Book Spotlight: Welcome to My Table by Jeannie Jacobs

 

Lifestyle and culinary enthusiast Jeannie Jacobs releases Welcome to My Table, a cookbook featuring over 75 recipes that nourish the soul as much as they satisfy the body. 

Welcome to My Table is more than just a cookbook. With dishes passed down through generations and stories filled with joy, love, and reflection, Jacobs offers readers a warm invitation into her kitchen. From Sunday suppers to soulful sides, this collection reminds us how food connects us all.

The former OB/GYN turned entrepreneur’s culinary journey began early. “Food has always been a language of love in my family,” says Jacobs. “Welcome to My Table is a tribute to the women who raised me, and every person who’s ever found strength, peace, or purpose through a shared meal.”

With vibrant photography, easy-to-follow recipes, and heartfelt reflections, Welcome to My Table offers readers a chance to rediscover the sacred art of gathering, especially at a time when community and connection are more important than ever.

Jeannie Jacobs is available for media interviews, cooking demonstrations, and speaking engagements. Welcome to My Table is now available from online retailers.

Jeannie Jacobs is a wife, mom of tweens, and entrepreneur known for her passionate commitment to cooking. With cultural roots from the South and a global flavor, Jeannie brings a unique voice to the culinary world — one that is grounded in gratitude and inspired by generations of wisdom, warmth, and flavor.

Visit Jeannie online at her website

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Book Review: Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends Comfort Foods

 

Are you in the mood for some comfort foods? Then you need to check out Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends Comfort Foods Cookbook. 

As fall approaches, there is nothing like some good, old comfort food to soothe the soul. Brunstetter, a bestselling author of Amish fiction, has compiled hundreds of comfort food recipes submitted by Amish and Mennonite friends who live in plain communities around the country. 

In between, readers will find a personal story, Scripture verses, Amish sayings, and stunning photography. This cookbook includes everything from beverages to desserts to main dishes and sides and so much more! I'm eager to try some of the "cozy and crusty breads."

This NetGalley digital copy was only a sample of the text, but if the rest of the book is like the sample, I'll be hooked. And so will you! It's like taking all the comfort food recipes from your favorite Amish novels and compiling them in one sweet spot. 

Highly recommended!

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Barbour Publishing (November 1, 2024)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Spiral-bound ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1636099734
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1636099736

I downloaded this digital sample from NetGalley. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in anyway.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Sept 2

 Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.   

Welcome to the first Monday in September! Happy Labor Day to my United States friends. Did you enjoy your week? Read any good books lately?

I had a closing, which is always fun. I also traveled to Farmington, Connecticut, to attend the Little House on the Prairie 50th Cast Reunion. What a great time! Lines were long, but the food was good, and they had a special dinner for those of us who paid for it, along with an auction to benefit KidsPlay Children's Museum in Torrington. 

Dean Butler (Almanzo Wilder)

Sherri Stoner (Rachel Brown Oleson)

Pamela Roylance & David Friedman (Sarah and Jason Carter)

Charlotte Stewart (Miss Beadle/Mrs. Sims)

I've been catching up on book reviews. In case you missed them, you can click on the link in the title:

The Best Life Book Club by Sheila Roberts

The Business of Being a Writer by Jane Friedman

Knowing by Mark Cox

Death in St. George's by M. A. Monnin

The Righteous Arrows by Brian J. Morra

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Hollywood Underworld by Lindy S. Hudis

My review of this children's picture book appeared at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. You can read it here.

I downloaded this picture book about a young boy's grief from NetGalley. My review is here. 

I am reading these two and listening to the last one. 

I bought this one for book club, but probably won't get to it. 

These are next.

I downloaded all three of these from NetGalley over the last few days.

Upcoming events:

• Side Launch by Brock Martin - October 2 (Review)
• The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts - October 16 (Review)
• A Celtic Yuletide Carol by Jennifer Ivy Walker - November 20 (Review)

You can read the latest Christmas news at the Christmas Year Round blog. Did you know there is such a thing as Christmas Con? There is! Want to know more? Check out my weekly post here.

I think that wraps it up for today. I'm eager to decorate for fall, but I simply haven't had the time to do it. I have a new listing, possibly two, coming up and a closing soon. Wedding plans for the Lil' Diva are ongoing. 

Never a dull moment around here!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2023

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.    

Welcome to the last Tuesday of January. Are you sad to see it go? It's been a productive month for me, and I took a bit of time over the holidays before kicking it into high gear with real estate.

When I saw this week's Top Ten topic, I wondered if I could come up with a solid list. As you know, I tend to read a lot of the same authors over and again. Happy to say, that there were more than I thought. So, here's...

Top Ten New-to-Me Authors

 I Discovered in 2023

Heard Oke's name but never read 

anything by her

Totally new to me thanks to a FB ad

Totally new to me thanks to NetGalley

Totally new to me thanks to NetGalley

Totally new to me thanks to NetGalley

Totally new to me thanks 

to The Saima Agency

Totally new to me thanks to my 

annual visit to the OBX

Totally new to me thanks to 

Poetic Book Tours

Totally new to me thanks to 

Partners in Crime Tours

Totally new to me thanks to NetGalley

Did we read any of the same books? Were these or are these new to you? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Jan 8

Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday.   

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.   

Releasing this post early because tomorrow is a busy day. Hope you had a nice week. Here are a few photos from last week. The first one is me visiting our local library as the executive director and program director from Rick's Place hang artwork from our November art show in the display cases.

Therese and Betsy hanging art 

at the local library

Dwight loves my husband's sweaty 

gym bag (yuck)

Tiny bit of snow this week before the storm

We are currently in North Carolina moving the youngest into her on-campus apartment for the second semester. Missed our first major snow storm of the winter that hit Saturday night into Sunday, which dumped a foot or more of snow in some areas. The Lil' Princess was disappointed she didn't see the pretty white stuff while she was home. We probably won't see her again until spring break, which makes us sad, but we will go down in April for the dance show, and then a couple weeks into May she will be done for the semester and can head home until August. 

In my reading world, I read the following books this week:

See my review at Christmas Year Round here.

Check out my review at TC&TBC here.

I am reading this book:

I finished this one at the end of 2023, so my January 17th review will be on time. It is already posted on Goodreads if you want to read the review earlier. 

I brought this one with me to North Carolina to read on the plane. 

Next up are these two:

Upcoming virtual book tours:

• A Yellow House in the Mountains by Glenn Hileman - January 17 (review)
• Civil Twilight by Anique Taylor - January 23 (guest post)
• The Location Shoot by Patricia Leavy - January 31 (interview)  

 

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Charlotte Hubbard's latest Promise Lodge novel is coming out in February. I downloaded this from NetGalley.

When I stopped by the library this week, I grabbed a local history book. We have numerous farms and historical homes in town, and I enjoy the research. 

That's it for me. Hope you have a great week!

Top Ten Tuesday: My Top Ten Christmas Cookbooks

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.    

One of our family's favorite things to do around the holidays is cook and bake. So for today's freebie, I am sharing my...

Top Ten Christmas Cookbooks

When all the kids were little, we had cookie exchanges here and at school for the teachers, so I found this book helpful. 

This is a great all around cookbook for all types of courses you might make around the holidays. It also includes slow cooker recipes and easy dinners for those busy December evenings. 

This one is my all-time favorite. When we used to host Christmas Eve parties, I turned to this book to make appetizers and desserts. It has a basic recipe for Tiropitakia, which are feta cheese triangles made with phyllo pastry. The wassail recipe I used for those parties came from this book. 

This is a book that is fun for the kids; even though I used it more than they ever did. It has an amazing New York, New York Super Crumb Cake that I used to gift the neighbors. 

I reviewed this book when it first came out. The recipes aren't overly complex, which is why I liked it back in 2008 when I was a busy mom putting on Christmas parties. 

The next five books are ones I would like to buy/try because of their topic or tie-in to something I already enjoy.

I love old-fashioned recipes and vintage decor. 

I wish I had seen this book when it was offered on NetGalley. I would have tried out some of these recipes for my review.

The Lil' Diva and I would enjoy this one.

The Lil' Diva and the Lil' Princess would enjoy throwing a themed December party with this one.

One of the things I enjoy about Amish novels is the recipes they include. I would love to try some of these recipes at Christmastime. 

What do you think of this list? Do you own any of these? Have you ever bought a cookbook with a book or movie tie-in?