Cookbooks for the Post-Thanksgiving Funk

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cookbooks, family, Thanksgiving, What's for dinner

I’m in a Post-Thanksgiving funk. Our holiday was wonderful – complete with family, food, road trip, soccer, sunny weather and hot tub soaking. Once we returned home I unpacked, washed and folded eight loads of laundry, restocked the pantry at the grocery store and about the only thing I have left to do is wash the car. It’s a mess after the snowy Colorado passes we drove over.

I was feeling pretty organized, until I remembered that everyone would want to eat dinner again today. Dinner. Again.

We gorged ourselves for every meal over the long weekend and they still want to eat.

Which means I have to cook.

Ugh.

If you’re in the same situation, here are several go-to cookbooks that solve my problems. Quick, easy, healthy; those are my cookbook requirements and I think you’ll enjoy these savory solutions. These make great gifts as well!

 

 

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All books by BQB and WriteLife Publishing are available on Amazon, B&N or can be ordered from your favorite local bookstore.

Thankful for Thanksgiving Food and Books

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books, cookbooks, food, Recipes, Thanksgiving

After my first morning shoveling, the snow is still dripping off my feet as I sit down to type this blog. Here in Colorado, winter started this week with dancing white stuff and evil temperatures that have that little dash in front of them. But, with winter, comes my favorite holiday: Thanksgiving!

I think I love Thanksgiving so much because it is all about food. There is no pressure to decorate or shop for the perfect gift. It is merely about gathering as many friends, family and neighbors as possible and breaking bread together with a thankful spirit. Whether you serve turkey, ham, lasagna or salmon, the best recipes always appear on Thanksgiving. Some are family traditions and some are new adventures with uncertain outcomes.

Recently I read Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. It is the story of two families tied together by the invisible braid of international adoption. Her characters are strong, flawed and compassionate, each suffering from misunderstandings, but not always knowing how to fix them. The descriptions of India’s traditional meals in Secret Daughter are absolutely mouthwatering and provide a common thread about which women bond – time spent in the kitchen together, no matter the country. Through her stories of food, spices, meal preparation, suffering and achievement the families’ parallel stories unfold in beautiful ripples. Mothers, daughters, grandmothers, sisters and even cousins who grow up a continent apart are connected by obligation, forgiveness, curiosity and meals together.

Food, how we prepare, serve it and even what we have access to in our local areas is just one part of each of our cultures. So many family traditions revolve around meal times and holidays that are celebrated with food.

So, if you also love food and all the customs it encompasses, BQB and WriteLife Publishing has two books that I think you’ll love:

The Spices of My Life: A Culinary Collection of Recipes, Memories, and More by Tiffany Moen

Come along with me and cruise through these recipes, memories, and more. I think you’ll discover what my family and friends have enjoyed for years: delicious food, happy palates, and the wish that you had enough for leftovers!

 

Wellness 100: 100 Carbs/100 Recipes by Amber French, DO, and Kari Morris

Just thinking about dieting or eating right can feel overwhelming and heavy for most of us, but Dr. Amber French and chef Kari Morris show us that it doesn’t have to be. Wellness 100 presents a realistic and optimistic option with simple guidelines and healthy, easy, and delicious recipes that are respectful of busy lifestyles.

Do you have a favorite Cookbook or Thanksgiving recipe you would like to share? And I know you’ll also love this blog post by future BQB Author, Gary Jones about his cooking adventures after his wife’s surgery. His book, Doc’s Codicil, will be published in October 2015. Stay tuned!