Review: skinny-licious (Lite and Scrumptious Recipes for a SLIMMER YOU) by Shauna Evans, RN

Publication: January 2014
Length: 168 pages
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
My Rating: *****--5 Stars

Blurb:
Eat yourself skinny! Registered nurse and award-winning cook Shauna Evans proves that you don’t need to give up your favorite foods in order to slim down. You can enjoy tasty recipes like Lime and Cilantro Shrimp Skewers, Stuffed Red Peppers, and Cherry Chocolate Cake, all while losing weight and feeling great. Healthy cooking has never been easier!

My Review:
I thought there were a lot of great recipes included in this book. You really don't have to give up your favorite things in order to eat healthy. However, there were a couple of recipes that I was surprised to see were okay to eat, such as the 2 cups of heavy cream in the Shrimp Portofino and some of those yummy desserts. Yum! I also loved that the author's story was included in the beginning of the book. She's been through it all and is sharing her knowledge and learning experiences with the rest of us. She also shares with the reader a lot of great tips, on top of eating, to lose weight and stay healthy.

Now for the recipes...I am dying to try the salad recipes included in the book, but it's the wrong time of year for me. I'll definitely be coming back to them in a few more months.

I did make a few of these recipes for my family and they were definite hits. I made the Berry Banana Sherbet for them for our Family Home Evening treat and they asked for more the next day for an after school snack. Pineapple sherbet mixed with fruits--delish! I thought it was easy to make and tasted very refreshing.

I also made the Chocolate Raspberry Truffles. Once again, they were easy and tasted fabulous. The instructions are very clear and the list of ingredients were things I had on hand.

I made the Baked Ziti for dinner one night and my family ate it up. I love that these recipes are "normal" foods and not crazy with strange ingredients that I've never heard of. This book really makes cooking healthy easy. I think in a lot of cases, it's adding or substituting healthier options to an old classic.
 
About the Author:

Shauna Schmidt Evans was born and raised in northern Utah beneath the Wasatch Mountains. She was a competitive athlete. Her high school cheer squad was 9^th in the nation and she took fourth place in her age category when she ran her first St. George marathon at the age of eighteen. She has completed three half marathons and three full marathons. Shauna graduated from Brigham Young University in nursing with a bachelor of science degree. At BYU, she taught in the anatomy lab. She married Joe Evans, BYU back-up quarterback to Ty Detmer in 1992. They have five fit, athletic children. Shauna has been a water aerobic instructor and continues her nursing education in subjects regarding nutrition, exercise, and overall good health. Health and fitness have always been of special interest to her. She is the author of What Goes With What: Baby Rooms Made Easy and Sweet and Savory: Award Winning Recipes Made Easy. She has won over ten recipes contests including B98.7 and Select Med’s Healthy Recipe Contest in March 2013. She has appeared on The Daily Dish, Good Things Utah, Studio Five, and Channel 13 News and has taught at The Home Show Expo in Salt Lake City.