Cookbooks!

I love my cookbooks!!  We had a yard sale last year, trying to get rid of as much stuff as we could.  But I could not part with any cookbooks.  Years ago, maybe 15, I got rid of my set of Bon Apetite' series cookbooks.  It was an awesome set!  But truthfully, I didn't really use them that much.  They weren't that practical to use for everyday food.  I bought that series in the 80's.  I remember selling that one, I also sold some others that I didn't really use, but it is extremely difficult for me to part with them. 

What's interesting is that this love of cookbooks are a common interest for my sister and I.  However, she loves to read old cookbooks - new ones too - but she has a special love for the old ones.  To me, they're ok but not something I purposefully collect.  I won't use them, why get them? 

The point of this blog.... I was at my hair dresser on Saturday, I gave him and his, what is she referred to - apprentice? - Jennifer one of my business cards.  Now, mind you had I have dropped off 2 dozen cupcakes before - Salted Caramel and Chocolate Peanut Butter - to try (which he loved!) but Jennifer wasn't there.  She said, "You make cupcakes?  How come I didn't know about this before?"  During the course of my cut, color and foil she indicated she wanted me to bake some cupcakes for her daughter's birthday.  Then she started talking about banana bread.  Yes, I'll do banana bread. 

We were having company over that evening so I went to the store and while I was there I started to have this yearning to have banana bread.  Oh but, what about white peaches and bananas?  No no, what about strawberries and bananas?  Oh yum!! 

I made Strawberry Banana bread.  I'd share a picture but it disappeared very quickly.  It was so good!  But to make sure I had THE recipe I used another recipe from a different book on Sunday.  While my son Tyler liked it better than the one on Saturday, my husband and I did not.  It was good, it wasn't delicious! 

Remember I said how I loved my cookbooks?  I have cookbooks that I've had since the early 1980's. 

The little price tag says $9.95 - and I got it 20% off!!  This is how this book really looks:

The book is just falling apart!  Front page and back page are off, the binding no longer holds, the book comes apart in chunks!  I have looked for a replacement for this book - meaning I've looked for this exact book before, but they don't have the same recipes!  I have NEVER found a better Belgian waffle recipe than the one in this book!  There are so many other recipes in here that I love!! 

My next favorite book:

I think this is one of my very first cookbooks that I bought when I moved out of my mother's house and in with my future ex-husband!!!  This book has fantastic recipes!  Great apple pie, fried chicken, and THE banana bread recipe that I used on Saturday.

On Sunday I used the one from the red and white checked cookbook. 

Because I don't have enough room for all my cookbooks to be in one place, I have them separated.  The books on the black book shelf are not all cookbooks.  These are in my office.  (which I'm in the midst of remodeling)  These are cookbooks I don't use as much.  As well as magazines, knitting books, business books and all sorts of other books. (part of the reason for the remodel)

The ones on the yellow shelves are in my kitchen but two different shelves.  I tried to separate them into topics but the truth is, I needed space on the big one and these shelves had knickknacks on them.  My solution to not enough space for books is...buy more shelves.  You should see my family room!!