Cookbooks!

It is February 2nd and I am well into the doldrums of winter cooking. All the holidays are past and I am dreaming of the grill , salads and the beautiful yummy vegetables that came from my garden last summer.

I know in just six short months it will be hot and sticky outside and the grill will have lost it's appeal and I will be dreaming of a cold night and a yummy stew with a fresh baked crusty bread.

As a cook I am fickle always desiring the tastes just out of reach.

When I find myself in these doldrums I reach for my trusty cookbooks to guild me to a place where my taste buds can settle and sit a spell.

American Classics is the most warn of all my books. The Editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine got together and tested some of the most beloved American recipes, every way imaginable and then collected those recipes into this amazing cookbook, everything from biscuits, to turkey and lemon meringue pie. I love this cookbook! It is filled with so much good information and advice. I think everyone should have one in their cooking library.

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My next favorite cookbook is

The Bread Baker's Apprentice. Peter Reinhart is a Master of Bread Baking and I would love to be an apprentice in his kitchen. I think this book is as close as I will ever come, but if you love baking your own bread and dream of creating the artisan breads you see in the finest of bakeries this cookbook is for you! I can smell the yeasted dough rising just thinking about this book!

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For just everyday recipes I turn to

The Joy of Cooking. This is a must have for anyone who spends time slaving in front of a stove. You can find any and all recipes in this book.

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Finally as a New Englander I recommend all of the cookbooks written by Susan Branch She is a artist, cook, host and gardener from Martha's Vineyard who has the most enjoyable cookbooks I have ever seen. This one Heart of the Home notes from a Vineyard Kitchen is one of my favorites. They are filled with yummy recipes, great advice and beautiful hand drawn pictures. If you have never seen one of these books I suggest you check one out next time you are at the book store. You won't be disappointed.

When I have exhausted my cookbook library and I need a good idea, I turn to allrecipes.com. Here I can find some wonderful recipes as well as advice from those who have tried them out.Last but not least if I can't find anything there we turn to take out.

Do you suffer from the winter doldrums in the kitchen?

What do you do? Do you have a favorite cookbook you turn to? If so leave a comment bellow.

My 5 sense!

I stole this cute picture from my friends blog!

My friend Angela who writes an Amazing Blog, you can find here http://meetthethomsons.blogspot.com/ , has challenged her readers to give five sense, things you've learned to keep your sanity in homemaking and motherhood, in hopes to win a blog header created by her.

I am not really looking for a header, although she is pretty talented!

I am however always looking for things to blog about and lately my well has been dry!

So here are my five sense worth:

1. Spirituality- Pray with your family in the morning , at dinner and before bed. It is hard to be mad at each other, hold a grudge, not think about each others hardships or not feel the spirit when you are praying together three times a day!

2. Cook for yourself- Cook things you like to eat not just what your kids and husband like. Your kids and husband will come around if you keep putting it on the table. For example I love Brussels sprouts. I am not going to stop eating them because Megan is the only other person, in my house, who likes them.

3. Let your husband help- with the laundry and kids even if he is bad at it! Husbands can't get better at laundry or kid tending if they never do it! I love it when people ask if my husband is babysitting. Husbands don't babysit they care for their children, it's their job too. ; )

4. Decorate your home with the things you love- don't worry about what others think. You live in your home it is your sanctuary. It should be a place you love to be. A place that invites the spirit, makes you feel safe and brings you peace from the outside world.

5. Learn new skills- like baking bread, sewing a quilt, try new recipes, paint a wall or all four! We can't find the things we are great at unless we are first willing to try them. My husband and I gutted and completely renovated our bathroom. We learned to make take out pizza at home. We have scraped, painted and refinished more surfaces then I care to mention. We can vegetables and fruits. We built a cupola for my husbands parents and this past Christmas we made more then half of our gifts. All these skills save us money, give us a sense of accomplishment and help us bond in ways we didn't expect.