new year, new cookbooks
THE NEW YEAR sparks the craziest nesting instinct in me. I’m like a third trimester pregnant woman with an incurable NEED to go through every drawer and cabinet, purging stuff we don’t use and stocking up on [maybe hoarding] stuff we actually do. Do you feel it, too? I want to do the whole house top to bottom, but the urge is for sure centered most fiercely on the kitchen. I guess it’s probs a sort of primal exercise that prepares me for the next 365 days of cooking for my family + friends. And I really love the process. I do stuff like…
+ Go through the condiments in the fridge and toss whatever is past its prime
+ Deep clean the fridge and freezer. I was actually bleeding today from some unknown altercation with my freezer drawer.
+ Replace the packets in the Bluapples
+ Check the water filter
+ Wipe down the insides of cabinets and drawers, donating anything inside them that doesn’t ‘spark joy’
+ Replace dish and bottle brushes
+ Replace the filter on the Bamboozle Bamboo Composter on my kitchen counter
AND AS part of this process, each January I treat myself to a few new cookbooks for inspiration. I like to think of it as a little ‘kitchen self-care’ ritual since I probs spend about 70% of my waking hours either cooking, thinking about cooking or shopping for cooking [even as I type, I’m also prepping this gorgeous looking soup]. I love thumbing through the pages of an actual book, drooling over the stunning food photography. Cookbooks kind of combine a bunch of my passions in one perfect little package and I really love them.
NOW, IF I’ve just made it sound like my house has its own Michelin star, let me backtrack a bit and put that idea right to bed. I am not a really fantastic chef. I AM super passionate about food and cooking and health and entertaining, but a part of the reason I need so much ‘inspiration’ is also to steel myself a bit for a year of cooking for both my own squeaky digestive system and a son with a not-so-fun combination of food intolerances and super duper ‘particular’ eating. His ‘happy’ foods don’t align well with his ‘healthy’ foods and I’m not gonna lie, preparing dinner for our family is often either an exercise in crowd-pleasing monotony or a little circus that involves making 3 different versions of whatever meal I’ve planned. So, I’m fortifying myself with ALL the tools to keep my head and HEART in the game. Preparing healthy food for my family and sitting down to dinner together is a passion and vitally important to me, so whatever it takes, I’m all in [side note, we’ve been loving this and this for conversation prompts at dinner. I’m def ordering more].
SO TODAY I’m sharing my new cookbook HAUL and a stack of some old favorites in case you’re also in need of some inspired ‘kitchen self care.’ And PLEASE please share your favorites, too. Throw your old standbys or new favorites in the comments, lovelies, so everyone can benefit from our awesome collective wisdom. Also check out my Pinterest boards where I save TONS of recipes throughout the year. If you love to cook and bake with your littles, check out my post on Baking Stuff for Kids + Teens. AND the Gift Guide for Foodies + Home Chefs and the Gift Guide for Bakers have even more beautiful inspiration for your kitchen [#giftalittlehappiness to yourself]. One night’s dinner is now down, just 364 to go. GIFT A LITTLE HAPPINESS. xo
My 2024 Cookbooks + Wishlist
My 2023 Cookbooks + Wishlist
My 2022 cookbook haul
some of my favorite cookbooks
Cookbooks My Aunt Laurie Loves
MY AUNT Laurie is a passionate and excellent home cook. I asked her for some cookbook suggestions for ‘normal’ people who are cooking on a weeknight and these are some of her very favorites. She loves Ina, too.
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