Stir My Soul

Book excerpt: A beautifully illustrated collection of 100 easy-to-prepare recipes laced with thoughtful reflections on cooking and life. Have you ever noticed how the words that describe the cooking process also resonate in a more meaningful way to describe the very act of living? Stirring, blending, mixing, and measuring are terms that apply to how we live as well as how we cook. Bestselling cookbook author Roxie Kelley takes this correlation to heart and pairs her observations on life in and outside the kitchen with Kathleen Taylor’s distinctive bright, whimsical folk artwork inside Stir My Soul. From a Rustic Vegetable Breakfast Bake and Chunky Chicken Salad Sandwiches to Sweet and Sour Pork Chops, White Cheddar Potato Pancakes, and Roxie’s Favorite One Bowl Chocolate Chip Cookies, Stir My Soul presents more than 100 recipes alongside definitions of cooking terms and how those words translate to life experiences. As Roxie explains, “The words that describe actions required in cooking are the same ones that make up daily life: my family and friends are part of my “fold,” I “measure” my words when speaking to my children . . . all these life activities, like good recipes, lead to a satisfying result just like a completed dish or favorite dessert.” Consider Stir My Soul a coming to terms with terms, if you will—a collection of recipes certain to nourish your body and stir your soul.