Cooking is one of my self-prescribed therapies, and I've already confessed to being something of an emotional baker. So it shouldn't have surprised me when my daughter picked up this cookbook for me (the kid has the gift of spooky timing.) Author/baker Erin Bolger combines a very funny narrative of her emotional life with simple recipes that literally define making your own happiness. There are so many luscious-looking treats in this one that I may spend the whole winter trying them out on my family. I also love the hilarious titles she bestows on her many baked delights: So Far So Good Bar, Who Needs a Man on Valentine's Day Biscotti, My Eggs Are Not Getting Any Younger Crème Brûlée and I'm So Done With You and The Horse You Rode In On Haystack Cookies. I don't know when I've laughed out loud so much just reading the names of recipes.
The Happy Baker was the perfect book to land in my hands at this moment; I'm definitely going to buy some extra copies to hand out as gifts this holiday to stressed-out friends. I'm also going to send a copy to whoever wins the BookWish for my Sanctuary Reads giveaway as a little something extra to warm up your kitchen and your heart.
