Miss E. Picks The Winner

We are on our way to find Miss E. She has agreed to pick the winner for the giveaway as it would not be proper for me to do it with three family members in the running. She is the very best of neighbors and a real character too. I will be posting about her on occasion so this will be a good time for an introduction. We will most likely find her outside somewhere as she is very active.

Here is the front porch with her thriving geraniums that I can see from my living room.

I don't see her around back either...she must be in the garden..."Miss E., Miss E."

"Here I am, in the garden. I can't figure out what kind of an apple this is, will you take a look?"

" I can't remember what kind it is...maybe a golden delicious. I have some beets that might be ready, I'd like to have some for dinner.

"Oh yes, these look ready, I'll cook these up for dinner."

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"They look great, remember last year how disappointed Mr. B. was that some rodent ate almost all of his beets?"

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"Between the deer in my garden and the vole, or whatever it was, it's a summer to put behind us. Let's go on the patio and find out who the lucky winner is."

"Miss E., that Blueberry bush is doing great, so healthy and lush."

"Yes it is doing well and I will bring some basil in to have in a soup."

"Here is the list that I made with all of the entrants and a corresponding letter to go with. The Scrabble pieces to match are in the bag, if you will reach in a grab one and match it up then we will have a winner."

"And the winner is Kami, it is a good thing that you asked me to do it."

"Yes, and I do appreciate it. Thank you for helping out."

"Your welcome, anytime."

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Congratulations Kami and remember you can change your mind on what book you want.

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Thanks to all who entered. This was a nice experience to share our treasured cookbooks, they really are like special friends in the kitchen.

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Wishing you all a wonderful weekend...it is going to be really hot in our neck of the woods!

Michelle's Entry

Hood Acre Farms

Another near and dear to my heart entry. These are a few of my sister Michelle's favorites. She shares a home with our mother who likes to be 'in charge' of the kitchen so her time using her books have been limited...We are trying to get mom to loosen the reigns on the stove a bit.
My sister is a real trooper and I am very proud of her. She was diagnosed with breast cancer this spring and has just completed the last of her chemo. Next week I will be going down to Portland for her surgery on the 19th. She has been a shining example of how faith in
God and a positive attitude can help a person not just get through a difficult time but become a stronger and more vital individual in the process. She has a blog which I have been encouraging (nagging) her to post more often so if you want, pay her a visit at Hood Acre Farms
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Here is her email: As of yet, I am not much of a cook, however, I love the country life, being a farmgirl/cowgirl, and surrounding myself with lots of animals. I want to learn how to cook simple down home meals like they prepared on the prairie or out on the range while wrangling cattle. There is a myriad of cookbooks out there for my taste, but it is quite overwhelming as where to begin. So, when I stumbled upon the cookbook: Cowgirl Cuisine: Rustic Recipes and Cowgirl Adventures from a Texas Ranch, I knew I had found the book I would love to win.

Best of luck to all contestants!
Michelle
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Thank you Michelle for your entry and good luck.
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Remember that tomorrow is the last day to enter. The winner will be announced on Friday when you will meet a new character in the saga of the Little House. We have asked Miss E. who lives across the road and is 82 yrs. young, to help with the giveaway.

Sarah's Entry

Another book shelf near and dear to my heart. These help my lovely daughter-in-law Sarah, to feed two of our granddaughters and our son. I spy several that I have given her as gifts.
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Here's what Sarah writes:

Here is some of my cookbooks (with kids books mixed in :-)

I think I might like the new Gluten Free Mama Cookbook if I win, but not sure yet.
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Thanks Sarah for your entry and good luck.

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Remember, if you want to enter, Thursday is the last day to send it in. Details here.

Valerie's Entry

All About Home Baking - Photo from Amazon.com

Valerie almost didn't enter the giveaway because of a major cleaning, re-arranging in her kitchen. Not sure what boxes her cookbooks were in she felt unable to get a photo to enter. Since we are not that fussy around the Little House, we are not going to let that stop us ...We found a photo on Amazon.com and Valerie sent a nice email about some of her cookbooks.

Valerie's email - I have a favorite one lately that I have been going back to as I have been enjoying old recipes. This one has more baking type goods in it. A 1939 cookbook called "All About Home Baking". This is my oldest one. I also have Paula Dean, Good Housekeeping, chocolate lovers cookbooks, books on home preserves, desserts, main dishes, crock pot cooking, wedding cakes (although have never and never will make one but like the looks of the book), fancy and simple, diabetic (I'm a diabetic), church and school cookbooks, I love cookbooks.

If I could pick any cookbook, I would have to say The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond. I look at her blog often and pick recipes from it now and then.
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Thanks Valerie for your entry and good luck with your kitchen project.
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Don't forget your entry needs to be in by Aug.12th. Details here.

Joan's Entry

Well now...I thought I had a lot of cookbooks but Joan takes the cake. This gives me a good excuse to get more!
Here's Joan's email to explain.
Thanks for posting such a fun giveaway. I've attached a photo of a stack of some of my latest additions to my collection of over 2,000. I know I have an addiction! lol I've been cooking out of these or hoping to soon. They are the ones next to my chair for browsing after work. I'd love to win The Pioneer Woman Cooks By Ree Drummond. I enjoy her blog and have cooked a few things from it and would enjoy cooking from her cookbook.
Thank you.
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Thank you Joan for sending in your entry and for proving you can never have too many cookbooks.
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Remember entries need to be in by Aug. 12th, details here.

Heather's Entry

MY EVERYDAY GRACES

Heather joins us today with her collection and a nice description of how she keeps all theses books in line (I need to learn a lesson here). Her blog is full of information, inspiration and fun and right now little chicks too. I encourage you to stop by MY EVERYDAY GRACES to get in on all of the activity.

Here is Heather's email.

I'm a bit compulsive when it comes to cookbooks...I haven't sought professional help yet, but perhaps it's time?? As you can tell, I didn't pick up before taking this photo. However, I do try to keep some semblance of organization when it comes to the books.

First, I shelve them alphabetically by country (American, French, Greek, Irish, Italian, etc.) After those I have a section for celebrity chefs and then soups/stews, desserts, food/wine pairings, cheeses etc...you know speciality topics.

I would like to say I have cooked out of every book I own but regretfully I have not. I do enjoy perusing the pages and dreaming of different dishes though:) Maybe I should make it a goal to cook out of each book in the next twelve months? Hmmm, possibilities.

If I were to win a new book I would choose one on canning/preserving like the new Williams Sonoma Art Of Preserving.

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Thank you Heather for your entry....I have lovingly given her the nickname "The Librarian".

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Deadline for Your Entries: Aug. 12th, details here.

Yasmine's Entry

Here is a photo sent in by Yasmine who has a most inspiring blog, Love Live Survive Home.
I encourage you to visit it to learn about some of her travels and lessons along the way. An example of this is on the side bar of her blog where she states that she learned English from watching movies and apologizes if she makes any mistakes. Please read some of her past posts, they are very touching.

Here is her email.

I send you a picture of a few of my favorite ones, I have a lot more of course. Some are old and well used, some rather new, but I love them all. There is actually something very special about
my cookbooks - I have them (and use them!) in four different languages: English, French, German and Croatian! They are silent witnesses of all of the places I've lived and cooking styles I experimented or learned.

If I win I would like to have one of Ina Garten's cookbooks: "Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics or Barefoot Contessa At Home. Thank you!

Thank you Yasmine for your entry.
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Remember the entry deadline is Aug. 12th. Details here.

Kat's Entry

Princess And The Pea

Here is our first international entry and it comes from Kat over in England (I love Internet travel). This cozy shelf holds more than a selection of her cookbooks but also a hint of Kat's world travels. She points out the chilies drying on the left that she will use to make Harissa paste. Hanging on the right is nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and some other spices from the Caribbean. If you splash it with water it refreshes the smell. I say you can't get anymore of a 'green' room freshener than that! The framed photos are of Kat and her husband Paul in China.
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Kat reports that her favorite book for general use is "Family Book" which she has made nearly all of the recipes. Her highest rated dessert book is "The Mary Berry Book" as she declares, "is the best book I ever bought". So with that rave review she is requesting "Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook" if she wins the giveaway.
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And if you thought she only has the books in the top photo you would be mistaken.......

This shelf collapsed under the weight of many others in her collection!

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Thanks for your entry Kat and good luck.

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Don't forget August 12th is the deadline. Details here.

Kami's Entry

McGladrey Family

This photo is near and dear to my heart because out of the pages of these cookbooks, three of our grandchildren are fed. Kami takes feeding her family healthy and tasty meals very seriously and does a good job of it. She plans out the menus weekly and shops carefully...Enough of the motherly bragging.

Here is the email she sent.

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Here's a pic of my cookbooks in desperate hopes that I win a cookbook that's been on my Amazon wish list for far too long: Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, by Sally Fallon.

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Well now...very interesting Kami. Humm. Thanks for your entry and good luck.

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Don't forget to get your entry in by Aug. 12th. Details here.

Lola Nova's Entry

Lola Nova - Whatever Lola Wants

To me, seeing cookbooks in a home like this, gives me the same calm, serene feeling that I get when I see clothes on a line. What is that all about? I have pondered it many a time, and believe it may be that, at that very moment, all is well with the world. . . .In our minds eye, we see Lola Nova go to her shelf and choose a book that she will use to express her love for the people she is about to serve. . .Is there anything better in life?
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Lola sent in her photo, promptly, last night. She stated that this is just one of several places that they house their cookbooks. There are also 2 other large bookshelves elsewhere.
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Sherri B.: Well Lola, what cookbook will you choose if you win?
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Lola: I would love that Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics book.
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Sherri B.: You do not have to choose a book off of the pile in my photo, that was just a few of my books to show you. My fault, I should have been more clear about that...So you can choose whatever you want.
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Lola: Thanks for the clarification, silly me. I actually almost bought the Barefoot Contessa one before. . .but. . .if I can pick any. . . maybe. . . Last years "Gourmet Today". . . or this one sounds interesting, "Savory Baking, by Mary Cech". . . Really there are too many to know!
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Sherri B.: Not to fear, there will be plenty of time to ponder this...I think it will not hurt a thing if the winner changes their mind.
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So we see Lola Nova has several on her wish list. This makes it that much more interesting so you all are invited to do the same.
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Don't forget to get your entries in as you would not want to miss out on this. Details on contest are here.