Hello! My name is Phyllis, and I'm a cookbook addict! ;-)
I love to cook, so it's natural that I'd love cookbooks. When I oversaw monthly women's ministry dinners at my church [1997-2002], my cookbook collection grew significantly. The dinners [called "Holiday Celebration Dinners"] focused on holidays that occurred each month, so most of the cookbooks I acquired provided holiday recipes, and inspirational ideas for family celebrations. Leisure Arts, Taste of Home, Southern Living, Gooseberry Patch, and fabulous tried and true cookbooks compiled by churches and other organizations make up the majority of my collection.
I love to cook, so it's natural that I'd love cookbooks. When I oversaw monthly women's ministry dinners at my church [1997-2002], my cookbook collection grew significantly. The dinners [called "Holiday Celebration Dinners"] focused on holidays that occurred each month, so most of the cookbooks I acquired provided holiday recipes, and inspirational ideas for family celebrations. Leisure Arts, Taste of Home, Southern Living, Gooseberry Patch, and fabulous tried and true cookbooks compiled by churches and other organizations make up the majority of my collection.
My hubby's hobby is wood working. Realizing the need for a place to keep all my cookbooks, he built the three sectioned, floor-to-ceiling bookcase pictured below. Originally it was in our family room, but was later moved to a spare bedroom.
For Christmas I received four Barnes & Noble gift cards, totaling $175. I purchased a few Downton Abbey books [which will be an upcoming post], and I used the last gift card on Monday with the intent of hunkering down with my books until these frigid temperatures are over.
Yesterday I barely left my office reading cookbooks, watching the Food Network Channel and drinking hot tea. [Grateful to my hubby for my own TV that I don't have to share. ;-)]
Yesterday I barely left my office reading cookbooks, watching the Food Network Channel and drinking hot tea. [Grateful to my hubby for my own TV that I don't have to share. ;-)]
The Barnes & Noble book I got on Monday is by Food Network's Ree Drummond. I love her show, The Pioneer Woman. Even though I no longer coordinate Holiday Celebration Dinners at church, I can't pass up a book dedicated to holidays. The book is $29.99 and worth every penny! The chapter on Mother's Day has recipes for Perfect Cream Scones, Lemon-Rosemary Scones, and Maple-Bacon Scones. Father's Day has a recipe for Arnold Palmers [lemonade and tea]. That's just a small sampling of the recipes the book contains.
I've stopped buying cookbooks at the pace I once did. My bookshelves are full, and recipes are readily available on the Internet, but there are some I still can't resist. Remember my recent post about the Miss America tea luncheon? Three of the delicious recipes served at the luncheon were in one cookbook, and since it was inexpensive [$7.99], I ordered a copy from Amazon. It arrived last week. It's a great addition to my holiday cookbooks.
The book is chock full of fabulous recipes, and I'm happy to have recipes for dishes I've tasted firsthand - Orange Glazed Carrots, Braised Red Cabbage, and Potatoes Dauphinoise.
Keep warm everyone. Only 50 more days til spring!
Wow, that is a lot of books Phyllis and it was good of your hubby to build the huge bookcase. The big question is, are you trying new recipes from your books? I have a few good books and love to browse but make the same old thing for dinners.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby bought me my own TV for my office too, a necessity really when he's into the sports.
Judith
Phyllis, I love cookbooks too and tea party type books as well. Your shelf is wonderful but since I turned my book armoire into a pink open hutch - the cookbooks have been routed to the basement. How nice to have your own office too! The plate above looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteWell....oooops. I forgot to say I went to Barnes yesterday too and got the season 4 Downton and just couldn't help but get 2 more cookbooks!
ReplyDeleteThat is quite a collection! A delicious addiction, I would say. Your two most recent acquisitions look like worthy additions. And a day with cookbooks, hot tea, and Food Network sounds delightful.
ReplyDeleteIt's always such fun to add a new cookbook to the collection, isn't it!
ReplyDeleteThat may be the largest personal collection of cookbooks I've seen! But I know you've put them to good use.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I read about holiday celebrations, I thought, "Oh, I wonder if she has the Pioneer Woman's new cookbook?" A friend gave me that book for Christmas, and I too just absolutely love it! Soon I'll be trying those Maple and Bacon Scones! (Oh, and your book cases are amazing!)
ReplyDelete