Classy and Opinionated Lifestyle Mom Blog
Otis and Nick are treat-loving dogs, and now they have a new favorite in Grandma Lucy’s. What’s not to love? Grandma Lucy’s high-quality dog treats are as good as it gets. * Complimentary products received for review. This post may contain affiliate links. Grandma Lucy’s …
If you’re a regular reader of The Classy Chics blog, you’ll be familiar with Sunny Bay reusable microwaveable heating wraps, several of which have been reviewed here. But did you know that Sunny Bay also makes Disposable Heat Pads for pain relief? Read on to …
If you have a travel bucket list, I’m willing to bet that Rome is right up there at the top. The Eternal City’s history goes back thousands of years, with the architecture to show for it. But whether or not you board that plane to Italy, you can explore Rome through a brand-new book, The Architecture Lover’s Guide to Rome by Elizabeth F. Heath (White Owl, February 2020).
* Complimentary book received for review. This post contains affiliate links.
This fascinating guidebook is compact enough to pack in your suitcase if you are indeed lucky enough to visit Rome, and it will definitely help you be an informed tourist. For those of us who are mainly armchair travelers, Heath offers us the chance to tour Rome virtually, learning about its history through its magnificent architecture.
Right from the introduction, Heath shares her deep understanding of how architecture reflects the society that creates it, and in the case of Rome, how a succession of inhabitants utilize, adapt, and build on the architecture of their predecessors. As she says, “architecture has evolved organically in a city that’s been continuously occupied for nearly 3,000 years. Rome has never been frozen in time – it’s been an evolving, constantly changing city since its inception. It’s never completely intact and it’s rarely pristine….Instead, the architecture of Rome is the stage set on which a dynamic, living city goes about its daily business.”
Rather than trying to cram every historical site in Rome into the book, Heath presents a carefully selected collection of architectural highlights of what she describes as a “complicated chronology and overlapping layers of styles, periods and modifications…that demonstrate the practical, political and spiritual uses of architecture in Rome, what each building represented at its zenith, and what each has come to represent since.”
To me, the most quintessential structures in Rome are the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, and St. Peter’s Basilica, and all three are covered in The Architecture Lover’s Guide to Rome. Of course, many lesser-known buildings are included as well, such as San Nicola in Carcere (“Saint Nicholas in Prison”), described as a “mostly eleventh-century church” built on the site of an ancient produce market called the Forum Horitorium and which actually incorporates parts of three Roman-era temples and has an archeological site beneath it. So much history in one place—it’s amazing!
Reading through the book, you’ll learn of many other equally noteworthy places as well as many of Rome’s famous and not-so-famous inhabitants throughout history. The photographs will have you admiring everything from ancient crumbling ruins to opulent Baroque interiors to modern museums. If Rome is not on your bucket list yet, you’ll be adding it after reading The Architecture Lover’s Guide to Rome. In the meantime, do consider picking up a copy of this very interesting book for yourself or for anyone you know who loves travel, architecture, or history, especially if a trip to Rome is being planned.
* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. Thank you!
Disclaimer: A. Bailey received a complimentary product for review purposes & feature on The Classy Chics blog. No monetary compensation was received. A. Bailey’s thoughts, opinions and words are 100% her own. Your thoughts may differ. Please read the blog’s terms of service policy before entering any giveaways. The Classy Chics are NOT responsible for prize fulfillment or shipping of any items won from this blog. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, we may or may not make a small commission which helps to support this website. Thank you!!!
If you’re looking for a beverage that not only tastes good but is actually good for you, you’ll be interested to hear about Béla Herb-Infused Wellness Drink. This innovative bottled drink is made from a proprietary herb blend with minerals and Vitamin C, and according …
If you’re like me, you consider your pets family members, and you want to feed them accordingly. That goes for treats as well as meals, and for top-notch treats that actually provide health benefits for my dogs, I’ve recently discovered TreatSimple. * Complimentary product samples …
Have you joined the throngs of Instant Pot® devotees? Are you always looking for new ways to use your Instant Pot® to easily prepare healthful dishes for your family? If so, you’ll be interested in a brand-new book, The Everything® Mediterranean Instant Pot® Cookbook: 300 Recipes for Healthy Mediterranean Meals?Made in Minutes, by Kelly Jaggers (Adams Media, February 2020).
* Complimentary copy received for review.
This book is a new release in Adams Media’s famous “Everything®” series, which includes more than 600 titles on an amazing variety of topics. There are lots of cookbooks, as well as books on other subjects from investing, health, how-to, and DIY to education, games, puzzles, and more. The Everything® Mediterranean Instant Pot® Cookbook is a worthy addition to this series, with information and recipes blending the Mediterranean diet and the Instant Pot®. The concept is summed up perfectly in the name of the first chapter: The Number-One Diet Meets the Top Kitchen Appliance.
The Mediterranean diet has a long history, and rightly so—it’s both healthful and delicious. Teaming it with today’s most popular pressure cooker/multicooker is a great way to make the most of both. As Jaggers says, “The Instant Pot® is your express pass to delicious meals, often ready in less than an hour, with less work, more nutrition, and less cleanup, so you can relax and enjoy all the benefits the Mediterranean diet has to offer.” The book begins with a discussion of the modern Mediterranean diet, with a pyramid that “includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains with limited amounts of fish and poultry.” Following that is a section covering the Instant Pot® and its functions, as well as tips for its use, care, and maintenance.
But let’s talk about the recipes! There are 13 chapters full of recipes that will have you pulling out your Instant Pot® to prepare meals for all times of day and all sorts of occasions, including breakfasts, soups, side dishes, entrees, salads, and more, both vegetarian and featuring meats, seafood, and fish.
There’s even a chapter full of fruit and dessert recipes! Each recipe is accompanied by a helpful per-serving nutritional listing, too. Here’s a sampling:
• Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Fruit
• Roasted Garlic Hummus
• Vegetable Risotto with Beet Greens
• Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Olives
• Pasta e Fagioli
• Creamy Lima Bean Soup
• Greek-Style Lentils
• Citrus Fish Tacos
• Chicken and Mushroom Marsala
• Bulgur and Beef-Stuffed Peppers
• Chocolate Rice Pudding
• Vanilla-Poached Apricots
In addition to the recipes, you’ll find sidebars scattered throughout the book with additional helpful information, ideas, tips, and variations.
The Everything® Mediterranean Instant Pot® Cookbook is definitely one you’ll turn to often. Jaggers sums it up nicely: “With the Mediterranean diet and the Instant Pot®, you are on the road to a long, nourished, and happy life.”
* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. Thank you!
Giveaway: One lucky winner is going to win a copy of The Everything Mediterranean Instant Pot Cookbook thanks to Adams Media (an imprint of Simon & Schuster publishing).
Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the US ONLY age 18 and over. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering. This giveaway will close on March 7th, 2020 at 11:59 pm EST time. No purchase necessary to enter or win.
Disclaimer: A. Bailey received a complimentary product for review purposes & feature on The Classy Chics blog. No monetary compensation was received. A. Bailey’s thoughts, opinions and words are 100% her own. Your thoughts may differ. Please read the blog’s terms of service policy before entering any giveaways. The Classy Chics are NOT responsible for prize fulfillment or shipping of any items won from this blog. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, we may or may not make a small commission which helps to support this website. Thank you!!!
These days, we all have smartphones, tablets, and other devices that constantly need charging, and now there’s a great option for easily charging multiple devices: The myCharge Hub Turbo 6700mAh Portable Charger. This handy charger has built-in cables making it perfect for travel, but its …
Food is an important part of any culture, and a culture as ancient as that of present-day Turkey has a culinary history that is simply amazing, as revealed in the new book called Anatolia: Adventures in Turkish Eating by Somer Sivrioglu and David Dale (Murdoch …