaking of his shoulder as he slept, and then an impatient foot kicking at him. Instinctively grabbing for his spear, he looked up and saw the orange glow of a torch, and as his eyes adjusted to the invading light he recognized his brother's ghastly face. Dael's dangerous brow was furrowed, and the vein of his forehead bulged under the old scar. His teeth were clenched, and his eyes darted nervously back and forth. His every motion expressed a profound agitation, and Zan knew that what he had been dreading had come. "It is time, Zan. Let us go!" "Where? It's dark!" "I want to find where the river comes from." The volcanic turbulence that shakes Dael's mind carries him to vicious extremes. It is Zan's task to calm his brother and lead him away from thoughts both destructive and self-destructive. But even the paradise of the Beautiful Country will not erase them. ©2009 My Opinion: I l

Synopsis: The year is 1945. The war is over and 21-year-old Betty Lake has been invited to Europe to sing in a USO tour for American soldiers who now occupy Hitler's Germany. The first nights performance is a hit. Betty becomes enthralled with the applause, the former Nazi-held mansion they're housed in and the attention of Frank Witt, the US Army Signal Corp Photographer. Yet the next night this songbird is ready to fly the coop when Betty's dear friend, Kat, turns up missing. Betty soon realizes Franks photographs could be the key to finding Kat. Betty and Frank team up against post-war Nazi influences and the two lovebirds' hearts may find the answers...in each other. But will they have a chance for their romance to sing? The truth will be revealed under a German moon. ©2010 Author Bio: Tricia Goyer is the author of twenty books including From Dust and Ashes, My Life UnScripted, and the children's book, 10 Minutes to Showtime. She won Historical Novel o

Rules: * Grab the book nearest you. Right now. * Turn to page 56. * Find the fifth sentence. * Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com/ Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country _ Allan Richard Shickman Page 56, Sentence 5: The men of Ba-Coro roared with mirth once again, but opinion was swaying in Zan's direction.

Synopsis: DK Eyewitness Travel's full-color guidebooks to hundreds of destinations around the world truly show you what others only tell you. They have become renowned for their visual excellence, which includes unparalleled photography, 3-D mapping, and specially commissioned cutaway illustrations. DK Eyewitness Travel Guides are the only guides that work equally well for inspiration, as a planning tool, a practical resource while traveling, and a keepsake following any trip. Each guide is packed with the up-to-date, reliable destination information every traveler needs, including extensive hotel and restaurant listings, themed itineraries, lush photography, and numerous maps. ©2010 My Opinion: I was born and raised in Canada, and was amazed at the content in this book. Beautiful photos and fantastic descriptions of everything Canadian, from Maple trees to Maple Syrup. I was surprised to find this book even shared accommodations and tourist ideas, and it is up to date. A must read

Synopsis: The last thing Garrett, Duke of Calton, expects to find while tracking his sworn enemy is the delectable, mysterious Kate. This beautiful servant girl rouses a longing the battle-scarred ex-soldier had never hoped to feel again. But when she turns out to be the sister of the man he seeks, he's convinced he's been betrayed. Kate knows her duty to her family, yet how can she ignore Garrett's powerful pull on her heart? Or the heady temptation of his stolen-and sizzling-kisses? Scandal has followed the duke since the war. Now the greatest shock of all is on its way-the one that can separate Garrett and Kate forever. ©2010 Author Bio: As a child, Jennifer Haymore traveled the South Pacific with her family on their homebuilt sailboat. The months spent on the sometimes-quiet, sometimes-raging seas sparked her love of adventure and grand romance. Since then, she's earned degrees in Computer Science and Education and held various jobs from bookselling to te

Synopsis: * The latest medications and nutraceticals that can get you off the metabolic roller coaster. * Tests your doctor should perform but probably isn’t that will give you the most accurate diagnosis of your metabolic roadblocks. * Underdiagnosed issues that can exacerbate your diabetes and sabotage your weight loss efforts. Based on the plan that has helped thousands of patients, The Weight Loss Plan for Beating Diabetes will help you lose weight—safely—and keep it off. ©2009 My Opinion: First we'll discuss the information content. I appreciate all of the information given, however, this is all learned in Diabetes Management Classes. If you are Diabetic, you know these classes or appointments I speak of. So really, if you are Diabetic, the first part is not very useful. We already learn this information upon diagnosis. It's good for a look back, but nothing new learned. The rest of the book I liked more. I especially loved the recipes in the back. For every o

Synopsis: Miki, Valencia, Teela Raye, and Brandi share one thing...they are all addicted to sex. United through Sexaholics Anonymous, these women try to recover from their dependence on wild, spontaneous, and even sometimes, dangerous sex. From whips and chains, to sex in public, they have done it all! Led by Dr. Rachel Cummings, each woman takes the first step to recovery by sharing her biggest sexual act with the group. SEXAHOLICS takes readers through the outrageous experiences of four women on their long path to success. THANKS TO Anna & Hatchette Book group, I HAVE 5 COPIES, OF THIS FABULOUS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN A COPY! GIVEAWAY RULES: Mandatory: Comment leaving a valid email address to enter. +1 bonus entry if you are/become a follower (MUST BE PUBLIC PROFILE) Leave a separate comment to count. +1 Tweet or blog and leave link in separate comment . (One time, not daily) Open to US & CANADA SORRY NO P.O. BOXES NO

Hosted by: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com * Grab your current read. * Let the book fall open to a random page. * Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. * You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given. * Please avoid spoilers! My Teaser: If you get involved with a girl, she'll be pulled into your work. You never know what trouble's around here--what trouble you'll get into. ~Page 56, Songbird Under a German Moon - Tricia Goyer

Synopsis: A follow-up to the national bestseller An Embarrassment of Mangoes, Ann Vanderhoof and her husband navigate the Caribbean on a sailboat, discovering local culture in each tiny port, and collecting sumptuous original recipes along the way. Spices and herbs are the heart and soul of Caribbean cooking, adding more to the pleasures of the table here than perhaps anywhere else. In The Spice Necklace, award-winning food and travel writer Ann Vanderhoof embarks on a voyage of culinary discovery, as she follows her nose (and her tastebuds) into tiny kitchens and fragrant markets, through rainforest gardens and to family cookups on the beach, linking each food to its traditions, folklore and history. Meandering from island to island by sailboat, Vanderhoof takes readers along as she gathers nutmeg in Grenada, hunts crabs and freshwater crayfish in the mountains of Dominica, and obsesses about oregano-eating goats in the Dominican Republic. Along the way, she is befriended by a collect

Synopsis: Christy Williams finally has her life on track. She’s putting her past behind her and working hard to build a career as an antiquarian book buyer. But things begin to unravel when a stolen Hemingway first edition is found in her possession, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. With no one to turn to, she yearns for her estranged younger sister, May, whom she abandoned after their parents’ untimely deaths. Soon, Christy’s fleeing from her shattered dreams, her ex-boyfriend, and God. Could May’s Triple Cross Ranch be the safe haven she’s searching for? Will the sisters realize that each possesses what the other desperately needs before it’s too late? A stunning debut from the latest Christian Writers Guild winner. Read the first chapter here: http://files.tyndale.com/thpdata/FirstChapters/978-1-4143-3448-6.pdf Author Bio: C. J. Darlington began writing the story that would become her first novel Thicker than Blood when she was a fifteen-year-old homeschool student

Synopsis: With foods like hummus and Pad Thai becoming as common as meatloaf and apple pie, it’s no surprise that international foods are hotter than ever. Kids today are growing up in an increasingly multicultural world, and with Around the World: An International Cookbook for Children, they can eat like it, too! While cooking these traditional cuisines, kids also learn about the countries they’re from: how a tandoor oven works, what smorgasbord really means, and how to make a croque monsieur into a croque madame. Together with DK’s fun and innovative visual style, the information and recipes in this unique cookbook tie in beautifully with school curriculum and make it an essential part of every young foodie’s library. Seasoned and successful cookbook author Abigail Johnson Dodge is a contributing editor at Fine Cooking, where she founded the magazine’s test kitchen. The author of five popular cookbooks, Dodge’s most recent publication, The Weekend Baker, (W.W. Norton, 2005) had t

Synopsis: Nicole Williams is the tell-it-like-it-is career expert who you wish could fight your work battles for you. But with her ingenious approach--taking the tactics used to land a man and applying them to your career-- you'll be able to handle any work situation and come out on top. Here, Nicole introduces twenty tried-and-true dating rules such as "Don't Give Away Your Milk for Free" and "Don't Waste the Pretty" and reveals how they can be applied just as effectively in the office. Other strategies include: - Keep It Brief - Don't Bash Your Ex - Have Others Sing Your Praises - Play Hard to Get - Keep the Fire Alive - Be Willing to Walk Away Among other topics, Nicole dishes on how much to reveal at work as well as what to put up with from your boss (and, more importantly, what not to). She tackles everything from having the money talk to leaving them wanting more on the job interview. And sprinkled throughout GIRL ON TOP is fashion advice (&quo

Synopsis: When Jenna Rosen abandons her comfortable Seattle life to visit Wrangell, Alaska, it's a wrenching return to her past. The hometown of her Native American grandmother, Wrangell is located near the Thunder Bay Resort, where Jenna's young son, Bobby, disappeared two years before. His body was never recovered, and Jenna is determined to lay to rest the aching mystery of his death. But whispers of ancient legends begin to suggest a frightening new possibility about Bobby's fate, and Jenna must sift through the beliefs of her ancestors, the Tlingit, who still tell of powerful, menacing forces at work in the Alaskan wilderness. Armed with nothing but a mother's protective instincts, Jenna's quest for the truth behind her son's disappearance is about to pull her into a terrifying and life-changing abyss. ©2010 My Opinion: I knew this book was a hit for me, when I fought with myself over whether to go to sleep or read one more chapter. In the end,

Rules: * Grab the book nearest you. Right now. * Turn to page 56. * Find the fifth sentence. * Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com/ Raven Stole the Moon - Garth Stein Page 56, Sentence 5: That's what it's supposed to look like.

Hosted by: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com * Grab your current read. * Let the book fall open to a random page. * Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. * You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given. * Please avoid spoilers! My Teaser: The funeral was at three. Six hours from now. ~ Page 108, Thicker Than Blood - C.J. Darlington

Synopsis: What’s in the Bible? is a new DVD series from VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer designed to walk kids and families through the entire Bible. The 13 DVD-series will release beginning March 1, 2010. Author Bio: n 1990, 24-year-old computer-animator Phil Vischer sat down to create a group of characters that could teach Christian values to kids in a delightfully different way. A tomato named Bob and a cucumber named Larry were born. VeggieTales would go on to revolutionize Christian filmmaking, selling more than 50 million videos and placing Phil’s faith-filled stories in one in every three American households with young children. Phil continues to pursue innovative new ways to integrate faith and storytelling through his new company, Jellyfish Labs. His projects include Jelly Telly, which provides faith-based daily programming via the internet at JellyTelly.com For more visit: www.whatsinthebible.com and: www.tyndale.com ©2010 GIVEAWAY: One winner will receive

Synopsis: Uwem Akpan's stunning stories humanize the perils of poverty and violence so piercingly that few readers will feel they've ever encountered Africa so immediately. The eight-year-old narrator of "An Ex-Mas Feast" needs only enough money to buy books and pay fees in order to attend school. Even when his twelve-year-old sister takes to the streets to raise these meager funds, his dream can't be granted. Food comes first. His family lives in a street shanty in Nairobi, Kenya, but their way of both loving and taking advantage of each other strikes a universal chord. In the second of his stories published in a New Yorker special fiction issue, Akpan takes us far beyond what we thought we knew about the tribal conflict in Rwanda. The story is told by a young girl, who, with her little brother, witnesses the worst possible scenario between parents. They are asked to do the previously unimaginable in order to protect their children. T

Synopsis: APOLOGIZE, APOLOGIZE! takes us into the perversely charmed world of the Flanagans and their son, Collie (who has the questionable good fortune to be named after a breed of dog). Coming of age on Martha's Vineyard, he struggles to find his place within his wildly wealthy, hyper-articulate, resolutely crazy Irish-Catholic family: a philandering father, incorrigible brother, pigeon-racing uncle, radical activist mother, and domineering media mogul grandfather (accused of being a murderer by Collie's mother). THANKS TO Valerie & Hatchette Book group, I HAVE 3 COPIES, OF THIS FABULOUS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN A COPY! GIVEAWAY RULES: Mandatory: Comment leaving a valid email address to enter. +1 bonus entry if you are/become a follower (MUST BE PUBLIC PROFILE) Leave a separate comment to count. +1 Tweet or blog and leave link in separate comment . (One time, not daily) Open to US & CANADA SORRY NO P.O. BOXES

Synopsis: Laura and Charlie Rider have been married for twelve years. They share their nursery business in rural Wisconsin, their love for their animals, and their zeal for storytelling. Although Charlie's enthusiasm in the bedroom has worn Laura out, although she no longer sleeps with him, they are happy enough going along in their routine. Jenna Faroli is the host of a popular radio show, and in Laura's mind is "the single most famous person in the Town of Dover." When Jenna happens to cross Charlie's path one day, and they begin an e-mail correspondence, Laura cannot resist using Charlie to try out her new writing skills. Together, Laura and Charlie craft florid, strangely intimate messages that entice Jenna in an unexpected way. The "project" quickly spins out of control. The lines between Laura's words and Charlie's feelings are blurred and complicated, Jenna is transformed in ways that deeply disturb her, and Lau

Synopsis: Sophie Frangos is torn between the love of two men and the promise that binds them all together. Markos Stavros loves Sophie from afar while battling his thirst for vengeance and his hunger for honor. Dino, his quiet and intelligent brother, simply wants to forget the horror that drove them from their Greek island home to start a new life in America. One of these sons of thunder offers a future she longs for, the other the past she lost. From the sultry Chicago jazz clubs of the roaring twenties to the World War II battlefields of Europe to a final showdown in a Greek island village, they'll discover betrayal, sacrifice and finally redemption. Most of all, when Sophie is forced to make her choice, she'll learn that God honors the promises made by the Sons of Thunder. 

 Sons of Thunder launches the new Romantic Suspense line for Summerside Press - it will be available to purchase in Wal-mart mid-January. Also - its uniquely written - its an epic suspense story wri