Like a lot of parents, I have a veggie problem.   That is, my kids have a veggie problem.  They refuse to eat them.

It started the moment I introduced fruit to them as babies.  They loved their pureed peas, carrots and broccoli, but the moment I introduced fruit to them, it was all over.

And it’s been an uphill battle ever since.

Every night at dinner, it’s the same thing, cheering them on, cajoling, begging, bribing.  It’s enough to make me pull my hair out.

Dinner should be a pleasant experience and I want to leave my kids with happy memories of dinner times together.

So that is why, when I came across this book titled [...]

Ah, just the thought of Starbucks conjures up the rich aroma of coffee grounds and hands wrapped around a warm mug of deep, rich coffee.

Well, not for me, but for my husband who is a Starbucks addict.  He has to grind his own beans of course, (don’t ask me why)  and adds just a touch of milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar to a huge cup of coffee.

Not me.

When I have coffee (rarely),  I add so much cream and sugar that I worry for my health.  Maybe that’s why hot chocolate is more my speed.   I love the sweetness of hot chocolate, but it can’t be too sweet, (I know, I know, I’m picky).

Swiss Miss and Nestle hot chocolate don’t do it [...]

I can honestly say that this cookbook has spoiled me for just about every other cookbook in existence.

But I’m jumping ahead, I’m jumping way, way ahead of myself.

Let me explain.

This cookbook: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an accidental Country Girl  is delightful in every way.  Written by Ree Drummond, this book, her first, is a compilation of her most well-loved recipes on her wildly popular blog: PioneerWoman.com.

The pictures

The recipes are classic American home-style comfort food:  Steak, Potatoes, Pot Roast, Chili  but somehow they are made new and exciting again by the pictures: oh the pictures in [...]

Knowing my longing for a cookbook that would capture the essence of my own Central American upbringing, a close family friend gifted me this lovely cookbook named:  Memories of a Cuban Kitchen by Maria Urrutia Randelman & Joan Schwartz.

I know, I know, Cuba is not in Central America, still .. despite this being touted as a Cuban cookbook, those from Central America and the Caribbean will undoubtedly be delighted by the 200+recipes and how similar they are to their own Central American cuisine.

This is because Cuban food has its roots in Tropical, European and Caribbean influences, as does Central American cuisine.

Despite not partaking in this type of food [...]