Kate Rowinski

The Pressure Cooker Cookbook: How to Cook Quickly, Efficiently, Healthily, and Deliciously contains a very fine collection of delicious recipes that you can make in a fraction of the time that they would take in the oven or on the stovetop. And, if you have an electric pressure cooker, like my lovely Cuisinart, it’s fix it and forget it, just as with a slow cooker.

No frills in this cookbook, but with such tasty recipes, you won’t miss them. Barbecue-sauce-laden meatloaf, Flemish Beef show more Stew, Rosemary Pork Tenderloin, Chicken in Red Wine Sauce, Mushroom Risotto, Brandied Carrots (in just minutes!) and even Pineapple Bread Pudding and a classic cheesecake. What’s not too love?

My favorite pressure cooker cookbook ever is, of course, Bob Warden’s Great Food Fast; however, Kate Rowinski’s The Pressure Cooker Cookbook is definitely worth buying. show less

As soon as I began reading this book I could tell author Kate Rowinski is someone who is enthusiastic about birds. As a hobbyist and not a biologist or researcher, she speaks to the novice bird watcher in a welcoming and easy to comprehend manner.

The book begins with the basics. Where do birds live, what do they eat, where do they nest, what do their different songs and calls mean; understanding the bird is your first step. There are chapters on bird identification, basic anatomy, bird show more feeding basics such as where to place your feeders and what to feed them. Yes, placement and types of food make a big difference in whether or not you will have birds in your yard. There are chapters on bird photography, how to make your yard a more friendly place for birds and information on binoculars and other field gear. All written in plain english.

One of the chapters lists the 25 Backyard Birds You Should Know. There are beautiful color photos of each bird and a few paragraphs of interesting facts and information. I have seen many of these birds in my yard or within a few miles of my house. These are birds that have a wide range across the US and southern Canada and are good choices to begin learning to identify. You don’t even need a backyard to enjoy watching the birds, you can find them at a local park or nature area.

While I already have bird books, I’m always looking for new ones, especially ones I can recommend to others. I was impressed with the coverage of birding basics, the colorful photos and overall easy reading style. This is an excellent guide for the beginning birder. Add a good field guide and you will be on your way to identifying, enjoying and even photographing birds. show less

LL Bears Island Adventure is about a bear who kayaks out to Blueberry Island for his last picnic of the fall. He talks with many of his animal friends on his way there and they all meet him at the island. All except little seal Sam, he got separated from his uncle. LL Bear goes out into the storm and finds Sam. They all hang out for a while, then LL Bear gets into his tent. When he gets out it is snowy and all his friends say goodbye to him until the spring or summer.

When L.L. Bear and his friends meet for a picnic on Blueberry Island, they end up searching for Simon the seal's nephew, Sam, who gets lost in a storm.