Slow Cookery

Here's a new cookbook with gluten-free slow cooker recipes: Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cookingby Stephanie O'Dea.

As you can see in the picture, I have a bunch of post-it notes marking the recipes I want to try, such as Coq au Vin, Gyros, and Bread Pudding.

The author set out to make something new in a slow cooker every day for a year. These are her successes. She includes preparation hints and her family's verdict on why they liked each recipe.

The gluten-free ingredients are listed by brand name and source. My favorite Pamela's Baking Mixis used in place of wheat flour many times.

These recipes are described so well that you can almost see, smell, and taste them.

And they sound like fun adventures. I can't wait to turn our slow cooker into a mini-oven to make a round loaf of Perfect Gluten-Free Bread.

For Men Who Love Women Who Have Breast Cancer

Here's a book written by a man whose mother, sister, and wife have all had breast cancer. Stand by Her: A Breast Cancer Guide for Menby John W. Anderson has good advice for all aspects of supporting a woman through her cancer treatment.

I cried when I read it. It made me remember when my mom had breast cancer, and when I had it, and when my sister-in-law had it.

The three of us were blessed with supportive husbands. Our health crises brought out the best in them. They listened to us, reassured us, took us to appointments, and stayed steady while the world was turning upside down for us.

John Anderson's book supplements the books with medical facts about breast cancer. He contributes coaching for a patient's support team. He covers what to do before, during, and after treatment. He talks about emotional fallout, living with the possibility of recurrence, and preparing for death. He illustrates with moving stories about family and friends. The book ends with how he and his wife celebrated her five-year cancer-free anniversary.

If you have a friend whose wife or mother or sister is dealing with breast cancer, please recommend this book to him. It could be a lifeline for him.

Better yet, give him a copy.

And remember to keep supporting and encouraging him.

Clean Food

Here's a new cookbook with good recipes and helpful information about healthy eating.

Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source with More Than 200 Recipes for a Healthy and Sustainable Youby Terry Walters is not only a guide to good eating, it's interesting to read.

Each recipe is introduced with a chatty, informative paragraph.

A section called "What's That?" describes possibly unfamiliar ingredients from agave nectar to lemongrass to wakame.

The index is especially helpful because it lists recipes by major ingredients, so if you get a package of something new to try, you'll be able to find all the recipes that use it.

Sesame Almond Balls, for example, are listed not only under sesame and almonds, but also under dates and sunflower seeds, which are included in the recipe.

This book provides a good introduction to using a variety of grains, beans, and vegetables. Most of the baking recipes are gluten-free. The recipes are vegan, without meat, fish, dairy, or eggs.

I'd love to make every recipe in this new cookbook right away. What have done, given the fact that there are other things in life than cooking, is to mark several recipes for use as soon as possible.

First I want to try the Apple Chutney, and the Sweet Brown Rice with Mung Beans and Indian Spices.

I like the author's attitude. Here's a refreshing quote from a list of Ways to Improve Health and Well-being: "Let Go. It's just food, after all. What you see isn't always what you get, and we can't make good choices unless we have good information. But overemphasis on food and diet isn't healthy either. Don't let the food control you. Put it in a healthy place, and nourish yourself lavishly with all that life has to offer."

Amen.