Top 5 Cookbooks I Love

I love cookbooks. I blame my mother for this. She used to buy them and read them cover to cover, and then put them on the shelf, never cooking one single recipe.
 
I also collect cookbooks but on occasion I actually cook something that comes from one of them. I am trying to cook one recipe a week from different books, so I have pulled some of them down from my shelf. I have made a list of my Top 5 favorite cookbooks, so here they are, in no particular order:

1. Barefoot Contessa Family Style
I adore Ina Garten, I have for years. From her pretty house, to her fabulous garden, to her devoted husband Jeffrey, she is wonderful. You have probably seen her on TV on her own cooking show. Her food is elegant but simple, and any average cook can be comfortable using her recipes.
I have all of Ina's books, but this one is my favorite. Her Parmesan Chicken recipe is heavenly.

2. The Fannie Farmer Baking Book
This book has been a beloved classic for so many years. I would love to cook everything in it! There are recipes for pies, cakes, breads, cookies and more. The peanut butter cookie recipe is the one I always use. There is also a wealth of information about cooking and baking that is extremely helpful.

3. Alice Waters, The Art of Simple Food
Alice Waters is the queen of eating organic and local foods. I love this philosophy, even though it isn't always practical or affordable. But this cookbook is for all cooks, and all types of food. It really is simple to prepare and eat these wonderful recipes. Her roasted chicken and roasted root vegetables are so yummy, and the aroma of the chicken in your kitchen is a dream.

4. Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen.
Up here in the Seattle area, Tom Douglas is a famous name in the food and restaurant business. He has five restaurants at my last count, each of them different and special in their own way. His book is filled with many items you will find in his restaurants. I have eaten crab cakes several times at one of them, and they are super delicious. If you want a taste of Seattle, buy this book and try any of Tom's amazing dishes.

5. The Joy of Cooking
A gem of a cookbook, one that many of us learned to cook from. Originally published in 1931, there is an updated version that incorporates all of the new equipment and methods available for cooks today. From stuffing to cookies to beef stew, this cookbook can be the best source for good, old fashioned food, just like your Mom made.

I hope you like my Top 5 list, and I could have easily added more cookbooks to this list.

Do you have an absolutely favorite cookbook? I would love to know what it is.

Happy Cooking!

Medina Basket Review - Mother's Day

Medina Baskets is one of my absolute favorite companies. Beauty, quality, and durability are all characteristics of these baskets, totes, and home accessory items.

These beautiful baskets are hand-woven in villages in Mexico, Morocco, Ghana and Bangladesh. Making the baskets provides work and income for many of the villages families.
                                                              

This is the Yellow Weave Basket. It's sunny yellow color is lovely, and it's perfect for many uses. Great for taking to the farmer's market or the beach, it's roomy enough for flowers and veggies, or an armful of beach towels.

This is the Leather Top Purse. It is such a great summer purse, able to go from casual to dressy with ease. It's very spacious, woven from water reed, and has a leather zippered top. Medina Baskets are an investment in beauty and functionality that will last for years. They are the perfect gift for Mother's Day, birthdays, or any time of the year. Visit their website at medinabaskets. com to see their complete line of baskets and totes.

To learn more about Medina Baskets you can be a fan Facebook.

*I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine. I was provided the products mentioned in this post to review for this post by the Company / PR Company.

Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolates Review and Giveaway - Mother's Day

Chocolate and Mother's Day to me go hand in hand. The one day I can tell myself its totally ok to have the candy just for me! I love chocolates that have a unique look or flavor. Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolates are both! I love the shapes of Seahorses and Seashells that the blend of milk and white chocolates are shaped in. It was so creamy and fun to eat. The Chocolates are filled with a rich and so sweet chocolate truffle filling. They melt in your mouth when you eat them.

They are crafted in small copper pot batches in Belgium. The chocolate company was made by a husband and wife team back in 1958. The name of the company is a melding of both their first names, Guy and Liliane. How sweet is that! The Guylian website even has tips for pairing your chocolates with wine and coffee drinks. I can imagine a tasting party with these as the star.

The detail on the chocolate is amazing. They look so real. The Seahorse have a tail that curls in the opposite direction than a seahorse in nature. These fine chocolates are even stamped with a "G" on the chocolates to show that they are genuine imported Belgium Guylian Chocolates.

Of course I let my son try some of them. I wouldnt be a Mama without the sweetheart. He thought they were as amazing as I did. He said Oh Wow and asked me what each one was. He thought the Seahorses were the neatest. He even said Oh No when I took a bite out of one and told me I Broke It. The chocolates are delicious and next time I have some I plan to do as the website suggested and melt one into a cup of hot coffee and add whipped cream. Sounds soooooo good!

Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolates would make a wonderful gift for Mother's Day for the mom in your life. They are delicious and special. You can find them in most Walmart, Raley's and Cost Plus stores. For a location near you there is the Store Locator page.

GIVEAWAY

Win a box of Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolates for the Mom you love.

To Enter This Giveaway:

Which of the 11 Sea Shell Shapes of Chocolate do you like the most?

*Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if its not public in your Google account*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Like Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolates on Facebook +1
-Follow Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolates on Twitter +1

 -Follow/Add to your circle  Frugal Family Tree on Google+ ( right hand side) +1
-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1
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-Follow PopcornNPearls on Twitter +1

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-Share this giveaway on Facebook ONLY, using the Share Button at the bottom on this post. +1 for each share you do. (can be done once a day)

-Copy and Paste This Tweet on Twitter and leave me the link (to find the link click on the time stamp under your tweet. Can be done once a day for the duration of the giveaway)

#Win a box of Guylian Artisanal Belgian Chocolates at @Guylian_Chocs from @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 5/20 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/05/guylian-artisanal-belgian-chocolates.html

 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts May 9, 2012 and ends on May 20, 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post.  The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

Mohawk Home Area Rug Review and Giveaway - Mother's Day

My husband and I have been wanting a rug but had the hardest time finding one we both liked. He wanted a simple pattern I wanted a busy one. There were colors I wanted and ones he did not want at all. Since we were decorating the living room it had be something we both liked. We looked online at store I did not consider for rugs, Home Depot.

It seemed like a great solution to our rug problem. A store we both love and a brand we trust, Mohawk. We selected the Mohawk Home Aiken Madder Brown rug for our living room. We recent got a new couch and a recliner and were trying to find something that would bring the room together since its a long skinny room. We are having wood floors put in sometime in the next few weeks and the rug will look even nicer.

Before Picture. The room needed a rug to pull it together. 

(we also need a new paint job on these walls lol)

After the rug went down it was amazing. It makes the dark leather furniture mesh with the black entertainment center and makes the whole room seem more together. The Mohawk rug makes the room feel more comfy and home like. With the square pattern it looks modern and not too busy.

He was so happy about the rug he was running around it over and over lol

Added benefit, my son was using the lines in the rug as a track for his cars!

Perfect for playing, reading books and making the room look more beautiful.

We are planning on installing new floors and I hope painting the walls. I will be updating pictures as we make the room even more beautiful. Starting with a great rug to find colors and a theme for your room is perfect. I now know what accent colors I can use to make to room even more as one. Mohawk rugs are durable and affordable. Plus you can have your husband looking online at Home Depot for stuff you want, how cool is that!

Company Info:

-Mohawk Home is the largest manufacturer of  Area Rugs,  Indoor / Outdoor Mats and Washable Rugs
-Mohawk Home has fashion designers for textiles and flooring to create new styles and reinvent classics
-Mohawk Home has a Green Works Environment Program to reduce waste and recycles PET plastic bottles to create fibers for rugs.

Still Made in the USA Mohawk Rug Video:

 

Mohawk Home is offering one of our lucky readers the chance to win an Mohawk Area Rug for your home. I think this would make an awesome Mother's Day gift for yourself or your own Mom.

GIVEAWAY

Win a Mohawk Home Area Rug. Winner may choose any Mohawk Home rug up to size 5x8 and under $150 valued on site.

To Enter This Giveaway:

Which Mohawk Home Rug would you pick if you won?
(click a store and it will show you the Mohawk rugs)


*Leave a comment answering the question and be sure to leave your email address if its not public in your Google account*

Extra Entries: Can be done after leaving a comment for mandatory entry. If the extra entry says 1 extra entry leave 1 comment and 2 extra entries leave me 2 comments and so on.

-Like Mohawk Home on Facebook +1
-Follow Mohawk Home on Twitter +1
-Follow Mohawk Home on Pinterest +1


 -Follow/Add to your circle  Frugal Family Tree on Google+ ( right hand side) +1
-Like our new fan page on Facebook Frugal Family Tree +1
-Follow FrugalFamTree on Twitter +1 

-Share this giveaway on Facebook ONLY, using the Share Button at the bottom on this post. +1 for each share you do. (can be done once a day)

-Copy and Paste This Tweet on Twitter and leave me the link (to find the link click on the time stamp under your tweet. Can be done once a day for the duration of the giveaway)

#Win a Mohawk Area Rug from @Mohawk_Home at @FrugalFamTree #Giveaway ends 5/30 http://www.frugalfamilytree.com/2012/05/mohawk-home-area-rug-review-and.html

 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts May 9, 2012 and ends on May 30, 2012 at midnight PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post.  The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

Grow Your Own Fruit

 There is a fruit tree that makes yellow fruit each year that divides our property to the neighbors. I always thought it was their tree so I have not picked any fruit off of it. I did rescue a Mama bird and her eggs from it last June but thought the fruit was the neighbors. Turns out its our tree. This year I will try some of it. I have been wanting to buy some more fruit trees too.

We had a banana tree and an avocado tree that I accidentally destroyed with too much care. I know better now and was just at Home Depot (LOVE that store!) and saw some great fruit trees and vines. The two I want the most is a grape vine and a blackberry bush. In our first home my husband and I ate grapes right from the vine on hot summer days with the neighbors and loved them. As a kid when we lived in WA we would pick them from the bushes at my brother's school and eat them. So good to eat fruit that fresh. I am hoping to get some more plants for Mother's Day and plan to get some fruit bearing ones. Cant wait! Over the weekend I planted Sugar Baby Watermelon vines and Bell Peppers. My garden is growing and I love it.

What have you planted so far this year?

Not ripe yet but soon they will be bright yellow. Not even sure what they are lol