Got My Fitness On: ClassPass Chicago Review

My month-long ClassPass membership has come to an end and it's time to review this membership program. I originally wanted to try ClassPass because I liked the flexibility of membership in terms of the variety of studios included and because ClassPass has the almost-magical ability to centralize everything into one website. With that said, here are the pros and cons of ClassPass:

PRO: CLASS PAGE/RESERVATION SYSTEM
This right here is my absolute favorite part about ClassPass: you log on, click on "classes," and every single class offering at every studio participating in ClassPass is right there before your eyes. To make it even better, you can filter the class search by time, location, and activity and you can reserve your spot in the class up to seven days in advance. Their reservation system is easy to use and I really can't say enough about how much I loved seeing everything on one page. After you register for a class, you are given the option to put the class information into your calendar. As someone who, at times, feels married to her calendar, this was helpful. ClassPass also does a great job of sending confirmation and reminder emails for your registered classes.

CON: CLASS PAGE
The only hiccup I had with the classes page was that if I clicked on a class to read more about the class and then went back, I lost all my filters and the class page would revert back to the closest day to your search. So, for instance, if it was November 20th and I was looking at classes for November 23rd between 5:00pm to 7:00pm and I clicked on a class and tried to go back to my original search, I would lose all the filters and the search would revert back to November 20th or 21st classes.

PRO: CLASS PAGE
Every class had a description and every studio had links to social media. If you clicked on a studio, it would show you the line up of classes at the studio for the week. If you clicked on a specific class, it would show you when the class was being offered again. There were even teacher bios for some of the students.

PRO: RESERVATION SYSTEM
You can plan out your whole week in workouts with ClassPass. Before my first week of trying ClassPass, I spent Sunday night looking up different classes and planning out my workout. I loved that I was able to do this and actually became a little obsessed with checking ClassPass daily to see if there were any classes available during unexpected openings in my schedule.

CON: RESERVATION SYSTEM
The only thing I didn't like about ClassPass and, it has more to do with my lifestyle, than the membership itself was that your classes must be planned ahead of time, at least 2 hours before the class start time. Like I said above, I would have unexpected pockets of time open up and I was never able to take advantage of that free time with a class because I missed the cutoff for signing up for the class. I understand that ClassPass has to release the spots so that others can take advantage of the classes, but still. It was because of this that I wasn't able to take advantage of ClassPass as much as I would have wanted.

PRO: CHECKING IN
Checking in at the studios was easy peasy. I still had to fill out new student forms and sign liability waivers, but other than that, there was no delay in getting myself checked in and working out.

PRO: STUDIO AND CLASS VARIETY
With over 50 studios offering classes in everything from yoga to strength training, ClassPass offers you the best variety possible. I prefer yoga, so most of the classes that I tried were yoga-focused, but even so, there was so much variety of style and environment. I loved being able to preview and try all the different studios in Chicago.

PRO: CLASSES WERE AWESOME!
What a great group of studios on ClassPass. I took classes at The Dailey Method, Moksha, AIR, Body R&D, CorePower Yoga, YogaSix, Zen Yoga Garage, and Core Chicago Pilates and loved all of them. Again, I loved being able to take classes at all the different studios, instead of having to pay the $15-$20 per class I would have had to pay if I would have gone to the studios on my own.

PRO: CLASSPASS PRICE
You can't beat $99 a month price tag. Even if all you take is 5 classes a month, you are still getting your money's worth. 

BOTTOM LINE
Whoever came up with ClassPass deserves a prize for coming up with a membership program that is able to attract a great variety of studios to participate and offer its members hundreds of classes a week. There were minor things that I didn't like, but it's not a deal breaker. ClassPass is made for the person who likes the studio atmosphere, versatility in their workouts, and accessibility to various environments and classes.

For more on ClassPass visit their website. ClassPass is currently offered in the following cities: Boston, Chicago, NYC, LA, San Francisco, DC, Seattle, San Diego, Portland, Austin, and Dallas.

ClassPass gave me a complimentary month-long membership, but all the opinions in this post, my review, and on Instagram, @thecookierunner, are my own. 

Race Recap: Disney's Avenger's Half Marathon

What a whirlwind weekend! I flew out to California Saturday morning for Disney's Avenger's Half Marathon and flew back to Chicago Sunday afternoon. I will admit that I had certain expectations of the race because I have done a Disney race before in Disney World. Well, I get to Anaheim and I'm immediately thrown off guard because the parks are located in the city. Of course, it's located in a city and Disney World is also located in a city, buy Disneyland isn't on a massive compound like Disney World. Disney World feels like it's own city and, once you enter Disney World grounds, you forget that anything else exists. Disneyland, on the other hand, doesn't have this feel and, to me, it felt like a regular theme park (it reminded me of Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL) that was put in the middle of a bustling city.

Then, I went to expo and that too threw me off because I was expecting a bigger expo, like the ones I've been to at Disney World. Don't get me wrong, they had everything a person could want out of an expo, but expo is like my playground and I love spending as much time there as possible and I was done with this expo after about half an hour.

One of the things Disneyland has over Disney World is the proximity of everything. That's the perk of being a smaller park! From the expo, which was held at a Disney hotel, I walked through Downtown Disney and straight to the parks. There is one common area that has the entrances to both parks, California Adventure and Disneyland, and this is really convenient for moving between parks, which I did.

Let me tell you, it was nice going through the parks alone and going through the lines fast as a single rider. I went on a few rides, but mostly I just walked around and enjoyed my mini vacation. What really wowed me about the parks was the "It's A Small World" ride. I can't even begin to describe how beautiful it was lit up and decorated. Seriously, mind-blowingly beautiful.

Now, on to the race. I'm glad to report that Disney races universally suck with their start time and my first alarm was set for 3:00am for a 5:30am start time. The race itself was ok and, after mile three, felt like a "regular" race. I say this because the first three miles are on Disney grounds and through the parks. After that, you run through Anaheim and Angels stadium and there are no more characters for photos. I know that not everyone does these races to stop and take pictures, but for me, stopping for pictures is part of the fun and part of what helps me get through the distance. I will say that there were a slew of superhero characters between miles 6 and 7 and military characters (where any of them real?) around mile 9, but they didn't feel like official Disney photo ops.

The wind. If you were at the race or spoke to people who ran the race, you know that the wind was no joke that day. If you haven't heard about it, then let me tell you. The weather was perfect for running in the beginning and was in 60s when the race started for me. About an hour into the race it got really windy. As in, I thought I was going to get blown away by the wind windy. Once the wind started, it seemed like it never ended and the entire time we were running against the wind. The wind was so strong that it even knocked down mile markers along the course. That definitely made for an interesting run! The reunion area was closed off because the wind was knocking things down so everyone was asked to leave as soon as they exited the finisher's area.

Finishing felt great and finishing always feels great. This race marked half marathon #15 for me and my first time traveling to another state for a race. I can see how taking "racecations" can become addictive!

 

What I liked:

• The race shirt is long sleeve and awesome. 
• Running through the Disney parks. 
• Meeting up with old friends and meeting new ones. 
• Finisher's medal. 
• Disney!
• Plenty of water on the course and gels at mile 9. 

What I didn't like:

• The course: again, it felt like a regular race after mile 3. 
• Expo: bib pickup and shirt pickup where in two different areas. 
• Start time: I'm a baby and like the extra hours of sleep. 
• The wind was crummy. 

Would I do the race again? I think so, but mostly because I would want to go back to California with the family and have them experience Disneyland, too. I could run other races, but the idea of running the inaugural race and continuing to run over the years (Perfect Superhero?!?) is so enticing!

My next race is The Ugly Sweater Run on the 29th. I'm debating whether I want to run a Turkey Trot this year so another 5k might be in the mix, too. For more on my fitness and running, follow my on Instagram @thecookierunner.

Manitoba Hemp Hearts Review

Two years ago I had no clue what I was getting myself into when I started running. I had no clue that I would fall in love with running and racing. I didn't understand the impact running would have on how I view my body and food. Not a day goes by where I don't feel grateful for being able to run. Today, I honor and am in awe of my body and I approach food with a more mindful attitude. Part of this is having a more open mind about what I try so when Fit Approach offered its Sweat Pink Ambassadors the chance to review Manitoba Harvest Hemp products, I jumped right on board. As part of the campaign, Manitoba Harvest sent me samples of their Hemp Hearts and their three protein powders- HempPro70, HempPro50, and HempPro Fiber.

I decided to use the products as I've used all my other protein powders, in shakes and in my favorite protein bites. I like to drink my protein with almond milk so this is usually my first test of how good a protein powder tastes. I tried the HempPro70 with almond milk and nothing else to see if this protein powder was of the too-sweet or chalky variety.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was not too sweet nor was it chalky. This alone makes me want to continue using Manitoba Harvest because quick and easy protein shakes are a regular part of my diet and I hate those protein powers that are hard to mix and repugnant to drink when not mixed with other things. 

 

The next test was the multiple ingredient protein shake, of which I made my two go-to recipes. The first recipe I tried was had almond milk, bananas, peanut butter, Hemp Hearts, and HempPro50. The best part of this shake and, I think, the reason I love it so much is because it has a lot of my favorite things and the ingredients come together to mask even the worst tasting of protein powders. The only difference I noticed in this shake was the extra nutty flavor from the Hemp Hearts.

 

The next shake I made was my "frosty" shake. This shake is the easiest shake I make and I made it with almond milk, a tablespoon of cocoa powder, HempPro70, Hemp Hearts, and ice. It tasted just like I hoped for and I got to enjoy my healthy frosty shake happily.

 

I used the HempPro Fiber in my protein bites and here is where you could taste the protein. It wasn't a bad taste, but it definitely tasted different than how the bites usually taste when I use a vanilla-flavored protein. Not that I was complaining because you can never go wrong with anything that has peanut butter and chocolate as ingredients!

 

What I liked the most about these products is that there was no funky aftertaste and that the Hemp Hearts were delicious to snack on just on their own. The biggest perk to this protein powder, however, is the fact that the protein mixes in easily, even in a shaker cup. Again, this is huge for me as on-the-go protein shakes are a normal part of my day.

As an added perk, Manitoba Harvest is offering everyone 20% off their products until November 30, 2014 on their website with the code: HHSweatPink14. If you are into eating healthy and are a protein connoisseur or like to have at least three different types of protein in your home at any given moment like me, I encourage you to try this protein.

I received the Manitoba Harvest samples as part of the Fit Approach campaign. All the opinions in this post are my own. For more on my approach to fitness follow me on Facebook and Instagram @thecookierunner.

Getting My Fitness On: ClassPass Chicago

It has been 13 days since the Chicago Marathon and I have been laying low on my training and exercising until I figure out what I want to do next. I know that I want to keep running and that I definitely want to do another marathon, but other than that, I feel like I have no structure or goal to work toward accomplishing. So basically I've gone from a strict training schedule with lots of structure, to wandering aimlessly and looking up yoga classes online trying to figure out what I can fit into my busy work-family schedule.

The biggest problem I had been coming across is that because my hours can be a little erratic, it would be hard for me to commit to going to classes at one studio consistently. This past week alone I had three random slots open and, if I wanted to take a class during those times, I would have had to go to three different studios and paid three different fees. Not happening as I need all the extra money I can get for running events :)

Then, I remembered coming across a few posts on Instagram about ClassPass, a monthly recurring membership program that includes unlimited access to certain gyms and studios. ClassPass is available in Boston, New York, DC, LA, and San Francisco and recently became available in Chicago. The membership offers unlimited classes a month, but limits the member to three classes per location. At first, you may think this is a drawback, but when you consider that Chicago has close to 70 studios that offer everything from cycling, yoga, Pilates, and strength training, you realize that the drawback is not having enough time to go to all the participating studios. 

I was given the opportunity to review ClassPass so make sure to check back in 30 days for my review and follow me on Instagram @thecookierunner to know more about my ClassPass fitness journey. I can already tell you that I am excited about the studios ClassPass covers as most of them have been on my radar since I moved to Chicago and I am loving the monthly membership price as it is cheaper than most of the monthly memberships at the local studios.  If you are too curious to wait for my review, head on over to the ClassPass website to learn more. Let the fitness exploration begin!

ClassPass gave me a complimentary month-long membership, but all the opinions in this post, my review, and on Instagram are my own. 

The Fitness Games App Review

2014 has truly been the year of fitness for me. I got new PRs (personal records) in the 5K and half marathon distances and I completed my first marathon (Chicago! Post coming soon). My yoga practice has improved and, in general, my commitment to fitness has changed my whole outlook on life. Yoga has taught me how to live in the moment and running has taught me that, when times get tough, all I can do is keep moving forward by putting one foot in front of the other. 

With fitness on my mind, I jumped at the chance to review The Fitness Games, an app that aims at creating a social fitness community where you can connect with "workout partners" from around the world, share workout pictures and videos, and challenge your partners to workouts. I love the idea of this app as I'm one of those people who will randomly text people with "workout commands" of 10 squats or push-ups or other moves that can be done almost anywhere. 

The app has four categories: strength, cardiovascular, full body, and cross training. Within each category, there are workouts at the beginner, intermediate, and expert level. Once you select a workout, you can challenge yourself, a friend, nearby, or worldwide. You can also create a workout, which might be the coolest part of this app. In this part of the app you can select pre-existing exercises based on the body part and, for those exercises, there are pictures and video tutorials. Taking it a step further, you can create custom exercises and upload your own pictures and video tutorials. Other features of this app are the feed section, where you can see the pictures and workout summaries (similar to Instagram) of your workout partners, the workout tracker calendar, and rankings (couch potato, gym rat, athlete, and rookie to name a few).

What I didn't like about the app was that I didn't know how to use it at first in terms of finding workout partners and challenging them. That was honestly the only complaint I had about the app and, once I played around with the app some more and actually paid attention to the video tutorial all was good. I love the motivation and the way you can create your own workout. One of the biggest challenges of working out and sticking to that lifestyle is motivation and accountability and this app is looking to address those shortfalls by connecting you to others, allowing you to challenge yourself, awarding points for workouts, and giving you positive messages after each submitted workout.

I still have more toying around to do with the app as my review for it came at the peak of my marathon training and my brain was only registering running. The Fitness Games app has varying versions and you can buy workouts for $0.99.

This post was sponsored by The Fitness Games through my partnership with Fit Approach as a Sweat Pink Ambassador. I was not compensated monetarily, but was provided the Platinum Version of the application for review. As always, all opinions are my own.

For more on my approach to fitness follow me on Facebook and Instagram @thecookierunner 

Chicago Eats: August Edition

When I first started this blog, I did so because I wanted to keep track of all the new places we ate at in Boston. Then, I started baking and stopped keeping track of where we ate. Then, I had kids and started running so the baking and eating out when down. Now that we are in Chicago and in full exploration mode, I'm going back to the roots of this blog: talking about the places I've eaten in the new city. Funny enough, my girls have gotten to the point that they know they have to wait to eat until I've taken a picture of their food. I am, however, not going to write full blown reviews of places. Instead, I'm just going to highlight the best things I've eaten in the month. With that said, here are my August favorites:

Cheesie's

Lunchtime in Lincoln Park. Cranky, hungry kids. I walked into the first place I could find that had no wait and that place was Cheesie's. I knew it was going to be a winner because everyone in the family loves grilled cheese. What I didn't know was how cheesy the sandwiches were going to be. I ordered "The Melt," a grilled cheese sandwich with chicken, bacon, Thousand Island dressing, American cheese and Chihuaha cheese. All this on Texas toast. This was so good, but oh so bad. It was delicious, but it felt like the ultimate cheat meal for me. (Cheesie's is located at 958 West Belmont Ave.)

Hoosier Mama Pie Company

A friend recommend Hoosier Mama Pie Company and told me it was the best pie on the planet. Curious, I went on a trip with the girls and we ordered their apple pie and chocolate chess pie. The pies were delicious! I loved the apple pie and the girls tore up the chocolate pie. The apple pie had apple chunks in it and the crust was so buttery. The chocolate chess pie was creamy and had a cookie-like crust. After eating these two slices and leaving, I felt guilty for not grabbing a pie to go. I have been plotting a return trip ever since I swallowed the last bit of apple pie. (Hoosier Mama Pie Company is located at 1618 1/2 Chicago Avenue).

The Pub at Mayne Stage

The Pub at Mayne Stage is another place we just happened to dine at after an afternoon of walking around a local art show. They were still on the brunch menu and I indulged just a little and ordered their Steak and Eggs. This dish came with skirt steak, onion strings, black beans, potatoes, and two eggs. Everything about this dish was amazing. The beans surprised me a bit because I have never seen beans served with steak and eggs but I was pleasantly surprised. The steak was tender and almost made me wish I eat steak more often. I think, however, that my favorite part of this restaurant was the $2 mimosas. (The Pub at Mayne Stage is located at 1330 West Morse Ave).

Mekato's Colombian Bakery

Mekato's is a bakery that a colleague recommended to Alex. Being Colombian myself and having a deep love for Colombian food, I was anxious to get out to this bakery. We went on a Sunday (free parking) and basically ordered everything they sold. What you see in the picture below are traditional Colombian foods like empanadas (turnovers), arepa de choclo con queso (corn cake topped with cheese), papa rellena ("stuffed potatoe" or fried pastry filled with meat and potatoes), and bunuelos (fried cheese balls). I was basically in love after the first bite. We cleared the table! This is another place that I can't wait to go back to so I can pig out again. (Mekato's is located at 5423 N. Lincoln Avenue).

It's the beginning of the month and I'm already eager to get out and eat. I have a list of restaurants I want to try but I love the ability to go out with no plan and just stumble on something new. If you have any recommendations please let me know!

For more on my move to Chicago and my food-finding adventures, follow me on Facebook and Instagram @thecookierunner 

A Rose So Sweet Headband Review

I remember how clueless I was when I started running. I actually wore a drawstring bag that carried my keys, phone, and a large water bottle and I would later wonder why my back hurt so much. I've come a long way in the two years that I've been running and, while there is still a lot to learn, I'm happy that what started as a way to do cardio has turned into a life-altering passion. I went from having a few running items to a closet full of them (I currently have five pairs of shoes in rotation) and, as my love for running grew, so did my love for running accessories. 

One of the accessories I love the most are headbands, especially with my hair that does this crazy sunflower thing when I get really sweaty. Headbands help tame the mane and help me feel really feminine, so I was pretty excited when Liz from A Rose So Sweet asked for bloggers to review her headbands. Liz sent me her pink and gold chevron and I immediately tried it on and was impressed with how tight the headband felt. I have a shoebox full of headbands and none of them felt as tight as this one.

The headbands are all lined with velvet and are adjustable. I was still skeptical because I have lost two velvet-lined headbands in the past and have gotten used to wearing headbands with a clip to make sure they stay on my runs, but I was hopeful as I took this headband out for a 7-mile run.

 

I was pleasantly surprised when it stayed on the whole time and did not need any adjusting during my run. Still skeptical, I wore the headband for all my exercising the week I got it and the headband survived some intense yoga workouts, daily runs, and one extremely long 17.50-mile run.

 

To say that I am impressed is an understatement. This is the first headband I've ever worn that I don't have to worry about fixing or adjusting. The key for me was its ability to make it through my long run at my goal pace as I'm already thinking about what I want to wear for the Chicago Marathon. One of the last things I want to think or worry about on that run is whether or not my headband is going to stay put. This may seem silly, but I can still remember the races where I lost my headbands and how distracting that was for me (the headbands were not cheap!). 

A Rose So Sweet headbands are reasonable with the most expensive of headbands costing $9.50. The designs are pretty spectacular as well and I would quite literally love to own them all.

For more on A Rose So Sweet headbands, you can check out Liz's Etsy shop and her Instagram page @arosesosweetdesigns. Because Liz is so nice and I recommend her headbands, you can use COOKIERUNNER15 in her shop for 15% off through September 20th.

A Rose So Sweet provided me with a headband in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own.

For more on my running and training for the Chicago Marathon follow me on Facebook and Instagram @thecookierunner to find out!

Book Review: Jen Besel's Custom Confections

I was sent a copy of Jen Besel's book, Custom Confections: Delicious Desserts You Can Create and Enjoy, to review and, as usual, I am thankful for any reason to bake. Part of what really had me excited about the book was that it claimed to have recipes that were easy enough for kids. Now that my girls are older, especially Cati at almost 4.5 years old, they are very interested in everything that I do in the kitchen and are constantly asking to help add and mix ingredients. As soon as Cati saw the book she grabbed it, sat down, and started leafing through the pages. Right off the bat, the book's cover is eye-catching and I can't blame Cati for being immediately drawn to it.

The meaning behind the name, Custom Confections comes from Besel's view that everyone can make custom desserts. With this view, Besel has developed recipes with easy-to-find ingredients, short prep time, and shortcuts to creating showstopping desserts. The book is divided into five sections and includes recipes for everything from cakes to cookies to bars to popsicles to frosting. Like a good cookbook (or at least my favorite ones), there s a conversion chart and a list of tools that not only are useful for a fully stocked kitchen, but also for making the recipes in Custom Confections.

Aesthetically, the book is gorgeous to look at with pictures for every single recipe and fun colors and fonts. For the majority of the recipes you can lay the book flat on the counter and have the picture on one side and the recipe on the other. For someone who has baked as much as I have, it's always been a bit of a pet peeve when recipes are pages long and I have to flip back and forth to check the ingredient list and see where it matches up with the directions. Besel gives a one-sentence intro/commentary to every dessert, making you want to try every single dessert.

The only issue I had with the book was that the serving amount wasn't identified or clear. This is an issue for me because I usually cut recipes down so we don't have too many sweets in the house at a given time.

As part of my review I picked five recipes from the book. Recipes were chosen based on what I thought the family would like, tools I had, ease of making, and involvement of kids. The five recipes were Molten Caramel Cake, PB & J Cheesecake Brownies, Stained Glass Cookies, Stuffed Strawberries, and Ooey, Gooey Turtle Cake.

Molten Caramel Cake

Eight ingredients, 10 steps, and about 20-25 minutes from prep to table. Cati was able to help with unwrapping the caramel candies, adding them to the batter, and sprinkling with sea salt. This recipe was, by far, the favorite for everyone in the family. I baked for 12 minutes, but my cakes (4) could have used an extra minute or two in the oven. The leftover cake was put in the fridge and reheated the next day and tasted just as good as it did fresh out of the oven. This dessert is perfect for the chocolate lover and I loved that sea salt was added as caramel-sea salt is one of my favorite combinations. I've made molten cakes before and, while they are one of my favorite desserts, I rarely make them because the recipes I have tried before have been too involved. This recipe solves that problem for me and now molten cakes will be a dessert that I make more frequently.

PB & J Cheesecake Brownies

Nine ingredients, eight steps, and at least 40 minutes from prep to table. Instead of making an 8x8 pan of brownies, I made 12 brownie cups, quartered the cream cheese recipe, and added PB & J to half of the cups so that I could get a good taste of the finished cheesecake (plus, I'm not a fan of peanut butter in desserts). I also added a chocolate drizzle to the cups to make them look even prettier. The cups baked for 25 minutes and neither of the girls helped with the prep work for this dessert. The finished dessert was a hit and it was hard to get the girls to only have one for dessert. The brownie portion is made from a mix, but the cheesecake is made from scratch and, when baked, the cheesecake was smooth and didn't crack when cooled! The only thing I would change about this recipe is heating up the jam before putting it in the cheesecake mixture so that it mixes easier.

 

Stained Glass Cookies

Four ingredients, eight steps, and about 25 minutes from prep to table. This recipe was probably the funnest one for the girls as they got to unwrap the candies, help break them up into small pieces, place them in the hole of the cookie, and decorate their own cookies. They even sat in front of the oven, looking in to watch the candy melt. Once the cookies were out of the oven I was surprised by how hard the candies were! For some reason, I thought the candies would melt and become more pliable, but once cooled, the melted candy became hard again. My mistake with this recipe was thinking I had cookie cutters when I went to buy the ingredients and not actually checking to see if I did so my cookies did not end up with the wide opening I would have wanted. 

Stuffed Strawberries

Five ingredients, eight steps, and about 20 minutes from prep to table. I made half the filling recipe and had enough filling to "stuff" a dozen small- and medium-sized strawberries. The girls helped with this recipe by eating the cut-off tips. The finished product was so beautiful that it was almost a shame to eat. But eat them we did, and I am so happy we did because the strawberries were delicious and I fell in love with the tart-tangy-sweet combination. We ate all the stuffed strawberries in one sitting so I would call this recipe a complete success.

 

Ooey, Gooey Turtle Cake 

Five ingredients, nine steps, 10 minutes prep, and a torturous four hours to table. I made half the recipe and refrigerated the cake to expedite the process. The girls helped with unwrapping the caramel candies and sprinkling the cake with the pecans. I will warn you now, this dessert is completely addictive and incredibly dangerous. This was the simplest of the recipes I tried and, along with the Stuffed Strawberries, one of the recipes that I think best exemplifies Besel's efforts at creating easy-to-make custom desserts.

Custom Confections: Delicious Desserts You Can Create and Enjoy by Jen Besel will be available for purchase September 1st, 2014 for $12.95 USD ($14.95 CAD).

A copy of this book was provided to me by IWPR and the publisher, Capstone Young Readers, free of charge. The views and opinions in this review, however, are my own.

For more on my baking adventures follow me on Facebook and Instagram @thecookierunner.