Muffins & Mayhem Book Review + {Giveaway}

"Muffins & Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy – if Disorderly - Life" by Suzanne Beecher is a surprisingly wonderful book. I immediately loved the concept of this book, a recipe book for your life. Beecher shares recipes and their stories throughout her life. She also shares "recipes" of things that had a big impact in her life to pass along to her family. I like the idea of having a life recipe book that shares recipes and stories to pass along to future generations.

When I first started reading the book, I had a hard time getting into Ms. Beecher's story. I kept trudging along. And it wasn't too long (by the second chapter if not sooner) I found myself laughing out loud and reading lines to my husband. Her stories were very relatable and I enjoyed them so much. After I got into the book, I couldn't put it down and finished it quickly.

My favorite part of the book was the recipes with the stories that accompanied them. I agree with Ms. Beecher that food is such a big memory in our lives. I know there are foods/meals/recipes in my life that are connected to times in my life I'll never forget. It inspires me to start documenting those things for my son.

From the publisher:

This summer, dig in to the new book that reminds us all that life doesn't need to be perfect to be delicious – MUFFINS & MAYHEM: RECIPES FOR A HAPPY (IF DISORDERLY) LIFE (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, June 1). Author Suzanne Beecher uses her quirky, homespun magic to take the reader through her tumultuous journey from her childhood in the very small town of Cuba City, WI to single, drug addicted, teenage mother to successful businesswoman, grandmother, and wife of her best friend. MUFFINS & MAYHEM is refreshingly humorous and honest, and a perfect summer read that celebrates food, friends, and family. 

Suzanne Beecher has owned a restaurant, founded and published a business magazine, established a non-profit program to feed the homeless, and home-schooled her youngest son. She writes a daily column for DearReader.com and is a darling of the book club world designing email book clubs for publishers, booksellers, and libraries across the country. Over 350,000 participate in DearReader.com!  

Suzanne's fans are already in the MUFFINS & MAYHEM spirit by getting together, reading her book, cooking her dishes, and sharing the recipes and stories that have helped keep them grounded in an unpredictable world. Below is more about the book. 

In conjunction with the release of the book, Suzanne launched www.muffinsandmayhem.com, where visitors can create their very own Cookbook of Memories. On the site you can also sign up to receive a free, personalized and autographed bookplate from Suzanne.

I definitely recommend this book to everyone. It is a great read and quick too. I think it would be a great vacation book for this summer. I read it on our drive to Wichita, KS and back to OH one weekend. It's split into enough chapters that it was easy to put down when I needed to, yet I could pick it right up and be back in it with the next part of the story.



Buy It:
"Muffins & Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy – if Disorderly - Life" by Suzanne Beecher is available online and in stores now.

Win It: The publisher is providing one copy of the book for a giveaway.

To Enter: Tell me something that you think you'd like about this book. Be sure to include your e-mail address, so I can contact you when you win. (If I can't find an e-mail address in your profile or don't already have it, I will draw a new number for the winner.)

Extra Entries: If you'd like to, you may earn extra entries for doing each of the following. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each. You must do the above (main) entry first, and then you can do these others.


*Post about the giveaway on your blog and leave the link here. (2 entries)
*Subscribe to this blog by RSS feed or feed reader.
*Subscribe to this blog by e-mail.
*Become a Google Friend Connect Follower (or you already are). (2 entries)
*Grab my new button (on the right side of my blog) and post if on your blog. (5 entries- leave a separate comment for each entry)
*"Like" my new fan page on Facebook. (5 entries- leave a separate comment for each entry)
*Follow me with Networked Blogs (5 entries- leave a separate comment for each entry)
*Enter one of my other giveaways, then come back here and let me know which on you entered. You may do this for one extra entry.
*Follow me on Twitter. (I'll follow back.)
*Post about this giveaway on Twitter and leave the link here. You may do this once a day until the giveaway ends. I've made it easy, just Cut & Paste:

Enter to win "Muffins & Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy – if Disorderly - Life" Book from @psmomreviews – http://tinyurl.com/26bpas2

This giveaway is open now through Sunday, July 4th. I will post a winner on Monday, July 5th.

>Open to USA & Canada only!<



*Disclosure: I was not paid to post this, but a product was provided to me for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.*