Happy Sunday everyone! This has been a crazy week on the blog with technical issues. I apologize for that. I have a question. Do you love blue and white, old cookbooks, and cocktails? If so you have come to the right place. As always I am joining my pals Annie and Mary Ann for our Sunday Fab Five.
KRISTIE SHELTON STUDIOS ON INSTAGRAM
If you love blue and white, pretty antiques, and beautiful style, you will love Kristie Shelton Studios on Instagram. Her Dallas home is filled with pretties, and she has an Etsy shop with her oil paintings that you might also enjoy. Doesn’t her style remind you of one of our favorite favorites, Joni from Cote de Texas?
COTE DE TEXAS NANCY MEYERS POST
I had been meaning to do a post on Nancy Meyers remodel in Architectural Digest photographed by Amy Neunsinger. You know how much I love her style. Now that everyone and their brother has already done so, I am way too late to the party. Joni did an extensive post on Nancy Meyers that I am sure you will enjoy here.
PINE CONES AND ACORNS WEEKEND MEANDERINGS
Elizabeth (Pine Cones and Acorns) always has interesting tidbits in her weekend meanderings and other posts. If you aren’t following her you should. I don’t know how she does it. I was particularly interested in the article she shared from Gardenista, A Rosarian tells you when to spray or not to spray your roses. If you are a rose grower, you will enjoy this. I absolutely concur with her advice on spraying roses. I sprayed mine when I was a novice gardener. After several years of spraying, I turned to a more organic approach and quit spraying altogether. She is absolutely right. The roses adjust but it takes a few years. It is like weaning a toddler off a bottle. It works at least in California.
NORDSTROM SALE-HOME ITEMS I LOVE
I know many of you enjoy the Nordstrom sale. It has taken me a while to get on board. I know. I know. It is a great sale. Today I am sharing the home items that I would purchase for myself if I were in need. Has anyone tried their towels? They have terrible reviews unless they have improved them. I desperately need towels for this house. Any suggestions? I am a big fan of the Pom Pom at Home line. Many of the products I am sharing are theirs. I have had their bedding in my home for years. Pricey but worth it. It’s a great time to purchase at affordable prices.
FOOD WITH FEELING CUCUMBER LIME TEQUILA COCKTAIL
Here is a cocktail I can wrap my head around. Wouldn’t this be fabulous on a scorching hot day? You can find the recipe for Food With Feeling’s Cucumber Lime Tequila Cocktail here.
OLD COOKBOOK LOVE
When we moved, I threw out most of my cookbooks. I most often get my recipes online because they can all be found in one place. I have a spot for the few I saved in my new kitchen. What I failed to remember, were the notes I made on the recipe. I saved all of my Ina Garten cookbooks. I made her grilled eggplant dip (a favorite I haven’t made for a while). On the sidebar, there was my note “great recipe add lemon zest & juice, and fresh basil”. One of the cookbooks I tossed was another favorite Sarah Leah Chase’s Open House Cookbook (Ina is a fan by the way). Guess who is ordering Sarah Leah Chase’s Open House Cookbook on Amazon? .I think I tossed all of my Silver Palate Cookbooks too. Has anyone else made this mistake? What are some of your favorite older cookbooks?
This week you got six for the price of five. I decided not to do an outfit of the week today. As always, you can find all of my Sunday Fab Five here. I will be back on Tuesday with my favorites from the Nordstrom Sale. I will put together a couple of outfits out of the sale items for fun. On Thursday Mary Ann, Annie, and I will be joining a great group for Outdoor Entertaining ideas. I will be sharing some of my outdoor spaces, so I hope you will join us. Thanks for reading Do you love blue and white, old cookbooks, and cocktails? Have a great Sunday and pop over and visit Annie and Mary Ann for their favorites.
MOST LOVELY THINGS
CLASSIC CASUAL HOME
Cindy, thank you for your kind comment about my blog, it is always an honor to be featured on one of your posts. I do not have roses but I found that article so interesting. As for the cucumber cocktail, I pined that too, it looks so refreshing.
I make the mistake on our move prior to this one in getting rid go over 300 books, I am still thinking about some of my favorites 14 years later.
I love the Nigella Lawson cookbooks, especially the Christmas one, so many great recipes. You can never go wrong with Ina.
As for towels, I have Nautica and RL towels that I purchased at TJMAXX /Homegoods and I love them, they are well made, absorbent and very reasonably priced.
Thank you again Cindy, have a great week.
Hi Eliz
I always enjoy your blog. You work hard and it shows!!
I have been enjoying Sarah Leah Chase’s cookbooks, since I first visited her Nantucket store Que Sara Sara’s in the mid-1980’s. My most important takeaway from my visit was All of her food to be served outside without ‘iffy’ items that require refrigeration. Her cookbooks are inspiring, as are The Silver Palate, Ina Garten’s recipes, and my go-to CB, Julia Child’s TV Show. Finally, on my GO-TO list is a copy of a 1958 Indiana P.E.O. Collection of recipes, which I use regularly, esp. for desserts.
Now that I am starting to want to live with less, I am only keeping what I need. I still entertain. often; so my CB stay. as does my recipe Binder.
Hi Cindy,
I rarely use my cookbooks anymore but would never get rid of them! Like you I google recipes. But I have my favorites mostly for baking, and some of my Mom’s cookbooks with notes which are special to me. I also have a very messy unorganized folder with recipes I’ve printed out and used, ones I want to try etc. and a recipe box. The most used recipes are the Christmas goodies and a few brunch items. Mostly I cook recipes from my head, and make things up as I go along.
I love blue and white, I have lots of pretty pieces and several dish ware sets and I keep adding to my collection with mugs, vases etc.
As for towels, I get mine at Costco or Marshalls. I look for good quality ones, pure cotton. You sure can’t beat the prices and if I need to replace them it’s not that big of an expense. (Seems they keep disappearing to my daughter who lives in the city’s studio. Hmm…)
Good post Cindy!
Xo Heidi
What is your wall color please? Beautiful room!
Hi Susan
This is not my home. I would contact Kristi Shelton Studios on Instagram. I am sure she can help you.
I love reading your posts. A few posts back you featured a white, long sleeved top with sheer sleeves. I haven’t stopped thinking about it but now can’t find the post. Could you send a link to that post?
Thanks,
Hi Suzanne
That shirt is by Cynthia Ashby and you can find it on Artful Home. It is a great shirt, washes beautifully and holds it shape with no ironing needed!!
Cindy, I always enjoy your posts, and love your style!! Run, don’t walk to Costco and get there towels….they are the best and very reasonably priced, especially if they happen to be on sale!
Hi Angie
It sounds like I need to go to Costco! Do they have more than one brand? My husband is the Costco shopper. I have to drive all the way to San Luis now to go to Costco!
I got rid of most of my cookbooks when we downsized some years ago. I saved all of Ina’s books. The only regret I’ve bumped into are the Junior League cookbooks I donated. I tried to make copies of my favorite recipes, but the few I missed don’t show up on the internet. Most of the time, when I’m ready to prepare something, I find the internet best.
I really enjoyed this post.
Karen B.
Hi Karen
Isn’t it funny we all saved our Ina’s!! I am sad that a few of my faves I cannot find on the internet as well.
I love a bit of blue and white china , and have always used it in a bedroom. Currently there’s one which has a somewhat nautical blue and white theme with bits of red …paintings or cushions.
I decided when moving to this spacious kitchen that some favourite cookbooks would be part of the decor. There are no book shelves, but instead I have two small chairs, slightly bigger than kid size on either side of a pine table ,and I have a pile of cookbooks on each… favourite French and Italian ones, along with some Ina Garten and Jamie Oliver. 📚 These are often enjoyed and reflect my love of cooking. That said , I have some regular baking recipes (cheese scones or morning glory muffins ) in plastic sleeves, in an adjacent drawer , that I found on-line and printed,. As well a little book that I scribble in when I see something on tv that I want to try. My den has a row of other cookbooks, which indeed include Silver Palate and Joy of Cooking, along with Williams and Sonoma specialty books. I have tossed mostly 70 & 80’s books which just don’t reflect how I cook these days. I was, after all, only in my 20/ 30’s and very much a newbie then. I still keep recipes from magazines and from friends along the way, in a file box , which do allow a bit of a memory journey if there’s time.
I do agree that using Google is very helpful, and I have Pinned many to check out using my I -pad, but sticky fingers keep needing to press the screen to keep it up and in view. Technology has its frustrations.
I’d like to share a super food drink recipe for those looking to ease some pain… 🍊🍋🔸
boiling water, poured over 1 T of turmeric, thin slices of orange peel ( no white) and lemon, with just a squeeze of juice, 1tsp grated ginger , and maybe a touch of honey . Let sit for awhile enjoying a mug while warm, and pour the rest into a couple of jam jars for the fridge. Good cold .
The turmeric is the super food known for easing inflammation.
A hint to keep the recipe on your IPad open while you cook: go to your settings and under “Display and Brightness” click on “Auto Lock” choose, “Never”. That will keep your screen open until you go back and choose Auto Lock 2 minutes.
Hi Heidi
Great suggestion!!!
Hi Cath
Morning Glory Muffins are the best! I have my aunt from Indiana’s recipe and I have not made them for years. Thank you for reminding me. I am going to try your turmeric drink. It sounds right up my alley.
Will never part with the original Silver Palate Cook Book! It is the source for the BEST Carrot Cake recipe in the world- the only cake I bake. So many gems in that book.
Hi Nan
You are right about the carrot cake! I forgot.
Hello Cindy, I too purged my cookbooks after reading your post. It was clarifying. I had too many and never used most. I kept all my Ina Garten books and especially the one I waited 3.5 hrs for her to sign at Williams Sonoma SCoast Plaza. I knew the line would be horrific but my husband told me that I would not regret the experience of seeing her up close. I have my own collection of blue and white vases and love your aesthetic for the collected look. After spending absurd amounts of money on countless Bloomingdales Turkish towels and other ultra expensive towels elsewhere, they all ended up the same after washing with frayed edges. Costco has some great towels and sheets. I tried them at my sisters home, not knowing where they were from. They were soft, absorbent and cost 10% of what you pay for a set of towels from Bloomingdales. That was the end to my obsession of buying expensive towels and sheets.
Hi Tara
I saved all my Ina cookbooks too, and now I am using them instead of looking them up online. We used Costco towels at the lake and they seemed to last forever. I must take another look. Thanks for the honest tip!
I love Pottery Barn Hydrocotten towels, they’re soft & absorbent.
I also tossed The Silver Palate cookbook as well as The New Basics cookbook. What was I thinking? Darn!
Love, love anything blue & white, it’s timeless.
That cocktail looks refreshing, thanks!
Hi Jeanne
What were we thinking of? If I am only using one or two recipes..what is the point? I figured almost everything is online. I have found that SP, Sarah Leah Chase and some of the others don’t seem to be…
We purchased My Pillow towels 3 months ago and love them. They are soft and absorbent.
Good price as well! We got white but there are Colors too!
Hi Pam
Thanks for the tip. I will check them out!!
I have been using Pottery Barn towels for quite a while and like them. Right now they have lots of “Coastal Grandma” colors.
I do go through and throw away cookbooks, but not very often. I still have the first one I got from my mom when I got married – Good Housekeeping – and still make a few recipes from it. Still have my original Joy of Cooking and Silver Palate. A few Hungarian cookbooks (husband is Hungarian). A couple by Ina Garten. Otherwise, I mostly go online, where Smitten Kitchen is one of my favorite sources for recipes.
I love blue and white anything, and especially like your blue and white vase on the coffee table next to the books. Thank you Cindy – I always look forward to and enjoy your posts!
Hi Marci
I bought Pottery Barn towels for our rental and I like them too. Smitten Kitchen is great aren’t they?
I swear by Matouk towels, which you can look at on their website. Bloomingdale’s carries them and they are on sale now. Generous in size and wonderfully soft and absorbent. They are expensive but they last for years.
Love all the interiors you show us on your website.
Hi Bonnie
I have noticed they get great reviews. I am so glad to hear they last. So many are expensive and don’t last. Thanks for the tip!
Cookbooks are part of my Collected Look! Ha! Some I will never part with. My Royer’s Round Top Cafe CB and the Perini Ranch Steakhouse CB from Buffalo Gap Tx near Abilene. Also Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn has a good CB that I bought while visiting his winery in Arrington TN. Good wine and good recipes. My family still loves the old family recipes like hash brown casserole and chicken spaghetti but hey, I am happy with a salad and grilled salmon these hot, summer days.
Love the blue and white ! So classic ! Can’t wait til the Nordy post! I am always broke after I stock up on jeans, sweaters and handbags!
Hi Marcia
I love it!! I have been to Royers a few times during Round Top! Since I am not a baker and am not a huge pie fan I do not own that one, but I know a few that would love it! I am probably the only person from the Midwest that doesn’t care for pie. What is wrong with me!!
Ugh downsizing and have 500 cook books that need to be purged. There are some out of print that I will not part with. Always leery of online recipes that claim they are from a cookbook many are altered:( unless you can get to the author’s website and confirm. Some cook books were gifts, some I purchased on a whim but use all the time. Some tell a story ( just received Lost Kitchen, sublime) I have my work cut out for me….
Hi Ali
You are so right about some of the online recipes. I need to check out lost kitchen…
Sarah Leah Chase cookbooks are wonderful! I used them often, especially for parties. I had two, and purged them both during a move. I regret it!
It is easier to find a recipe on line these days, but cookbooks can be more than just the recipes.
I recently ordered one of hers I hadn’t seen before, “New England Open House Cookbook”. It was published in 2015. I’ve cooked from it a bit, so far, so good. My favorite parts of a good cookbook are the stories, and tips in the intro to each recipe. That is what makes a good cookbook for me! Sarah’s writing is on par with Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen.
Hi Lisa
I have started using my cookbooks again and am loving it! I was thinking about ordering the New England one. You convinced me!
You are welcome to The New Basics Cookbook by Silver Palate, which I never use.
I live in Arroyo Grande and am in Paso and Nacimiento often so can drop it off for you any place you’d like.
Hi Karlie
I found my SP I did not throw them out. That’s funny that one I did not use very often either!!
I am probably guilty of tossing some cookbooks…but I gave some to Tommy and kept quite afew. Books are expensive to move (especially cross country).
I always learn from your posts.
Hi Mary Ann
My kids do not use cookbooks..only the internet. Good for Tommy, that he will enjoy them. What a kid!!
I got rid of all my cook books in one of my purges. I took the time to go through them and tear out any recipes I had tried and loved. I now have one file folder of recipes instead of stacks of books that had only a few recipes that I liked. Of course, I still have my box of recipe cards. You can find any recipe you want via Google these days so no need for books.
Thank you for the links. I am now following Kristie Sheldon on IG.
Hi Joanna
I should have done that. I started to and then had no time. The house sale happened very quickly. I can’t find some of the recipes on the internet, but most of them I can!
My husband would attest I have never thrown a cookbook away…ever!!!! Silver Palate? Really? I read cookbooks like novels and they are like totems of memories. I may not cook every thing in one but I usually enjoy the story/journey. Love blue and white porcelain. Adds so much charm to a room.
Hi Patricia
Uh oh this sounds familiar, only before I purged. I still have my aunt’s recipe box. I can’t bear to throw it away. She was like a mom to me only better.
Best Towels – Macy’s Hotel Collection. Wonderfully soft and absorbent. Fluffy white and simple. Sue wrote about them years ago on “The Zhush” and I have used them ever since.
Hi Gray
Which ones? There are several!
I have always loved blue and white. It is in many rooms in my home. I also purged all of my cookbooks. I do miss my Silver Palate set…what was I thinking.
Hi Cindy
Seems we all have the same disease!
Love the classic blue and white and surprisingly more so around the holidays! Offsets the redness/greenness of the season.
As to towels, I bought Macy’s Hotel Collection in Oat. Generous size and plush. They are currently on sale too! Isn’t it funny when you get new towels and you are so surprised at how crappy your old ones are? Ha!
Thanks for the cookbook suggestion. There is always room for one more!
Hi Holly
Hotel Collection in Oat. All of our towels are what I would call dog towels. Beau gets them when they are no longer fit for humans!!