• A photo of a stack of books with three unopened and two opened. In front are gold Christmas decorations with ornaments, stars and lights.
    Holidays

    Cookbook Gift Guide 2021

    Do you struggle to find the perfect gifts for your family and friends? A long time ago I realized some of my favorite gifts to give and receive were books. Over the years I have given many books to my family and friends and they are always well loved.    Cookbooks are a great gift to give to anyone on your list. No matter the persons cooking ability you can always find a cookbook to match. Don’t forget you can also make a gift package by including some kitchen tools and accessories with the cookbook.  Best Cookbooks For Food Network Lovers The Pioneer Woman Cooks Super Easy! by Ree Drummond The Pioneer Woman…

  • Picture of Advent Calendar
    Holidays

    9 Food & Drink Advent Calendars

    Advent calendars are a fun way to ring in the Christmas season. They used to be just homemade but now you can find almost anything in an Advent calendar. Food Advent calendars are my favorite. I love all the ones below and can’t to get one for myself! 1. Harry Potter Advent Calendar Give your favorite witch or wizard this Advent calendar with 24 treats including the every flavor beans!  SOLD OUT 2. Whirley Pop 6-Qt. Popcorn Popper & Advent Calendar I love that you get the popcorn popper with this Advent calendar. The calendar itself includes popcorn, seasonings, sweets and more. SOLD OUT SOLD OUT 3. Godiva Chocolate Advent Calendar Godiva chocolate…

  • Photo of Gingerdead Twins on Black Placemat
    Cookbook Reviews

    The Wicked Baker: Cakes and Treats to Die For

    “Most of the baking projects in this book have a spooky decorative touch, but not all. There are recipes for all skill levels, from simple cookies to an elaborate four-layer haunted tree cake,” Helena Garcia. Before the fire one of my friends gifted me The Wicked Baker: Cakes and Treats to Die For and I was really bummed it got destroyed. I knew I had to purchase it again and make some of these fun desserts. The recipes in the book are well written and I love seeing all of the photos of the finished desserts.

  • Ghost Cookies on a skeleton platter with candy corn
    Cookbook Reviews

    The Easy Halloween Cookbook 2021

    “Easy, delicious, horrifying and spooky, desserts, cookies, candy, drinks, appetizers, breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes for kids and adults,” Lenora Sawyer. I am a sucker for fun Halloween treats. Sometimes the recipes are super complicated and take way too much time. Luckily, I stumbled upon The Easy Halloween Cookbook 2021 which has recipes that are super quick and easy. Your kids could help with most of the recipes and although they may make a mess they will definitely have fun. Plus the recipes are really delicious and not ones I had seen before. Making Halloween treats should be something fun and not so draining that you dread the holiday. The recipes in The…

  • Photo of Halloween cookies
    Holidays

    9 Fun Halloween Treats

    I can’t believe it’s already October, Halloween will be here before we even blink.  I have always enjoyed Halloween and especially love a good spooky treat. Easy Halloween treats are my favorite to make. Below are nine fun treats that I found online.  These treats are sure to please those of all ages, plus they are all fairly quick and simple to make.  Photo by Betty Crocker 1. Pumpkin Emoji Cupcakes from Betty Crocker. I love a chocolate fudge cake and these would be so fun to make.  Photo by Country Living/Brian Woodcock 2. Marshmallow Ghost Brownies from Country Living. Brownies are always a great hit at a small or large party. I…

  • Bourdain The Definitive Oral Biography cover
    Book & Movie Reviews

    Bourdain The Definitive Oral Biography

    “And I now feel compelled to add that I’d gladly trade this life of being a ‘real writer’ to resume the privileged burden of making his hotel reservations and scheduling his dishwasher maintenance, if it meant that Tony could still be here among us. Barring that, I’ll settle for having helped the people he loved tell the following version of his story,” Laurie Woolever. I have always been a fan of Anthony Bourdain and was saddened by his tragic death. He was a window to parts of the world that so few of us have had the opportunity to experience. When I saw the press about Bourdain The Definitive Oral Biography, I knew…

  • Photo of Bake From Scratch Magazine on a quilted background on a purple background
    Cookbook Recommendations

    My Favorite Baking Magazine

    Magazines aren’t as common as they used to be, but I still love them. Over the years I have found recipes and tips and tricks in magazines that I haven’t seen anywhere else before. My Favorite baking magazine is Bake From Scratch. I love the layout and content offered in the magazine. The recipes are inspiring and make me want to try things I would normally be scared of. One of my favorite issues was the Irish issue this past year, unfortunately, I lost all of my past issues in the fire.  Bake From Scratch offers recipes from so many different contributors you are always able to find something you will love in…

  • Photo of Lemony Pasta with Chicken and Zucchini
    Cookbook Reviews

    Flavor Pop

    “We make it our mission to find new ways to amp up the taste of meals and snacks while keeping SmartPoints surprisingly low. And it turns out there’s a hack for that: using what we call flavor boosters. These are ingredients that bring satisfying intentsity, richness, or texture – and often all three – anytime you cook with them,” WW Healthy Kitchen. The number one compliant I have with healthy meals is that a lot of the recipes lack flavor, well Flavor Pop from WW Healthy Kitchen doesn’t have that problem! They show you how to use flavor boosters to make great meals that you will enjoy eating.

  • A photo of gray wood background with wood cut out letters on top spelling "Burn Out" and in the corner a neon "Cooking" is written.
    Kitchen Tips & Tricks

    How to Handle Cooking Burnout

    Are you starting to feel cooking burnout? I know I have definitely been struggling with cooking burnout off and on over the last two years. Since the pandemic started I felt like I was cooking almost all meals. Sometimes I felt so overwhelmed planning and cooking meals that I would hit a wall. When that happened I would take a few weeks and use up our freezer meals and do some takeout. This break allows me to recharge and then coming back to cooking is more enjoyable. After the apartment fire it took me about a month to get back into cooking and the break was good for me.  Do you handle all…

  • Photo of Paris
    Travel

    Traveling to France Through Cookbooks

    I love to travel and France is my favorite destination in the world. Right now it can be hard for a lot of people to travel, so how do you enjoy those memories of your favorite places? I use my cookbooks to take me back to iconic dishes and treats of France. Learning to cook your favorite dishes from your favorite place can transport you across the world in a second in your own home. As a self proclaimed Francophile I love to have French cookbooks in my home. Currently I have four that I love: Les Marches Francais, The Little Paris Kitchen, Mastering the Art of French Cooking and French Macarons for…