Books! We've got books here! (Make It Paleo)

If you've been reading this blog: you know. I love me some books. Big Books. Little books. Books that climb on rocks. Digital or papery, don't care, love them.

Naturally, this has led to a dependence relationship of sorts, with Amazon.com.

So here I sit, with all these new Paleo cookbooks surrounding me. Where to start? I should review them. I will review them.

And ironically, the first book I am going to review is one I bought from Amazon right when it came out. I have mentioned it here, briefly, and reviewed it online, and when The Food Lovers Kitchen offered Paleo bloggers the chance at a free copy of "Make It Paleo" in exchange for a review, I thought: Well: why not? (Plus, you all said, "Do it! DOOOO IIIIIT.")   And the best part is, I now have an extra copy to give away!

OK. Here's the dealio- initial reaction (shamelessly cut and pasted from my Amazon review):

All from "Make It Paleo" - except the piped frosting on the cake!

"When Make It Paleo showed up, I was initially a little taken aback by the weight of this thing. It's definitely a beast, but once I started flipping through it, I actually wished that it were longer. The photography is wonderful, and the recipes live up to or exceed expectations when you make them.

My favorite aspects: They make it look easy, and it is! Thoughtful, well detailed and explained instructions accompany each entry. I also love that there aren't any really puzzling ingredients: if you have a well-stocked Primal/Paleo pantry, you'll be able to find something you can cook easily, and avoid the trip to the grocery store. But I especially love their section on baked goods, specifically desserts. Gearing up for holidays with my extended family shouldn't be any more stressful than it already has to be, and I love that I can be confident that the Chocolate Chip Cookies will be OK for an occasional splurge, and will blend in with all the other more conventional treats on the table; people will probably have no clue that they're "special" unless you tell them. (My husband took a batch of them along on a trek to see his parents, and my non-Paleo father-in-law got on the phone at one point to tell me how delicious they were.)

There are lots of cake options as well, and they all look scrumptious. Those birthday occasions just aren't the same without cake! And if you want ice cream to go with it, that's an option too. It was a relief to tell my mom that I'll just bring my own cake this year: I know it will be much more delicious than the dark chocolate "flourless cake" that they got from Whole Foods last year.

This cookbook is giving me a reputation as a "foodie" that is pretty much undeserved. I have pretty much every Primal and Paleo cookbook out there right now, and this is the one that inspires me most. If you're in a rut but need to get motivated to dive into the kitchen and come up with something scrumptious, this book is a must-have. I keep posting pictures on Facebook of "what's for dinner tonight", and the overwhelming (99% Non-Paleo!) response is, "I'm coming to your house!" Definitely a winner, this one is in heavy rotation in our kitchen- an instant classic. Love it."

OK: now we are back in the present time. I have had this book for almost a year, and it is the one I turn to for "special occasion cooking"- namely, treats. Most of Thanksgiving last year depended on recipes from this book- Christmas, too. I felt prepared, armed with a gorgeous grain-free pumpkin pie for SG and I, not to mention the chocolate chip cookies. Which incidentally, disappeared off the cookie table before anything else did: they were dense, chewy, and delectable. And yes, that is my birthday cake in the photo at the top! Be warned: Paleo treats are yummy, but also calorie dense- and unexpectedly, super filling.  I know I seem to dwell on the desserts: when this came out, a cookbook with a vast dessert recipe section was a BIG deal. I shouldn't neglect the more standard entrees though: This book doesn't appear to have a dud recipe in it.

 So...do you want to win it? 

1. Comment on this blog post, 2. Post something amusing on my FB page to the effect of "Pick me!" and why : and 3. make sure you've "liked" the Lady Grok FB page. Yes, all three of those things: if you do all three, I know you really want an awesome free cookbook! I will do a random drawing and notify the winner this weekend. Good luck!