Books with Pictures

Our first apartment in Nashville was a nightmare. It was cold, dark and infested with bugs. I wore flip-flops in the shower and wouldn’t sit on the carpet. It was awful. Thankfully it only took one complaint to break our contract. We signed a one-year lease and lived in the apartment 28 days. The longest 28 days of my life.

Todd and I didn’t know many people during our first month in town, and since staying in our apartment was too depressing, we spent countless hours drinking coffee and reading books and magazines at Barnes & Noble. We would stay until we were asked to leave, wanting to be anywhere but our home.

We quickly upgraded to an adorable apartment in Franklin, then again to a cute townhome and eventually bought our first house. Now we don’t want to be anywhere but home, but we still enjoy bookstore coffee dates. The only thing that has really changed for me is the reading material. I now love pouring over cookbooks. I can’t get enough of them. I wish I had bookshelves full of cookbooks, but unfortunately I don’t have the budget or the space.

Instead, I’ll take advantage of coffee dates at Borders or Barnes & Noble and I’ll take mental notes of the amazing photos and recipes I see.

However, I do have a little Christmas money left and there are a few cookbooks that I’ve had my eye on…

The Comfort Table: Recipes for Everyday Occasions by Katie Lee

I bet I have picked this book up half a dozen times. I love that Katie is close to my age and sticks to the food she grew up with. Fried chicken, anyone? You can’t go wrong with comfort food at any age.

Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood: Stories and Recipes to Share with Family and Friends

I bought this book for my step-mom for Christmas and I think I was more excited to read it than she was! Although my dad tells me they have had several dishes from this book, so it sounds like the gift was a hit. I only read it through once and immediately wished I had my own copy. Southern food at its finest with special tips from Garth Brooks is a perfect combination. Interesting fact: Garth likes to add cheese tortellini to just about everything. 

Giada at Home: Family Recipes from Italy and California

Saturday mornings used to be filled with cartoons. Now they’re filled with my favorite Food Network shows, and Giada At Home is an absolute favorite. This book is basically her show in written form. This is another book I flip through often. 

Pretty Delicious: Lean and Lovely Recipes for a Healthy, Happy New You by Candice Kumai

Lastly, a new to me cookbook that I discovered in a magazine (I think it was Southern Living). The author is all about FWB’s (food with benefits). This book would be a good, healthy compliment to The Comfort Table and Trisha’s book!

Any other great cookbook recommendations?