My name is Louise and I am a cookbook junkie……..

I LUV cookbooks.  I love recipes.  I read cookbooks like novels.  I copy down recipes in waiting rooms and stuff them in my purse. I copy recipes off many of your blogs.  I am a sucker for a new cooking magazine.  I am NOT a gourmet cook.
I love the Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks.  They are homey and don’t call for a lot of ingredients that I have never heard of or couldn’t find in our small town if I had.  I guess you would call it comfort food so in our quest for eating healthier I do have to rein myself in and not make the calorie laden dishes that call my name……..desserts.
With that being said I have found some wonderful recipes in my new Gooseberry Patch cookbooks that I am going to make in the next few weeks.  This first one is great for easy dinners after a long day when you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. Saucy pizza casserole, hearty beef stew, garlic cheese biscuits, chicken and dumplings soup, Poor Man’s Cordon Bleu just to name a few.  Quick, easy, add a tossed salad and some fruit and you’re good to go.

I must admit this one has a few that I don’t think I can resist.  Apple Bread Pudding made with homemade applesauce will have to be made for a special occasion.  :o)  Also the Sweet Potato Biscuits are ‘always on my mind’, now what song was that line from?  Hint…..Willie Nelson.   Bacon-Spinach Quiche sounds to die for as does Strawberry-Rhubarb Salad, Hearty Pork Chop Dinner, Flaky Chicken Pot Pie,  Turkey Club Bake and Zucchini Frittata.



I’ve already gone through the next ones, earmarking things to make for next Christmas!





I received a free magazine in the mail wanting me to subscribe and after perusing the offerings I sent in for it. The Beef Tenderloin Filets make my mouth water as does the pecan-crusted chicken and sweet and spicy salmon fillets.  Lots of yummy salads with things like goat cheese, dried cranberries, pecans or walnuts, pears, you name it.  I do have my drool bib on in hopes of saving my keyboard……..

It is snowing here today.  Big fluffy flakes are floating down and are so pretty.  I don’t think we are going to get much out of this storm, the powers that be say it’s going to veer off to the east of us towards Nova Scotia.  Time will tell.  My snowmobile has been serviced from last years grueling two miles of use……..we just didn’t have enough snow to get out so I am being sarcastic.  :o) Hopefully we will have enough this year to get out and enjoy the beautiful scenery and fresh air.
I have been on a quest to reorganize my kitchen.  Things that aren’t used regularly are being sent to the shelves in the basement to make room for the things that are used all the time. Why do we keep Cool Whip containers and have 15 in the cupboard?  Am I the only one who does that?  I went through and tossed out all the outdated horse meds and human meds then I heard on the news this morning that they are still good even beyond the expiration date.  Sigh……  The remnants of Christmas are headed to the storage room and any potatoes that have sprouted have headed to the dumpster. This is all stuff I took out of several cupboards, the sideboards don't look like this normally!!!



The cookbooks are back on their shelves although I am going to weed through those at some point.





Not perfect but better.  Tina @ Palm Tree Fanatics has the most incredible Tackle it Tuesdays and I sure could have used her help!  :o) Hi Tina!  This cupboard still has some improvements that need to be made but at least my muffin tins aren’t in my oven!  No Cool Whip containers but I do still see some cottage cheese containers.  It takes a while to break these habits! :o)



Hope you all are having a great weekend and are safe and warm.  Keep in mind the many blessings that we enjoy!!!