Before I announce the winner of the cookbook giveaway, I am excited to report that the Culinary Cellar is on the move again! Many of you know that my basement library is an ongoing project. I have thousands of cookbooks and not enough shelves, but one more was added this weekend! My sister-in-law’s husband, Larry, is the mastermind behind my shelves. My basement is not very large, and it’s just your basic cement basement, but the only place in the house that could house all my cookbooks, dishes, card catalog, and filing cabinet of recipes. It’s a little cramped, but it’s cozy! I can’t wait for it to be completed, but I’m afraid that is months away. In the meantime, I still keep collecting cookbooks and clipping recipes.
Phase Two shelf from this weekend
Phase One shelves are already stacked with books, although not neatly yet. I have rows of shelves just like in a real library, which makes browsing easy. I decided to shelve the books by category rather than by author or title. All of the bread cookbooks are together, cakes, cookies, eggs, pies, etc;, then I also have some by country- France, Italy, Mexico, and so on. I have many state and city cookbooks, too, and those are also separated. This is such an undertaking, but one that I am having fun with almost on a daily basis.
Okay- now for the winner of “The Secret Lives of Baked Goods.” I don’t have a very scientific method for randomly selecting a winner. I didn’t go by the comments because I loved all of them, but instead asked my sweet husband to just pick a number, then I counted down the comments until I hit his number and that was the winner!
The winner of the random drawing for the cookbook is…… “Allie!” This is what Allie had to say about her favorite baked good: “I’d have to say oatmeal chocolate chip pecan cookies, hands down. The best way to eat it? Unbaked. With a spoon. No Shame.”
Congratulations, Allie! I will be contacting you by email to get your address and will mail it out soon. I wish I could give everyone a book, but no worries, there will be other drawings in the future so keep coming back to read about them. One thing I have been thinking about, is that once I get my books all up on the shelves, there will probably be duplicates here and there, so I am going to stockpile those and have “surprise boxes” filled with books to give away. How does that sound?!
Thanks again to Jessie Oleson Moore for her wonderful book, and I’ll look forward to giving away your next book!
Hi, Debbie,
It has been great to connect with you! I look forward to trying your recipes and to sharing our love for cook books and cooking!
From Down Under-
Emma
Hi Emma! I am thrilled to be connected with someone Down Under and our shared love of the Sphere recipes!
Thank YOU, Debbie! What a treat– I can’t wait to read the book and bake up some delicious treats!
You are so welcome, Allie! I’m sure you will enjoy the book.
Debbie– Just posted the first of what I’m sure will be many recipes from Secret Lives on my blog– Can’t thank you enough for giving me not only a gorgeous cookbook, but the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made.
Allie, I am so glad you loved the cookbook! I will definitely have to try the chocolate chip cookies. Thanks so much for writing!
I have only one shelf, Debbie, for my cookbooks. I should send you a photo of my collection one day.
I also have duplicates but that’s because I love some titles so much I have a copy to bake/ cook from and one for ‘the collection’.
I just wanted to share with you that my recent scores are a copy of Kathleen’s Bake Shop and Margaret Braun’s Cakewalk.
My next goal is to find an affordable copy of Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course.
Totally love your basement.
By the way, I spotted a silverfish near my shelf and am in a panic. We’re really hot and humid here. How on earth do you keep these nasties from your treasures?
Hi Judy! I am so happy you are enjoying my collection of books. Wait until you see my basement when it’s all completed! I started with just one shelf and one little recipe box, too, but it grows and grows over the years and pretty soon you might have a collection like mine. It took me a very long time and I still love it. I have the Kathleen’s Bake Shop book, too. It’s great! I don’t have the Cakewalk or The Last Course, so if you find them, you must tell me how you like them. As for your question about the heat, humidity and bugs, my basement is very cool year round so I don’t worry so much about that, but I have to keep dusting and getting rid of cobwebs every week.
Are there gluten-free recipes for my wife?