In my never ending quest to get organized I have been organizing my cookbooks. It seems i have become somewhat a collector or if you ask my husband a hoarder. So I thought I would share just a few of my favorites and why they have made that list. I would love it if you would share your favorites too. These are in no specific order:
1. Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer
This is the one cookbook that I think everyone should own. There are not many basic recipes that you can not find in here. This is my go to book for everything from recipes to substitutions . This is probably the basic cook book I use the most.
2. The Silver Spoon Phaidon Press
This book came out a few years ago here in the US. It is the Italian equivalent to Joy of Cooking and is the # 1 selling cookbook in Italy. I love this cookbook! If you like Italian food this is you go to book. Great sauces and basics of true Italian cooking. Yum
3. Southern Cooking by Mrs. S.R. Dull
I am a yankee married to a southerner. His grandmother was straight out of Steel Magnolia's to the point when she asked where my family was from and I replied "Brooklyn" his quick acting sisters informed her Brooklyn, Tenn. It wasn't until a year before she passed away that she realized I was a yankee and she said by that time she already liked me and she couldn't take that back.So I needed some help in the southern cooking department. This book has hands down the best fried chicken recipe that I have ever tried, just skip over the part about killing and cleaning the chicken. Most of us can go pick one up at the store.
4. The Pasrty Queen by Rebecca Ratner
This is a great book and has other items than just sweets. Great Chicken pot pie and enchiladas. This bakery is in Fredricksburg and Rebecca occasionally does classes at Central Market or Sur La Table. Awesome cake recipes in here as well.
5. The Whimsical Bakehouse by Kaye & Liv Hansen
What do you get when your daughter tries to leave the family business and go to art school and then returns to the family business? This beautiful book. This mother and daughter have some of the most beautiful cakes I have seen. They are the one's who made the "mad hatter's " cakes( the leaning cakes) famous. This is a book of cookie and cake decorating. They perfected the art of painting with chocolate and this is a good how to. You need to have some decorating experience with this one. If you see this one at the store, just flip through the pages. The recipes are also very good so it is more than just pretty pictures.
6. Pie by Ken Haedrich
I am very picky with my pie's. It is my specialty and I think it is hard to find a good pie cookbook. This one is the exception to the rule. I have not tried a bad recipe in the book and the author is humerus as well. There are a lot of regional and famous pie's in this cookbook of over 300 recipes.
7. Anything by Maida Heatter- I love all of her books. These are great recipes and all of her books have so many great recipes.
8. How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson
Nigella is my idol. This was her 2nd cookbook and in my opinion her best. I have them all and use them all, but if i just had one it would be this one.
9. Favorite Recipes of Home Economic Teachers- favorite recipes press. I guess this wins the award for quirky favorite. This is a series ob books from the 50's and 60's. I have about 7 of them. My favorite are the Dessert ones. They asked Home Economics teachers from around the country their one favorite recipe. It is nostalgic and I had to look up what sweet milk was, but I have made some great recipes from these books!

I have many more favorites in many genres, but these are a few of my faves.
Tips on buying cookbooks:
*This is a great time of year to check Half Priced Books and Ebay. I love to go to HPB and just look through their cookbooks. I have on more than one occasion got books that are out of print or books I was about to buy from Amazon at HPB.
**Celeb cookbooks. I have issues with celebrity cookbooks. Some are very good Nigella, Ina Garten, Giada DeLaurentas all have great books. One only need to look at the NY Times reviews of MAtha Stewarts first cookbooks to see that where as she had name recognition she did not have a good editor and these books are awful. Also if their is a celeb that you like try to get their first cookbook. Those are usually their own recipes. By the time they make a name for themselves theyhave chef's under them coming up with recipes or hold contests for people to submit recipes to be in their cookbook. Like hey give me you recipe I'll sign a copy of my book for you that I am making millions of dollars off of. Emeril is famous for doing this .
So now what are some of you favorite cookbooks?

When did the 2nd grade become tougher then college

Let me start with the fact that I think this test that they make the 3rd grade take is ridiculous. My 2nd grader has math benchmarks this week. He came home from school last week with 4 review sheets, plus we were reminded that this test was cumulative so we needed to review the 4 review sheets from last semesters benchmarks. He is in 2nd grade not college. Last Benchmarks he did not pass. He missed passing by 1 point, but did not get any answers wrong. He did not show some of his work. So 2+2 =4 , but if you do not draw boxes with arrows it is wrong. UGH!!!!!

First week of school

As school was rapidly approaching I descided to tackle things a bit differently this year. I feel I can no longer ignore this whole organized approach thing. So let me go back to last week. I was so looking forward to my metroplex baby luncheon on Thursday. Those events do not come around enough and it really was the one truly bright spot on my calaander ( yes I have always had one of those, whether or not it is on the right month is the question). So I had a delightful lunch and speaker on managing children in the 2's and 3's. I still think she would have changed her tune had she met my dear sweet Jude. So Thursday evening was PTA, Friday was supply sale and Saturday was trying to get a bit of rest before the daily grind started back up again.

Sunday I started my plan. I folded laundry and picked out James' clothes for the week. Tried to get as much together as possible so that I would not feel harried come Monday morning. I made James' favorite dinner of spaghetti and meatballs and started the bath process. It was here that I made my major error of judgement. In my attempt to get everyone bathed and to bed. I allowed James and Jude to take a bath together while I got Jenner into a diaper and pj's. I heard the screams from across the house. I came running to see Jude covered in blood and a wound above his eye. I realized this needed to be seen immediatly and as I looked at the clock realized that urgent care closed in 25 min. SO I don't even bother to get him dressed just a throw him in the car. I waited long enough to get the story from James that Jude had jumped in the bath tub and hit his eye on the faucet causeing the 2 inch gash I now saw. So much for my nice organized calm night before school started.
When we got to pediatric urgent care with a whole 2 min to spare. They informed me that due to where it was I would have to go to the ER since Jude would need to be sedated before they could do the stitches. As the Dr. walked in she remembered him from about a year ago and remembered that he could sit still. So she said we could try derma glu. Luckily it held for at least the onset so we at least temporarily avoided the ordeal of stitches. Now how long it will hold is the question. I came home and was ready for a Margarita, martini and Valium, but settled for a coke and a brownie.
Monday actually ran smoothly. James really wanted to bring his teacher an apple and was so very proud to present it to her. He really seems to like his teacher and has come out of school every afternoon with a smile and saying he had a good day. Actually having his clothes already assembled in his closet has worked well and cut down on the time spent trying to find things in the morning. I might actually even be embracing the organized thing. I think I could embrace anything that does not involve a trip to urgent care right now!