Back in the saddle.

I have been tracking my meals on myfitnesspal again. I have really enjoyed it because this time more people I know are actively using it and I really cave to peer pressure.

My coworkers and I have been eating salads and/or soup at lunch. Some days I love my salad and some days it goes more like this:

Always a pleasure, Garfield Minus Garfield.

My husband and I have been supporting each other and again, that peer pressure makes all the difference.

The Mayo Clinic Williams-Sonoma Cookbook: Simple Solutions for Eating Well

The Mayo Clinic Williams-Sonoma Cookbook: Simple Solutions for Eating Well by John Phillip Carroll

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Nice ideas, clear nutrition facts and beautiful pictures. Some recipes were fancy and some were super simple. I ranked it lower as it did not really address common "special" diets for health (diabetic, heart disease, etc) and some of the recipes were such no brainers- they could have offered more flair or methods to gussy up whole foods.

Book Review: Simply In Season (World Community Cookbook)

Simply In Season by Mary Beth Lind

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


We received this as a wedding gift and I love it. It is divided based on the growing seasons and also the kinds of meals one enjoys eating during the seasons (cool salads in summer, heavy soups in winter, etc.) I like to take it out before I hit the farmers market. It would be a great gift for a gardener.

I have found that many of the recipes can be adapted for our goal diet or that they inspire me to improvise.



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Book Review: The Grower's Guide to Herbs

The Grower's Guide to Herbs by Geoffrey Burnie

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I have a tiny herb garden this year with some great neighbors. No clue what to do with some of them; I grabbed this book hoping to learn a bit more.

This was a fine breezy read with basic information on the most common herbs. It was aimed at beginners and I appreciated that. There were very simplified directions for growing and harvesting the herbs and not a lot of detail on ways to cook with them.

I guess my next stop will be a book on cooling with fresh herbs.




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Book Review: From the Olive Grove: Mediterranean Cooking with Olive Oil

From the Olive Grove: Mediterranean Cooking with Olive Oil by Helen Koutalianos

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I would love to visit an olive grove!

This book was written by a family with such true passion and dedication to the craft of fine olive oil. The introduction was educational, entertaining and alluring, made me wish I could afford more decadent ingredients.

There are so many stylish and approachable recipes in this book, but not all in our dietary plan. I did note a couple recipes to try later and if I had a broader diet I am sure I would try more.



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Book Review: The No-Salt, Lowest-Sodium Cookbook: Hundreds of Favorite Recipes Created to Combat Congestive Heart Failure and Dangerous Hypertension

The No-Salt, Lowest-Sodium Cookbook: Hundreds of Favorite Recipes Created to Combat Congestive Heart Failure and Dangerous Hypertension by Donald A. Gazzaniga

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In 2009, my 37 year old husband has had a rough year. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and then had a very damaging heart attack. Like the author of this book, he was told he may need a heart transplant. Of course he/we have been eating better and trying to find the most flavor bang for our buck AND sodium count. We love to eat out and try all kinds of foods and we wanted to keep that as a part of our life. I have loved this book because it reads like more than a cook book. I enjoyed sitting down and reading it, I looked forward to going back to it despite the fact that I was so bummed about NEEDING it in my life when I picked it up. I cannot say that about many of the chronic disease diet books I have been browsing!

In addition to the recipes, the book gives a great primer on low-sodium eating, where sodium is found, what it is used for, and how to live low-sodium all the time. The author goes to great lengths in his own life to be at around 500mg of sodium a day, super low, and it is inspiring to read his commentary. I also like the board of people he used to help write the book. Even better, my husband and I have enjoyed all of the recipes we have tried so far. I like how the recipes are not bland and all areas of dinning are covered (comfort food, holidays, potlucks, light snacks, dressings, salads, sweets). The nutrition information on each dish is included, which is helpful for other areas of diet that we are monitoring.

The book has me excited because it is helping me adapt my cooking and shopping to what I was hoping: that being low-sodium does not mean flavorless and boring.

Why hello again!

So I just realized I could post my Goodreads book reviews to Blogger kind of simply; the first is below.

I have been trying to read up on the diverse world of the Mediterranean Diet as it is very healthy for all of us, but especially for my partner (per science (Go Gophs!) and several of his doctors). We have the lofty goal of a no added salt, low carbohydrate, no animal fat, no red meat, low white meat, fatty fish, consistent vitamin K, low cholesterol, low sugar, high fiber, high protein, spicy, satisfying, and delicious diet.

Believe it or not, the Mediterranean region covers a lot of these bases, but I have to really read the recipes and plan to play around with herbs and peppers for flavor.


I thought I would share my search with others, first with the book reviews and later with recipe reviews. Book or other source suggestions are welcome!