Book

Friday Favourites - Cookbooks

After a busy workday, cooking can be put on the back burner of our to-do list. We gravitate toward meals that are most easy and convenient, often eating the same foods over again. That’s why we have made it our mission to revitalize the way we perceive cooking by searching for cookbooks that are equally as unique as they are healthy. Say goodbye to monotonous cooking with the help of these four books, handpicked by The Amazing Blog.

Plant-based cooking has gained its popularity, but have you ever thought of incorporating flowers into your recipes? The Fragrant Pantry by Frances Bissell uses flowers as its main ingredient. While flowers are commonly featured as decoration in cookery, Bissell shows how its delicate scent and flavour can take the place of herbs or spices. Although this seems like an unconventional approach, don’t mistake it as a fad or fashion. Instead, Bissell pays homage to English culinary traditions through her use of flowers. Her recipes include jams, spreads and pickled foods with easy-to-follow instructions. You can purchase The Fragrant Pantry here for £11.99. To get a 20% discount use the discount code FRAGRANTP at purchase on the Serif Books website. 

Interested in more of Bissell’s recipes? Check out the other two volumes in her acclaimed trilogy: The Scented Kitchen and The Floral Baker.

Calling all Mediterranean lovers! Get prepared to transport yourself to Greece with Mazi Modern Greek Food’s vivid imagery and authentic dishes. Co-authors, Christina Mouratoglou and Adrien Carré’s goal are to revolutionise Greek cuisine by combining genuine flavours with a modern twist. The recipes are ingrained with a trendy tapas vibe and cover cocktails, hot plates, signature dishes and desserts. You can purchase the book here for £17.99.

The Herball’s Guide to Botanical Drinks by Michael Isted offers non-alcoholic plant-based drinks. Isted offers careful alchemy with each recipe that acts as cleansers, restorers, energisers, brain boosters and more.  The cookbook includes step-by-step directions in processes like hot & cold brewing, fermentation, distillation, juicing and tincturing. The first section provides a brief informational introduction to the plants used throughout the book and the second section includes 58 different recipes serving different functions for the body.   Isted uses ancient practices as the foundation of his creations. This guide brings purpose and intention to the kitchen by uniting intuitive and healthy eating. You can purchase The Herball’s Guide to Botanical Drinks here for £12.90.

Whenever starting a new diet, snacking is an inevitable part of the process. Gracie and Sophie Tyrrell, founders of Squirrel Sisters, have created a range of all-natural bars that will satisfy your cravings. In their book, Naturally Snacks & Treats: Over 100 Healthy Recipes, the sister duo has formed over 70 recipes using ingredients found at your local supermarket. The on-the-go snack is easy, convenient, and accessible. The Tyrrell sisters reassure their readers that eating healthily can be fun! Recipes range from sweet roasted almond and cinnamon butter to sushi rolls.The beautifully illustrated book is separated into four chapters where you will find breakfast recipes, snacks and lunches for on-the-go, sharing plates and, our favourite, sweet treats. Cocktail-lovers will even find low-calorie options. We can’t wait to try more recipes. You can purchase your own book here for £9.99.  

 

Let us know what your favourite recipes are!

 

Art & Makeup - Lan Nguyen-Grealis

Here at The Amazing Blog, we love experimenting with our makeup. To us, makeup is more than a simple daily routine, it’s an art. So when Art & Makeup came across our desk at the office, we all stopped in our tracks.

Art & Makeup is a stunning compilation of more than 200 images of award-winning makeup artist Lan Nguyen-Grealis’s best works. As the youngest Golden Mask award-winner for Makeup Art, Lan has created a book that showcases just how imaginative makeup can be. By drawing inspiration from painters, sculptors, and cinema, Lan transforms makeup into breath-taking artwork with the help of legendary photographers like Rankin and David Bailey. To complement the editorial works, Lan has also included step-by-step tutorials for some of the techniques used in the book, along with tips and tricks from industry professionals.

While these works definitely aren’t wearable for most people, Art & Makeup would be an amazing gift for any makeup enthusiast. We also think it would be the perfect coffee table book for charming your guests! If you want to spend an hour drooling over the gorgeous images like we have, you can pick it up here for £22.03.  

Recognise Yourself: Beauty Despite Cancer - Jennifer Young

At The Amazing Blog, we know what it’s like to have friends and family going through cancer treatment. It can be especially difficult for women to feel like themselves again after diagnosis. Recognise Yourself: Beauty Despite Cancer is the perfect book to offer as a gift to these loved ones, as it offers advice and expertise to help women cope with their journeys.

Jennifer Young, the creator of Defiant Beauty skincare and author of Recognise Yourself: Beauty Despite Cancer, has written this inspiring book as a guide to help both men and women maintain their appearances and recognise themselves throughout their stages of treatment. From scalp care and lingerie to nutrition and dental hygiene, this book is a must-have bible for anyone dealing with changing appearances as a result of cancer treatment. Beauty Despite Cancer’s team has worked with experienced health professionals to offer the best advice possible so that patients can feel like themselves again.

We believe this book will be not only practical, but also incredibly uplifting for you or your loved ones. Buy it here for £14.99.

 

Helen Dewdney - The Complaining Cow

Gone are the days that complaining is a pastime for the miserable, here at The Amazing Blog we have learnt how to complain positively and effectively. Helen Dewdney is the brain behind The Complaining Cow,  and she firmly believes that complaining needn’t be a difficult feat if done correctly.

Dewdney gives the reader guidance throughout the book, covering just about every situation you could think of from finance issues to booking holidays and even dealing with noisy neighbours. This is certainly a read that appeals to all consumers out there, she promises to get you refunds, redress and results. If followed efficiently the book will surely pay for itself, it includes various template letters, legal explanations and clear worked examples to help us on our way.

We found it extremely helpful as it helped us dispute a parking ticket with success! Dewdney dispels some of the myths surrounding consumer information to ensure the reader is aware of their legal rights and how to make sure they are adhered to. It’s evident that she knows what she is talking about, the book is even updated anytime a law is changed or altered. Finally a non-fiction author we can have real trust in. We found the book extremely informative and Dewdney’s witty introduction endearing, by the end you will feel as if you could take on the world.

If you want to become a certified complaining cow get your copy here.

"Pollyhester- The Footballer and the Lure of Brands" Book Review

Here at The Amazing Blog, we are always on the lookout for new and exciting products. This week, we have found a fun new book for children and adults alike, called Pollyhester the Footballer and the Lure of Brands.

This is the second book in the Pollyhester series.  The author, Louise Verity, is an artist and fashion designer who has been illustrating and writing children’s stories for years. She now lives in France and Ireland with her husband and four dogs. 

This morality tale has illustrations which are incredibly intricate, incorporating fabric photos amongst the pencil drawings, adding depth and dimension to the pages. It's a fun read with a strong ethical sentiment behind the colorful characters; support your local community's economy and don’t become a slave to brands. The message is bold while still remaining suitable for children. It's quite the page-turner. There is even a character in the book named after Edwina, our Executive Editor!

The book is a perfect representation of the author’s quirky style and motto, “Be a bird of paradise amongst all the pigeons.” Verity's first book is available on Amazon and both books in the Pollyhester series can be ordered at any local bookshop.