I know just about everyone has their own favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies. There are a million versions out there, right? So, when I saw the chocolate chip cookie recipe in Joanna Gaines's Magnolia Table cookbook, I have to admit I passed it by, assuming it wouldn't be anything new or special and focused on her other recipes that were new to me. But then my friend Missy mentioned that another friend had brought her some amazing chocolate chip cookies after a surgery, and they were the very best she'd ever tasted! So, she asked her friend for the recipe and her friend told her they came from this very cookbook! When Missy shared this with me, I knew I needed to revisit the recipe ... Read more
Cook by the Book: Vichyssoise
Hello! I know my purpose with these "Cook by the Book" posts is to try new recipes from my cookbooks but today I'm sharing an old recipe from a cookbook we've had many years. I served this back at our Winter Wonderland Tea as a warm start to our meal. It's a soup recipe pronounced /vi~shee~swaaz/ but sounds way more complicated and fancy-schmancy than it really is. Not convinced? Ok, here's my secret. This recipe comes from a children's cookbook! When our girls were little, we took them to see the Ratatouille movie and we all enjoyed it so much we purchased the Ratatouille What's Cooking? cookbook, and this was one of our favorite recipes. So, if a kid can make it, anyone can make it no ... Read more
Cook by the Book: Three-Cheese (& Ham) Quiche
(Friends, I was not able to finish the adoption post planned for today because we were busy celebrating a birthday yesterday! So, instead I’m plugging in a recipe post that was ready and waiting and I will be back Thursday with the adoption post.) Last year I set out to use my cookbooks more often and to give my reviews here on the blog, and I have a few new ones to share this week! Today's recipe is a Three-Cheese Quiche from Joanna Gaines's Magnolia Table. My daughter and I served this at our Winter Wonderland Tea. I made the crust, and she made the filling. It was our first time making it, but fortunately, it was a hit! Three-Cheese Quiche 6 large eggs 1 cup heavy cream ... Read more
Cook by the Book: Chuckwagon Beans
My daughter's 18th birthday was this week and for her birthday meal she requested BBQ pulled pork with baked beans and hashbrown casserole. This girl loves baked beans and has eaten them since she was a baby! I don't always use a recipe, but usually just throw together all the typical ingredients without measuring to make a sweet, sticky dish of beans. However, this week I wanted to try a less sweet but beefier recipe and decided to make Chuckwagon Beans from Dining with the Pioneers, Vol.1, a cookbook given to me for a wedding gift over 26 years ago! I was working at the sweetest baby and children's boutique through college and when I got married called The Name Dropper. There were ... Read more
Cook by the Book: Emerald Broccoli
Hello, I have a new cookbook recipe to share today! I think I mostly share main dishes or desserts on my blog and I'm not sure why---maybe I don't experiment enough with side dishes and that needs to change. So, here's a quick and easy side dish I tried this week. It's called Emerald Broccoli from The Daniel Plan Cookbook. Several years ago, my husband and I participated in the Daniel fast and so naturally I bought a cookbook for some meal inspiration--any excuse to buy a new cookbook, ha! And wow, it's full of delicious recipes! It's almost a shame to feature a side dish from this cookbook because this book offers some amazing main dishes! But this was a pretty tasty broccoli and it's ... Read more
Cook by the Book: Between Seasons Luncheon
Welcome back! In my last post I began to share a little about a luncheon my daughter and I prepared for my mom and my mother-in-law for Grandparents Day. Today I'd like to share the recipes. And since we're between seasons right now I selected recipes that would blend summer and fall! Also, as I've mentioned before, I'm challenging myself to use my cookbooks more, so I planned my entire menu from cookbook recipes. It was true lady food! Between Seasons Menu Rosy Raspberry Soup Chicken Salad Croissants, Broccoli Salad, and Cheese Straws Apple Raspberry Iced Tea Hummingbird Cake & Coffee The first cookbook I want to feature is actually not even a true cookbook but a ... Read more
Cook by the Book: Magnolia Table’s Chicken & Fettuccine Alfredo
Hello, friends! I'm back with another new recipe from a cookbook! This is my challenge to myself to pull those cookbooks off the shelf and refer to them when I'm needing a recipe rather than just automatically googling what I'm looking for. Not that there's anything wrong with using the internet or Pinterest! But I tire of looking at screens and I have a nice collection of cookbooks which I've either picked up at different vacation spots or received as gifts from family or friends. One of those gifts has been Joanna Gaines's Magnolia Table! My younger girly gave me this lovely cookbook last year and it is wonderfully homey and sort of farmish! One week during our summer break I told my ... Read more
Cook by the Book: Mahogany Chicken
Labor Day is coming up this weekend so for my "Cook by the Book" challenge this week I decided to feature none other than something off the grill: Mahogany Chicken from Williams-Sonoma's Essentials of Grilling! This is a cookbook the kids and I gave my husband for Father's Day one year. He has used it many times, but I have not so I decided to flip through and get some inspiration for a good grilled chicken dish! Really, they had me at the word "mahogany" based on the idea of the color alone. The thought of a mahogany glaze made my mouth water, just imagining the tasty components that might go into it to produce a rich reddish-brown sauce! I skimmed through the ingredient list and had all ... Read more