Cookbook By: Mandi Hickman “Tex-Mex cuisine is vibrant, flavorful and fresh. It’s comfort food that’s made with love. It’s simple but it makes people happy. You truly cannot be in a bad mood when you are presented with a margarita on the rocks, a taco platter and guacamole. It’s impossible!”, Mandi Hickman author of The Tex-Mex Table: 60 Knockout Recipes from the Lone Star State.  Mexican and tex-mex are two very popular cookbook topics, and it can be tough to figure out which ones to try. When I found The Tex-Mex Table: 60 Knockout Recipes from the Lone Star State I was drawn to it as the recipes seemed different from the typical tex-mex…

Cookbook By: Kristen Tomlan “I’m happy to tell you the time has come to meet a whole new side of cookie dough. To go from “No,no” to “HELLO!!!!” Kristen Tomlan, author of Hello, Cookie Dough: 110 Doughlicious Confections to Eat, Bake & Share.  To say that I love cookies and cookie dough might be one of the biggest understatements in the world! I know that you are not supposed to eat raw cookie dough, but I have been doing it for so long that it’s hard to stop. Most people aren’t aware that the flour is what makes the cookie dough dangerous to eat. Hello, Cookie Dough: 110 Doughlicious Confections to Eat, Bake…

“I think you’ll come away from this book with a bunch of new family favorites, and I hope you’ll come away from this book with a bunch of new family favorites, and I hope you’ll be inspired to get in the kitchen more, to get out of the kitchen more quickly (ha!), and to breathe in and enjoy life,” Ree Drummond from The Pioneer Woman Cooks Dinner’s Ready!. The Pioneer Woman cookbooks are some of my favorite and most used cookbooks. I was super excited to see The Pioneer Woman Cooks Dinner’s Ready! This cookbook follows the same format by having the recipe broken down into steps, each with its own picture. All…

“The cookies are shared with loved ones, and the Advent calendar reveals something new each night leading up to the holiday,” Barbara Grunes & Viriginia Van Vynckt authors of Cookie Advent Cookbook. Growing up we never really had fancy Advent calendars, but they are something that I have come to love as an adult. I have had the kindle version of The Cookie Advent Cookbook for a few months now but just recently saw it in the hardcopy and immediately bought it. All of the doors open on the front cover to reveal the cookie of the day. You and your family will love the fun this cookbook provides. The Cookie Advent Cookbook…

“Food is a universal language that bypasses tension or silence. It bridges the chasm of differences,” Ellen C Lee from Food That Anchors. I was gifted this cookbook and am so glad that I have it in my collection now. The introduction by Ellen is one of the most honest introductions I think I have ever read in any book. She discussed her challenging upbringing and how even in the difficult times they always sat down to dinner and in a way that anchored her family. We all experienced different childhoods each with their own problems – some more traumatic than others. I think her introduction shows how one small action such as…

“The chapters in this cookbook are based on the spectacular, dinosaur-filled “zones” in the park, each of which showcases a different kind of dinosaur and the cuisine they’ve inspired,” Dayton Ward. I’ve been a fan of the Jurassic World and Jurassic Park movies for years – and i’ve seen them all. When I saw they were releasing Jurassic World: The Official Cookbook I couldn’t wait to try the recipes and bring a little taste of the park into my own home. The recipes are easy to follow and provide delicious results. I love how the cookbook has information about all of the different dinosaurs throughout it. It’s almost like a guidebook to the…

“This is the real magic of baking. It gives you a feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment unlike anything else I’ve found. I may have an endless to-do list, but if I can sit down with my family on Sunday and share a dessert that makes them groan with pleasure or drop off a batch of cookies to someone having a hard time, I can go to bed knowing it was a good day,” Dan Langan. Bake Your Heart Out was gifted to me by the publisher and from the moment I opened the package I was hooked. I couldn’t wait to sit down and read the whole cookbook. It is filled with recipes…

“The Princess Bride is that perfect recipe of humor, drama, adventure, and romance, which is why it lends itself so well to themed food recipes. Cooking along while reciting your favorite quotes or reenacting memorable scenes is what makes the experience of creating film-related dishes so enjoyable,” Jenn Fujikawa. I was eight when The Princess Bride came out – I don’t remember how old I was the first time I watched it, but I would guess I was a teen. It is such an iconic movie and growing up with older siblings I tended to see movies earlier than my friends. Even today The Princess Bride is in my top 10 favorite movies…

“Lots of folks don’t have any idea how fantastic and crazy the food is here in the Midwest – salads made of dessert. Hot dish for any time of the day and every occasion. Bar recipes that get passed around to every lady at the church for generations,” Amanda Rettke, author of Homestead Recipes. I have been following Amanda on instagram (@iambaker) for a while and I love her content and her characters. If you haven’t seen Shirley, you should definitely check her out. One of the things that appealed to me most about her cookbook Homestead Recipes is that the recipes are down to earth and not crazy fancy. Yes, there are…

“Whether you’re a kitchen novice or a seasoned home cook, you’ll find recipes here that were made with you in mind,” Alison Walsh. I was so excited to see A Literary Picnic: 5 Menus of Outdoor-Friendly Recipes Inspired by Classic Literature by Alison Walsh as I had previously reviewed her A Literary Holiday Cookbook (see my review here) and loved it. As an avid reader myself I always find myself wondering about the food they are eating in the stories, and it doesn’t matter what genre the book is from. We all remember Mr. Collins and his boiled potatoes comment from Pride and Prejudice. A Literary Picnic: 5 Menus of Outdoor-Friendly Recipes Inspired…