Meet Me in My Cape Cod Kitchen by Linda Marie Steele (Cookbook Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

With more than 60 delicious recipes, this book celebrates sharing good food with family and friends, inspired by the sweetness of living by the beach. Accompanied by food photography and beautiful Cape Cod landscapes, chapters focus on baked goods such as cakes, cookies, quick breads, cheesecake and biscotti, as well as appetizers, entrees, and salads and even summertime-perfect drinks. Many of the easy-to-follow recipes rely on seasonal and regional ingredients, such as Linda’s Supreme Lemon Cake, Cape Cod Cranberry Loaf, Turkey and Cranberry Empanadas, Linda’s Simple Lobster Salad, and Bella’s Raspberry Tea. Children will enjoy helping with treats such as Nana’s No-Fail Sugar Cookie Recipe, which the author makes with lobster-shaped cookie cutters. This celebration of Cape Cod focuses on gratitude for simple pleasures and includes reflections on life in a seaside community.

My thoughts- 

Last summer my family and I had the immeasurable pleasure of  vacationing on Cape Cod. Ever since, each of us has expressed in interest in going back, it was one of the most pleasurable experiences of my life. Meet Me in My Cape Cod Kitchen brought me back to being surrounded by the water, the friendly locals. and gave me the opportunity to imagine living in such a magical place. I enjoyed all of Lina Marie Steele's recipes, but what I loved more were here snippets at the beginning of each recipe connecting them to her experiences living on the Cape. I did expect there to be more savory dishes indigenous to the Cape Cod area, but as soon as I read Ms. Steele got her start blogging about her baking, it made sense that a lot of the book was baked goods. Still, there were some fantastic recipes to be found, including a quintessential Cape Cod recipe for Clam Chowder (my 8 year old will be ecstatic that we can try to re-create her favorite dish from our trip at home!). There were also drink recipes and enough dessert recipes to keep you busy for a long while. I can flip through this book and dream about being back in Cape Cod until we can find our way back to Massachusetts. I recommend this book to anyone interested in cooking or travel.

Treat Yourself by Jennifer Steinhauer (Cookbook Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

If you grew up on corner-store treats, memory lane is paved with Ho Hos, Yodels, Oreos, and Ring Dings. And while your taste buds may have grown up a bit, chances are you still crave these classic flavors. Now you can re-create the lunch-box delights that made you the envy of other kids, with all-natural homemade versions.

After much obsessing and experimentation, Jennifer Steinhauer has cracked the code for 70 iconic treats to re-create in your own kitchen. There are cookies with a perfect crunchy base for cream filling, snack cakes with frosting so thick you can peel it off all at once, candies dipped in chocolate and dusted with sugar, and ice cream pops so juicy that they drip down your arm. A self-taught baker, Jennifer had no interest in complicated techniques or chemical gunk, just easy hacks that break down and remaster these throwback snacks.

So go ahead—treat yourself to your own homemade version of these favorites:
• Samoas, Pecan Sandies, Chips Ahoy!, and other classic cookies
• Nutter Butters, Mint Milanos, Oatmeal Creme Pies, and other sweet sandwich cookies
• Twinkies, Drake’s Coffee Cakes, Devil Dogs, and other snack cakes
• Fig Newtons, Lemon Mini-Pies, Strawberry Pop-Tarts, and other fruity, filled treats
• Soft Pretzels, Pizza Pockets, Funyuns, and other salty, savory snacks
• Cracker Jacks, Goo Goo Clusters, Candy Dots, and other candy favorites
• Orange Creamsicles, Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Pops, Nutty Buddies, and other frozen treats

My thoughts- 

You may be surprised to learn that I grew up in a house full of junk food. There were chips of every kind, Popsicles and ice cream and always around were my mother's weakness- Little Debbie snacks. My whole family balks when they come over to my house and look for a snack because I do not keep that kind of thing in my pantry. All of those treat may taste delicious, but they are full of chemicals, artificial flavors and colors and are likely full of GMO ingredients. I love when I run across a great copy cat recipe online. It is great to be able to enjoy the indulgences of my childhood without the terrible ingredients of the commercial products that are just never going to make an appearance at my house. When I came across Treat Yourself, I knew I had to have it in my cookbook collection. It is full of such awesome copy cat recipes. I was not even sure which one to try first, so I went with a classic favorite- Oreos. These cookies were not very difficult to make. They did take a little time because I had to make the dough, freeze it, roll it out and cut the circles and make the filling, but any sandwich cookie takes the same amount of time. After I baked the cookies, I tasted the cookie and it was pretty similar to the real thing. The filling was spot-on.  The only thing I did wrong was make the cookies too thick, so next time I will roll them out a little thinner. They were tasty. All 3 kids and my husband devoured them. I am so excited to have these recipes and I can not wait to try each of them. I think next I will try the Star Crunch recipe or the Thin Mints. There are so many wonderful options! This book is really going to come in handy during the holidays! I absolutely recommend Treat Yourself to anyone who enjoys baking. You will love re-creating your childhood favorites!

About the author-

Jennifer Steinhauer has been a reporter for the New York Times for twenty years. Her weekly column at Food52.com, "Weeknights with Jenny," shares her adventures in weeknight cooking. She lives with her husband and their two daughters in Washington, D.C.


Treat Yourself is now available on Amazon.com. "

Better Homes & Gardens Baking (Cookbook Review)

*Disclosure- I received a complimentary copy of the book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book:

This all-new and gorgeous edition of Better Homes and Gardens Baking (the first major all-purpose BH&G baking title published since 1998) is a compendium of irresistible cookies, brownies, cakes, pies, cobblers, pastries, and breads—from everyday sweets to special-occasion show-stoppers. It has everything you need to bake fuss-free and with delicious results for bake sales, cookie swaps, birthday parties, holiday tables, or just because you’re in the mood to bake. You'll find:
More than 400 recipes for luscious baked goods such as Cinnamon Rolls (with four fun shape variations), Raspberry French Silk Pie Bars, and Herbed Boule More than 250 photos showcase the recipes and clarify techniques Chapter-opener features with classic recipes that teach secrets to baking success Make-It-Mine recipes with choices to help you adapt to your taste, convenience, and occasion Make-It-Mini guides to help bakers turn out scrumptious sweets in smaller sizes This will surely be the go-to baking reference and inspiration for years to come.

My thoughts:

There is pretty much nothing I would rather be doing in my free time than baking, so an entire book from Better Homes & Gardens devoted to just that was right up my alley. I love to bake anything- cookies, pies, cakes, breads or whatever else- I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen and this book is full of any kind of baking recipe you could possibly think of. Not only does it contain endless recipes for desserts and other baked goods, there are also tips and techniques offered to help you make the best of your time baking. I am sure we have all been there- a sheet of cookies are flat when they are supposed to be round and chewy or something didn't rise the way it should have- Better Homes & Gardens Baking offers advice on why you need to do what with each ingredient needed and how to bake at your very best. I love that the very first chapter breaks down everything about baking and how to get the results you want with what you've set out to accomplish in the kitchen. The following chapters are very well organized with fourteen different chapters included everything from your run of the mill cookies, cakes, and cupcakes to down home favorites like pies and tarts and specialty categories such as breads and holiday baking. Something I always find helpful in cookbooks is pictures so I know what the final product should look like and this cookbook definitely does not disappoint in that arena. Not only are their pictures of the final products of the recipes, but there are pictures in the techniques chapter to break down exactly what you need to do and how.





Standout recipes include (but are certainly not limited to):

• Make-it-mine Oatmeal Cookies
• Salted-Chocolate Caramel Rounds
• Lime Zingers
• Coconut Macaroons
• Dulce de Leche Fluff Brownies
• Fudge Ripple Pecan Brownies
• Cherry Kuchen Bars
• Classic Pumpkin Pie
• Key Lime Tart
• Saucy Apple Dumplings
• Make-it-mine Cobbler
• Opera Cake
• Butterscotch Marble Cake
• Make-it-mine Whoopie Pies

I can not sing the praises of this cookbook enough. This would make a perfect addition to anyone's kitchen- from the beginning baker to the more advanced experimentalist. This is one I will definitely get a hard copy of for my own cookbook collection.

Better Homes & Gardens Baking is now available on Amazon.com

Announcing the winners of The Sweetness of Forgetting giveaway!

I am so happy to announce the THREE lucky winners who have won autographed copies of The Sweetness of Forgetting by Kristin Harmel. Hold tight to your autographed copies ladies- I have a feeling Kristin Harmel will only continue to get better from here!

The winners are:

Melissa M.

Maria S.

Ani W.

Congrats ladies! Come back and let me know what you think!

If you didn't win and would like to purchase a copy of the book it is now available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Don't forget to add The Sweetness of Forgetting to your "To Read" list on Goodreads!