I have SO many books to share with you this month...including a giveaway or two of Decorating Cookies Party (read more here)...that I am declaring September:
THE MONTH OF BOOKS!!!
Here are 7 cookbooks that have really impressed me lately, along with 4 fiction books that have had me enthralled all summer.
1. Irish Country Cooking: More that 100 Recipes for Today's Table by The Irish Countrywoman's Association
You know those fabulous Junior League cookbooks where the members share their best recipes? Well, picture that, but featuring a group of tried and true recipes from Ireland. Beef and Mushroom Pie, Blackened Salmon with Citrus Yoghurt, Coffee Mud Cake...
2. Chocolat: Seductive Recipes for Baked Goods, Desserts, Truffles, and Other Treats by Eric Lanlard
This book had me at "seductive recipes." ;) Hello, it's a cookbook about chocolate...what's not to like? Chocolate and Banana Tarte Tartin, Chocolate Waffles, Honey and Milk Chocolate Bars...
3. Eat More Dessert: More than 100 Simple-to-Make and Fun-to-Eat Baked Goods from the Baker to the Stars by Jenny Keller
Do you love a themed party? Cute desserts? Let Jenny inspire you with her recipes and darling decor. Throw a farm-themed bash, decorate cakes and cupcakes like a spring garden, set a beautiful North Pole bakery table...
4. Modern Pioneering: More than 150 Recipes, Projects, and Skills for a Self-Sufficient Life by Georgia Pellegrini
Georgia is an outdoor adventurer and chef. This books is filled with delicious recipes and fun projects that will really make you feel like a modern pioneer and all-around domestic goddess. Try making Pink Pickled Eggs, Jalapeno-Infused Vodka, or make Beeswax Candles...
5. The BTC Old-Fashioned Grocery Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from a Southern Revival by Alexe Van Beuren and Dixie Grimes
Recipes and stories in the book come from the BTC Old-Fashioned Grocery in Water Valley, Mississippi. I found myself reading this a bit like a novel, picturing the locals coming in for breakfast or meeting for lunch. I want to make every recipe in this book, including: Hotty Toddy Beer Chili, Banana Bread, and Sweet Potato Pie with Rosemary Crust...
6. Beach House Baking: an Endless Summer of Delicious Desserts by Lei Shishak
No wonder the recipes in this book look so delectable, the author is a pastry chef. If I can't be at a beach house, at least I can pretend with her recipes. Tropical Carrot Cupcakes with Ginger Frosting, Buckwheat Wafflecakes, Chocolate Pillow Pie...
7. Kitchen Workshop Pizza: Hands-on Cooking Lessons for Making Amazing Pizza at Home by Ruth Gresser
Almost as much as I love dessert, I love pizza. There's really not much better...plus, all of your food groups covered in one bite! This book is filled with tips and recipes for making the ultimate pizza at home. These are at the top of my list: Birreria Pizza Sauce (yes, made with beer), Deep Dish Pizza Dough, and the perfect Pizza Quartto Formaggi...
Here's what has been keeping me up reading late at night. (If you consider 10:30 late.):
1. The Good House by Ann Leary
I literally *just* finished this book. Loved the characters and the story in this one. From Amazon..."Hildy Good is a townie. A lifelong resident of a small community on the rocky coast of Boston’s North Shore, she knows pretty much everything about everyone. And she’s good at lots of things, too. A successful real-estate broker, mother, and grandmother, her days are full. But her nights have become lonely ever since her daughters, convinced their mother was drinking too much, sent her off to rehab. Now she’s in recovery—more or less."
2. A Dangerous Inheritance by Alison Weir
If you love historical fiction, especially royal dramas and stories, you'll love this one. From Amazon..."When her older sister, Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Days’ Queen, is executed in 1554 for unlawfully accepting the English crown, Lady Katherine Grey’s world falls apart. Barely recovered from this tragic loss she risks all for love, only to incur the wrath of her formidable cousin Queen Elizabeth I, who sees Katherine as a rival for her insecure throne."
3. Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson
One of my favorite authors and this book keeps her in that category for me. From Amazon..."Shandi Pierce is juggling finishing college, raising her delightful three-year-old genius son Nathan, aka Natty Bumppo, and keeping the peace between her eternally warring, long-divorced parents. She's got enough complications without getting caught in the middle of a stick-up and falling in love with William Ashe, who willingly steps between the robber and her son."
4. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Do you ever read one book by an author and love it so much that you obsessively read everything else he/she has written? That's how I feel about Liane Moriarty. I was so excited for this new book and I think it is my favorite of the group. Couldn't put it down. From Amazon..."Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads: Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?)."
There you have it...a kickoff to Book Month!!!
If any of these books sound intriguing to you, leave a comment telling me which one. I'll choose 3 winners and each can pick the book of their choice.
(US addresses only, please.)
Entries accepted through 11:59CST Saturday, September 6th. Good luck!
