Blogger friends’ books
Hey! How’s the morning going? Hope you’re having a great one so far <3 I just finished up a morning stretch, an awesome breakfast, and am ready to enjoy the day’s adventures.
I feel inspired with recipes lately. It’s certainly a mixture of a few things: the fall produce (gimme ALL THE SQUASHES), enjoying new dishes, and the fact that I’ve had a couple of awesome new cookbooks to enjoy. New cookbooks always help me to think outside of my usual habits, and they’re an enjoyable way to take down time when you’ve been working on creating your own recipes. It’s comforting to breeze through a recipe knowing that someone else has carefully tested it for you. My two latest faves are even better because they were written by very good friends.
The first one is this PTV: The Part-time Vegetarian Smoothies and Juices, which was written by Tina.
I’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with Tina quite a few times, and she’s become one of my closest blogging buddies. (I still haven’t met Murphy though, and am borderline obsessed with that pug cuteness.) Tina is also a new mama, a CrossFitter, and writes an awesome blog if you haven’t checked it out.
To write this book, she had to create and test over 140 smoothie recipes in two months (!!!!). When I received my copy, I was amazed by how beautifully it came together. Not only are the recipes incredibly creative (so fresh and vibrant!), but the full-page color photos are gorgeous. There are so many awesome smoothie and juice combos in here, and it’s really encouraged me to step out of the usual rotation. I tend to make the same smoothies and juices over and over, and for the past few weeks, I’ve been using quite a few of Tina’s amazing recipes.
Blueberry-basil smoothie:
Another cookbook that I was particularly excited about: Seriously Delish by Jessica.
Ok, so I’ve never met Jess in real life (sad face), but we’ve been blog friends since the early days. I’m also convinced that she’s the Pilot’s dream wife. I read him some of the titles of her blog post recipes, and he walked to the kitchen to get a bowl of cereal with a trail of drool on the floor behind him. Needless to say, her recipes always go well in our household 😉 In pure Jess fashion, the cookbook pages are filled with beautiful photos and unique recipes. There’s a beautiful mix of indulgent and healthy options; I love that everything is made from scratch.
A huge hit: these chewy granola bars. They’re a medley of oats, pumpkin seeds, flax, sunflower seeds, chia, honey…
and for her first bar, Liv was walking around the house saying “Mmmmm. Mmmm! Mmm. Mmmm!”
Here’s the thing: the PR reps sent me copies of these cookbooks, and I had already ordered both on Amazon. So, I’d love to give them to one of you! Just leave a comment below with something that’s inspiring to you, or your favorite cookbook ever, and I’ll pick a winner this Thursday midnight EST. I’ll send both of these cookbooks to the winner, along with whatever goodies find their way into the box 😉
xoxo
Gina
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Those granola bars look amazing – I would love to win so I can make them!
x
I love when herbs make it into smoothies!
I love the old small town church cookbook that my mom has. Would love to try these out!
My favorite cookbooks ever are the Hungry Girl series….not necessarily because of the recipes, but because they helped me survive and break through two very painful and overweight years of college. It’s amazing how a book can motivate, inspire and help get your life back on track!
My favorite cookbook ever is this big orange one my mom had that was held together with masking tape. I don’t even know what it was actually called. It was from the 50s or 60s, and not exactly what we would call healthy in today’s terms. What I loved about it was all the information it had in it about cooking basics and other, random stuff. Now I’m wondering if she still owns it…
I’m inspired by easy recipes right now. Preferably crock pot.
I love to cook with seasonal produce. It is inspiring to take the best of the season and get creative!
I love the Betty Crocker cookbook as a simple, everyday cookbook!
Too many to choose from! I love Cookbooks. 😉
Right now I am loving both Against All Grain cookbooks!
I love cookbooks and I’m always going to the library to check new ones out. Would love to add to my collection.
I love both their blogs and would love to get my hands on both of the cookbooks!
love both of these bloggers! my first (and possibly favorite) cookbook was one I had as a child called “quick and easy cookbook”
I find it difficult to get inspired in the kitchen, often using Pinterest for inspiration, and would love a couple new cookbooks to help me with this! The granola bars look like something I’d love to try!
I have a group of good friends who are mainly vegetarians. When I’m with them, out of respect that they shouldn’t have to envision the meat, I take the veggie path, and also tend to cook more veggie/eggless options for them too. They have inspired me to eat more on the veggie side. Even though I do still enjoy the occasional chicken/fish, I don’t crave meat as much.
I would love to win these books, so I too can change up my recipes.
Like you, I tend to fall into the routine recipe rut.
My fav cookbook at the moment is Giada Delaurentiis “Everyday Italian” but I would LOVE to check out some new ones, especially from these two talented bloggers!
Fall inspires me to start cooking more! Making comfort food dishes with a healthy twist.
The change of seasons is inspiring me!! Although I love grilling, I enjoy when it’s time to put it away and cook fall comfort food in the kitchen again.
I need to get out of my same routine. Been spending a lot of time on pinterest finding new recipes. My goal is a new recipe a week so the books would come in handy.
My favorite “cookbook” is a binder of family recipes that my grandmother gave me. I aboslutely love it, but have worked my way through every recipe over the years and would love to try some new ones 🙂
I love this post! I absolutely love cook books! The combination of food and photography! I recently bought the latest Lorna Jane Nourish (in Australia) and couldn’t recommend it more! I would love to add these two books to my cookbook collection!
Would love to get out of my cooking “rut” as well! I’m inspired by new flavors!!
I’m currently exploring the 100 Days of Real Food cookbook that just came out. I would love to add another to further expand my cooking horizons!
Jessica’s book is on my wish list! All of her recipes always inspire me to get a little creative in the kitchen and try smtg new!
I’m still a big fan of the Peas and Thank You cookbook!
I have a cookbook called Simply in Season that organizes recipes based on the seasonal produce in them (spring, summer, fall, winter). I love it because I can buy up a bunch of seasonal produce, then flip through the season in my book to get ideas for how to cook them. There’s also an all-seasons bit in the back for stuff you can make year-round.
Cooks Illustrated is our cooking bible! Blogs like yours also inspire me to try new recipes. I just made your pumpkin cranberry energy bars for 100 employees to celebrate the deliciousness of superfoods:-)
My favorite cookbook is one my nana made for me when I got married. It is full of all her recipes and they are all amazing!!
Glad you are having a great time in B.C.!!!!
I live in the next province over, Alberta. Love reading your blog Gina! Have fun!
That is seriously amazing of Tina to write a book in 2 months. Plus, it sounds like an amazing book (because sometimes you just need a little smoothie help, ya know??). I LOVE Isa Does It. I call it my vegan bible haha. But, in general, I just love having cookbooks to choose from. Precisely why I need to keep building my collection!
My favorite cook book is the one my mom made for me. When I was first moving out of my parents house she wrote all of her homemade and my favoirte recipes on inex cards and made a cookbook out of them. They are still my favorite recipes to look back on and are such an inspiration to how amazing my mom is not only in the kitchen, but in all aspects of life! 🙂
I love Mark Bittman’s VB6 books. Actually, I like all of his books period. I have a collection of cookbooks and these look amazing!
My inspiration for cooking is usually whatever I’m craving at the time, my body is pretty insistent on letting me know what it wants. This week it’s been green juices.
I follow both of these blogs, and the books look amazing!
I’m lusting after both of these! I had no idea Tina wrote another book and I could always use some smoothie/juice inspiration. Actually, you, Jess and Tina were 3 of the very first bloggers I started following, and the three of you were my inspiration to start my own blog 4 1/2 years ago. It’s been so fun to watch how you’ve all changed in the process (for the better, of course!) and you still continue to inspire me! 🙂
Aw that’s so sweet of you! My inspiration for cooking is usually the weather outside! Hot out, then a light dinner. If it’s cold, I make more hearty meals that typically include the crock pot.
Right now I am loving The Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam of Elana’s Pantry. Everything I have made has been wonderful!
Ooh, I’ve been drooling over both of those cookbooks! I like to peruse my cookbooks for inspiration, but I have, like, 4 total, and one of them is “Meat” from Omaha Steaks. I’m sorry, but it’s just not inspiring if the first (and pretty much only) ingredient is a $26/lb ribeye, and so much of it is grilled (we’re in an apartment, grill-less)! Need to expand my collection!
I LOVE the book “What Katie Ate: Recipes and Other Bits and Pieces”. It has the best recipes with stunning pictures!!
My favorite cookbook is Ina Garten’s Back to Basics. I need some healthier recipe cook books!
I would love to win so I could make the granola bars for myself and my twins!
I’ve been on a smoothie kick lately so Tina’s book sounds amazing 🙂 (well they both do, but…)
I’m getting married this November and both of these cookbooks will definitely help me make some delicious food for my soon to be husband!!
I love all of Ina Garten’s cookbooks and The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook by Lindsay Landis.
Buying cookbooks is my one bad habit. I’m obsessed with them, and it’s costing me quite a fortune. It would be great to win these. I’ve been wanting Tina’s since it came out!
I’m inspired by all the recipes I find online and by recreating my favourite recipes that my Mom has always made.
The change of season to autumn is so inspiring, epecially in the kitchen! My palate is ready for fresh, new flavors. My very favorite cookbooks are the ones that are created by small communities and printed with all of the best family and time-tested recipes. I have collected a few, and always refer to those when I want some really good comfort food!
don’t know if i could pick a favorite cookbook ever (too many!), but right now i’m loving The Paleo Kitchen. simple recipes and everything has turned out to be delicious!
I need some new smoothie inspiration to get out of my rut… These all look yummy!
Pumpkin has been my latest inspiration! Especially in bars and snacks!
I’m a huge fan of the New England Soup Factory cookbook! It has amazing seasonal soup recipes and I have yet to make one I didn’t love. Would love to check out both Jess and Tina’s books!
I have never thought about adding herbs to smoothies… I am so far behind on the smoothie train! Both of these cook books look AMAZING. I love when I find cook books or recipes that inspire me to get back into the kitchen, and that it really isn’t as scary/difficult as I sometimes feel it is.