The Ultimate Sock Puppet Book: Clever Tips, Tricks and Techniques for Creating Imaginative Sock Puppets by Tiger Kandel and Heather Schloss | Book Review

The Ultimate Sock Puppet Book: Clever Tips, Tricks, and Techniques for Creating Imaginative Sock Puppets by Tiger Kandel and Heather Schloss.
Sock puppets have always been successfully used in story telling, as well as fun to make. We used puppets a lot at the local library story telling hour when my kids were really little. Now my kids want to continue the tradition by making some sock puppets to entertain their younger cousins.

As the title says, this books does offer some great techniques and tips for making sock puppets. However, the book offers so much more than some simple sock puppet patterns. It is filled with techniques and tips which can be applied to many other types of creative projects. Which is why I am including a flip video with this review, to give you a better idea of the vast variety of ideas and projects this books offers the reader.

In the introduction the author points out that in the "Ultimate Sock Puppet Book" you won't be told specifically what to make or exactly how to make it. Instead this book offers a base of techniques to build upon. The book is offers an anatomy section for making all the animal body parts in all sorts of fun ways. They make it easy for the reader to find a specific section on how to make a tail or add teeth. It also covers hair, fur, eyes, noses, mouths, teeth, wings, arms, legs and more! If you wanted to make a certain animal that wasn't featured in the book you could pull together all the elements and you would be all set to create your own version of that animal in a sock puppet. If you wanted to create something from your imagination you would also be well equipped with all the techniques you would need to create fantasy critters and creatures.

The book covers both sewing and gluing construction methods and since the kids are not big fans of the sewing, they will be using the gluing methods for sure! However, the sewing is pretty simplified so if you have basic sewing skills, they are easy to follow. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a new inspirations on how to create their own sock puppet menagerie or just be inspired. The Ultimate Sock Puppet Book projects are also fun family orientated craft projects that are both fun and educational.

Kombucha Revolution: 75 Recipes for Homemade Brews, Fixers, Elixers, and Mixers by Stephen Lee with Ken Koopman | Book Review

Kombucha Revolution: 75 Recipes for Homemade Brews, Fixers, Elixirs, and Mixers is a great starting point if you are new to brewing Kombucha and have just purchased (or received) your first Scoby.   I wish I would have had this book the first time I tried to brew my own Kombucha, it would have saved me so much time and my first batch of Kombucha would have so much better.  The minute I got this book I had to brew a new batch using "Stephen Lee's Master Plain Kombucha Recipe".  It was so easy to follow (although I substituted bottled water for the Purified Water). Eight days later, it came out great. Now I want to try out some of his "Citrus Kombucha" recipe, when my Scoby has produced a baby for me.

This book is a must have if you enjoy drinking Kombacha and want to brew your special blends. I found the Kombucha Revolution book to be very well written and very informative.  I loved the authors writing style.  He fed the reader information while making  it interesting to read.

The author does provides some interesting factual information on the history of Kombacha and relates his own experience in brewing with his first Scoby.  I love that he takes the time to explain how to care for the Scoby and why it is so important to have the right blend of sugar to tea ratio.     I don't have time to read an encyclopedia on the subject matter and appreciate it when authors provide useful information in a concise amount.

He also goes into detail on how to care for your Scoby.  He also reminds the readers about the dangers of mold in the Scoby without providing too much information.  I ruined my first Scoby, so I can really appreciate this type of information.

Besides some really interesting recipes for brewing different type of Kombucha, the author also offers a great body scrub recipes for those of us who don't want to waste the Scoby babies that are not going to be used for a different brew. The Table of Contents is pretty straight forward and lists the great variety of recipes offered in this book.

Chapter Two is a "Juices and Smoothies" section that offer some fun recipes to use up your brew.  For those who are really adventurous, Chapter Three has some interesting cocktail recipes that includes a great Martini concoction.  Chapter Four is all about "Dressings and Dunks".  The Kombucha mustard recipe is great if you like your mustard with a bit of a kick (otherwise don't include the horseradish in the recipe).

Chapter Five is a bit more complicated because it centers on salads and sides.  The "Wilted Spinach with Bacon Kombacha Dressing" has an interesting flavor that I found paired really well with Kale.  The Kale is not part of the recipe, I just like a crunch in my salad and added 1 cup to the recipe to make it more crunchy.  If you like Collard Green, give the "Comforting Collard Greens in Kombucha" recipe a try.  It will not disappoint.

Chapter Six focuses on "Sweets And Ices".  Depending on the Kombucha recipe you use, I find it tends to naturally be sweet anyway.  It makes total sense to use the brew for dessert recipes.  The "Mango Booze Ice" recipe is a clear winner here.  I personally tried it with both Vodka and without.  I preferred it without, but that could be attributed to the brand on Vodka I used in the recipe.

I love that this is not just a drink recipe book.  I was able to find at least two recipes that I liked in each chapter.  Since I am not that great a cook, that can often be a challenge for me.  However, these recipes are so easy to follow that I did not have issues with them.  I have read each chapter and really enjoyed the recipes offered in this book.  This is one book that I can recommend if you are just starting out on your Kombucha experience and need some brewing information.  It is also great if you just want some great recipes that incorporate Kombucha and its many health qualities in your beverages and meals.

If you need to order a Scoby, Kombucha Kamp offers some great kits at an affordable price through Amazon.



Note:  I was not paid for this review.  I was given a copy of this book by  Blogging for Books in return for my own honest review.