Southern Living Cookbooks Giveaway

I loved these two cookbooks so much I'm giving a copy of each away:)))))))))))))
How to Enter:  Simply leave a comment with a link to your favorite recipe! [one entry per person please!] :)
This giveaway will close next at the end of next Thursday. 


**the cooksbooks are provided by YC Media

Southern LIving: Heirloom Recipe Cookbook review

"The food we love from the times we treasure." -on the front cover of Southern Living's Heirloom Cookbook.  I couldn't agree more. I treasure an old notebook full of my grandmother's recipes. I've tried a few, and well, she was from a generation of a pinch of this and a dash of that. She didn't really "measure" things. She passed away when I was a teenager, and I was too young to appreciate her culinary skills to learn exact measurements of things. 
When YC Media asked if I'd like to review this cookbook, I jumped at the chance. I love Southern Living, and this cookbook does not disappoint! 

Title: Southern Living Heirloom Recipe Cookbook: The Food We Love from the Times We          Treasure Writer: Marian Cooper Cairns Publisher: Oxmoor House

The book opens with Cocktail Hour. The first recipe is for Iced Tea which is a southern staple, and there is no doubt why it's the first recipe in the book! Not only does the Heirloom Recipe Cookbook include Iced Tea and Refreshing Lemonade recipes, it also includes the Bloody Mary [you know when you're not feeling so hot at Sunday brunch;)] to an Orange-Champagne Cocktail to the Mint Julep [for that Derby party you're throwing]. 
The next category is "Cherished Breads." Since I have just returned from the beach, I cannot begin to fathom how excited I am to try the Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes from this section!
The other categories included are Memorable Mains, All the Fixin's, Blue-Ribbon Desserts, Holiday Traditions, The Larder, and my favorite Covered Dish Classics.
I love the Covered Dish Classics because they are one dish meals. Think potlucks at work, baby/bridal showers, things new parents can freeze, etc. Included are recipes such as Cheesy Chicken Tetrazzini, Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings, Chicken-Pecan Quiche, Shepherd's Pie, She-Crab soup, and so many more.  

And since I'm sure I have your mouth watering, here's one recipe from the book: 

Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes
Prep Time: 21 minutes Total Time: 33 minutes Serving: 18 mini crab cakes
Ingredients:  1 lb. lump crabmeat, drained 1 large egg 1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire pepper 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup mayonnaise, divided 4 saltine crackers, crushed Paprika Lemon wedges Garnish: freshly chopped chives
Directions:  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pick crabmeat, removing any bits of shell.   2. Whisk egg in a medium bowl. Whisk in parsley flakes, next 3 ingredients, 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise, and        3/4 tsp. Old Bay seasoning. Gently stir in crabmeat and cracker crumbs. Shape crab mixture into 18      (1 1/2-inch) patties. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
3. Stir together remaining 5 Tbsp. mayonnaise and 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning; spread on crab cakes, and     sprinkle with paprika. 
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown. (Do not overbake.) Serve with lemon     wedges. Garnish, if desired.



I think this cookbook is lovely, and you should definitely check it out!  FYI-this cookbook is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon right now:)

Southern Living Cookbook Winner

Using random.org, the winning comment was #6.....Emily W. Emily, please email me your info. Thanks:))))

No Taste Like Home...

No Taste Like Home is written by Kelly Alexander. She is a food writer and author of the critically acclaimed Hometown Appetites: The Story of Clementine Paddleford, the Forgotten Food Writer Who Chronicled How America Ate. 
No Taste Like Home is an exquisite journey for the palette visiting six southern regions without leaving the comfort of your home!  The regions include:  The Heart of Dixie Cajun Country Big, Bold Texas The Piedmont & the Mountains The Bluegrass, Bourbon & Barbecue Trail The Coastal South

Each region starts with a background or history of it per se. And when introducing each city in the section, a little blurb is included as well. I really like how the recipes include tidbits about the person who crafted the recipe or a little background about that specific recipe. For example, Matthew Sweet, all you people my age know who I'm talking about, is included with the Bluebird Cafe's stir-fry with grits recipe. He remembered taking visitors from out of town to the Bluebird and having breakfast there with the likes of R.E.M., the B-52s, and others. The people Kelly includes in the book range from chefs (like my local chef--Kelly English!) to actresses such as Eva Longoria to musicians like Miranda Lambert to even Miss Kay Robertson.  I think those little excerpts are what makes this cookbook not just a cookbook, but a good read as well!

I was also very excited to find that my hometown, Memphis, was in the book. But in all reality, what's a southern cookbook without Memphis in it?!?!?!  And only a Memphian can appreciate the recipe for "The Fat Elvis" given by a local. A peanut butter and banana sandwich was one of Elvis's faves!!!!! You're not a "real" Memphian if you don't know that:) And I absolutely love the picture Kelly included with this recipe. Elvis---young, handsome, Graceland in the background...

Instead of boring you with more words and blah blah blah about the cookbook, I thought I'd show you actual items that we maybe i should be honest and say my husband cooked.

We started off with a little guac. Guacamole's a good fat, right? At least, that's what I'm going with:)

Guacamole recipe from the San Antonio section

Beef Fajitas with Pico de Gallo from the Dallas section
I've never had flank steak, and I was surprised at how tender it was! Definitely will be our recipe rotation from now on. 

Sara Evans's Cheesy Potato Soup from the Birmingham section
This is seriously some of the BEST potato soup I have ever eaten. In fact, it was so delicious that I wanted to eat it for lunch and dinner til it was gone much to my husband's chagrin. I did however manage to have a bowl a day til it was completely depleted. 

This is just the beginning of our culinary journey through the South with this book. I ahem, i mean my husband plan on making many more recipes from this book. It enables me to explore southern regions I've yet to visit without leaving the comforts of my own kitchen:)

**i was given this book for review. i was not financially compensated. all thoughts and opinions are solely my own and not influenced by the publisher and/or author.