If there is one creative area that I am growing in drastically this year it has to be in the kitchen. I never used to see the kitchen as a creative place to hang out. It was more a forced interaction. I am very thankful that I am coming around to all the artistic goodness it has to offer.
Two cookbooks that I am loving right now are More with Less and The River Cottage Family Cookbook.
The former was given to me as a wedding present from a college professor of mine. My copy was stolen, and I just recently replaced it. It’s a gem of a cookbook, filled with all sorts of facts about food and why simplifying your diet is actually better for your health, your budget and the world.
Some things that have changed in our family’s eating since reading this book:
- More wheat flour, wheat germ and soy flour in baked goods.
- Eating at home more. (When we do eat out, I am much pickier now about the quality of food.)
- Experimenting with different types of beans, figuring out what we like.
- Learning the art of stretching ingredients, such as meat, in order to get more meals out of them.
- Cheaper grocery trips.
- Understanding and implementing other protein sources besides meat.
- Meals from scratch.
- We’re just plain eating healthier overall (pay no attention to the photo below).
The River Cottage Family Cookbook is a wonderful source of cooking inspiration, and as the title implies, is a perfect book for cooking as a family. There are tons of pictures in the book and lots of interesting explanations as to where foods come from. It’s great for homeschooling discussions with my kids, and I see this being a popular book in our home for years to come. I think I first heard about this book from Amanda Soule.
I never thought I would be one of those women who could cuddle in and read a good cookbook (boring, right?), but now I feel creative just flipping through these pages and dreaming up menus for our family.
I also love the creative challenge of trying to fit healthy, budget friendly, and simple all into the same meal.
As a woman who has, for the most part, stayed out of the kitchen for years, I can tell you that a home feels much warmer when there are good things cooking. And I feel more creative, in all areas of my life. Artistic expression has a way of trickling from one place into a lot of places if you just let it. I love that I am literally learning how to cook creatively right along with my kids.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
i’ve recently gotten a big stash of my mom’s martha stewart living mags and unlike your happy recipe reading, i have doing indulgent recipe reading/drooling and craving lots of bad, bad food. it was ironic that you wrote this post b/c it contrasted so strongly to the feelings i’ve had after reading those ms recipes. i know she has healthy ones, too…but let me tell you…all i’ve wanted these past few days are carbs, buttery carbs, and more carbs! SO, to cleanse my palate i am totally getting one of those books (maybe both). thanks for the suggestions! great post!
AMEN! and that bread looks delish:) i really want to check these cookbooks out, they sound awesome.
whatever you made in the first picture looks amazing! Both of those cookbooks sound great, will have to check them out, thanks!
I feel the same way about my artisitic abilities pouring into the kitchen. I used to hate the kitchen and following a recipe. When I got older and learned I can play with the recipe and be creative I loved cooking. I so enjoy it! I also love how I can stretch meals, get my kids involved and I am addicted to cookbooks. It is my hobby, literally. I have recipes coming out of my ears. But I love it. Thanks for recommendations I am going to check it out. I love your pictures, especially the homemade bread. I wish I could get mine to look like that.
I have had this cookbook since the early years of marriage. It is really, really good. It has a great recipe for making bulk whole wheat pancake mix. The “Pilgrim’s Bread” is my favorite. I just recently pulled it out and Gran and I are using it a lot right now too. You could alway exchange some whole wheat flour for white and add some wheat germ to the cookies too.
I cant wait to come over and cook bread with you.
I’ve been meaning to stop by for some time now! I was deleting emails, came across one of your Angy Homemade Noodle invites, and clicked on your website to see if I could access from work. Shamefully… YAY! I can!
I work every Monday night, but I will keep an eye on your site. Your posts are a great read with beautiful photographs!
Those books sound great!
I just put them on reserve at the library – can’t wait to review them! My kids love cooking so much. I guess that is one place I’m getting better at since they are getting older. I allow them to “help” me more in the kitchen. It’s just hard with 2 special needs kids – you don’t want anyone to get hurt. But kneading bread may be just what they “need!” Work out some of their frustrations too! I just hope ours will look as yummy as yours:)
Thanks for the ideas!
P.S. Have you tried the America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook or The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book? A co-worker of mine got one from the library and they are awesome! I ended up buying them.
Hey Mandy,
I know you do not know my very well, but I want to ask you a question. I got both of the cookbooks you recommended. What was the page number and what book did you get the recipe out of when you made the bread you took the picture of? I have tried many wheat bread recipes and I cannot find one that works. Can you tell me the one you used? I would so appreciate it! Thanks for your time.
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie. The bread recipe I use is on page 57 of the More With Less Cookbook. It’s called Honey Whole Wheat Bread. There are two things I do that you might find helpful in making this recipe. It says to heat the water, honey and oil in a saucepan. I don’t do this. I just use really hot tap water. And I add my 2T of yeast to that hot water. If you are using regular active dry yeast, I think you’ll want to do this. I think it’s rapid rise yeast that you can mix with the dry ingredients. Anyway, I mix the yeast in with the warm water, honey and oil and let it sit for a couple minutes until it starts to foam up. Then it can be added to the dry ingredients.
One other thing I’ve learned from experience is not to take the bread out of the pan right away. It will break apart. Instead let it cool a bit and then when the pan is turned upside down the loaf should come right out on it’s own all in one piece. Good to know.
I hope it works for you!
Oh, also, I do both of the options listed at the bottom of the recipe. I substitute some soy flour in and I add in wheat germ.
I will say bread making seems to be an all day affair for me. It takes me a long time, but it’s so worth it when I smell the loaves baking. And the first warm piece with butter melted on it is to die for.
Hey Mandy,
Thanks so much for the helpful hints and taking the time to get back to me. I so appreciate it! Disregard the facebook message then. I will have to try this. I want to conquer the wheat bread!
Stephanie