Low Carb Cookbook Review - 15-Minute Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender

Busy, busy, busy. Today's schedules and fast paced, multi-tasking lifestyles make it difficult for most of us to find the time needed to prepare and serve balanced, nutritious and tasty meals. I am no exception. Since I tend to be a problem-solver by nature, I decided to gather a collection of quick, fast and easy low-carb recipes so I could save time in the kitchen but still stick to my low-carb lifestyle.

I expected it would take quite awhile to get enough recipes together to make a difference. However, thanks to Dana Carpender's newest low-carb cookbook my collection has grown overnight!

15-Minute Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender (Fair Winds Press, 2003) gave my collection a huge boost. From the introduction, I found that the entire purpose of this book is to provide a cookbook filled with recipes that take a maximum of 15 minutes to make-and that includes prep time. Sound intriguing? I thought so, too.

This 253-page compendium offers more than just microwave or "tear open a protein bar" meals. These recipes were all timed and each was considered for health, feasibility and appropriateness to the book's theme. Dana's introduction explains her reasons, her processes, and offers detailed hints, tips and tricks to cut down prep time.

To give you an overview of the contents, there are thirteen chapters divided by food type, such as "15-Minute Eggs," "15-Minute Tortilla Tricks," "15-Minute Main Dish Salads," "15-Minute Skillet Suppers," and Chapter 12, "15-Minute Condiments, Sauces, Dressings, and Seasonings," which has my favorite homemade sugar-free ketchup recipe. Of course, I cannot forget to mention the last chapter, "15-Minute Desserts."

Written in an easy to follow, relaxed style, this book feels like an old friend for those of us who have come to know Dana's work from her 2002 cookbook, the very popular 500 Low-Carb Recipes. If you are not familiar with her previous book, I think you will be pleased with her comfortable, confidant style and helpful insights.

There seems to be recipes to suit most everyone, from low-carb soups to high-protein nuts. I especially appreciate that the recipes have short instructions, are very fast to read-and they are easy to make. A few I have tried and enjoyed include, "Houbyfest Eggs," "Blintzlets," "Parmesan Chicken Breasts," "Sour Cream Ham Supper," and "Cheater's Chowder." And, I am wrapping "Cinnamon Splenda® Nuts" in red plastic wrap tied with a thin velvet ribbon for Valentine's Day mini gifts. (I will wait until next month to tell the recipients the gift was sugar-free!)

15-Minute Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender is available through book retailers on and offline. Get more information on Dana Carpender, her books, projects and e-mail newsletter on her Web site at holdthetoast.com.

The Hushed Willow - A Review

The Hushed Willow by Lorna Joy Knox nee Ramsamugh is a collection of poetry that will stir your emotions as you embark on a rollercoaster ride through life. As the title suggests the poetry contained in The Hushed Willow is that of emotions and feelings that are kept silent, feelings of sadness, loss, betrayal and hurt. The author has an exceptional gift of portraying such vivid emotions in such few words and is a joy to read. The words of her poetry flow together so gracefully with images from nature jumping up to meet you as you read.

This book takes us through the many adventures of life and recalls a multitude of emotions on its way. Lorna Knox is an extremely talented poet who endeavours to portray so much in so few words. Lorna uses modern free style poetry but maintains the constant rhythm necessary for great poetry.

Containing so many wonderful works of poetry it is quite difficult to choose a favourite or even favourites, however, one poem that really grabbed my attention was "Despair", this poem contains very powerful emotions especially those in the second verse as the poet describes love as a dream. I was also really taken by the poem "Magic", a short and uplifting collection of words where I found myself smiling as I reached the end. The last two lines of this poem really help to sum up this feeling - "To sit among a band, That will soothe me into never, never land."

At the end of this wonderful collection of poetry, Ms. Knox has concluded by giving us a taste of her other skills by including a short story titled "Bound in Friendship --- The Story of Two Friends". A remarkable story, well written that tests the boundaries of friendship in a light romantic story.

The Hushed Willow is a must for anyone with lust for poetry. There is a poem for everyone in this book, if you've lived at all you will definitely find a poem to relate to.

Lorna Joy Knox nee Ramsamugh is also the author of "Flames of a Rose" which can be purchased from all major bookstores including Amazon and Barnes and Noble.