Menu Monday: Cookbooks and a tip

Instead of posting a recipe today I'm going to post about my collection of cookbooks. While I do love to cook, I'll be the first to admit that at times I need a little, ahem, help. Aside from loving books (and having them at my fingertips) I also get a lot of satisfaction from browsing through cookbooks on a rainy day.

Below are a few of my favorites:

Nigella Lawson's How to Be a Domestic Goddess: This is one of my splurge books. When I want to make a dish with expensive or elaborate ingredients, or something that takes a long time to prepare, I always go to this book.

Betty Crocker- it's a classic, I don't think I need to tell you why- you can find EVERYTHING in this cookbook and it's Aaron's favorite.

Rachael Ray's Big Orange Cookbook: Now, I'm not one to watch cooking shows on television (unless it's Man vs. Food which is one of my favorite shows [new season debuts on my birthday, Happy Birthday to me!]) but I do like Rachael Ray's style. She believes in simplicity and that works for me.

And for my all time favorite cookbook, my faithful readers, you know what it is:           

The Amish Cook at Home: I haven't loved a cookbook as much as I love this one. Not only does it have hearty recipes but, it also has amazing stories about the Amish culture.

Tip: Often times I'll try a delicious recipe at a party and I'll ask the host(ess) to email it to me. Or I'll thumb through a magazine while waiting at the doctor/dentist office and I'll come across a recipe I must have (so I'll rip it out- shhhh!) In the end, I put the recipe or email in a plastic page protector and into a binder I have organized by appetizers, main dishes, sides and desserts. This way I have all my miscellaneous recipes organized neatly in one place.