National S’more Day

If you haven’t made s’mores yet, there’s still plenty of time to enjoy this quintessential summer treat. Whether you make a fire, use a microwave, burn your marshmallows, or get a slight singe, just make sure you indulge in one of summer’s simplest, yummiest pleasures. And what better way to enjoy a gooey s’more than being in the great outdoors?

While s’mores may be the best part of a camping trip, certainly there are many other aspects involved that can add to the enjoyment of one’s experience. Below are a few books to peruse before setting out for a night underneath the stars, from what to cook, where to go, and how to camp if you’ve never camped before. 

The Campout Cookbook: Inspired Recipes for Cooking Around the Fire and Under the Stars by Marnie Hanel 

Campfire Cooking: Wild Eats for Outdoor Adventures by B. A. Hoena 

Best Tent Camping Ohio: Your Car-Camping Guide to Scenic Beauty, the Sounds of Nature, and an Escape from Civilization by Robert Loewendick 

Cook It Wild: Sensational Prep-ahead Meals for Camping, Cabins, and the Great Outdoors by Chris Nuttall-Smith 

See You at the Campground: A Guide to Discovering Community, Connection, and a Happier Family in the Great Outdoors by Stephanie Puglisi 

50 States, 500 Campgrounds: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See, What to Do by Joseph R. Yogerst 

-Linnea 

National Watermelon Day

When I think of summer, I think of picnics and patios, badminton and the beach, and, maybe above all else, watermelon. The quintessential summer fruit, nothing beats biting into a big triangle slice of watermelon after a day spent outdoors.  

A picnic with simple food, shared with good people, is one of the best ways to spend a day. If you’re looking for some inspiration for summer days spent outside, a fresh slice of watermelon in hand, we’ve got you covered! 

Life is a Party: Deliciously Doable Recipes to Make Every Day a Celebration by David Burtka 

The Forest Feast Gatherings: Simple Vegetarian Menus for Hosting Friends & Family by Erin Gleeson 

The Picnic: Recipes and Inspiration from Basket to Blanket by Marnie Hanel 

Good Day for a Picnic: Simple Food that Travels Well by Jeremy Jackson 

The CSA Cookbook: Thinking Inside the Box by Linda Ly 

Share: Delicious Sharing Boards for Social Dining by Theo A. Michaels 

Watermelon & Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations by Nicole A. Taylor 

-Linnea 

National French Fry Day

Last week was National Fried Chicken Day, this week it’s National French Fry Day! What is it about July that makes us want to celebrate all the fried foods? Whatever the explanation is, I’m ready to celebrate! 

Let’s expand our celebration beyond just French fries and show some love to the potato. The potato, as we know, is extremely versatile. From fries to tots to baked to mashed, the potato can do it all. No matter how you choose to indulge in your potato love, we’ve got the cookbooks to help you achieve those goals: 

The Side Dish Bible: 1001 Perfect Recipes for Every Vegetable, Rice, Grain, and Bean Dish You’ll Ever Need by America’s Test Kitchen 

Dinner in an Instant: 75 Modern Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker, + Instant Pot® by Melissa Clark 

The Love and Lemons Cookbook: An Apple-to-Zucchini Celebration of Impromptu Cooking by Jeanine Donofrio 

The Vegetable Butcher: How to Select, Prep, Slice, Dice, and Masterfully Cook Vegetables from Artichokes to Zucchini by Cara Mangini 

Best Side Dishes Ever: Foolproof Recipes for Greens, Potatoes, Beans, Rice, and More by Monica Sweeney 

The New Midwestern Table: 200 Heartland Recipes by Amy Thielen 

Tots!: 50 Tot-ally Awesome Recipes from Totchos to Sweet Po-tot-o Pie by Dan Whalen 

-Linnea 

National Fried Chicken Day

What could be a more fun day to celebrate than National Fried Chicken Day? The United States may not have a shortage of incredible fried chicken restaurants to enjoy, but why not try making fried chicken in your own kitchen? From classic fry recipes to air fryer hacks, making fried chicken has never been easier. Fried chicken lovers, unite! 

Fried & True: More than 50 Recipes for America’s Best Fried Chicken and Sides by Lee Schrager 

Adventures in Chicken: 150 Amazing Recipes from the Creator of AdventuresInCooking.com by Eva Kosmas Flores 

Air Fry Everything! by Meredith Laurence 

Southern Snacks: 77 Recipes for Small Bites with Big Flavors by Perre Magness 

The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Beginners: Easy, Foolproof Recipes for Your Air Fryer by Laurie Fleming 

The Unofficial Dollywood Cookbook: From Frannie’s Famous Fried Chicken Sandwich to Grist Mill Cinnamon Bread, 100 Delicious Dollywood-inspired Recipes! by Erin K. Browne 

The “I Love My Air Fryer” 5-ingredient Recipe Book by Robin Fields 

-Linnea 

Lisa’s Top Ten of 2022

This list of books is all about mom life. Whether is be getting the kids to read for school, what to make for dinner, how to make tedious chores like folding laundry more enjoyable, planning that family vacation, or catching up on the summer best sellers from 5 years ago….. Here are my favorites (or the most useful) picks for 2022.

Getting the kids to read:

Interrupting Chicken Cookies for Breakfast– by David Ezra Stein. This is the latest in the Interrupting Chicken series and makes everyone in my house laugh- and seriously consider eating cookies for breakfast!

Press Start! Game Over, Super Rabbit Boy! by T. Flintham is first in the Press Start! series that have helped young readers in my house get over that mental block from “I can only read picture books” to “I can read on my own!” They are short, easy to read, and have a fun video game theme. Most importantly, they look and feel like short chapter books and help building some reading confidence. The series is now up to 12 books.

What to Make For Dinner:

The Weekday Vegetarians by Jenny Rosenstrach. I subscribe to a local CSA (community supported agriculture) and was looking for ways to get my kids to eat more of what comes in the CSA bag.  Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a miraculous way to make cauliflower so my son will willingly feed it to himself.  But I did appreciate this author’s approach to introduce more vegetables at the table with small plates and tastes.     

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof– by Ina Garten. I have 2 other Ina Garten cookbooks and use them regularly.  I find this one to be a little heavy of the seafood, which I don’t cook with much at home.  But the soups and desserts in this book are delicious and great around the holidays. I love the winter minestrone recipe in this book.

Watched too much Bluey:


Big Little Lies
– by Liane Moriarty. This is more like the Bluey antidote for when you need a story that is darker, more adult, and everyone’s hurt feelings aren’t resolved in 7 minutes or less. It is a suspense book full of scandal and bad behavior of parents in a close knit community.

Keep your hands free for household chores:

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. In an attempt to make housework more tolerable, I started listening to the audiobook version of Ready Player One. It’s an action packed adventure to entertain you while folding laundry. Fans of Star Trek: TNG and The Big Bang Theory might get a kick out of listening to Wil Wheaton, who does a great job of making the audiobook not seem so audiobook-ish.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. A hit among book clubs and I wanted to give it a whirl. It didn’t disappoint. And who doesn’t want to escape to the golden age of Hollywood while you are cleaning out closets!?!

Mysteries- my weak spot:

The Maid by Nita Prose. This is a good cozy mystery story with a unique narrator. The main character does a lot of growing while solving the mystery, making this a satisfying read.

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano. A likeable new series of mystery books. If you are a fan of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich you will like this accidental sleuth who is trying to balance her career and her young family.

Go ahead, plan that dream vacation:

The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World by Bob Sehlinger & Len Testa. If you are even thinking about a trip to Disney World I suggest you read up.  There is so much to see and do it can make the planning process overwhelming.  There are many guides out there to help you, but this one was my favorite.

Great British Book Off

Idyllic countryside, sponge cakes, and coveted handshakes are the staple elements of the beloved Great British Bake Off. Netflix’s baking competition attracts millions of viewers who enjoy the light-hearted competition and camaraderie. The only drama in this show comes from food fails- cakes that haven’t risen, chocolate that hasn’t set, and of course the dreaded soggy bottom.

If you’d like to try your hand at your own signature bake, technical challenge, or showstopper, try one of these cookbooks from contestants and judges. While we anxiously wait to see who will be named the winner of series 13, I hope you find some baking inspiration in these titles.

On your marks, get set, bake!

Chetna’s Easy Baking: With a Twist of Spice by Chetna Makan

Nadiya’s Everyday Baking by Nadiya Hussain

Celebrate with Kim-Joy: Cute Cakes and Bakes to Make Every Occasion Joyful by Kim-Joy

Crumb: A Baking Book by Ruby Tandoh

Super Sourdough by James Morton

The Great British Bake Off: How to Turn Everyday Bakes into Showstoppers by Linda Collister

-Melinda

National Hispanic Heritage Month

Today marks the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which will last until October 15. On September 15, Mexico celebrates their independence from Spain, with most Central American countries celebrating on September 16, and Chile celebrating on September 18. It is a time for the United States to acknowledge and commemorate the contributions and achievements of Hispanic Americans. The influence of Central America is everywhere in the United States, from food to culture to language.  

Interested in cooking? Try these Mexican cookbooks: 

Chicano Eats: Recipes from My Mexican-American Kitchen by Esteban Castillo 

Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in México by Ricky Martínez 

Plant Powered Mexican: Fast, Fresh Recipes from a Mexican-American Kitchen by Kate Ramos  

Planning your next vacation? Explore Central America and beyond: 

Lonely Planet’s Best of Central America 

Fodor’s Essential Chile

Footprint: Belize, Guatemala & Southern Mexico

Love history? There’s plenty to learn: 

Homelands: Four Friends, Two Countries, and the Fate of the Great Mexican-American Migration by Alfredo Corchado 

Diego Rivera by Pete Hamill 

Our America: A Hispanic History of the United States by Felipe Fernández-Armesto 

El Norte: The Epic and Forgotten Story of Hispanic North America by Carrie Gibson

And of course, there are plenty of authors with rich bibliographies to further expand our appreciation: 

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova 

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo 

Violeta by Isabel Allende 

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez 

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez 

-Linnea

No-Bake Treats for the Dog Days of Summer

Beat the heat and the boredom with these no-bake cookbooks! It can be hard to gather the motivation to cook in these hot summer months but good thing we don’t always have to. There’s plenty of sweet treats to make without turning the oven on. Here are a few cookbooks to try out and remember, when it comes to dessert, sharing is caring! 

No Bake Makery by Cristina Suarez Krumsick has over 80 recipes for small bite treats that you can make without using an oven! Learn how to make key lime pie, peanut brittle, marshmallow pretzel bars, and more, and learn baking techniques such as decorating your treats and tempering chocolate. 

Haven’t you always wanted to eat a cheeseburger made from rice crispies? Look no further than Jessica Siskin’s Treat Yourself!: How to Make 93 Ridiculously Fun No-Bake Crispy Rice Treats. Making food look like other foods or objects is “in” right now and you too can be a part of the action and make rice crispy treats into a camera, sushi, even a menorah. Siskin provides all the tips and tricks, so don’t worry if you’ve only made rice crispy treats shaped like rice crispy treats. Definitely a fun, creative way to fill your day! 

And what is summer without ice cream? But who wants to deal with churning and ice cream makers? Fortunately, No-Churn Ice Cream by Leslie Bilderback has our back and has compiled over 100 recipes without any special equipment. You’ll learn the basics (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry) and tons of variations, so no need to keep buying pints at the store! 

Enjoy all your new-found techniques for these no-bake treats to satisfy your sweet tooth all summer long! 

-Linnea

Infinite Goodness: Pi Day

Lemon, peach, apple, 3.14159, oh my! Pi Day, which falls on Monday, March 14, is fast approaching! Pi day is an annual holiday devoted to celebrating the infinite mathematical constant π, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter that starts off as 3.14. This Pi Day, indulge with a slice (or two, or three!) of your favorite pie and some of the books below.

How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics by Eugenia Cheng: What is math? How exactly does it work? And what do three siblings trying to share a cake have to do with it? Using insights from the kitchen, professor Eugenia Cheng provides an accessible introduction to the logic and beauty of mathematics.

Pie Academy: Mastering the Perfect Crust and 255 Amazing Fillings by Ken Haedrich: Here’s the only pie cookbook you’ll ever need. Novice and experienced bakers will discover the secrets to baking a pie from scratch with step-by-step photos and recipes, advice about tools and ingredients, tips for gorgeous fluted and lattice pie tops, and more.

The Book on Pie: Everything You Need to Know to Bake Perfect Pies by Erin Jeanne McDowell: Start with the basics, including ways to mix pie dough for extra flaky crusts, storage and freezing, and tips for decorating, before diving into dozens of recipes for all different kinds of pies: fruit, custard, cream, chiffon, cold set, savory, and mini.

Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World by Matt Parker: Exploring and explaining a litany of glitches, near misses, and mathematical mishaps involving the Internet, big data, elections, street signs, lotteries, an Olympic team, and even the Roman Empire, stand-up comedian Matt Parker uncovers the ways math trips us up and how essential math is in everyday life.

One Poison Pie by Lynn Cahoon: What’s a kitchen witch to do when her almost-financé leaves her suddenly single and unemployed? For Mia Malone, the answer’s simple: move to her grandmother’s quirky Idaho hometown, where magic is an open secret and witches and warlocks are (mostly) welcome. But when her first catering job takes a distasteful turn, Mia must find out which of the town’s eccentric residents has an appetite for murder before her fresh start comes to a sticky end.

The Recipe Box by Viola Shipman: When her efforts to pursue a professional culinary life away from her family’s northern Michigan orchard end in disappointment, Sam spends a summer working for the family pie shop and begins to understand the women in her life, her family’s history, and her passion for food as she prepares beloved ancestral recipes.

The Curse of the Cherry Pie by Amy Patricia Meade: When Tish Tarragon’s friend pulls out of the prestigious Virginia Commonwealth Bake-Off, an anxious Tish reluctantly takes her place. As the bake-off gets underway, Tish learns that her signature bake, a frangipane cherry pie, has played a deadly role in the previous two competitions. Is the curse of the cherry pie about to strike again?

Pieometry: Modern Tart Art and Pie Design for the Eye and the Palate by Lauren Ko: Whether you want to impress at the holidays or just spruce up a family meal, Pieometry is your guide to transforming a traditional dessert into a modern masterpiece. The pie-making genius behind the popular Instagram account @lokokitchen reveals how to build 50 sweet and savory pies from crust to top. Look for butternut bacon macaroni and cheese pie, lavender blackberry cream pie, honey ricotta tart, grilled cinnamon pineapple pie, and more.

Pie all the Time: Elevated Sweet and Savory Recipes for Every Occasion by Taylor Harbin: Whether you’re craving comfort food, an exciting new flavor, a quick treat, or a celebratory indulgence, the answer is always pie. Taylor Harbin, the creator behind the blog “All Purpose Flour Child,” offers familiar classics, inventive flavors, and easy methods for flawless pies every time.

Sweet as Pie by Alicia Hunter Pace: The path to true love isn’t quite as easy as pie, but it sure is sweet in the end. Jake Champagne is looking forward to a new team, new town, and clean slate in Laurel Springs. After a disastrous year, the hockey hotshot is leaving his past behind – even betting his best friend that he can stay away from women. But he’s happy to reconnect with a piece of home when he visits childhood friend and now successful baker Evie. Between slices of Mississippi mud pie and chicken potpie, Jake starts to remember what a fool he was to let Evie get away.