FUNDAY MONDAY

My Favorite Things

Simply In Season

Cathleen Hockman-Wert, Mary Beth Lind

I don't own a lot of cookbooks, just a few tried and true books I've had for years.  I get a lot of recipes off the internet, or from my family.  But my friend, Kitty, recommended this book to me, and I am already in love.  

It was written by two women from the Mennonite community, and it is full of stories and ideas of how to consume less and make the most of what we have.

There are a few reasons I am already a huge fan of this book:

1.  It educates me about what is in season when, what to look for, and how to store produce.  I've found this information in other places, but it is nice to have it all together in the same book I use to find recipes.  Very convenient.

2.  It separates the recipes first by season, then by type of food.  I've already tried several recipes from the summer section, and have many other pages marked to try in the near future.

3.  It gives me a reason to stock up on local produce when it is the freshest, because it also includes recipes for soups and sauces that can be made and frozen or canned.

4.  It makes use of alternative sweeteners whenever possible.  I try to use honey or maple syrup when I can, and many of these recipes include those ingredients, so I don't have to convert white sugar to honey + baking soda, etc.

5.  All measurements include both standard and metric.  Perfect for when I bought a block of butter at the Dutch grocery store but still have standard measuring cups for the flour.

6.  And finally, the recipes are simple, with only a few ingredients, laid out in a very logical order, and tasty.  I literally just have to start at the top of the page and work my way down.  

I've already served some recipes to guest and at parties, and received rave reviews all around.  I plan to buy the companion book, More With Less and Extending The Table, very soon.