A Homemade Life

I use this space for many purposes- chronicling the growth of our family, babes, and household in general, ranting or rambling about some hot topic, documenting local history, recording impromptu recipes, and straight-up venting, if I'm being honest.

Occasionally, I might share something that inspires me, like blogs I've stumbled upon, gift ideas, projects, and books.

Have I used this space to confess that I'm a complete and total bibliophile yet? No? Oh... well, heregoes.

Hi, my name is Courtney (hiiiiiiiiiiii, Courtney...), and I'm a bibliophile.

Whew. It feels good to get that off of my chest.

Let's keep the ball rolling, shall we? I usually have not one, not three, but no less than 5 books dog-eared or marked in various stages of perusing scattered here and there all over the house. A bread book and a whole foods book in the kitchen. An Elizabeth Zimmerman book in the living room. Two or three books about mainstream myths and traditions at various stages of digestion on my shelves, and usually a novel or memoir bedside (and that doesn't even include my book wish list, which is ever-changing and updating!).

Despite the ever-present reminders of the lack of resolution in my literary life, it doesn't bother me one bit to move through my home and lay eyes on so many texts waiting patiently for my attention. Rather, it seems to build the anticipation for the perfect moment when kiddos are occupied, the phone falls silent, the business of life is handled (mostly), and I get the chance to put away a few chapters. Those moments are lovely, really, and more so I think because they are not abundant.

I had a rare chance this week to actually finish one that's been sitting around for a couple months now- a book that has inspired much page-marking, note-taking, and adventurousness in my kitchen:  A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg. The final few pages closed with me sitting on the porch with a glass of red wine, wheels turning with the inspiration from many of Molly's recipes, watching the kiddos play in the sandbox.

I have to say, it is an incredibly well-written memoir that I would have enjoyed had it been simply that; however, she concludes each account of the many mundane and pivotal moments of her early life with a recipe relevant to that moment, and almost every recipe struck a chord for me.

I have yet to follow one of her recipes to the letter, but several meals since finishing this book have had at least one component influenced by them in some way, and I think she'd like that. It was truly a good read that made me finish the last page, close the book, rest it beside me, and feel all that is good and full in my life.

The author also has a great blog at http://orangette.blogspot.com/

For me, any book that can inspire that is worth recommending. And so I do. Wholeheartedly.