I wonder why there are so few good cookbooks?

I looked at 5 cookbooks last night after Larry went to bed. Why is it that either today's cookbooks have no pictures or else they have the weirdest recipes that no one would make on a daily basis? It took me all of 5 minutes to decide these books aren't my cup of tea. I am pretty darned picky about my cookbooks & even pickier about what I wish to add to my "regulars".

Yesterday I did find a recipe online that appealed to me but wouldn't turn Larry's crank because of the capers. It's called a Bloody Mary Salad and I found it on FramedCooks.com but since I don't do vodka, I would make my version with the vinegar. The only picture I could download made some substitutions: onion for the horeseradish, green olives for the capers. Either one appeals to me. There's something really soothing about simplicity don't you think? As soon as I am feeling better, I plan to make this for myself. Check out the recipe:

Bloody Mary Salad
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4-6 ripe heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 bunch of celery, cut into 2 inch sections. Include some of the leaves!
1/8 cup capers (you can substitute olives if you like)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vodka (you can substitute white wine vinegar for the vodka if you like)
1 teaspoon celery seeds, plus extra for garnish
Fresh ground pepper and coarse salt

Directions

1. Gently combine tomatoes, celery and capers in a salad bowl.

2. Combine all remaining ingredients except for salt and pepper in a jar with a tight lid (mason jars are great for this). Shake vigorously until well combined, and then add salt and pepper to taste. If it's not spicy enough for you, shake in some Tabasco!

3. Pour dressing over salad and mix gently. Garnish with a scattering of celery seeds and serve.

I don't know why this salad really took me back to when I was a kid visiting my Grandma Poznikoff in Glade, BC with my mother but it did. Maybe it's the fact that I have been thinking about Lucille Makonin, my mother's first cousin, with her being in the hospital in Grand Forks. Then this photo showed up in my Facebook feed & brought a flood of memories of my Grandma drinking her coffee this way to cool it off:

I was looking at our dish clothes the other day and boy oh boy...they are in very sad shape! I guess it's time to get organized and crochet 3-4 new ones for the drawer. It's been so long since I made any, I wonder if it will come back to me like riding a bicycle? My plan is to make some fast & dirty Single Crochet Mesh Dishcloths or Washcloths -- using a Free Pattern. Here's a link to the pattern I am using:

http://crochet.about.com/od/easy-crochet-patterns/a/single-crochet-mesh-dishcloth-washcloth-free-pattern.htm

Once I have them all done, I'll upload a picture to show you!

I have to show you some snowmen decorations made from old fence posts or table legs. I need to look into where I could get something like this. I would love to recycle some for our front yard this Christmas! Aren't they sweet?