This book is exactly what it says.  My husband and I listened to it in the ride up to the Adirondacks to go do just what the title suggests-well, backpacking. I listened to the rest on the way back and forth from work.  

I got this audiobook mainly for work to help to leave no trace and outdoor ethics. It is extremely humorous and you must be comfortable with the word shit.  The author actually does a lot to explain exactly why she has chosen this word instead of other to convey her purpose.  Anyway, this book contains a wealth of information for anyone who might find themselves having to go without a conventional toilet-hikers, backpackers, white-water rafters, kayakers, canoers, horseback riders and military personnel.  Shared through personal anecdotes and other's stories about mishaps in the field, you will not feel alone in your trials.  The best information is about different ways to actually go about your business, methods for being environmentally responsible and packing out.  There is also quite a bit of information about treating water and giardia.  The women's only sections is particularly useful, though I already use a Go Girl.  There is a ton a product information in here and on the audiobook, that got a little boring to listen to, but is important if you are still trying to find the best way to shit in the woods. 

This audiobook was received for free in return for an honest review.  

This book discusses the uses of salt, vinegar baking soda, olive oil and lemons for applications around the house, in health and beauty, crafts and science experiments and things beyond the home.  I was most interested in the science and health and beauty sections since I can use this information at work.  

Most of the household tips were nothing new; however it was nice to have recipes with how many parts of each ingredient and tips that were laid out simply.  The lemon-scented cleaner recipe is nice as well as some of the stain-lifter recipes and tips for keeping food fresh.  In the health and beauty section I found use out of the exfoliates, cleansers, chapped lips and bath salt recipes.  I'll definitely be trying out the lip balm.  

The science experiment section was great, while I already use most of these at work, it was nice to have them all in one place with clear instructions.  The lava lamp recipe was new to me and looked fun!

This book is full of fun tips, most of them may be nothing new, but it is good to have them all in one place. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. . 

I love chicken and use it as a cooking staple in my home, it is versatile and can be used for so many different things.  So, when I saw this cookbook, I knew that I had to get it. 

This cookbook starts out with a good primer on chicken, the different cuts, how to prepare and cooking techniques.  I was happy to see a lot of recipes from different cultures.  Recipes are separated into weekday, weekend and dinners and celebrations.  

I tried the Grilled Chicken, Fennel and Feta salad, it was a simple recipe and I was glad to use some herbs from my garden.  I also tried the enticing Smoky Bacon Chicken Wings, this ended up being a nice and different, but  easy appetizer with great flavor combinations.  

I'm looking forward to trying Pulled Chicken Buns with Barbecue Sauce, Chicken and Butternut Squash Gnocci with Sage Butter and Chili Chocolate Chicken.  Some of the dinner and celebrations recipes were a little more difficult in terms of preparation and technique, but looked delicious.  

Some great new recipes and classics with chicken.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.  ​

A simply written, fun guide for kids and families on their way to living in a more environmentally sustainable manner.  

I'm glad Disney has decided to display a positive view in the matter since they are such an influential institution that many kids look up to.  Using the context of well known character and movies, this book gives an idea of what sustainability is, why it is important and what you can do to help.   

The beginning of the book starts off with good ideas for living a good life in general, peace, love and truth. Then, the more ecological ideas are explained and broken down such as your carbon footprint, sustainability, organic and sustainable food.  

This book has the ability to empower kids to do all they can in order to make their families more sustainable.  


This book was provided for free in return for an honest review.  

I really enjoy making my own ice cream, so when this title became available I decided to check it out to see if I could also make my own frozen yogurt.  The first thing I learned from this book is that ice cream and frozen yogurt are different and that frozen yogurt is a bit harden to make and make at the correct consistency.  With that new knowledge, I was glad to learn that an ice cream maker was considered a good way to get the correct consistency.  

This Storey Basics Guide is written with simple straightforward directions and tips.  Since the biggest difference between frozen yogurt and ice cream is the use of yogurt and a meringue base, I was glad that those were the first aspects in the book and were written simply.  There are even recipes for making your own yogurt, but I'm not going there quite yet.  The majority of the book consists of fun recipes to make with frozen yogurt. The recipe section starts with easier basics and works up to more interesting flavor combinations.  I'm glad I checked out this book and I will try out some frozen yogurt of my own soon. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.  ​

I enjoy making my own ice cream and have stuck to a few basic recipes using what I have from my garden.  The beginning of the book is a good primer on how to make ice cream and the materials that you will need.  There is also a pretty awesome picture chart to go along with it.  This book is filled with really creative ice cream flavors and uses.  The very first recipe is Absinthe and Meringue Ice Cream, I can't even imagine that combination taste!  A more palatable recipe for me was the Black Forest Cake Ice Cream.  The type of recipes presented in the book were a little different to me, with the use of cream cheese and corn syrup.  I have never used either of these in ice cream and have still had the texture come out smooth and creamy.  This offered a slightly different texture.  I'm still not sure I really need the corn syrup, though.  The rest of the ice cream recipes are as creative and interesting as the first, I'll have to muster up some courage to try these at a later date.

This book was provided for free in return for an honest review.  ​

I have a fairly large garden with quite a bit of fruit and I am always looking for new ways to preserve the food that I harvest.  This book starts out with how to plan a garden, good plants to plant for drink harvest, how to prune trees and equipment needed for processing.  I didn't need most of that section, but it is great for someone starting out.  I was most interested in the juice and cider sections for my purposes.  I was glad to see that making my own juices was very cost effective and fairly simple, for me it was essentially like making jelly without the thickening process.  Anyway, since I am practically drowning in raspberries I tried out the very first recipe, berry juice.  The recipe was simple, but I might play around with the sugar content in the future which is suggested.  I also might try out my food mill instead of cheesecloth next time.  The rest of the juice recipes look delicious and straightforward as well.   I don't know if I'll ever delve into making my own wines and meads, but the recipes are in there.  I've made my own tea's with garden herbs before, but there were some different herbs mentioned in here that I have not tried out before.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.  ​

Like the other books in The Beekman 1802 Heirloom cookbook series, the recipes are categorized by season, which is nice when you are using vegetables from your own garden.  There is also a space at the end of each recipe to add your own notes, substitutions or things that worked or didn't work.  

Since I still have a few spring vegetables available, I started there.  I tried out the Deep-Fried Baby Artichokes With Roasted Pepper Sauce. This was a bit more of an involved recipe, but the directions were clear and it came out well, even though I don't deep fry a lot.  I would recommend reading over the directions first for preparatory steps.  I also tried radishes with sorrel butter since I haven't much to do with radishes other than use them in a salad.  This was an easier, simple recipe that I am glad to have; I'm also happy to see a few other radish recipes to try.  For summertime there are a few recipes for canning and preserving, which is good for me, I am always looking for different ways to preserve food and I plan on trying the spicy tomato sauce!  From the summer section, I just had to try the Vegetable Packed Mac and Cheese with Popcorn Topping, this turned out a little different, but good.  The recipe was very straightforward.  From the fall and winter sections I have several recipes picked out to try including Roasted Carrot and Cauliflower Salad, Baked Parmesan Steak Fries with Tomato Dipping Sauce, Sweet Potato and Marshmallow Casserole, Roasted Broccoli with Hot Pepper Flakes and the Pasta, Broccoli and Two-Cheese Casserole.


Overall, a great book for those who grow their own veggies or who like to go to the farmers market.  There are 100 recipes and I won't be using them all, but I plan on using many. 


This book was received for free in return for an honest review.  ​