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One of My Favorite Cookbooks: Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2

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Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2 Cookbook
Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2
If you’ve read the food blog for any length of time you know I collect cookbooks as eagerly as a Reality TV Star collects compliments.  I’m so bad, I even have cookbook collections within my cookbook collections. The following are a few of these “extra special” collections..

  •  Rachael Ray
  • Michael Symon
  • Food Network-Related
  • Cooking Channel-Related
  • Cooking Light
  • Christmas-Themed
  • Thanksgiving-Themed
  • Gluten Free

Before I had to give up gluten/wheat, Cookie cookbooks, Bread cookbooks, Pie cookbooks, and Cake cookbooks were on the list. But I don’t want to think about that now. Some wounds never heal.

I take a great deal of pride in my Rachael Ray cookbook collection. I’m a huge fan of Rachael Ray’s and actually collect just about all things RR, not just her cookbooks.

The cookbook pictured above is one of my favorites: Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2. Like each of her cookbooks, this is one I turn to again and again. I’ve memorized which recipes are in which cookbooks, so retrieving them is quick and easy.

Some of my favorite recipes from this cookbook are:

  • Sirloin Burgers with Mushrooms, Swiss, and Balsamic Mayo
  • Black & White Shakes
  • Spinach Artichoke Pasta Salad
  • Red Bean Salad
  • Root Beer Floats
  • Philly Steak Sandwiches
  • Ice Cream Sundae Sandwiches (use gluten free cookies to make it gf)
  • Fried Mozzarella Bites (I use gluten free breadcrumbs)
  • Burrito Bar
  • Special Fried Rice
  • Sausage Calzones (use gluten free pizza crust to make it gf)
  • Warm White Beans with Thyme
  • Balsamic (or Honey) Glazed Vegetables
  • Green Bean Salad with Red Onion and Tomato
  • Crispy-Topped Baked Beans with Bacon
  • Mexican Chunk Vegetable Salad
  • Rio Grande Spice Rub Strip Steaks
  • Honey Mustard Barbecued Chicken
  • Butter Bean Salad
  • Corn on the Cob with Chili and Lime
  • Maple Mustard Pork Chops with Grilled Apples
  • Emmanuel’s Baked Artichoke Hearts
  • Fresh Oranges with Lime Sorbet
  • Meatball and Macaroni Soup
  • Southern Green Beans
  • Winter Vegetable Stew
  • Spanish Beef and Rice
  • Mexican Rice
  • MANY More!

I’m actually making the Mexican Rice for supper tonight. It’s outstanding.

With such an overwhelming passion for cookbooks, I spend a great deal of time on Amazon. I’ve recently discovered something that has been a real game-changer: Used Cookbooks. I have had great success with these – I always “mark” the results I want with “Like New” and each time they have been, indeed, like new.  If you look, you can even find NEW cookbooks at Used cookbook prices.

My Motto: Money saved on one cookbook means money I can spend on the next.

Find Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2 on Amazon, it’s easily one of my favorites in my collection.

Also See:

Rachael Ray Cookbooks

Just two of MANY Rachael Ray Cookbooks in my collection.

Crazy About Pies by Krystina Castella: A Collection of Pie Recipes Like None Other!

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This cookbook review was written before I had to give up wheat/gluten for health reasons and before the blog and I both went gluten-free! It is not, obviously, at all a gluten-free cookbook BUT the recipes can certainly be adapted to gluten-free cooking with substitutions.

Crazy About Pies and Salted Caramel Ice Cream Pie

The most recent cookbook I was sent to review was Crazy About Pies (Amazon link) by Krystina Castella.  Being a pie fanatic, I tore into this cookbook the minute it arrived.  The first thing I noticed was all the gorgeous, high quality pictures included throughout Crazy About Pies.  While I love (and even collect) ALL cookbooks, I have a special place in my heart for cookbooks with beautiful, colorful pictures.

Choosing which pie I wanted to make first was a toughie.  The author has managed to round up the most incredible pies in the world for one essential pie recipe collection.

Here are just some of the pie, filling, and crust recipes included:

  • Happy Pop-in-the-Oven Tarts (think homemade Pop Tarts!)
  • Fruit Tarts
  • Blackbird Pie
  • Chilly Mil Chocolate S’more Pie
  • Pina Colada Cream Pies
  • Shaker Lemon Pie
  • Roasted Sweet Potato Marshmallow Pie (!!!)
  • Concord Grape Pies
  • White Chocolate Peppermint Mousse Pie with Pretzel Crust (Ideal for Christmas)
  • Mincemeat Pie
  • Graham Cracker Cookie Crust
  • Gingersnap Crust
  • Cream Cheese Crust
  • Blueberry Pies
  • Three Citrus Chiffon Pie
  • Truffle Pies
  • German Chocolate Pie (have mercy!)
  • Chocolate Almond Tart
  • Banana Cream Pie with Candied Walnuts
  • Pie in a Jar (unique, beautiful, and delicious gift idea)
  • Coconut Custard Pie
  • Rhubarb Pie with Graham-Flour Crust
  • Sweet Cherry Pie with Cream Cheese Crust
  • Classic Apple Pie
  • Baked Strawberry Pie with Oatmeal Crust
  • Christmas Grasshopper Pie
  • And A LOT more!

This list is just to whet your appetite, there are countless other pie recipes, crust recipes, and filling recipes.  There’s also a wealth of information every true pie lover must have at his or her disposal.  From making the perfect pie crust to decorating tips – with a slew of other tips and helpful advice in between.

Crazy About Pies (Amazon link) isn’t just a pie recipe collection – it’s an education in making perfect pies. Pies 101, if you will.

As I said, above, one of the first things that made me fall in love with this cookbook was the beautiful pictures. Another thing I love about Crazy About Pies is the fact that includes “special occasion” recipes and “holiday recipes.”  I’m ALL ABOUT holidays and special occasions, so when cookbooks include recipes and ideas to make these special days even more special, I get giddy.  This cookbook includes pie recipes for Christmas, Weddings, Valentine’s Day, Showers, summer events, Fourth of July, Easter, Halloween, Jewish holidays, and Thanksgiving/Autumn.

Basically, Crazy About Pies has everything I love and nothing I don’t.

If you love pies, I promise you one thing: You will be wild about Crazy About Pies! Whether you’re just learning to make crusts and pies or you’ve been making pies for more years than you care to count, this simply must be the next cookbook you buy.

You can find Crazy About Pies (Amazon link) on Amazon. However, due to the awesomeness of the cookbook (and stellar reputation of the author), the quantities are dwindling fast! I’d head over to Amazon right away and grab one if I were you.  Amazon always replenishes their stock quickly, so don’t sweat it if the quantities actually run out – simply check back on it in a day or two.

 Photo Above: The pie shown in the photo at the top is the first pie I made from the cookbook. It’s the Salted Caramel Ice Cream Pie (with a Pretzel Crust).  Click the link for the recipe!

More Krystina Castella Cookbooks.