Cookbookaholic

Ned's Bag of FREE

Okay, so you know I have several different but specific cookbook collections going on, right? The other week, I was looking through my saved searches on eBay. I’ve taken a long break from eBay, not really because of anything specific, just haven’t been on there in a while.

Anywho, I did a search and found an auction that had a couple of Moravian cookbooks that I don’t think I have. Now, I can’t tell you for certain—but I don’t think those are in the collection. I waited a few days and finally put in a bid—the minimum. That starting bid was a little on the far end of what I was willing to pay, so no tears if I ended up not winning.

Good news—I did end up winning the auction. A couple of days later, my box arrived. The seller, Ned, had packed a sandwich sized Ziploc bag with a free mini flashlight and his business card as an extra freebie! Here’s what I won:

The three Moravian cookbooks that sealed the deal for me: The Hopewell Dinner Bell (Women’s Fellowship Hopewell Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, NC),Christ Moravian Church Cook Book (A.R. Carr Sunday School Class, Christ Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, NC), Pine Chapel Moravian Church Cook Book(Women of the Church, Winston-Salem, NC) and Centenary Cookbook (Centenary Methodist Church, Winston-Salem, NC). 

“Let Us Thank Him for This Food” Centennial Cookbook (Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina, Inc., Thomasville, NC), Seasoned with Love (Christ Temple, Winston-Salem, NC), Our Favorite Recipes (AFL-CIO, Raleigh, NC) and Favorite Recipes of The Carolinas.

Ground Beef Cookbook (Favorite Recipes Press, Inc.), Taste of Home’s Family Favorites: “Clip & Keep” Recipe Collection, Cooking with Soup & Rice (Campell’s Soup Company and Uncle Ben’s) and New Metropolitan Cook Book (Metropolitan Live Insurance Company).

So, all in all, some are great, some are not as thrilling…but I’m happy to welcome them. Then, I notice a larger gallon-sized Ziploc bag with the word “FREE” on it.

Did this seller send me a bonus cookbook?

I open the bag and find a bonus of three cookbooks! They’re not in great condition, but perhaps he thought I’d appreciate them.

Untitled Cookbook (Pine Grove United Methodist Church Cookbook, Winston-Salem, NC) with no back cover, Yadkin County Extension Homemakers Clubs Cook Book with torn off cover and no back cover, and Grace Pentecostal Assembly (Harbor City, California) with missing corner of cover.

Okay, so that was nice. They’re a little tattered, but they were free and that’s awesome. I flip through the yellow one and notice something interesting: there’s a bio of famed North Carolina food editor and cookbook author, Beth Tartan.

 

That’s interesting, I wonder if she had a connection to this branch of the Extension Homemakers Club? I flip through a few more pages and the same thing is written in the header on every page:

Beth Tartan’s Cook Book

Oh boy. I really do appreciate Ned’s bag of FREE! And, I don’t think Ned realized what he has just given me. It’s a copy of a revised, second edition of Beth Tartan’s Cook Book! Granted, it doesn’t have a front or back cover—but there it is.

This is quite a find! Thanks Ned!

I Got Clearance, Clarence

One downside of a corporate job located 50 miles up the road is that I haven’t been able to go to Friday morning estate sales down in Charlotte. At the radio station, no one really noticed if I showed up a little late and let’s be realistic—no one really cared.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to start off my weekend with a sale on Friday morning. Last weekend, I noticed an advance listing for a Friday morning estate sale AND it was super close to the office!

I got clearance to come in a little late and made my way to the sale. It was scheduled for an 8am start and said “no early birds.” So I’m guessing they’re holding the door until then? I rolled in a few minutes early and find the front door wide open…ugh! I’m already late…

I park up front and get inside as fast as I can. I find a table with some cookbooks in a middle sitting room. There’s already a lady looking through them but I get on the other side and start looking. And then I see the price tags.

They’ve got $4 on every single one of them! Are you kidding? Four bucks?

I walk away and look through the rest of the house. I find a broach with different shades of blue stones in a jewelry display case and pick it up. It’s dull but looks like it has potential—after some serious cleaning up.

When I see the lady running the sale, I mention that I thought the cookbooks are a little on the high side. She tells me that she runs an antique store and that she sells church and community cookbooks upwards of $8 a piece. Wha-wha-what?

Oh well, I keep looking through the house, find an interesting piece of Tupperware and snag it.

What do you think? It’s vintage and it’s got some height to it. Do you think it’s for bread? Or chicken?

As I make my way around the house for a final look, the lady running the sale approaches and says she’ll do a lower price on the cookbooks for me. Well that was nice…so, of course, I have to scoop up a few:

From North Carolina Kitchens Favorite Recipes, Old and New (North Carolina Federation of Home Demonstration Clubs), Our Favorites (Rowan County Extension Homemakers, Salisbury, NC) and Carolina Cooking (Telephone Pioneers of America, NC Chapter No. 35)

Two of them have the name “Katherine” written in them. I snagged the blue one specifically because I had also noticed an Extension Homemakers Club pin in the jewelry display case. This organization meant something her. I spoke to the lady running the sale again and she tells me that she found a mission statement, meeting minutes and attendance rolls for the local club in a closet. It was a great history of the area’s extension homemakers club—but she said that the papers were badly mildewed and had to be tossed.

That was unfortunate. But I’m glad that I grabbed the cookbook that was specific to Rowan County! That one was definitely important to Katherine.

Now that the day is done, I've made it back home. I went straight to the jewelry cleaner and spritzed some on an old toothbrush and gently worked it around all the facets on that blue broach. Cleans up nicely, doesn’t it?

Mother’s Day Brunch!

For Mother’s Day, I got the guys to go to my new favorite Sunday Brunch destination: Bonefish Grill.

We got a great table that was outside and underneath a very large umbrella. We got the warmth of the May weather without the harsh sunlight. After our meal and two desserts: crème brulee and key lime pie—we got a visit from one of the managers.

She came over and asked if we enjoyed our brunch and then thanked us for choosing Bonefish Grill for my Mother’s Day celebration. Then, she handed me a Mother’s Day card with a $10 Bonefish Grill gift card to use on a future visit. 

Now that’s a great way to make sure I’ll be back for another Sunday Brunch!

WOW indeed! 

Is This Autographed?

Remember this Julia Child cookbook from a previous post? I got it from a lady who was moving to Portland.

I spent a little more time going through those cookbooks and found this interesting item on the inside cover page:

 

Is this autographed by Julia Child herself? I googled some images of her autograph and some similarities are there. Wouldn’t that be really amazing if it turned out to be the real deal? Now, I just need Rick from Pawn Stars to hook me up with his celebrity autograph expert.

Nigella Times Three

Spring has definitely sprung. I’ve got eleven sales on my list for this morning. Now I know that I won’t be able to hit all of them, but I’m hoping I get the good cookbooks! Plus, Dunc has asked to tag along with me—so I’ll have my travel buddy with me.

Our first stop is a sale at 7am, and it’s already open for business as well roll up a few minutes early. I spy a table of books and head over, I see a cookbook or two in a pile on top of a bookbag and confirm my worst fear, there’s someone already at the table and they’ve grabbed two cookbooks. I get to work quickly and scoop up some great finds and try not to get distracted by the Bill Neal cookbook that is going home with someone else. Ugh!

Around the Southern Table (Sarah Belk), Damon Lee Fowler’s New Southern Kitchen and The Olives Table (Todd English and Sally Sampson).

A Tuscan in the Kitchen (Pino Luongo with Barbara Raives & Angela Hederman), Private Collection (Junior League of Palo Alto, CA), Cooking Seafood & Stuff with Chef Dirt & Kids from the Outer Banks (Jerry G. Smith) and Good Old Grits Cookbook (Bill Neal & David Perry).

Now, I understand that I that have the Bill Neal grits cookbook but there was another cookbook there that I would’ve liked to have as well. Oh well, on to the next sale.

It was a bust and Dunc asks to go back to the first sale because he saw some Nerf toys and some t-shirts. I usually frown on going backwards, but I give in. The sale I’m waiting on doesn’t start until 8am on the dot.

After picking up a few t-shirts and some shorts for Dunc, we head over to the 8am sale. It has started to drizzle, but they’ve got items in the garage and under a tent. This sale is the last garage sale before Suzanne, The Tiny Chef, packs up and heads off to Italy. I met Suzanne at another sale several years ago. Since then, she’s been super busy catering and appearing on The Food Network’s Extreme Chef. I’ve picked up some great cookbooks at her other sale—so I’m really excited about this one!

When we get the go-ahead to come down the driveway, I make a beeline straight to Suzanne in the garage. I don’t find a ton of cookbooks but here’s what I found:

Professional Cooking (Wayne Gisslen), Favorite Restaurant Recipes (Bon Appetit), Gates, Gaits & Golden Plates (Camden Junior Welfare League) and First Lady Cookbook 1983: South Carolina It’s Best (American Cancer Society, SC Chapter).

Plus, I found a rolling pin, copper biscuit cutter and this fancy set of Godinger Silver Plated Cheese Picks! The picks look like they have tiny Ritz crackers on them and the cheese has some sparkly crystals on them….fancy!

On the way out, I stopped by a tent and found these two cookbooks:

Carolina Sunshine Then & Now (Charity League of Charlotte) and Charleston Receipts (Junior League of Charleston, SC).  

I’ve got other sales that started at 8am and they are probably well underway by now, so I decide to head on to the 8:30am sale. It’s a moving sale and cookbooks are mentioned so we’re off!

It’s a small house off of a main road, so I have to park on a side street and hoof it. As I ask about the cookbooks, I’m pointed towards the kitchen. There is a very long shelf filled with some really great cookbooks. And, it’s got already got someone looking through them. He’s on one side, so I start looking at the selection from the other side.

He’s gives me the side-eye but I see a few really good ones right off the bat. There’s someone with him and they make a remark about how there were more good ones at another sale. So they actually leave.

That was interesting. But now, I’m alone with the cookbooks so I start going through the entire shelf and get a really nice stack. I pay for the cookbooks and ask why the lady is selling so many great cookbooks. She tells me that she’s getting ready to move…to Portland. Wow! Now, that’s not exactly across town, is it?

I see other cookbooks on a shelf in the living room—but there’s a gauntlet of chairs stacked in front of them. She tells me that those are the ones she’ll take with her as she moves across the country. There must be some great ones over there—because I can’t believe that I was able to scoop up these:

Williams-Sonoma New Orleans (Constance Snow), Julia Child & More Company (Julia Child in collaboration with E.S. Yntema), Lee Bailey’s City Food, Lee Bailey’s Country Weekends and Forever Summer (Nigella Lawson).

How to be a Domestic Goddess (Nigella Lawson), Nigella Bites (Nigella Lawson), Fannie Flagg’s Original Whistle Stop Café Cookbook (Fannie Flagg with recipes from The Irondale Café), The Paris Cookbook (Patricia Wells) and Lost Recipes: Meals to Share with Friends and Family (Marion Cunningham).

Out of Our League (Jr. League of Greensboro, NC), Savannah Style (Jr. League of Savannah, GA) and Party Receipts from the Charleston Junior League (edited by Linda Glick Conway).  

Well, hello Nigella. By my count, I’ve got Nigella times three! That probably equals some fancy foodie equation. And that has got to be some sort of record!

My GPS tells me I’m really close to another sale that I had penciled in (literally). We make it to the sale and it looks like it has been open for a while. I walk around the garage and don’t see anything that thrills me. I go through the house and ask the crew that’s working here on the inside if there are any cookbooks. They look at each other and say, “Oh, were there!” Just from their tone, I could sense there must have been a ton of them. And this must’ve been the other sale that the couple talked about a few minutes ago. I’m guessing that this sale had a lot of them, but now they’re all gone. Oh well…

Wish I could…but I can’t be at all them right when they open!

I’ve got some truly fantastic cookbooks and I’m not going to let this missed sale bum me out….well, not for too long, anyway. Time to get my Dunc to breakfast and then back home!

Bonefish Grill Brunch

At last! I finally made it to Bonefish Grill to try out their new Brunch menu. When I first heard about this through a Bonefish Grill sponsored Twitter event several weeks ago, I was really excited to give it a try. Seeing Crème Brulee French Toast as a selection was enough to get me going.

So this Sunday, Dunc and I headed over to the Huntersville location. The brunch is available only from 11am to 2pm, so we got there right after they opened. As we were being shown to our booth, the host grabbed the regular lunch menu and the brunch menu as well. I was so happy to finally see it and hold it in my hands.

As you know, as a Southerner, I’m a huge fan of breakfast at any time of the day. Brunch is just a nice way of allowing me to have bacon yet again and something smothered in syrup. Yummmm.

I ordered the Crème Brulee French Toast with bacon. When it arrived, the presentation was really nice.

The bacon was thickly sliced and very flavorful—as you probably expected, I started with those two slices first.

The French Toast was served in three slices. You could taste the crunchy sugar glaze on top of the toast. You honestly didn’t need any syrup (but they’ll still bring you some, if you request). The mascarpone whipped cream, topped with fresh mint, gave the French toast a nice creamy taste. I ate every single bite and loved every morsel. Plus, when I had cleaned my plate, I didn’t feel overloaded—it was just the right amount of food.

I know that when I go back—and I will go back to Bonefish Grill for another brunch—I should venture out and try the omelets and frittatas…but I’m really loving the Crème Brulee French Toast! I would love to order and then line up the French Toast, Oscar omelet, California omelet and a chocolate croissant—and just sample each of them. That sounds like a great way to spend a Sunday. Happiness, indeed.

Interested in seeing what else they have to offer? Here’s a link to the Bonefish Grill locations offering brunch and the menu:http://www.bonefishgrill.com/Content/brunch-menus

Catch Up: Back on the Cold Steps

Today only has one listing for cookbooks and it’s an old house. In fact the ad listed “old cookbooks” so I’m really hoping that I’ll find some fantastic ones. I’m really looking forward to this one and I’ve even got an empty box in the car! It’s at 8am and I’m hoping to get there a little early.

Note to people listing garage sales on Craigslist, I make my list of sales on Friday night. When you hold off on listing your sale until Saturday morning, there’s a 100% chance that I won’t see it. So do me a favor and list your sale earlier! I’m not keen on altering my list.

I’m there at 7:30 am and so far, I’m the only one in sight. Literally. There’s no car parked in the driveway. The house is dark and I don’t see/hear any movement from inside. The yard is filled with old, crunchy leaves. Is this the right address? I take my box and put it in front of the door. I stand there for a minute and then realize that I’ve got another half hour ahead of me. I sit down on the top steps and have the familiar cold brick sensation run straight through my body. Just keep thinking about the piles of cookbooks!

About ten minutes later, a gentleman in a truck parks nearby and takes his place in line behind me. Then a familiar face is the next to arrive. Remember the young guy who bought all the leftover items from Bell’s shed? Then I found the Shake Weight at his garage sale? Come to think of it, this sale had old dolls listed, so I guess that’s why he’s here. Anyway, he rolls up next followed by another older gentleman who usually buys estate sale jewelry.

So we’ve got a nice little line waiting to get in. Keep in mind, there’s still no one here to run the sale. The driveway is empty.

7:54am. 7:55am. Now, we’re getting a little concerned.

8:05am and still nobody is here. The older gentleman in line are getting antsy and start talking about leaving. I’m thinking it too, but it would be just my luck that the door would open up as my car turns onto the next street. One of them says, “I don’t think this one is happening,” and he turns to leave. The other gentleman agrees and they both leave. Now it’s just me and the young guy. I really should ask his name next time I see him.

At 8:15, I’m thinking that I’ve spent enough time and maybe I should head home. Just then, a car pulls into the driveway! She’s here!! And, she’s pulling out keys to open the front door. Yeah! She apologizes for being late, but she had to drive up from Ft. Mill, SC.

As the door opens, I ask which direction to the cookbooks. She says that some are in the kitchen and some are in the back bedroom. Okay….I’ll hit the kitchen first.

There are three stacks on the stove but no light in the house. I can see that these are a bunch of magazines. At the very bottom is a Betty Crocker cookbook. The spine is a little worn, but if this is it—I may as well grab something.

There are stacks of Southern Living magazines in the next room but I keep moving on to the back bedroom. I duck into one bedroom and see no cookbooks—but this catches my eye.

It’s a Cuthbertson Christmas Tree candle holder! Do you know how rare it is to find this Christmas china pattern? Everyone seems to collect the similar Spode pattern, but the Cuthbertson Christmas Tree pattern was something my hubby had growing up. When we got married, I liked the idea of using that pattern for our Christmas as well. I like it over the Spode because it has a star at the top of the tree. It’s since been discontinued and brought back (maybe?)—but it’s amazing to run across a piece.

I then head across the hallway to the other bedroom. I see stacks and stacks of books up against one wall and behind a sewing machine. A few plastic spiral spines are sticking out, but it’s more magazines and spiritual books. I do find a nice handful of cookbooks and a big Southern Living coffee table book, so I head back to the front of the house to check out.

I overhear that she doesn’t have change…so it’s back to the bedroom for more digging! I go through the stacks of magazines and actually find a few more good cookbooks. Glad I came back for a second look!

After I check out, the house is empty and I sit down to talk. Jane is having this sale to empty out her mother’s house. It’s been empty for a few years but her mother, Margaret, just passed away earlier this year and it’s finally been sold.

I tell Jane that I had noticed a ton of Southern Living magazines and ask if her mother liked to cook. She said that she did and that her cornbread dressing was the very best.

“My sister and I were just talking about that at Thanksgiving. That recipe was in her head and I never asked her how she made it. We still can’t get it right!”

I told her that I was hoping to come across a Betty Feezor or two. Jane’s eye’s lit up and she said, “Those are with me! I used to watch Betty Feezor with her at noon on Channel 3. She was always made up with her hair so perfect, well they all did back then—but yes, she had a couple of those and I have them with me.”

Well, at least my instincts were correct! Some Betty’s were in there at one time. I need to fix my Betty radar…to find them when they’re still in the house! LOL!

Here’s what I found amongst the stacks:

At Home with Southern Living (Edited by Katherine Pearson), Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book, What’s Been Cookin’ At Pleasant Grove for the Past 100 Years (Pleasant Grove UMC, Charlotte, NC) and Calvary’s Hospitality (Woman’s Missionary Union, Calvary Baptist Church, Charlotte, NC).

The Breaks of Cooking (Presbyterian Orthopaedic Hospital, Charlotte, NC), Pass the Plate (University City UMC, Charlotte, NC), Classic Holiday Cooking andFavorite Recipes (Ladies Auxiliary, Stallings Volunteer Fire Department, Stallings, NC).

 

Chapel Grove Sampler II (Chapel Grove Baptist Church, Gastonia, NC), Alice’s Brady Bunch Cookbook (Ann B. Davis with Ron Newcomer and Diane Smolen),First Lady Cookbook 1979: Dinner at My Place (American Cancer Society, South Carolina Division), Heavenly Dishes (St. Paul UMC, Charlotte, NC) and Fascinating Foods from the Deep South (Alline P. Van Duzor).

Well, it’s just 9 am. If memory serves, Julia’s Coffee, the used bookstore attached to a local Habitat ReStore is nearby. I’ll head over there and check out their cookbook section.

A few minutes later, I’m sitting on the concrete floor while going through the bookshelf. They cut a deal if you buy three with the same color-coded sticker. I’m in luck and find three red stickers and three green ones. Check them out:

The Mystic Seaport Cookbook (Lillian Langseth-Christensen), Cake Boss: Stories and Recipes from Mia Famiglia (Buddy Valastro) and The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life (Pat Conroy with Suzanne Williamson Pollak).

And guess what....

The Pat Conroy Cookbook is autographed! 

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant Cookbook (Chef William King), Party Potpourri (Junior League of Memphis, Memphis, TN) and Lithuanian Cookery(compiled by Izabele Sinkeviciute).

Now, I can safely call it a morning. No more sitting on cold brick steps…I’ve got the seat warmers on and I’m heading home.

 

Spring Break in Hilton Head

For the first time ever, we’ve been able to spend part of the boys’ Spring Break in Hilton Head. Usually, we get to come down for July 4^th and New Year but, for some reason, that didn’t work out this past Holiday season. So, I’m really thrilled to get opportunity to give the guys a Spring Break vacation.

On our first full day on the island I was able to get out and visit my favorite thrift stores. Not quite the door buster, but I was able to get to St. Francis Thrift Store a few minutes after it opened. The parking lot was packed! Of course, there’s a new Dunkin Donuts next door—but still, it was hard trying to find a parking space. Once I got in the store, I was able to find a nice little stack.

True Grits: Tall Tales and Recipes from the New South (The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc.), A Taste of Enchantment (The Junior League of Albuquerque, NM), New Southern Cooking (Nathalie Dupree) and Cooking with a Beat (Longview Washington Civic Symphony Auxiliary).

The Nathalie Dupree cookbook is autographed!

The next stop was the nearby Goodwill store but I came up empty on cookbooks. I did find a super cool Christmas tree Bundt pan and decided to pick that up.

And now for my favorite thrift store in the whole world! I pulled up to the Hospice Community Thrift with about fifteen minutes to spare before they opened. And then I see that they’re already open. Okay! I was amazed at the selection I found.

There’s a reason this is my favorite spot and here’s why:

A Touch of Atlanta (Marist Parents’ Club, Marist School, Atlanta, GA), Ursula’s Cookbook (Ursula Knaeusel, Ursula’s Cooking School, Atlanta, GA), Tullie’s Receipts: Nineteenth Century Plantation Plain Style Southern Cooking and Living (Kitchen Guild of the Tullie Smith House Restoration, Atlanta Historical Society, Inc., Atlanta, GA), Christmas Gems for Holiday Entertaining (The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc.), Atlanta Natives’ Favorite Recipes (Frances Arrington Elyea, Atlanta, GA), What’s Cooking at Rock Spring (Rock Spring Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA), Atlanta Cooks for Company (Junior Associates of The Atlanta Music Club), Plains Pot-Pourri (Plains Jr. Woman’s Club, Plains, GA) and Charleston Receipts (The Junior League of Charleston, SC).

I probably need to do some research on ole Ursula and find out more about her and any influence she may have had in the Atlanta area...but her cookbook is also autographed!

And here is the rest of the haul:

Southern Sideboards (Junior League of Jackson, Mississippi), Yuletide on Hilton Head: A Heritage of Island Flavors (Edited by Dotti Trivision, Marion Conlin, Mary Murray and Phyllis White), Three Rivers Cookbook II (Child Health Association of Sewickley, Sewickley, PA), Temptations (Junior Service League of Rome, Inc., Rome, GA), Trader Vic’s Tiki Party (Steve Siegelman), Southern Delights: Recipes from Williamson County (Williamson County Chamber of Commerce, Franklin, TN), Famous Recipes from Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House in Historic Savannah (Sema Wilkes, Savannah, GA), Country Days and Nights (Fox Chapel Country Day School, Fox Chapel, PA), Culinary Treasures: Hilton Head Island (The Avid Gardeners, Hilton Head Plantation, Hilton Head Island, SC), Old Mission San Juan Capistrano Cook Book (Catholic Women’s Club of “Old Mission” San Juan Capistrano, CA) and I’ve Got a Cook in Kalamazoo (Service Club of Kalamazoo, Inc., Kalamazoo, MI).

I’ve got some time until The Bargain Box opens up later in the afternoon. But I see some people waiting on the front porch of the building. I pull up and ask them if the Bargain Box crew has started to give out admission numbers. They said “no,” but there were about five boxes that were out front with the label “Free Stuff.” I spot a Better Homes & Garden cookbook sitting on top of one. I park the car and go through all the boxes. After going through the boxes, I get a nice stack:

The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook, Ladies’ Home Journal Dessert Cookbook (Edited by Carol Truax), The Great Cooks Cookbook: A Good Cooking School Cookbook, Appetizing Dips & Spreads, Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, Craig Claiborne’s Gourmet Diet, Potomac Area Newcomers Recipe Book (Potomac Area Newcomers Club, Maryland) and Famous Native Recipes of the Virgin Islands (Gathered by Dea Murray).

These are some pretty decent cookbooks! If these are the books they’re giving away for free, I wonder what they’ve got still left on the shelves inside? Definitely coming back this afternoon.

I head back to the condo and have lunch and try to talk the whole family into going with me…but no luck. I arrive and have to park in the side auxiliary lot. They have limited capacity inside the store and only allow a certain number of customers inside. And while I’m the only one in line—I still have to wait for someone to leave.

When I finally get to go inside, there’s a long line that I have to get around to get to the cookbook shelf. And at first glance, the shelf looks untouched, maybe one or two spaces where a book may have been removed. I don’t really see much that grabs my attention. Maybe I got the good stuff in their free box a few hours ago?

I guess I’d feel better about what’s in front of me, if I could actually get to the cookbooks in front of me. There’s some woman just standing there reading through one of the cookbooks. She’s just standing there. Hello?! I’m trying to look at the selection—could you move?

Thankfully, her friend came over and they decided to get in the checkout line. Finally, a chance to get a proper look at the selection. Here’s what I find:

The Greens Cook Book (Deborah Madison with Edward Espe Brown), Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making (James Peterson), The Trellis Cookbook: Expanded Edition (Marcel Desaulniers), Fish & Shellfish Grilled & Smoked (Karen Adler & Judith M. Fertig) and Great Meals for Busy Days (Nathalie Dupree).

Now this Nathalie Dupree cookbook isn't autographed...but the fish one is:

Now that’s the way to start off Spring Break! I’m thinking that with all these great finds, I can finally relax and enjoy the rest of the week…

Wish I’d Seen the Sign

Today’s going to be interesting! I’ve got a sale on a sure-fire street in Charlotte and a sale all the way over in Maiden that mentions cookbooks. And maybe one in the middle? We’re talking about going from one end of the world to the most opposite point possible. Oh, and all within an hour…and hoping that the cookbook sale doesn’t open early. Yeah, right…

The first sale at 7am is on a street where I’ve had great success before. Not necessarily with cookbooks—I got my favorite Christmas nutcrackers at a sale on this street. Turns out that it’s not the same house, but I’ve got my hopes up. They have a ton of stuff across their back yard and two (yes, two) garages! I find two  boxes with books and cookbooks and start a little stack.

Here’s what I found:

Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book (Second Edition, first printing, 1956), Mary Lyles Wilson’s New Cook Book and A Touch of Grace and a Pinch of Salt (Grace Chapel Widows Ministry).

Cooking with Class: A Second Helping (The Parents’ Council, Charlotte Latin School, Charlotte, NC), The Charlotte Cookbook (Charlotte Junior League, Charlotte, NC), The Buttercup Bake Shop Cookbook (Jennifer Appel) and The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Cookbook.

Nice start!

I head to the first 8am sale a little early. Keep in mind that I didn’t map it out, so I’m not really sure where I’ll end up. All I do know is that the other 8am sale that mentions cookbooks is far away.

By the time I figure out where I’m heading—I’ve put my cookbook sale in jeopardy. It’s too far in the wrong direction and when I finally make it there—the sale itself is terrible. I really should’ve just headed straight to the cookbook sale.

Lesson learned and my trip to the sale in Maiden lands me well into the 30 minutes late zone. Ugh. And, when I finally see the small table with books and cookbooks, there’s already someone looking through them. And man was she slow going through the stacks. I did find a few as soon as she walked away.

The American Country Cook (Pat Katz), Get a Taste of EHS  (Eisenhower High School Family Cookbook) and Favorite Personally Proven Recipes by the “Buxton” Family and Descendants.

I turned around and spotted some hardback cookbooks on a table. They were all bread baking cookbooks—and more expensive—so I grabbed this one:

Crust & Crumb (Peter Reinhart)

I don’t want to kick myself but I really wish I’d just headed straight to this sale. It always bugs me later and I wonder what could’ve been there. If only….

Anyway, as I’m heading out of the neighborhood I notice that their entrance has a brickwork sign. I’ve just been in a neighborhood called Ridge Crest. How about that? My grandma had a place in Ridgecrest, NC where she would host church groups that were visiting the nearby Baptist Conference Center. I spent many a summer there exploring nearby Black Mountain, Swannanoa and Asheville. Wish I’d known the neighborhood name—that might have been the heads-up I needed to make me go there first. Interesting, huh?

#HappinessTalk

I was on Twitter recently and saw that Bonefish Grill was a few minutes away from an event and the hashtag was going to be #HappinessTalk. I love talking about Bonefish Grill and the Pecan-Crusted Rainbow Trout. Heck, maybe Tweeting about it could be great, too.

When the Twitter event started, there were Bonefish Grill chefs introducing a new menu…a brunch menu.

All I need to see is bacon and some French toast and I’m there. I know that I consider brunch just a late breakfast. Of course, I’m Southern and can eat breakfast at any time. When the twitter event started, they a few questions about brunch and  I responded with this tweet:

@BonefishGrill Will your new Brunch menu feature French Toast? And don’t forget the bacon….lots of bacon! #HappinessTalk

Then hit us with the new Bonefish Grill Brunch menu.

http://www.bonefishgrill.com/Content/brunch-menus

They’ve launched an amazing brunch menu at many of their locations including the one nearest me in Huntersville, NC and the one near my in-law’s condo in Hilton Head, SC. They’ll have a special menu every Sunday from 11am to 2 pm.

Of course, I was thrilled to see their French Toast offering:

Créme Brulee French Toast Grand Marnier + orange zest  battered, served with mascarpone whipped cream, fresh mint, strawberries + bacon

I’ll have mine without the strawberries and mint and request the bacon be extra crispy.

I was also intrigued by the omlette selection:

Oscar--asparagus, crab, smoked mozzarella, basil, lemon butter

And I’m sure if one of the boys tags along, we’ll be ordering one of these off the a la carte menu:

Chocolate Croissant flaky pastry, layered dark chocolate, topped with a Maple syrup drizzle

Oh man, am I hungry just reading the menu! I really like getting brunch and can’t wait to try out these new items on my next visit to Bonefish Grill!

At the end of the twitter event, I tweeted out this final post:

@BonefishGrill Here’s my plan: Brunch & Crème Brulee French Toast. Stay for Dinner and Pecan-Crusted Rainbow Trout. #HappinessTalk

Seems like a great plan, right?

After the Twitter event ended, I received a tweet from Bonefish Grill awarding me a $25 gift card! Woo-hoo! That’s fantastic! I’ve never won anything off of Twitter before! A few days later, this arrived in the mail:

Now, my only decision is whether to use this at home or save it for Spring Break in Hilton Head?