Hi. I am Allison. I am 25, and a Cookbook Addict. I hoard them in the cabinets above my breakfast bar. I cram them in there so tightly that someday very soon one will slide out, rendering me (or God forbid a child) helpless. Not only do I hoard cookbooks, but individual recipes out of magazines, newspapers, etc. are also fair game. I have no method to my madness -- they too are folded up in the madness of that cupboard, peeking out, wrinkled, and barely legible. I have a problem. It's self-destructive. It's organized chaos (that's the denial talking). I have a few favorites, and a few more I just look at for the pretty pictures. I have saved every issue of Taste of Home magazine since Grandma Betty started subscribing for me 5 years ago.
Do I really plan to get "clean?" Highly unlikely.
I have three awesome partners in crime that enable my addiction. My mom, 2 aunts (Val and Shauna), and I have a recipe "ring" of sorts. There is no structure or rules, but if we try something new, we share it. We all know other's likes, and I love sharing something that I know will become someone else's favorite. Sometimes we share several a week, and other times we go months without. We always include notes of how we altered or omitted ingredients or instructions, what we liked (or didn't like), and other helpful hints. We are not picky eaters here, so we welcome any recipes without water chestnuts and feta cheese (Dave's rule not mine).
Nothing gets me giddy like getting a recipe email from one of these ladies -- it's sure to be great! Even though we don't often get the opportunity to eat together and are separated by hundreds of miles, we still cook together. How fun is that!?
