I may or may not have accosted a friend at Kroger yesterday to make sure she was getting Ibotta coupons for the items in her cart. I love Ibotta! Since Ibotta offers you rebate-style coupons, you can combine with paper coupons AND other rebate-style programs like SavingStar to get triple savings! I hope each of you (all smartphone users, anyway) is using the Ibotta app; if not, here’s more information below.

Ibotta is a free app for your smartphone that allows you to take up to three actions to receive “coupon money” toward products you buy at the store. Once you’ve purchased the product at an approved retailer (and the list is long), just take a photo of your receipt and scan the barcode on the item and you’ll receive cash in your account. If you purchase the item on sale and use coupons, often you can add the Ibotta money to turn a deal into a freebie! Whenever you want to cash out,you can transfer your Ibotta money to Paypal.

Right now, Ibotta is offering a bonus: when you sign up for Ibotta through my referral link you will get $2 (FREE!) in your account when you successfully redeem your first two offers. (Must redeem within two weeks from signing up.)

They’re also offering other special bonuses:

May Flowers Bonus: Earn $2 when you redeem 4 offers this month.

May Flowers Two: Complete the May Flowers Bonus to unlock this offer for an additional $4 when you redeem 4 offers.

I recently had the chance to read A Dream So Big: Our Unlikely Journey to End the Tears of Hunger, by Steve Peifer (with Gregg Lewis). This nonfiction book was released March 19, 2013 by Zondervan.

About this book (from the back cover):

A Dream So Big is the story of Steve Peifer, a corporate manager who once oversaw 9,000 computer software consultants, who today helps provide daily lunches for over 20,000 Kenyan school children in thirty-five national public schools, and maintains solar-powered computer labs at twenty rural African schools. Steve and his wife, Nancy, were enjoying a successful management career with one of America’s high tech corporate giants during the dot-com boom of the 1990′s when, in 1997, he and his wife Nancy discovered they were pregnant with their third child. Tragically, doctors said a chromosomal condition left their baby ‘incompatible with life.’ The Peifers only spent 8 days with baby Stephen before he died. Seeking to flee the pain, Steve and Nancy began a pilgrimage that thrust them into a third-world setting where daily life was often defined by tragedy—drought, disease, poverty, hunger, and death. They didn’t arrive in the service of any divine calling, but the truth of their surroundings spoke to their troubled hearts. A short-term, 12-month mission assignment as dorm parents for a Kenyan boarding school turned this ordinary man into the most unlikely internationally recognized hero, and his story will inspire you to pursue similar lives of service.

My Verdict:

I loved this book! Steve and Nancy Peifer’s story reminded me of another book I loved, Kisses from Katie. Both stories involve individuals who went to Africa for short-term trips and ended up settling there for life, as well as adopting multiple children. The Peifer’s story is unique in that they live and work at the  Rift Valley Academy, a boarding school for the children of international missionaries. I loved reading the stories about life at the academy and how their two sons adapted to life in Africa. The book is told in short, anecdotal stories, but the bigger story involves how the Peifers lost a child to Trisomy 18 and in their grief took an opportunity to get away and work for a year in Africa; they loved being there so much that they eventually moved there permanently and in 2002 started additional aid work established a rural food program that now provides lunches for 20,000 Kenyan schoolchildren a day. Steve also built the first solar-powered computer-training center in Kenya, and is now developing twenty computer classroom labs for rural schools. Steve has a funny, jovial style of writing and you like him right away. I was convicted by his stories of extreme poverty in Kenya. It’s ridiculous that, as he tells it, most families can’t afford the school fees for their children, even though school is the only way out of extreme poverty; these fees amount to about $30 a year. If we didn’t already sponsor a child I’d be signing up to do so right now. This is a book that everyone should read.

If you’d like to check out A Dream So Big it is currently on sale for $9.99 for the Kindle version right now, which is 50% off. (Regularly $19.99.) If you prefer a physical copy the hardcover version is currently on sale for $13.98. It is not yet available in paperback. Remember, Amazon’s prices can change at any time.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Every Tuesday in June and July at Chick-fil-a at Hunters Crossing there will be a story and craft time for preschoolers from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. When you attend the storytime, you receive a coupon for a FREE kids meal with purchase of adult combo! Story and craft hour will begin June 4th.

Thanks to Brittany and the children’s department at Sycamore Tree United Methodist Church!

Sycamore Tree UMC will be hosting a FREE camp for children who are rising 1st – 6th graders. The camp will take place at the church July 15th-18th from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Staff from Camp Wesley Woods will be coming to lead activities such as a water carnival, crafts, archery, games, storytelling, worship, and much more. On the last day of camp, children will be taken by bus to Camp Wesley Woods for fun in the outdoors!

Deadline to register is June 15th. Stop by the church to pick up registration forms. For more information, contact the church at
983-4161 or send an email to brittany (at) thesycamoretree.org.

Thanks, Brittany!

The Secret Mountain is a publisher of high-quality books, e-books, and apps for children in French and English, and they’ve just released a few new titles. We recently were able to review these three books for our iPad:

A Duck in New York City: This 2011 Parents’ Choice Award winner stems from the popular short story of a heroic duck who dreams of dancing his ducky dance on New York’s Broadway stage. Available as an app and storybook-CD, this title makes an excellent bedtime story with engaging music for kids. Written by Connie Kaldor and illustrated by Fil & Julie.

Sunday in Kyoto: A School Library Journal 2012 top 10 app! Meet old man Joe, a Cajun musician living in old Kyoto with his wife. They spend their Sundays entertaining off-beat friends, creating music and sipping tea! This unforgettable fictional story was penned by Canadian Hall of Famer, Gilles Vigneault with illustrations by Stéphane Jorisch.

Dream Songs Night Songs from Mali to Louisiana: The three-unit Dream Songs Night Songs series also includes Dream Songs Night Songs from Belgium to Brazil and Dream Songs Night Songs from China to Senegal. This series is a multi-lingual collection of nursery songs and lullabies performed by artists such as Biä, Hart-Rouge, Paul Kunigis, Penny Lang, and more! All three titles were written by Patrick Lacoursière with illustrations by Sylvie Bourbonnière.

My girls loved all three titles, but I think our favorite was Dream Songs Night Songs from Mali to Louisiana. We travel to New Orleans each year on vacation, and my girls are very fond of anything that has to do with Louisiana. I was very impressed by the quality of the artwork in each title, and we all enjoyed listening to the songs at the end of each book! These books are easily downloadable to your iPad through the iTunes store, and retail for $7.99. Here’s a full listing of The Secret Mountain’s current titles for iBooks.

We were also able to review an electronic copy of Listen to the Birds: An Introduction to Classical Music, which will be released in the U.S. on May 15. Here’s information on this book and CD:

Throughout history birds have caught the imagination of composers and inspired their creativity. This selection of works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, and others introduces children to classical music through the discovery of the melodious similarities between notes produced by instruments such as the flute, the organ, and the harpsichord and the birds’ songs. In addition to lovely illustrations, the 64-page book features a glossary of musical terms, a short biography of each composer, and a brief description of each bird evoked or mentioned in the composition. The accompanying CD offers excerpts of 20 different recordings — ranging from The Goldfinch, Hens and Roosters, and The Dance of the Swans to The Cuckoo and the Nightingale, Piano Concerto N, and Dance of the Firebird — performed by world-class luminaries including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Toronto Chamber Orchestra. Originally published in Mexico, this English language edition is available in North America for the first time in May.

I was extremely impressed with this book, and my girls loved listening to the songs while doing other activities. This book is recommended for ages 7-9, and I felt my girls (ages 4 & 6) were still a little young for it. I adapted it for them by reading a little bit about each bird and then playing the corresponding song., but it’s something we will enjoy reading and using in its entirety when they are older. I think this would make a lovely addition to a study of classical music.

Would you like to win your own e-book from The Secret Mountain? The Secret Mountain has given me three free download codes, one for each of the following titles: Dream Songs Night Songs from Mali to Louisiana, Sunday in Kyoto, and A Duck in New York City! I will choose three winners who will each receive one free e-book. You must have an iTunes account and a a compatible device to redeem and read these books.

Here’s how to enter to win:

Required Entry:

To enter to win, just leave a comment below letting me know which one of the three books (above) you would choose if you win. That’s it! (If you’re reading this on Facebook/Twitter hop on over to thriftychristy.com to leave your comment.)

Additional Optional Entries:

You can do each of the following things for an additional entry in the giveaway. You can only do each of these once, for a possible total of 5 entries.

Please leave a separate comment for each method of entry. If you only leave one comment then you only have one entry, as each comment is numbered and I randomly choose a number. Make sense?

• Like Thrifty Christy on Facebook (or let me know you’ve already done this)
• Like The Secret Mountain on Facebook (or let me know you’ve already done this)
• Follow Thrifty Christy on Twitter (or let me know you’ve already done this)
• Follow The Secret Mountain on Twitter (or let me know you’ve already done this)

This giveaway ends at midnight EST on Wednesday May 8. I will choose a winner on Thursday May 9 using random.org and will contact them via email. I only have one copy of each e-book to give away, so winners may not receive their first choice; books will be given to winners in the order they are selected. Download codes expire May 15, so winners must redeem them by that date.

Thanks to The Secret Mountain for providing the e-books for this review and giveaway. All opinions in this review are solely my own.

Codes expires on MAY 15, 2013 and are redeemable only on the iTunes Store for United States. Requires an iTunes account, subject to prior acceptance of license and usage terms. To open an account you must be above the age of 13 and in United States. The eBook is viewable only on an iOS device with compatible software. Compatible software and hardware, and internet access (fees may apply) required. Not for resale. Full terms apply; see www.apple.com/legal/itunes/ww/. For more information, see www.apple.com/support/. These eBooks are provided to you by THE SECRET MOUNTAIN.

Save the Date: the Fairview UMC Consignment Sale will be Saturday July 20. This is a great annual sale that has items from all seasons. They’re also taking consignors now, so if you’re interested in participating, stop by the church office. I will have a giveaway for early-entry passes closer to the sale date.

Here’s a fun deal that begins today: A bunch of bloggers and eBook authors have put a really great bundle together for a special deal called The Ultimate Homemaking eBook Bundle. Through May 4 you can get 97 books ($640 value!) for $29.97.

This bundle includes books on topics like parenting, holiday planning (including Truth in the Tinsel, which I posted about this past Christmas),  cooking and meal-planning, organizing and home decor, homeschooling, spiritual growth, time-management (including Tell Your Time!), money management and more!

I have found it to be really easy to pull eBooks into the iBooks section of my iPad. This past Christmas I brought my iPad to the breakfast table each day to read our family devotions and activities from Truth in the Tinsel. It was really convenient, and my kids loved it. You can also read these eBooks on Kindle or on your computer.

This book bundle would be great as a wedding or baby shower present! I think I may be doing that myself.

Here’s more info and the full list of all the books included in this offer. I am warning you, it’s long!

For 6 days only, more than 75 widely-known bloggers and authors in the homemaking sphere have joined together to offer 97 of their most popular eBooks and eCourses, valued at just over $600, for the incredibly low price of $29.97!

More than anything, our goal for this sale was for it to be, well… ultimate! We firmly believe that you will not find a more comprehensive collection of homemaking resources anywhere on the web, and particularly not in this price range. For this low price, you gain access to every single one of these resources, so that you can customize your own collection to contain exactly the ones you want and know you’ll use.

This library of homemaking helps include topics such as mothering, organization and cleaning, recipes and kitchen helps, home education, spiritual growth for both moms and kids, home décor and DIY, pregnancy and baby care, frugal living, health and fitness, and even work-from-home and financial tools.

To sweeten the pot, we’ve also teamed up with 10 companies to bring you over $140 in bonus offers, giving you an affordable opportunity to get products you’ll use and love for only the cost of shipping, or in some cases, entirely for free!

What’s Included in the Sale?

When you purchase The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection, you will get instant access to any of the 97 eBooks and eCourses listed below, PLUS the Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection comes with more than $140 of FREE Bonuses from 10 companies that we know you’ll love. More on these bonuses below.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered.

Home & Property {Cleaning, Organizing, Decor}

31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae @ SarahMae.com ($4.99)
Getting it Together: Your Guide to Setting Up a Home Management System that Works by Kayse @ kayse pratt ($3.99)
Pulling Yourself Together: Implementing a Cleaning Routine that Sticks by Becky @ Clean Mama ($10.00)
Simple Living by Lorilee @ Loving Simple Living ($2.99)
NOT a DIY Diva by Melissa @ The Inspired Room ($3.99)
One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler by Tsh @ Simple Mom ($5.00)
28 Days to Hope for your Home by Dana @ A Slob Comes Clean ($5.00)
Organizing Life as Mom by Jessica @ Life as Mom ($9.00)
Clean Enough: Simple Solutions for the Overwhelmed by Jenni @ Live Called ($4.99)
10 Steps to Organized Paper by Lisa @ Lisa Woodruff.net($5.00)
Handmade Walls by Jamin and Ashley @ the handmade home ($9.95)
Easy Peasy Chores: An Easy-to-Use Chore System That Brings JOY Back Into Family Chores by Alina Joy @ The Good Old Days Farm ($17.99)

Educational Children’s Resources

Princess Training by Richele @ Under the Golden Apple Tree ($3.99)
The Armor of God by Richele @ Under the Golden Apple Tree ($2.50)
My Bedtime Learning Book by Richele @ Under the Golden Apple Tree ($1.00)
Think Outside the Classroom by Kelly @ Generation Cedar ($6.97)
Raising Rock Stars — Kindergarten Bundle by Carissa @ 1plus1plus1equals1 ($10.00)
The ABC’s For Godly Boys Curriculum by Lindsey @ Road to 31 ($8.00)
The ABC’s For Godly Girls Curriculum by Lindsey @ Road to 31 ($8.00)
K4 Curriculum by Erica @ Confessions of a Homeschooler ($15.00)
Write Through the Bible (print) by Trisha @ Intoxicated on Life ($5.00)
Write Through the Bible (cursive) by Trisha @ Intoxicated on Life ($5.00)
Balcony Girls (books 1 & 2) by Sandy @ Reluctant Entertainer ($19.90)
The Dig for Kids: Luke (Volumes 1 and 2) by Patrick, husband of Ruth @ The Better Mom ($5.98)
Music: An Essential Ingredient for Life by Ryan @ Resound School of Music ($6.99)

Budgeting {Finance & Time}

From Debtor to Better by Barry @ From Debtor to Better ($10.00)
Tell Your Time by Amy @ Blogging with Amy ($2.99)
The Homemakers Guide to Creating the Perfect Schedule by Amy @ Raising Arrows ($4.99)
Your Grocery Budget Toolbox by Anne @ Authentic Simplicity ($7.99)
Finding Financial Freedom by Kelly @ Generation Cedar ($5.97)
Become a Frugalista in 30 Days by Susan @ The Confident Mom ($3.99)

In the Kitchen {Recipes and Cooking}

Crock On by Stacy @ Stacy Makes Cents ($5.00)
Real Food, Real Easy by various bloggers @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)
Wholesome Mixes by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)
20-Minute Meals by Leigh Ann @ Intentional by Grace ($4.99)
Restocking the Pantry by Kresha @ Nourishing Joy ($9.99)
Money Saving Mom’s Guide to Freezer Cooking by Crystal @ Money Saving Mom ($3.99)
Simply Summer by Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama ($7.95)
Do the Funky Kitchen by Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers ($4.95)
Real Food Kids: In the Kitchen plus 1 month access to select Real Food Kids eCourse videos by Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS and Jami @ Eat Nourishing ($20.00)
Seasonal Menu Plans on a Budget: A Month of Meals from My Humble Kitchen to Yours by Diana @ My Humble Kitchen ($4.99)
Just Making Ice Cream by Marillyn @ Just Making Noise ($12.00)
The Curative Kitchen by Susan @ Handy Pantry ($20.00)

Pregnancy & Baby Care

First Bites by Hilary @ Accidentally Green ($9.99)
Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert by Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)
Stress-Free Baby Shower by Sara @ Your Thriving Family ($4.00)
Unbound Birth by Jenny @ The Southern Institute ($2.99)
My Pregnancy Journey by Mindy @ Simply Designs ($9.99)
My Buttered Life Baby Edition by Renee @ Made On Hard Lotion ($5.00)
The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year by Rachel @ The Minimalist Mom ($5.00)
Redeeming Childbirth: Growth & Study Guide by Angie @ Redeeming Childbirth ($3.99)

Holidays & Special Events

Festive Traditions by Jill @ Modern Alternative Kitchen ($7.95)
Holiday Mixes: Gifts in a Jar by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)
Flourishing Spring by Michele @ Frugal Granola ($5.95)
Family Camping Handbook by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($6.95)
Truth in the Tinsel by Amanda @ Oh, Amanda! ($7.99)
Plan a Fabulous Party by Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect ($4.99)
iPhone Photography: The Visual Guide by Alli @ Alli Worthington($9.97)

Spiritual Growth

Pursuit of the Proverbs 31 by Amy @ Amy Bayliss ($3.99)
The Best of Visionary Womanhood by Natalie @ Visionary Womanhood ($5.00)
God’s Word in my Heart: A Scripture Memory Learning Guide with Verses {all 4 versions} by Jenn @ The Purposeful Mom ($3.99)
Kept: a 13-Week Inductive Study on 1 Peter by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($4.99)
Love Like Him: an 8 week Inductive Bible study on 1 Corinthians 13 by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($2.99)

Marriage & Romance

Rekindling Romance by Jason & Jami @ A Biblical Marriage ($4.99)
Good Wife’s Guide by Darlene @ Time-Warp Wife ($2.99)
31 Days to Build a Better Spouse by Ashley @ Ashley Pichea ($4.99)
31 Days to Great Sex by Sheila @ To Love, Honor and Vacuum ($4.99)
Entangled: Recognize Your Emotional Affair by Amy @ Amy J. Bennett ($4.99)

Motherhood

The Heart of Simplicity by various authors @ The Heart of Simplicity ($9.99)
True Christian Motherhood by June @ A Wise Woman Builds Her Home ($7.00)
Hula Hoop Girl by September @ One September Day ($4.99)
When Motherhood Feels Too Hard by Kelly @ Generation Cedar ($4.97)
Mindset for Moms by Jamie @ Steady Days ($4.99)
From Cube to Farm by Heather @ From Cube to Farm ($2.99)
4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions by various authors @ 4 Moms, 35+ Kids Parenting E-book ($7.99)
That Works for Me! by Kristen @ We are THAT Family ($8.00)

Health & Fitness

100-pound Loser by Jessica @ Muthering Heights ($4.99)
Honoring the Rhythm of Rest by Danielle @ Domestic Serenity ($2.99)
42 Days to Fit by Brandy @ The Marathon Mom, Emma @ Real Fit Moms and Stacy @ A Delightful Home ($4.99)
Healthy Homemaking by Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home ($12.95)
Personal ePlanner by Jennifer @ ListPlanIt ($5.00)

Beauty

Frumps to Pumps by Sarah Mae @ SaraMae.com ($4.99)
The Cottage Mama’s DIY Guide by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)
Simple Scrubs to Make and Give by Stacy @ A Delightful Home ($3.99)
The No Brainer Wardrobe by Hayley @ The No Brainer Wardrobe ($7.99)
Embracing Beauty by Trina @ Trina Holden ($9.00)
Reuse, Refresh, Repurpose by Kristen @ The Frugal Girl ($3.99)

Working from Home & Blogging

Your Blogging Business: Tax, Talk and Tips by Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger ($4.99)
The Bootstrap VA by Lisa @ The Home Life {and Me} ($12.99)
How to Grow Your Blog and Manage Your Home by Jacinda @ Growing Home ($4.99)
How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($12.00)
Simple Blogging: Less Computer Time, Better Blogging by Rachel @ Small Notebook ($8.00)

Ecourses

Learning in Love: The Preschool Years by Renee @ FIMBY ($7.99)
Homeschooling from the Heart by Renee @ FIMBY ($7.99)
Grocery University by Carrie @ Colorado Bargains ($24.95)
Vibrant Living Strategies for Moms by Lisa @ Well-Grounded Life ($59)
You Can Do This! The First Five Steps to a Real Food Kitchen by Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers ($5.00)

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these companies…

A FREE Two-Month Membership to Fit2B Studio (for new members) or $20 off a Yearly Membership (for current members), where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are tummy safe and particularly target Diastasis Recti (split abs). ($19.98 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A $15 store credit to TruKid. With products like their aware-winning sun care, they are dedicated to providing all natural skin and hair care for kids, babies, and now pets. ($15.00 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

Your choice of incredible natural products like sea salt and clay for FREE. Choose from the Redmond Trading Earthpaste Bundle ($24.90 value) or the Facial Mud Bundle ($26.90 value). (Standard shipping applies. Continental US only.)

Your choice of a FREE heirloom sourdough starter or FREE yogurt starter from Cultures for Health, the leading supplier of starter cultures and supplies for making cultured and fermented foods ($12.95 value. US & CAN addresses only. Standard shipping applies.)

Your choice of: a FREE 3-Month Subscription (for new accounts) or 30% off a One Year Subscription. Plan to Eat is an online menu planner that uses your recipes, scheduled for the days you want them. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

 

A FREE Culinary Herbs Assorted Seed Pack Check just in time for spring planting from www.wheatgrasskits.com, a living whole foods company. ($11.95 value. Standard shipping applies to all US states and territories- no international shipping for seeds.)

 

Get $10 off Union28′s original “my husband rocks” tee. Their marriage apparel lets you celebrate your spouse in style. ($10.00 value. Standard shipping rates apply. International shipping available, but free shipping only available within USA.)

 

A $10 store credit plus 1 FREE lip balm from Bee All Natural. Their whole body products nourish and heal, and are made using only the highest quality, food grade, organic ingredients. ($13.49 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

 

A FREE 2 oz. bottle of your choice of liquid herbal formula from TriLight Health. They specialize in fast acting, great tasting natural herbal remedies. ($12.95 value or more. Standard shipping applies, within the USA only.)

 

Your choice of 3 FREE ePlanners OR a 3-Month FREE Membership to ListPlanIt, whose mobile lists will help to organize your life. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

The fine print:

Bonus Offers

• Each bonus offer can be redeemed once only per eBook Bundle purchase.
• For each bonus offer, transaction numbers or proof of purchase may be required at the time of redemption.
• All bonus offers are free gifts from the bonus sponsors, are their sole responsibility to provide, and are subject to availability.
• All bonus offers expire at midnight on May 19th, 2013 (2 weeks from the last day of this sale).

General

• It is your responsibility to download and back-up your purchase within the 1-month download time-frame. With proof of purchase, we can renew download links up until August 1st, 2013. After this date we will no longer have access to the books and will not be able to provide any new links to download.
• Due to the nature of this sale, there will be no refunds available. However, we would invite you to read our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the file types, the download process, how the bonus offers work, etc.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered, so make sure that you get your bundle right away!

Particularly for those wanting to read these ebooks on their mobile devices (iPhones or iPads, Android, Kindle, etc.) you will want to learn more about the file types, how to download them correctly, and how to transfer them to your device. Here are the FAQs.

This post includes affiliate links, and I make a portion of the sale of each ebook bundle. Thanks for your support of this site!

This weekend only (through 4/29) Tropical Traditions is offering free shipping! Just use the coupon code 132944 at checkout. As part of my new gluten-free journey I’m going to be stocking up on coconut flour and coconut oil, things that I have used in the past as healthy additions to a non-gluten-free diet. Tropical Traditions also offers raw honey that my family has really enjoyed, and I probably need to stock up on Omega 3 Greens, too!

Here are the other sales they have going on right now:

• BOGO Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil Pints
• 42% off Palm Shortening
• BOGO Coconut Cream Concentrate
• 50% off Hemp Protein Powder

(Note: Links in posts may be referral links that help support this site. Read my disclosure policy here.)

I recently had the chance to read Bread & Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes, by Shauna Niequist. This nonfiction book was released April 9, 2013 by Zondervan.

About this book (from the back cover):

As a follow up to her two bestselling books, Bittersweet and Cold Tangerines, author and blogger Shauna Niequist returns with the perfect read for those who love food and value the community and connection of family and friends around the table. Bread and Wine is a collection of essays about family relationships, friendships, and the meals that bring us together. This mix of Anne Lamott and Barefoot Contessa is a funny, honest, and vulnerable spiritual memoir. Bread and Wine is a celebration of food shared, reminding readers of the joy found in a life around the table. It’s about the ways God teaches and nourishes people as they nourish the people around them. It’s about hunger, both physical and otherwise, and the connections between the two. With wonderful recipes included, from Bacon-Wrapped Dates to Mango Chicken Curry to Blueberry Crisp, readers will be able to recreate the comforting and satisfying meals that come to life in Bread and Wine.

My Verdict:

I signed up to review this book because it made me think of one of my friends, and I decided I’d like to give it to her as a gift once I was done reviewing it. Unfortunately for her, this book won’t be leaving my house, because it’s THAT good. I’ll just have to buy her a copy of her own. I was unfamiliar with Niequist’s previous books and her blog, but I’m now a fan. Her writing style is poetic (without being overly so) and her essays give you the feeling of having a nice chat with a friend about life, faith, food, entertaining, etc. (Except for the chapter called “Enough,” which made me cry – in a good way.) There are 29 recipes that are included, and they all seem like something I could reasonably attempt, even though I’m a novice in the kitchen. There’s also a set of 4-week Book Club/Cooking club menus, which are fantastic if you would like to attempt to have your own version if the wonderful cooking club Niequist herself has, as described in the book. I struggled to pick out a quote from the book to share, just because every few pages or so I would think, “This is it! No, wait, this is it!” It’s a very quotable book, and Niequest herself shares some great quotes from people like G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and A.A. Milne. Here’s the quote (okay, paragraph) I decided on, simply because I liked it:

“My friends and I didn’t learn to cook, necessarily. In an effort to widen our options, to set us free to be whatever we wanted to be, many of our mothers shooed us out of the kitchen – that place of lingering oppression and captivity for many of them. They encouraged us to study and travel and participate in sports and the arts, the things women didn’t get to do when they were young. They shooed us out as an act of love, regardless of the fact that some of us really wanted to be there. So then, largely, young women and men moved out of their parents’ homes and didn’t know how to cook at all, and both genders felt conflicted about it, for a host of reasons. So we got takeout and thought about other things. But many of us, men and women alike, at a certain point, are wandering back to the kitchen and fumbling and learning and trying to feed ourselves and the people we love, because we sense that it’s important and we may have missed something along the way. Especially for those of us who make our livings largely in front of computer screens, there’s something extraordinary about getting up from the keyboard and using our hands for something besides typing – for chopping and dicing and coaxing scents and flavors from the raw materials in front of us. There’s something entirely satisfying in a modern, increasingly virtual world about something so elemental – heat, knife, sizzle.”

So, if I wasn’t clear, get this book. It would make a great wedding/birthday/housewarming present, but mainly you need it for yourself.

If you’d like to check out Bread and Wine it is currently on sale for $8.89 for the Kindle version right now, which is 53% off. (Regularly $18.99.) If you prefer a physical copy the hardcover version is currently on sale for $11.30. It is not yet available in paperback. Remember, Amazon’s prices can change at any time.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Here’s the full recipe and instructions.

Thanks, ModCloth Blog!