Amanda Lewis (2)

We all like snacks, desserts and those scrumptious treats, but our health and overall diet tells us we need to avoid those empty calories, excess fats and high carbohydrates. So, what do we do when we get those cavings? Make a healthy smoothie! I do, every day.

As someone who's family is riddle with diabetes and heart disease, I am diligent and careful to monitor my diet. I've discovered the best way for me to do this is with smoothies. It helps me to minimize the sugars, fats and unnecessary show more carbohydrates that plagued me for years. When I get a yearning for those diet busters, I head to the kitchen. I pull out some frozen fruit, grab a few veggies, open the yogurt and pop open the VitaMix. Then whip up a delicious treat, with no guilt or worry about my daily intake. Although, I usually have to double the batch because somebody is waiting for a glass, too.

I had a lot of fun doing the research and writing this book. I experimented on friends and family with many of the recipes. At first, I found the old "ice cream shake" approach was too high in calories and filled with fats. Then I overloaded the veggies, so some tasted great while others were a bust. For the final book, of course, I only included the ones that "my tasters" liked; I hope you like them, too.

So, try them out. Play with the recipes and add some of your favorite ingredients. I enjoy hearing from readers and sharing stories, let me know what you think. show less

This book is packed with a wealth of valuable information and practical ideas to assist you in planning a beautiful wedding on a budget. When planning any wedding you need as much information as you can gather in order to make the necessary decisions that will influence the wedding of your dreams. Weddings, nowadays, tend to be overly expensive and obsessive affairs, instead of what their primary objective should be - to share and celebrate a wonderful event with family and friends. This has show more been driven by media and vendor hype to solely increase their sales and profits and targeted at those with low self-esteem or social acceptance issues. However, this book helps individuals to prioritize what is truly important about their wedding, understanding the available funding and how to maximize these funds (fantasy wedding, reception party, honeymoon location, etc.) and how to make the most out of their special day.

"Wedding Ideas" is filled with just that, absolutely fantastic ideas, suggestions that work for wonderful wedding memories, ideas to maximize your budget and resources that makes your planning easy and stress free.

I truly enjoyed writing this book; it brought back wonderful memories from some weddings I helped plan. When I started compiling the tips and tricks I started with those ideas I've used to plan weddings for family and friends. Then expanded the information with the help of a few party planners I know. It's amazing how years of experience can boil down to just one book - when you remove the fluff and marketing hype associated with weddings these days.

If you or someone you know is getting married and you are looking for real ideas for a memorable wedding that won't break the bank account, this book will help them have a beautiful wedding - the wedding of their dreams! show less