6 tips on How to Store Favorite Cookbooks

6 Tips for Storing Favorite Cookbooks

and other books in your kitchen

I have always enjoyed cooking, thus, I have accumulated various and sundry books throughout my near 43 years of marriage along with books on gardening, specialty growing, books about birds and those on herbs. I like to keep them all in a handy location so I am able to easily refer to them.
Tip 1
I prefer to sort my cookbooks by type. The first thing I would aim for is to keep cookbooks I use regularly in a convenient location. For me this includes, my Better Homes and Gardens, Joy of Cooking, my Louisiana cookbooks and some church cookbooks with many family favorites and lastly one I compiled for my grown children that includes all their favorites growing up. each of these books fit neatly in the bottom drawer of my desk in the kitchen.

Tip 2
I have many diet cookbooks, from Weight Watchers mainly. I keep those on a shelf above the desk inside the cabinet. You will want to sort your books accordingly. It simplifies finding the recipe you want when you need it.
Tip 3
I have appliances that came with a cookbook too that I occasionally like to refer to. I own a Cameron cooker and a Vitamix for instance. Most of these are irregular shapes and sizes. I store those a shelf in the same cabinet as my diet books.
Tip 4
If you are a gardener, you might have collected numerous books on different subjects involving gardening. I found a lovely cranberry crate at a local shop and it works perfectly for most of my gardening and birding books.

It fits perfectly on the bottom of this little shelf.

 Tip 5 Some of my garden books were too big to fit in the crate. I love that the doors on my sweet shabby piece in the breakfast room  can house the too tall books. 

With computers now, we have the luxury of storing recipes online or on our home computer. I frequently find myself with my iPad on its prop with a recipe I'm cooking. 
Having all your books handy in the kitchen brings me to 

Tip 6 When you are ready to menu plan, everything is at your fingertips right there in your kitchen or workstation. When your books are organized it makes it easy to plan meals, make your grocery list and go shopping.

Cooking kind of evolves. I didn't learn a lot of lessons from my mother, but I did learn in Home Economics. I must say I observed my mother as she cooked and she was really good at it. I fondly remember coming in on a snowy day to GIANT yeast rolls, to this day I crave them and cave in if a restaurant places that basket on the table. Her cinnamon rolls were divine! She loved to bake and always had fresh bread made along with cakes and cookies and pies.

Here is my mom's well loved book, can't you just feel her love of decades of cooking?

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Thanksgiving Dinner Tips

Timeline and Tips for Stress free Thanksgiving

Three days prior: Shop for groceries and buy turkey now if frozen, it takes 3 days to defrost in refrigerator.

Things you can do the Day before:
Bake Cornbread
Chop onion, celery and mushrooms for gravy, dressing etc.
Bake pies

Prepare Mac Cheese
Cook macaroni, layer pasta, alternating with butter slices, Velveeta and cheddar cheese soup mixed with milk.

Shoot up turkey; fold his wings underneath him so he stands pretty. Cook breast down for juicy breast. (Warning: might not look as pretty for picture.)

If making Por-Tur-Chick (my own "Cajun" invention), debone turkey breast, pound to flatten slightly, layer Owens hot sausage on top, pound chicken breasts, probably need two depending on size, lay on top and roll the layers around the Chapel Hill jalapeno smoked sausage. Secure with string ties and inject with butter, seasonings, Worchestershire sauce, +. (make up as you go :)

Take your cool whip out of the freezer

Day of:
Check to see how long your bird needs to cook and figure out what time you plan to eat.
If you are cooking a large turkey you need to get him in first, especially if you only have one oven.
Assemble Dressing

Begin Rolls or biscuits ( yeast rolls take longer)

Put yams on to boil

Boil taters



Assemble green bean casserole directions are on can















Assemble Green Stuff


Cut fruit for fruit salad, apples, pineapple tidbits, bananas (just before serving), fruit cocktail drained, chopped pecans, colored marshmallows. Add cool whip as served.

Slice yams, layer with slices of butter, sprinkle brown sugar and broken pecans, top with marshmallows, butter, pecans and brown sugar.
Bake 30 minutes at 350º

Assemble relish tray





















Check your bird each hour and baste with drippings and check more often toward end of cooking. His legs should move very easy if he is close to done. Insert meat thermometer to be sure. Remove foil to brown last 30 minutes. Turkey needs to rest before carving.
Remove juice with turkey baster, put some in dressing and make gravy with the rest.



Jackies Southern Macaroni and Cheese
 Grease baking dish, layer cooked macaroni, dotted with butter, Campbells Cheddar Cheese soup mixed with milk and slices of Velveeta. End with cheese. Mac cheese should take about 30-35 minutes to bake, as it bakes, stir and add milk to make it creamy, (every 10 minutes)  Add shredded cheddar about half way through and keep it stirred adding milk as needed. About 10 minutes before it is done add shredded cheese to top. (Tip: if you slightly undercook your macaroni when boiling, your mac and cheese won't be mushy :)


Green beans, rolls, mac cheese and yams can all cook together.
Heat the corn, go on add butter its Thanksgiving.




Gravy

Begin browning flour in oil for gravy. Stir slowly over medium heat to desired brownness. Add cool water or broth quickly while stirring followed by hot broth. (I add turkey drippings) A can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup can be added for added flavor. Add mushrooms and taste for need of seasoning.

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Mash potatoes with a stick of butter, a cup of sour cream, salt, pepper and Pet milk.


Chipped Beef Ball and Ham Roll Ups and Shrimp Dip are family favorites!

Serve, bless and eat! At our house we take turns sharing the special things we are thankful for!
This blog post was for the Crowley family Thanksgiving, you can easily substitute in your family favorites and enjoy a stress free Thanksgiving.

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