Food for the Soul

Yep my MO seems to be post, take a few months off, post take a few months off, as I assume it is with many novice bloggers. Well what can I say, not only do I work a full time job, have two young children, two step children, try to maintain some semblance of a fit body, mind and soul, and do all that other stuff that keeps my life together that blogging just isn't a full time priority. So along the lines of feeding my soul and keeping my mind engaged I've discovered I have an addiction. Not an all together unhealthy addiction but rather a food addiction of sorts without all the added fuss of counting calories or feeling remorse after the indulgence. Yes ladies and gents I have discovered there is an entire realm of food related literature other than cookbooks! If you're anything like me and have accidentally ended up in a career path that is, well umm, anything other than what you intended it to be and feel your creative soul slowly shriveling into an unrecognizable grape of it's former self you too might need a little sustenance to revive it. So here's a little list of some of the books I've devoured over the last few months if you are looking to feed your culinary spirit:

***The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kid
Bon Appetit! The Delicious Life of Julia Child by Jessie Hartland
The Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister
Pie by Sarah Weeks
***The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love by Kristin Kimball
The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels and Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond
Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression by   Mildred Kalish Armstrong
Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl
The Owl & Moon Cafe: A Novel by Jo-Ann Mapson
Charlotte Au Chocolat: Memories of  a Restaurant Girlhood by Charlotte Silver
***The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentleman Farmers by Josh Kilmer-Purcell
***The Garden of Happy Endings by Barbara O'Neal
***The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
La Cucina: A Novel of Rapture by Lily Prior
Clara's Kitchen: Wisdom, Memories, and Recipes from the Great Depression by Clara Cannucciari
Julia's Kitchen Wisdom: Essential techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking by Julia Child
***Good Enough to Eat by Stacey Ballis
***The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate
***Off the Menu by Stacey Ballis
***Angelina's Bachelors: A Novel with Food by Brian O'Reilly
***Georgia's Kitchen by Jenny Nelson

I've starred my absolute favorites, some are more tasty than others and certain more well written than others. I'm not proud to say I'm not a "reader" just like I'm not a "runner" but I do it anyway and seem to find satisfaction in making it through a good book or crossing the finish line of my first 5K. If you are looking for more great food reads check out Goodreads.com for more lists and reviews. I'm a woman of precious little time so the more I can find out about a book before I purchase it the better. I also tend to be fairly frugal so check out halfpricedbooks.com where I have purchased most of these titles for mere pennies on the dollar.

Bon Appetit all!

Serena