Blog Tour: Copycat Cooking by Six Sisters' Stuff

Copycat Cooking by Six Sisters' Stuff

Book Description:

The popular Six Sisters’ Stuff bloggers come to the rescue with a new collection of more than 100 easy-to-make recipes of popular restaurant dishes and takeout favorites for busy families. Make meal planning a breeze as you mix-and-match side dishes from one restaurant with main courses from another and finish it off with a dessert from a third. Save money while spending more time with your family. Change dining-out to dining-in for a memorable experience your whole family will enjoy.

Includes recipes for Texas Roadhouse Cactus Blossom, Panda Express Orange Chicken, Olive Garden Chicken Parmesan, Disneyland Monte Cristo Sandwich, Chili’s Molten Hot Lava Cake, Sprinkles Red Velvet Cupcakes, and Universal Studios Butterbeer. 

Andrea's Review:

I'm a huge fan of Six Sisters' Stuff cookbooks, so I jumped on the opportunity to review their new recipe book, Copycat Cooking.

First, a disclaimer. I haven't actually eaten most of the original recipes that are being copied, so I can't compare the final product to the original. However, I can say that the recipes I made were easy to make (as promised in the description). They were also pretty tasty.

I like the format/presentation of this recipe book. Each recipe has a color photo of the final product. That is a must have in recipe books for me. I think the only thing that would make the book better would be if it was spiral bound so it would lay flat on any recipe without me having to find something to hold it open (and potentially cover part of the recipe I'm trying to follow). The cover is a durable soft cover that would be easily cleaned if something splashed on it.

I made the "Famous Dave's Cornbread Muffins" to go along with some chili (not from the recipe book). They are definitely on the sweet side (I like my cornbread to be less sweet with chili), but my family downed quite a few with dinner, and my husband said they were better the next day.

We have some friends who'd never eaten macaroni and cheese, so I made the "Panera Bread Mac & Cheese". I've tried many mac & cheese recipes, and honestly I haven't found one that I love. But, we served this along with two boxed varieties and this was by far the winner out of the three. I wasn't able to find white American cheese, so I used standard orange American cheese and orange extra-sharp cheddar (instead of white extra-sharp cheddar). I think the only difference is the coloring. My family was turned off by the use of American cheese in the recipe, but I assume it was required to provide creaminess. Our German friend thought this recipe was too salty (but she wasn't much of a fan of mac & cheese in any of the varieties). Our Puerto Rican friend liked this recipe quite a lot.

I made the Funfetti Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookies that are with the "Baked Bear Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches". I didn't do the ice cream part, but had the cookies for my kids after their first day of school, and I took the rest to a young women activity. The cookies were a hit. I was concerned that the Funfetti Cookies were too dry when I handled the dough and because they didn't spread out much while baking, but they tasted really good. If I make them with the intent to use them for ice cream cookie sandwiches, I'd have to flatten the balls of dough out before baking them. The Chocolate Chip Cookies were the favorite out of the two. I think the instant pudding package in the mix really added a lot. I would definitely make these again.

My daughter made the "Nestle Tollhouse Cookie Pie". It was easy for her to make, and didn't last long in our house.

The "Olive Garden Cream Cake" was our family favorite. It has three steps, and my blender had some issues while pulsing the crumb topping, so we didn't have nearly as much topping as called for. I don't think that hurt it at all though-and maybe I'd do without it next time. Anyway, it smelled divine while baking, and was a hit with family and friends. I will definitely add this to the recipes I want to make again.

Out of the six recipes we tried, I can see myself definitely making two again, and probably making one of them again, and maybe making the other three again.  There are still quite a few recipes I'm looking forward to trying.

Rorie's Review:

I love Six Sisters' Stuff - I'm pretty sure I own every one of their cookbooks - so I was definitely excited to try this one out. When I got the book in the mail, I sat down and drooled through the entire thing. I love that the recipes are usually pretty easy, and that there is always a picture of what the food should look like. Full disclosure: I did not follow the recipes exactly as they were written. I either left out ingredients because I don't like them (cilantro) or thought I had it and realized too late that I didn't (teriyaki sauce. How do I not have that? I ALWAYS have that!) And sometimes I modified the recipe to fit the way we eat (using cauliflower instead of potatoes.) That being said, I really enjoyed the recipes that I have made so far.

The first one I tried were the avocado egg rolls. Oh my. I baked them instead of frying them, but they still turned out so yummy. Since I was only making them for me, I cut the recipe in half - or maybe thirds - and it was probably a good thing that I did so, because I would have eaten all of it if I had made the entire thing.

Next up were the Monte Cristo sandwiches. I've maybe had one of those once, many, many, many years ago, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I really liked the puffy crust that the batter makes. Sadly, the outside cooked long before the insides got all nice and gooey and melty, so that was kind of disappointing to me. I might make these again, but only if I can figure out how to get the middle melted. And I'd probably leave off the meat, because it's all about the cheese in my book.

We had the lettuce wraps for dinner one night, and that was where I realized too late that we were out of teriyaki sauce. It was still good - all of my family ate it, which doesn't happen all that often - but it was pretty salty. I'm thinking the sweetness from the teriyaki would have helped cut the saltiness a bit.

The French Pot Roast was made mostly with my husband in mind. I'm not a huge beef fan, unless it's ground beef, so when I make roasts and things like that, it's really just to appease him. But that being said, this was pretty tasty, and I would make it again. I don't know what I did wrong with the gravy, but when I added the cornstarch slurry, instead of mixing in with the liquid, it just solidified into a lumpy mass. So, no yummy gravy.

My son made the Butterbeer recipe for us one afternoon. We have both had butterbeer at Universal Studios, and thought it was absolutely delicious there. (Mine was hot, since it was in the winter. That was to die for!) We both agreed that this did not taste like the Universal Studios version, but it was OK. My second son finished his, I think, but my youngest two didn't finish theirs.

My son also made the Molten Hot Lava cake for us one night. When my husband and I were on a cruise several years ago, they served that for dessert and that is what we chose every night, so this recipe had a lot of high expectations to live up to. It did not disappoint. We timed it wrong and it had to sit for quite awhile while we finished dinner, but it was still gooey and yummy. We'll definitely be making this one again.

I love Zuppa Toscana, and make it frequently, but I honestly don't know if I've ever had the soup at Olive Garden. I used cauliflower instead of potatoes, and didn't put the bacon in (I love bacon, but only when it's nice and crispy. I don't like it chewy.) This is also a meal that everyone will eat, so it is definitely in our regular rotation.

There are still several recipes that I would like to try in this book, and I am very happy to add it to my collection.

Tarah's Review:

I love cook books. I love to look at them, and I love to dream of the tasty food I see in them. However, cooking is not a great talent of mine, and it isn't something I enjoy doing on a day to day basis. I like cooking for lots of people for a gathering, but dinner everyday? Who needs that? :) So I get a little nervous cooking since it's not a talent of mine, but these pictures made it look really good, and the recipes looked really easy.

That might have been my favorite thing about this cook book...the ease of the recipes. I haven't tried many of the originals from the restaurants, so I can't compare to those, but I think most of the ones we tried were winners.

We tried the Outback Steakhouse Coconut Shrimp, and I'm going to admit that I didn't even try to eat them because I don't enjoy seafood. I have a lot of people in my family who do though, and these little things did not last long at our gathering. Everyone said they were really tasty. I did have a hard time getting the batter to stick to the shrimp, and the dipping sauce made  A LOT, but like I said, everyone devoured them.

Everyone in my family loved the Monte Cristo Sandwich. They even took some to lunch the next day (which I didn't think would work well, but they loved it). It definitely isn't a healthy meal, but it's a fun treat every once in a while.

We tried the Wingers Sticky Chicken Fingers, and again, I'll admit I didn't eat any because I don't like spicy food. My family liked them, but they said I used the wrong chicken for them. I took some to extended family and they all said they were really good.

I was excited about the Panera Bread Asian Sesame Chicken Salad, and it was good, and then I realized I forgot to put the chicken on. It was still marinating in the fridge. Oops. I'm sure it would have been extra delicious with all the ingredients.

I was in a hurry one day and threw together the Panera Bread Mac and Cheese. Honestly, no one in my family really enjoyed this one, and most of us really like mac & cheese. I won't be making this one again.

The Wendy's Frosty was a hit. I'm not sure it tasted exactly like a frosty, but my kids devoured it and since it was so easy to make I kept making more and more. We will definitely be making that one again.

Title: Copycat Cooking
Author: Six Sisters' Stuff
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Published: September 2018
ISBN: 1629724432
Source: We received copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Amazon | Deseret Book

Review: The Snow Princess Cookbook by Barbara Beery

 The Snow Princess Cookbook by Barbara Beery

Book Description:

National cooking expert Barbara Beery, author of the bestselling The Pink Princess Cookbook and Fairies Cookbook has done it again, creating the perfect cookbook for your little princesses who like all things frozen and fun! Focused on Frozen Treats, Party Eats and Treats, Sipping Treats, and Party Crafts, The Snow Princess Cookbook is a chef's dream for making fun snacks for the little ones or for showcasing the perfect confection for that Frozen(R)-themed party.

30 food and party recipes include:

Fruit Wands with Melted Snow Dip Scented Ice Glitter Lotion Snow Princess Coronation Cake Sparkling Ice Snow Cones Ice Blue Lollipops True Love Lemonade And much more!

Review:

My daughter isn't in the young princess stage anymore, but if I'd had this when she was, this would have a been a wonderful book to help with her princess birthday party. This cookbook reminds me of what you'd find if you searched Pinterest for Elsa birthday party ideas, except it's much better because you don't have to click link after link.

It's a lovely spiral bound book with a hard cover. That means durability and ease of use (it lays flat so you don't have to find things to hold it open while you're trying to cook). It also has pictures of each recipe (which is a must have).

One of the bonus features of this cookbook is that it has a section on Party Crafts. Seriously, it has most of what you'd need to plan the perfect Elsa party. It even has a page near the end with conversions for volume and weight measurements and temperature, so it doesn't matter where you live-you've got the info you need at your fingertips.

I would highly recommend this for anyone with a young princess lover in their lives.

Title: The Snow Princess Cookbook
Author: Barbara Beery
Publisher: Familius
Published: June 2015
ISBN: 1939629756
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Amazon

Cookbook Review: Simplify Supper by Krista Numbers

Reviews * Giveaway

Simplify Supper by Krista Numbers

Cookbook Description:

From her grandfather Salvatore Granato's roots in Southern Italy to the legacy of her family's beloved Italian deli in the heart of Salt Lake City, Krista Numbers has a deep-seated love for good food. In Simplify Supper, this busy wife and mother proves that simple can be satisfying as she dishes up dozens of delectable dinners. From some of her family's best-loved Italian meals to fast feasts with an international flair, discover quick comfort foods you'll want at the heart of your dinner table, such as:

•Angel Hair Pasta with Basil Cream Sauce
•Smoked Turkey Panini with Pears and Blue Cheese
•Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
• Teriyaki Chicken with Ginger Rice

In addition to her collection of simple and satisfying meals, Krista shares personal anecdotes, sanity-saving kitchen tips, and suggestions for making family dinner a time for good food and good conversation. No matter the occasion, there is a recipe here to help you get a delicious supper on the table, pronto.

Andrea's Review:

I jumped at the opportunity to review the new cookbook, Simplify Supper. Cooking dinner in my house is often a chore. I usually don't know what to make, and then end up throwing something together last minute. We eat a lot of the same dishes, and I think everyone in my house is pretty tired of the same old standby recipes.

Simplify Supper wins major bonus points for having photos of each recipe, and I quickly marked many of the recipes to try with my family.

The first recipe I tried was the Slow-Cooker Santa Fe Chicken. It sounded so easy, and I had most of the ingredients on hand. I really appreciated the tip on this recipe that said what you can use if you don't have the Mexican-style corn. I had great intentions of actually using my slow-cooker, but then I forgot to get it started early in the day, so I decided to try it in the Instant Pot. I don't think that method was the best for this recipe (at least not yet as I'm an Instant Pot newbie and I think I overcooked it). I was pretty concerned about having the right amount of liquid for the Instant Pot to get to pressure that I forgot about the extra ingredients to add to my regular corn though. The end result was chicken that was somewhat bland and tough. But, it actually made for a tasty topping on nachos the next day.

I also made the Homemade Marinara Sauce. It was as easy and simple to make as the book said, and I had all of the ingredients on hand. I did stray from the directions slightly in that I didn't cook it in a dutch oven (because that wasn't something I had on hand). I'm not sure if that would have made a difference in the taste, but I was happy with how it turned out. I actually prefer a little sweeter marinara sauce, but it was good. It was chunkier than my husband likes, but I think you could blend it up if you like a smoother sauce.

My kids and I made the Homemade Baked Churros. It was a fun and easy project. I wished we had a bigger tip for the pastry bag to make these look more like the churros you buy at Costco or a fair. They taste different from what I was used to for a churro (probably because they're baked and not fried) but they were good. I wondered if the direction to have 1/2 cup cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar was a typo. That's way too much cinnamon for that amount of sugar, so I made some adjustments there. I wish I'd just started with maybe 1/4-1/2 cup of sugar and a tablespoon of cinnamon, since I ended up with a lot leftover. The recipe said to cook for 15-20 minutes. Mine weren't brown after 20, so I kept adding more time. I pulled them out after 35-40 minutes.

Tarah's Review:


I should probably start with a disclaimer that I am not a great cook, or baker, or anything that involves food. I'm not a foodie, I'm a quick and easy, dump it all together type person. With all that in mind I was actually excited that these recipes look really easy.  Our first recipe was the mini wonton tacos. I just thought it was a fun way to use wontons without deep frying them. I will say (which is probably obvious to everyone else) that this is more of a appetizer than a main dish. I used it as a main dish, and well, wontons just aren't that big :) My husband had to eat quite a few to fill his belly :) But, they were quick and easy. My kids thought they were fun too, so that's always nice. I did make some changes since I knew my kids wouldn't go for the green chile peppers and things like that, but since they were all just topping, it didn't seem to matter that much. I really liked that there are pictures of every recipe, and that for this one it shows you how to put the wontons in the muffin tin.

A family favorite dinner is Sloppy Joes, so I was a little hesitant to make them differently. Especially since they called for peppers and onions, and well, my kids are...well...picky. My husband is super glad we tried this recipe though. He and my oldest daughter thought it was really really good. I enjoyed it as well, and I liked that it was my style cooking...a lot of dumping ingredients in and mix together. I'm curious about the butter it calls for though. Like I said, I'm not a cook, but it seemed weird that you would put the butter in when hamburger already has so much grease that you end up draining anyway. Maybe that's more for a dutch oven? I used a non-stick pan so I didn't have any problems there. I also cut the onions and peppers in half, because of my kids.  Anyway, we will definitely try this recipe again.

Since summer is almost upon us, a great way to cool down is with the Lemon Ice. It's super simple and relatively quick (I mean, it does need to freeze, and that takes a bit of time). My 11 year old made this herself. One thing with this though, is that it doesn't tell you how much water you are supposed to use. I just had her use 1 C, but I have no idea if that was anywhere in the ball park. I really enjoyed this. It was perfect for the hot day we had. It was a little sour, and a little sweet, but the serving dish my daughter put it in wasn't large, so it was just perfect.


Rorie's Review:

I love cookbooks. Every time I'm at the store, I find myself browsing through the cookbook section to see if any of them catch my eye. This is very amusing, because I really don't enjoy cooking all that much. (I do enjoy eating though...)

The first recipe that I tried out in this book was the Italian Soda. My kids and I give this recipe a hearty thumb's up. I forgot to buy whipped cream, but that just means we'll have to make it again. Just as a side note, if you're not sure where to find the flavored syrup, it's in the coffee aisle.

I also made the Homemade Marinara, Slow-Cooker Braciole, Pesto and Cannoli...Well, I made a cannoli dip. I couldn't find cannoli shells at either store I went to, and the one person I asked didn't even know what a cannoli was, much less if they carried the shells. But as a dip, it's really tasty. I've never had an actual cannoli though, so I'll have to try harder to find those shells.

I'm not a huge red meat fan, but my husband loves it, so I'm always looking for a beef recipe that both of us will enjoy. The Braciole was a hit! Very flavorful, and not very beef-tasting, which is a huge plus for me. Not only that, it was pretty easy to make. I used the homemade marinara sauce in this recipe and it was really good. Again, really easy to make. And it made my house smell so good! This is a recipe that will go into our normal rotation.

I've only had pesto a time or two, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was pretty good, but I'm positive that I'm vampire-proof now. Definitely a lot of garlic in this one. I used my little hand-powered food processor, so things didn't get chopped up as much as I thought they should have. Next time I make it, I'll use my regular food processor and see if that helps mix it up better.

There are several more recipes in this book that I'm looking forward to trying, so this cookbook is definitely a keeper. If I had to give any downsides to it, I would say that the pronunciation part at the bottom of each recipe was not much help, unless you're familiar with what an upside-down e is supposed to sound like (I'm not.) I much prefer the layman's pronunciation guide (i.e. vacation: vay-kay-shun) instead of using upside-down letters and other equally confusing symbols.

That being said, it's not important to the book.  The recipes were all solid, and there was a wide variety of them. Everything I made was easy and the instructions were pretty clear. I love that each recipe has a picture to it as well.

Italian Soda:

Ingredients:
Ice cubes
Flavored syrup of your choice
16 ounces club soda
1 ounce half-and-half cream
whipped cream for topping if desired

Place ice cubes in a tall glass. Add syrup, then club soda, then half-and-half. Stir and top with whipped cream if desired.

Giveaway:

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Blog Tour: The Make-Ahead Kitchen by Annalise Thomas

The Make-Ahead Kitchen by Annalise Thomas

Book Description:

Skip the hassle of last-minute meals and leftovers and replace them with simple, healthy, delicious, and easy-to-prepare make-ahead dishes! Your family will love these comfortable meals, new favorites, cozy drinks, and tantalizing desserts—all of them prepared ahead of time so you don’t have to worry! Enjoy simple, soul-filling foods without the chaos of preparing them at the last minute.

Rorie's Review:

I was able to try several of these recipes, and was happy with all of them.

Green smoothies are a staple in my house, since that's the only way I can get most of my kids to ingest anything green. I admit, the recipe for the Not-So-Green Smoothie is very similar to what I usually make, but I was intrigued by the use of cinnamon and salt. End result was 4 out of 4 thumbs up. I really liked the hint of cinnamon in the smoothie, so I plan on using that on a regular basis from now on.

Next, I made the Mediterranean-Style Hummus. I have always wanted to try making my own hummus, but for some reason it has always intimidated me. Now I wonder why, because this recipe was so easy and quick to make, and the end result was delicious. I think I like this better than the store-bought stuff that I usually get. I do wish that I had halved the recipe though, because it makes a whole lot and no one else in my family will eat it.

The next recipe I tried was the Rosemary Chicken Pot Pie. I'm not a huge fan of rosemary, so I considered leaving it out, but I ended up using it. It wasn't an overpowering flavor, so I was happy about that. The pot pie was delicious and almost everyone in the family ate it, which doesn't happen very often (I have a few really picky kids.) My only two complaints about this recipe are: 1) the recipe calls for bacon but never tells you what to do with it. I just ended up adding it at the same time as the chicken, and 2) this recipe takes FOREVER to make. Active prep time was 1 1/2 hours, and then another hour or so to bake it. I am more of a 5 ingredients or less, hurry and get it over with type of cook, so I was not at all happy with how long I ended up being in the kitchen for this meal. I'm very glad that it turned out as delicious as it did, but I don't know if I'd make it again, simply due to the amount of time it takes to make.

Finally, my oldest made the Butterscotch Chocolate Blondies. I really like blondies and my family really likes chocolate...and butterscotch...so we were all looking forward to trying this. It did not disappoint, and was very tasty, although maybe a bit too sweet (I never thought I'd say that.) I do prefer the texture of regular blondies better - this was more cake-like, but it was easy enough for my 10-year-old to make, and he was able to get it mixed up and in the oven in the amount of time it took to let the pot pie sit before eating dinner.

All in all, I'm glad I had the chance to try some of these recipes and look forward to trying some of the other ones in this book - probably not the ones that take several hours though.

Andrea's Review:

I was pretty excited about this recipe book when I first heard about it. I work outside of my home, and many nights when it's almost time to eat I'm trying to figure out what to make. Of course this problem could easily be eliminated if I was a consistent meal planner, but I haven't been able to stay in that habit. Anyway, in my mind The Make Ahead Kitchen was going to help me turn around my last- minute problem.

My bad habit hasn't been turned around quite yet, although I did find the recipes I tried to be fairly easy to put together. So many of the recipes sound delicious-although some of them didn't appeal to me based on the amount of time to put them together. I had in mind that this was a save time book, so the multi-step, many hour recipes didn't call to me.

I made the pumpkin pie slow cooker oatmeal. I actually didn't have this cooking overnight, but made it during the day to have ready for my family to heat up throughout the week. It was fast and easy to throw together, and made my house smell great. My daughter really liked it, and although my son made faces when I made him try it, I think he actually liked it (in the past he has said he doesn't like pumpkin, but that seems to be in his mind-I didn't tell him that's what was in it). If I make it again I will try my steel cut oats (I much prefer their texture over regular rolled oats), and I'll try some maple syrup instead of the brown sugar. It's wasn't overly sweet, but I'd feel better about the health content if it had the natural syrup instead.

Since I had pumpkin puree leftover from the oatmeal, I made the Sour Cream Pumpkin Bread. This was another easy recipe. It didn't take any more or any less time than your standard sweet bread. I liked the consistency and my husband and daughter downed it. We didn't end up freezing any to save for later, so I'm not sure how it is thawed, but I would make this recipe again.

The last recipe I tried was the Slow Cooker Pineapple Coconut Chicken Curry. I have a recipe for Coconut Curry Chicken that we love, and I thought it'd be fun to give this new recipe a try. It didn't take too long to get in the crockpot, although I didn't have Sriracha Sauce (and didn't see any in my grocery store). I'm not sure what difference those two teaspoons would have made, but it ended up being a little bland. We couldn't taste the pineapple like I expected, although that makes sense given the strong flavors of curry and garam masala. I went on the low end of the red paper flakes and perhaps I should have added more. Or, the lack of flavor could have been that I didn't thicken the sauce. I'm not sure that I'd try this recipe again. I'll see how the leftovers turn out.

I loved that the recipe book has full color photos of the completed dishes-an absolute must in my recipe book requirements. The desserts look really good. I'm trying to eat healthier, so I avoided those, but I imagine I'll give several of those recipes a try.

About the Author:

Annalise Thomas is a big city girl married to a small town boy. Every day is a joy and a challenge as she learns to live and love this small town life. Annalise is a foodie with a deep passion for everything edible and for sharing what she loves with others. Annalise is a wife and mom, a baker, a cook, and a blogger. She and her family live a very real life and eat as much real food as possible.

Blog Tour Schedule:

June 14: Utah Deal Diva
June 15: What’s Cooking with Kids | That Artsy Reader Girl | Batch of Books
June 16: Shrinking Momster | Saving for My Family
June 17: Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt | Danyelle Ferguson
June 18: Singing Librarian Books | Katie’s Clean Book Collection | Breezy & Co.
June 19: Storeybook Reviews | Reidhead Random-ness
June 20: Pink Cake Plate | For What It’s Worth | My Little Sunshines
Bookworm Lisa
June 21: Kindle and Me | Vintage Mixer | Preparedness Mama
Food Above Gold
June 22: The Unlikely Baker | Chocolate with Grace
June 23: Karen’s Kitchen Stories | Jodi Woody
June 24: Cookistry | Every Free Chance
June 25: Eccentric Eclectic Woman | Kaisy Daisy’s Corner
June 26: The Gingered Whisk
June 27: Bab’s Book Bistro | Rockin’ Book Reviews | My Book a Day
June 28: Wishful Endings | Brooklyn Berry | My Blessed Life
Literary Time Out
June 29: Jewhungry | My Life One Story at a Time | Inklings and Notions
The Road Goes Ever On
June 30: Barefeet in the Kitchen | Paranormal & Romantic Suspense Reviews
The Baking ChocolaTess | Cooking with Libby

Purchase:

Book Review: Sweets & Treats with Six Sister's Stuff

Sweets & Treats with Six Sister's Stuff
100+ Desserts, Gift Ideas, and Traditions for the Whole Family

Book Description:

Who doesn't love dessert? The Six Sisters have gathered together more than 100 of their best dessert recipes into one cookbook that the whole family will enjoy. From cakes and cupcakes and cookies to pies and brownies and ice cream, this cookbook has the easy-to-make, family-friendly recipes you've come to expect from the Six Sisters.

Along with the sweet treats you can make at home are dozens of gift ideas and at-home craft projects that will help you make the most of your desserts. Learn how to make cake stands, start new traditions around birthdays and holidays, and prepare simple but memorable gifts for friends and neighbors.

Full-color photographs of each recipe and craft bring every mouth-watering treat to life.

Review:

The six sisters of SixSistersStuff.com really know how to make delicious food. I love their recipe book A Year With Six Sisters' Stuff, and jumped at the chance to review their newest cookbook, Sweets & Treats with Six Sisters' Stuff. 

I'm a sucker for treats (which is totally catching up to me as I get older, but I digress), and this cookbook has some great recipes. Some of the recipes are more involved than others, and I appreciated that variety. Sometimes you have hours to bake, and other times you need something that you can throw together in 15 minutes. This is also a very visually appealing cookbook. Each recipe has a full-color picture of the finished product! It is so helpful to know what it should look like. 

I've tried several recipes so far, and my favorite is actually the very first recipe in the book. The Cake Mix Cookie Bars are so delicious (it's hard to go wrong with sweetened condensed milk), and they were very easy to make. I will definitely be making these again.

I also made the Cheesecake Brownies. These were also fairly easy to put together, and my co-workers loved them. I was a little worried while they were baking that they didn't look anything like the picture, but once I cut them they looked right. And honestly, they were so yummy no one seemed to care what they looked like.

Image Courtesy of the Publisher

The Oreo Cheesecake Bites were also a big hit at my home and office. They are very rich, so you could get quite a few "bites" out of the 9x13 pan.

I've made two of the cookie recipes so far. The Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies are the first pudding cookies I've ever made. I'm not a butterscotch fan, but my husband loves it, so I really made these with him in mind. The dough was very crummy, and although it seemed ok and tasted fine when I test cooked one cookie (that I'd smooshed together), I ended up adding more butter to make the dough easier to work with.

I also made the White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies. Part of the draw to these was that they reminded me of my grandma. One of the ingredients is Jiffy Raspberry Muffin Mix, and my grandma always had Jiffy mixes at her house. I loved helping her in the kitchen, and it was often my job to mix up the muffins. The cookie dough requires chilling, so they aren't as quick of a cookie recipe as I prefer, but they are tasty. Mine tended to break when plated. I'm not sure if that's standard or if I cooked them a bit too long.

Overall this is another great cookbook by Six Sisters Stuff. I'm excited to add it to my recipe collection, and my family and co-workers are anxious to taste test the next recipes I try.

Image Courtesy of the Publisher

Image Courtesy of the Publisher

Purchase: Amazon | Deseret Book

Blog Tour: The Recipe Hacker by Diana Keuilian

Blog Tour Schedule

Book Description:

Break the recipe code for your favorite foods! Free of grains, gluten, dairy, cane sugar, and soy, The Recipe Hacker is a mouthwatering collection of your favorite comfort foods with a healthy twist. Learn to use easy ingredient substitutions to transform traditional dishes into real, healthy comfort food masterpieces, without sacrificing any of the flavor! Enjoy healthier, whole-food versions of Key Lime Pie, Crispy Orange Chicken, and Banana Pancakes. Dozens of recipes and delicious flavors will keep you coming back for more. Enjoy all the comfort foods you crave and keep your body (and skinny jeans) happy at the same time!

Brianne's Review:

As a fan of Paleo, Whole30, and gluten free recipes, I was super excited to try out Diana Keuilian’s new recipe book The Recipe Hacker. Diana takes everyday comfort foods and puts a healthier twist on them, using real ingredients without dairy, soy, gluten, and refined sugar.

There are a lot of recipes in the book ranging from baked goods to main dishes to sauces, and each one comes with a beautiful colored picture of the finished product. The recipes are easy to follow, though sometimes there are a few specific measurements left out and you have to guess what she intended.

We tried to test at least one recipe from each section and ended up making the orange chicken, cauliflower fried rice, graham cracker crust, sweetened condensed milk, Key Lime pie, and Lazy-man’s Ranch recipes. 

We first tried the orange chicken by the book and made them battered. We found the sauce to be delicious but the battered chicken was gummy and unappetizing. We made the orange chicken a second time, without the batter, and it was a success.

While the “graham cracker” crust in the Key Lime Pie was sweet and tasty, the rest of the pie was a disaster. The coconut cream sweetened condensed milk took twice as long to cook down as the recipe stated and ended up not being very sweet at all. The pie only bakes for 15 minutes and while it looked done, it ended up a gooey mess.

Our hands down favorite recipe that we will be using all the time is her Lazy-Man’s Ranch. The product was a creamy smooth ranch dip/dressing that is my husband’s new favorite. Props to her on making an egg free paleo ranch!

Each recipe post comes with a fun Quick-Tip. Sometimes it is a tip for the recipe, sometimes a motivational blip. You can tell her passion for healthy eating in her writing and it was nice to get a feel of her background. She must have an inside joke on her blog Real Healthy Recipes about putting things in her hair because at least three of her recipes had a suggestion to “put it in your hair” (Lazy Man’s Ranch, Sweetened Condensed Milk, and Caramel Sauce).

One thing to note is that in her Jalapeño Cornbread Skillet recipe, she writes that “corn is a grain that contains gluten.” This is a false statement as corn does not contain any gluten and is used as a replacement in many gluten free diets.

I’d still like to try out a few of her recipes, more of the baked goods (Fluffy Egg white biscuits, Pretzel bites), breakfasts (waffles, cinnamon rolls), and desserts (chocolate cake, zucchini brownies), but they will have to wait until after our Whole30.

About the Author:

Diana Keuilian is passionate about creating wholesome versions of your favorite foods. She removes the gluten, dairy, soy, grains and cane sugar from traditional comfort food recipes like cake, tacos, cookies, waffles, enchiladas and more. This hobby propelled her to start the popular blog, RealHealthyRecipes.com, where she shares hundreds of delicious recipes and mouthwatering photos. She lives in Southern California with her husband and two young children.

For more recipes, or to contact Diana, visit RealHealthyRecipes.com and www.facebook.com/RealHealthyRecipes.

Blog Tour: Skinny-licious by Shauna Evans RN

Tour Schedule

Skinny-licious: Lite and Scrumptious Recipes for a Slimmer You

by Shauna Evans, RN

Book Description:

Eat yourself skinny! Registered nurse and award-winning cook Shauna Evans proves that you don’t need to give up your favorite foods in order to slim down. You can enjoy tasty recipes like Lime and Cilantro Shrimp Skewers, Stuffed Red Peppers, and Cherry Chocolate Cake, all while losing weight and feeling great. Healthy cooking has never been easier!

Review:

I loved the description of this recipe book. Who doesn't want to lose weight while eating what they want? Also, Skinny-licious is a great looking cookbook. The hardcover format makes it durable in the kitchen, and the pictures are mouthwatering. I passed the book around my family when it arrived to have them pick what they wanted to eat. My daughter loves cooking and was probably the most excited about it. My husband wanted pictures of every recipe. That is always nice, but a benefit most recipes books don't seem to have.

Before testing any recipes, I took the time to read Shauna's story at the beginning of the book. I have to be honest that her weight loss strategy really threw me. She found that she was able to lose weight successfully by fasting. The whole idea of skipping meals to lose weight doesn't sound healthy, and goes against everything I've ever heard about being healthy. But, reading further, I agree with the concept of not eating late at night, and the need to give our bodies time to cleanse themselves. The system she follows is eating during an eight hour period, and fasting for 16 hours. I haven't jumped on board with this idea, partially because it means skipping breakfast (not something I want to do), but I am trying not to eat late in the evening.

Skinny-licious includes a nice variety of recipes with fairly easy directions. My ten-year-old had no problems making the peanut butter cookie recipe on her own. They were tasty, and possibly even better because I didn't have to make them. :) I can't see that they are healthy in any way, but it was definitely a yummy treat.

I expected a book like this to have nutrition facts for each recipe, but since the focus is more on when we eat than what we eat, I can understand why that isn't included. I don't know that many of the recipes on their own would help with weight loss given some of their ingredients, but I can see if you are eating these combined with the 8:16 eating method that you could lose weight.

About the Author:

Shauna Schmidt Evans was born and raised in northern Utah beneath the Wasatch Mountains. She was a competitive athlete. Her high school cheer squad was 9th in the nation and she took fourth place in her age category when she ran her first St. George marathon at the age of eighteen. She has completed three half marathons and three full marathons. Shauna graduated from Brigham Young University in nursing with a bachelor of science degree. At BYU, she taught in the anatomy lab. She married Joe Evans, BYU back-up quarterback to Ty Detmer in 1992. They have five fit, athletic children. Shauna has been a water aerobic instructor and continues her nursing education in subjects regarding nutrition, exercise, and overall good health. Health and fitness have always been of special interest to her. She is the author of What Goes With What: Baby Rooms Made Easy and Sweet and Savory: Award Winning Recipes Made Easy. She has won over ten recipes contests including B98.7 and Select Med’s Healthy Recipe Contest in March 2013. She has appeared on The Daily Dish, Good Things Utah, Studio Five, and Channel 13 News and has taught at The Home Show Expo in Salt Lake City.

Title: Skinny-licious: Lite and Scrumptious Recipes for a Slimmer You
Author: Shauna Evans
Publisher: Front Table Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: January 2014
ISBN: 1462113249
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a review.

Purchase: Amazon | Kindle

Review: Feasting on Food Storage by Jane P. Merrill and Karen M. Sunderland

Feasting on Food Storage:

Delicious and Healthy Recipes for Everyday Cooking

by Jane P. Merrill and Karen M. Sunderland

Book Description:

Your food storage contains delectable delights when you know how to use it!

Eating stored food rotates your food supply, saves you money, and supports your health, and it keeps you prepared for any emergency. In addition to learning the ins and outs of food storage, try over 200 mouthwatering recipes, including:

-Brown Sugar Muffins
-Creamy Taco Soup
-Chicken Cacciatore
-Texas Sheet Cake Brownies
 
Feasting on Food Storage is filled to the brim with tips and tricks, like how to best plan your meals, how to store water, or how to implement short- and long-term storage. Plus, enjoy bonus sections for baby food, home remedies, and gluten-free options.
 
From the mother-daughter effort of Karen M. Sunderland and Jane P. Merrill, this cookbook is a must-have addition to your kitchen shelf. Armed with these recipes and practical techniques, you can store what you eat and eat what you store.
 
A food storage feast is at your fingertips!

Review:

I'm typically drawn to recipe books by their covers. Photographic examples of the delicious food inside often captures my attention. Feasting on Food Storage has a decent cover, but probably wouldn't stand out on a shelf by the pictures; however, the title caught my attention. Food storage doesn't often bring to mind delicious food, and sometimes not even healthy food (since I usually think of fresh when I think of healthy), but the title was really intriguing.

As far as recipe books go, I found it lacking in that it doesn't have pictures of any of the recipes, and it's paperback (I prefer spiral bound or at least hardcover in the kitchen). Also, there aren't any nutrition facts. BUT, its format would be very handy in emergency situations. It's a great size to have in an emergency pack, and if you are using it to eat to survive, you probably wouldn't be thinking about nutrition facts.

I really liked the conversion charts and substitution tips. The baking tips and emergency notes are good, and even though not too many recipes jumped out at me (could be due to a lack of pictures), what I did make was very easy and pretty tasty.

This is not your typical recipe book. It has additional information that helps you prepare for an emergency (including what to put in emergency, first aid, and sanitation kits). It also tells you how to create a family disaster plan, and has some great information in the home remedy section.

If you are looking for some help in getting prepared for an emergency situation, I'd definitely recommend getting a copy of Feasting on Food Storage.

Title: Feasting on Food Storage: Delicious and Healthy Recipes for Everyday Cooking

Author: Jane P. Merrill and Karen M. Sunderland
Publisher: Front Table Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: December 2013
ISBN: 1462112897
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a review.

Purchase: Amazon | Kindle

Blog Tour: One Sweet Cupcake by Janell Brown

One Sweet Cupcake: Professional Decorating and Recipe Secrets Made Easy

Book Description:

Winner of Food Network's Cupcake Wars, Janell Brown, gives expert advice on all aspects of cupcake baking, including ingredients, techniques, and equipment. You'll also learn the basics of cupcake decorating, along with ideas for themes, seasons, and holidays. Discover all these sweet secrets for making your cupcakes look professional and taste great.

Review:

I love the cover and the pictures in One Sweet Cupcake. The cupcakes look so delicious!

Although I was practically drooling when I finished looking through the book, I was a bit overwhelmed. It didn't seem really geared toward your average baker.

I decided on two recipes, Peanut Butter Swirl and Grasshopper. I really liked how the cupcake part had nearly the same recipe, so I could test both recipes at once. However, I was horrified to find no baking time for either of these recipes. I need a ballpark time, not just telling me it's done when a toothpick comes out clean and it springs back at my touch. Luckily the cupcakes in the previous section said 20-25 min, so I had an idea of where to start.

Other than the missing baking time, the instructions were pretty easy to follow. But, the mint recipe said to core the cupcake for the ganache and I wasn't sure how to do that. It would have been nice having a note on that recipe or a section in the book with tips on things like that. As it was I just used a spoon to dig out a bit in the center. That seemed to work, but I'm not sure if that's what was intended.

In general I'm not a dark or semisweet chocolate fan, and I found that I didn't care for the flavor of the chocolate base. The filling and frosting flavors definitely help, but if I were to make more of these chocolate based cupcakes I'd definitely use a cake mix. It would be much easier and I prefer the flavor.

That said, my husband and I shared these with our co-workers to see what they thought. The Grasshopper seemed to be the favorite, although both were enjoyed by most of our tasters. The Grasshopper was more moist, and one taster enjoyed it so much he was speechless.

The beginning of the book talks about having basic ingredients that most people would have on hand, and for the most part I did have the ingredients, but there were a few things I didn't have. Especially with the non-chocolate based cupcakes-vanilla bean paste isn't a staple in my kitchen.

Title:One Sweet Cupcake: Professional Decorating and Recipe Secrets Made Easy  

Author: Janell Brown

Publisher: Cedar Fort
Published: October 2013
ISBN: 1462112358
Source: I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Amazon

Blog Tour: Warm Up Your Winter: Holiday Hot Chocolate & Cider Recipes by Laura Powell

Book Description:

Snuggle up next to the fire! While winter rages outside, nothing beats a steaming mug of hot chocolate or cider. Warm up Your Winter includes delightful recipes like Classic Hot Cocoa, Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate, and Hot Caramel Apple Cider. Also included are topping recipes and ideas on how to serve up a hot beverage bar for an unforgettable holiday get-together. 

Author of Real Mom Kitchen, Laura Powell brings you a collection of recipes sure to get you toasty on even the coldest evenings. Don’t just survive the winter—warm it up!

Review:

Reviewing recipe books is fairly new for me, but I have to say this is a genre I'm really enjoying! I'm a hot chocolate fan and when I saw Warm Up Your Winter I was very excited to try the recipes. So far I've made the Nutella Hot Chocolate, Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate, Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate, and Sweet Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate. These recipes are delicious! My waistline isn't thanking me, but my family has really enjoyed them.

Hot chocolate and cider fans will enjoy the great variety of recipes in Warm Up Your Winter. Some are very easy and quick to make, while others are more involved and are perfect for a special treat.

At 26 pages, this quaint paperback recipe book would be perfect for a "just because" gift. I love that all of the hot chocolate and cider recipes have pictures, and the overall look and feel of the book is great.

About the Author:

Laura Powell grew up in the Salt Lake Valley. She gained a passion for cooking from her mother and created her own recipe book as a young girl along with participating in a summer cooking program through the Deseret News. She began her blog, realmomkitchen.com, in April of 2008 as a way to showcase her passion for cooking. Since then, realmomkitchen.com has turned into her own small business. Laura continues to reside in Utah with her husband and 3 children.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Title: Warm Up Your Winter: Holiday Hot Chocolate & Cider Recipes
Author: Laura Powell
Publisher: Front Table Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: September 2013
ISBN: 1462112048
FTC FYI: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
 

Purchase: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Deseret Book

Blog Tour: Young Chefs by Christina Dymock

Tour Schedule

Title: Young Chefs

Author: Christina Dymock

Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.

Published: June 2013

ISBN: 1462111955

FTC FYI: I received a hardcopy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Amazon | Cedar Fort | Books & Things

Book Description:

Kids in the kitchen don’t have to make a mess—as long as they know what they’re doing! Teaching your children how to cook can be daunting, especially when you don’t know where to start. Wipe away your worries with this cookbook made specifically for kids.

Inside you’ll find tips for a variety of cooking techniques, a glossary for common cooking terms, and a book boiling over with recipes written for children such as Peanut Butter Morning Cake, Bobby’s Pork Chops, Pirate Eggs, and Banana Tacos. Along with interesting trivia and a section for needed tools, each recipe outlines which stages require adult help, and each process is broken down into simple, easy-to-follow steps.

Author of 101 Things to Do with Popcorn, Christina Dymock knows the adventures kids can find in the kitchen. Spending cooking time together can only help family relationships. So teach your children the skills found in Young Chefs, and be amazed that your new favorite meals came from the smallest hands.

Review:

My daughter has been wanting me to let her cook for quite awhile now, but aside from a few easy things like Ramen Noodles or macaroni and cheese, I've struggled to really hand over the reigns. She's very competent, but I prefer to have the control so the messes are kept to a minimum. However, when I had the opportunity to be a part of the Young Chefs Blog Tour, I decided it was time to try to work on my issues.

When I told my daughter about the plan, she was SO excited! She checked the mailbox every day, and wanted to get started cooking as soon as the book arrived.

Young Chefs is a really cute recipe book, complete with great information for parents and kids. My daughter and I sat down right after it came and read about learning to cook, cooking terms, and the very helpful information in the how-to section. I really appreciated that there was also some explanation about why things are done the way the book suggests.

My daughter tried several of the recipes in the book, and is excited to try making the rest of them as soon as possible. I need to give some more instruction on good cleanup skills, but she has loved the experience of making various dishes. She and a friend even made the "Perfectly Petite Tea Cakes" the other day without any help from me.

We got a good sampling of the breakfast recipes, and a few recipes from the other sections as well. The instructions were easy for my daughter to follow, and we found most of the recipes to be quite tasty.

I highly recommend Young Chefs to parents with children that are eager to cook.

About the Author:

Christina Dymock graduated from the University of Utah with a B.S. in Public Relations. She has been published in Woman’s World Magazine and several Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and she is the author of 101 Things to do With Popcorn. She resides in Central Utah with her husband and four children. You can follow their cooking adventures at teachingyoungchefs.blogspot.com.