Bookish Gift Guide 2017: Cookbook Edition

The holidays are swinging in full gear now. You can hear the ringing of the Salvation Army bell outside, holiday decorations are adorning stores and houses and the music has become more cheery lately. With the colder weather and the many holiday functions with friends and family, more time is spent eating. Why not spend time cooking up a feast from some wonderful cookbooks? Check out some of my recommendations for this holiday season. Whether you purchase them for yourselves or for your loved ones, someone will enjoy creating masterpieces and savoring over morsels of delicious home cooked food.

Myers+Chang at Home: Recipes from the Beloved Boston Eatery by Joanne Chang and Karen Akunowicz - $32.00
I love Joanne Chang's Flour bakeries and her baking books so I am pretty sure her latest book based on recipes from Myers+Chang restaurant will be excellent! If you want a taste of some delicious Asian fusion food, check out this book.

BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts by Stella Parks - $35.00
Stella wrote this book to remind people about their childhood. These amazing baked goods will remind you of some wonderful memories as a kid. Dive into these scrumptious desserts this holiday season.

Half Baked Harvest Cookbook: Recipes from My Barn in the Mountains by Tieghan Gerard - $29.99

I have been a huge fan of Tieghan's blog called Half Baked Harvest and I was excited that she has a cookbook out! Not only are her recipes easy to follow and the food is delicious but the photography is superb and picture perfect! I love following the journey of a food blogger from a blog post to a finished cookbook.

The Malaysian Kitchen: 150 Recipes for Simple Home Cooking by Christina Arokiasamy - $35.00

I've love Malaysian food but never made any Malaysian dishes at home. Christina makes cooking Malaysian food easy at home with this wonderful cookbook. It's like bringing a part of Malaysia home with you from dishes like Hainanese Chicken to Pineapple Sambal Prawns. 

Molly on the Range: Recipes and Stories from An Unlikely Life on a Farm by Molly Yeh - $32.50

Molly is a food blogger and musician who moved from Brooklyn to a farm on the North Dakota-Minnesota border. Her food blog, My Name is Yeh, is simple and she has very creative recipes infusing her Jewish heritage. Molly's blog incorporates her life story with her wonderful recipes. Her photography gives off a muted vintage book and so does her cookbook. 

Do you have a favorite cookbook that you use frequently? What cookbooks do you recommend giving as gifts this holiday season?

Holiday Gift Guide: Cookbooks and Craftbooks

The holidays are in swing and Christmas and Hanukkah are approaching. Still need a thoughtful gift for someone? Why not get a cookbook or a craftbook for them? Not only will people love these books but the great thing is that you can make memories with your loved ones through cooking, baking, creating natural bath and body products and even practicing your handwriting! Remember, the holidays is about sharing time with people you care about. Create memories that will last a life time.

Hello Glow: 150+ Easy Natural Beauty Recipes for a Fresh New You - $18.95
I love the Hello Glow blog and they have a lot of easy and natural recipes for scrubs, lotions and other spa like treatments. Put on your creative hat and blend some essential oils with some all natural goodies such as coconut oil, aloe and shea butter. This is the best time of year to moisturize. Many of these recipes would be fantastic for a girls spa night or for gifts.

Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat by Chrissy Teigen - $29.99
Not only are these photos fantastic but the recipes are very simple and the food is tasty. Why not have a cooking night with a significant other or try out some of these recipes for a potluck?

Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe by Joanne Chang  - $35.00
I am a big fan of the Flour Cafes located in the Boston area. Not only are the desserts to die for but the sandwiches are delicious. Take some time to recreate staples such as the sticky bun or croissants. Try your hand at making homemade pop tarts.

Baking: My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan - $40.00
This baking book is one of my favorite baking books of all time. Not only are the recipes very easy to follow but Dorie pours her heart and soul into each recipe, making sure each scone or cookie is special. Spend some quality time pouring your heart and soul into these wonderful baked goods!

The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments by David Lebovitz -$18.99
Love ice cream? Try your hand at making some homemade frozen delights! Homemade ice cream accompanied with some pie is perfect for this holiday season! Not in the mood for ice cream or are lactose intolerant, try a sorbet or a granita instead.

The Nerdy Nummies Cookbook: Sweet Treats for the Geek in All of Us by Rosanna Pansino - $29.99
This is the perfect book to baking loving nerdy geek. Create edible nerdy confectioneries that are comic related, sci-related or video game related. Even kids will love this book! Geek out while having fun baking a storm!

Creative Lettering and Beyond: Inspiring tips, techniques, and ideas for hand lettering your way to beautiful works of art (Creative...and Beyond) by Gabri Joy Kirkendall, Laura Lavender, Julie Manwaring and Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn - $19.95
Want to practice your handwriting? Check out this book to help you fine tune your hand lettering. This would be a good new hobby to pick up and you will be adorning cards and scrapbooks in no time with fancy scripts. Send a letter a loved one or have a hand lettering/crafting party!

What cookbooks and craftbooks are you looking forward to this year? Do you plan to gift any to your friends or family? Any good suggestions that aren't listed above?

Harry Potter Appreciation Letter and Digital Holiday Card

I can't believe Christmas is around the corner. Elizabeth from Book YAbber and I decided to send digital holiday card to everyone. Not only did we decide to include this festive card but we wanted to write our own Harry Potter appreciation letter to J.K. Rowling for the holidays.

Dear J.K. Rowling,

Where do I begin? My life would not be the same without you writing the Harry Potter series. I am fortunate to have grown with Harry. Anticipating the next book or film is something I treasured and looked forward to. I have met so many people through Harry Potter and I have created countless of friendships. And of course Harry Potter doesn't just stop with the books. Harry Potter lives on in other forms! You have helped me many times when I was a teenage. You have guided me to adulthood and more. You have helped me find where I belong and who I am.

What I love about the fandom is the people who make up the fandom. These die hard Potterheads will create wizard rock, write Harry Potter fan fiction, organize Harry Potter conventions, produce Harry Potter fan made films and will create their own Harry Potter crafts. The series has captured many hearts of readers of all ages which is impeccable. The fact that Wizarding Worlds of Harry Potter are opening worldwide is an amazing feat! Even though I never received my letter from Hogwarts, I know I can count being able to be transported into the magical world of Harry Potter because Harry Potter will always live on forever. We will always be coming home! Once again, thank you for writing this amazing series. Harry Potter is my life and without it, I don't know who I would be today.

Best wishes,
Nicole

Do you have an appreciation letter for J.K. Rowling? What would you say to her? How has Harry Potter changed your life?

Image made with photofunmaker.com

Check the blog back on Thursday, December 24th for a discussion about Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. If you are new to Pottermas 2015, make sure to check out this post. Also, you can follow Pottermas 2015 on social media with the hashtag #Pottermas15.