Entries by Alison Sheridan

Recipe from Pasta for All Seasons

Two ingredients announce the arrival of spring in the PNW: spot prawns and asparagus. Pacific Northwesterners impatiently wait for the spot prawn season, which usually starts in May and runs through the end of September. Those sweet sea creatures, with their distinctive briny and buttery flavor, can be found from the Salish Sea to Hood Canal. Then there’s asparagus. Asparagus is grown in Washington state over almost five thousand acres, which makes Washington the nation’s top producer. Harvested primarily from April through June in the Columbia Valley, asparagus is among my favorite vegetables for its crunchiness and unique taste. ―Michela…

Peak Season Picks: Best Cookbooks for Summer

Make the most of summer with our recommended cookbooks featuring hundreds of delicious recipes for all of the favored occasions of the season: park picnics, beach days, backyard barbecues, potlucks, cookouts, and 4th of July celebrations!

 

Taste the PNW

Shellfish
By Cynthia Nims

Enjoying the bounty of the sea has never been easier with these 50 delicious and approachable recipes. From shrimp and crab, mussels, and clams to scallops and oysters, this cookbook is perfect for busy home cooks wanting to make simple, nourishing meals. Recipes include Crab and Endive Gratin, Fried Shrimp, Mini Pizzas with Clams, and many …

Summer Berry Buckle with Crunchy Sugar from Everyday Cake

This recipe was originally published in Gourmet magazine in 2000. My mom somehow obtained a clipping of the recipe, and I’m glad she did because twenty years later, it’s still one of our favorite summer cakes. I’ve since adapted it—adding a crackly sugar topping and reducing the quantity of berries. Don’t worry, though, it’s still bursting with fruit. So much so that I’ve dubbed it a buckle, from the way the batter buckles under the weight of the berries. It’s highly snackable and travels well, so pack it up for a picnic, the beach, or a summer barbecue. The “snowy” …

Sour Cherry Cast-Iron Galette with Lemon and Thyme from Five Marys Family Style

Rancher mom and author Mary Heffernan has the perfect dessert for your next family gathering. Made in a big cast-iron pan so it serves a crowd, this galette is sure to please! Sour cherry, lemon, thyme, butter and sugar combine to make this sweet treat.

MAKES ONE 12-INCH GALETTE

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe All-Purpose Double Pie Crust (recipe follows)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon (about 1 ½ teaspoons zest plus 3 tablespoons juice)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus more chopped leaves and sprigs for garnish
1/2 …

Gifts for Mom and Dad

It’s celebration season. Whether you’re showing mom or dad the love, we’ve got a list of books that make the perfect gift!

 

Gifts for Mom

52 Lists Series
by Moorea Seal

If mom loves a good list, this is the series for her. These bestselling guided journals encourage self-expression and self-knowledge. With inspiring photography, charming illustrations, and thoughtful list prompts, mom can celebrate the vibrancy of life each week of the year!

 

 

 

The Little Book of Flowers Series
by Tara Austen Weaver, Illustrated by Emily Poole

These charming little hardcover books are a love letter to …

Spring Cleaning: Sustainable Life Hacks from 201 Everyday Uses for Salt, Lemons, Vinegar, and Baking Soda

Clean every room in your house (plus use a little recipe to pamper your skin) this spring without all the chemicals. This checklist has a selection of solutions from our book using simple pantry ingredients: salt, lemons, vinegar, and baking soda. Not only is it the most affordable way to clean your home, it’s also good for your health and the health of the planet!

 

 

All-Purpose Cleanser
Every cleaning arsenal requires a multipurpose cleanser capable of handling a wide variety of household cleaning challenges, from dirty stovetops to coffee tables, grease-stained clothing to bathroom sinks, and car interiors …

Little Bigfoot Earth Day Reading List

Celebrate Earth Day with educational books that the whole family will enjoy. These books encourage kids to get outdoors, teach fun lessons about frogs, alligators, and orcas, and allow readers to explore nature!

 

Nobody Likes Frogs
By Barbara Davis-Pyles, Illustrated by Liz Wong

According to Persnickety Q. Turtle, nobody likes frogs! Why would they? In this humorous narrative nonfiction picture book, the reader is cleverly put in the role of “expert” to educate Persnickety Turtle about the amazing amphibian known as the frog. With the reader’s help, Persnickety Q. Turtle learns intriguing frog facts and all the reasons why …

Pesto Tofu with Smashed Purple Potatoes and Charred Asparagus from Makini’s Vegan Kitchen

Skip the steak and make this savory meal instead. Packed with flavor and bright, spring ingredients, this marinated tofu recipe is a knockout for your next dinner party or a restaurant-quality meal at home. It’s delicious, filling, and won’t leave you missing the meat.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS 

INGREDIENTS

For the pesto tofu:

¼ cup (about 20 small to medium) roughly chopped garlic cloves

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

¼ cup roughly chopped kalamata olives

4 firmly packed cups fresh parsley leaves (from about 2 medium bunches)

¼ cup fresh oregano leaves

1 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed …

Broccoli, Lemon, and Parmesan Soup from Cooking from Scratch

Broccoli cheddar is a cozy, familiar soup, so familiar that it’s worth playing around with the tradition. Our updates are simple but definitely worthwhile. Using Parmesan adds complexity, while lemon lightens the whole eating experience and brightens up winter evenings. If you’d like to make this ahead of time and freeze it, it’s best to stop before you add the Parmesan, as cheese (and other forms of dairy) tends to change texture when frozen. Reheat the soup and finish it off with the Parmesan, lemon, and seasonings.

 MAKES 4 to 6 SERVINGS 

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1⁄2 medium yellow …

Grow Your Food Scraps: A Guide to Grocery Store Propagation

Extending the life of any vegetable is the ultimate nod toward living sustainably and with environmental consciousness, so why not continue benefiting from food you purchased or grew? Get the most out of all vegetables before sending them to the compost bin by cultivating a food scrap garden on your windowsill or countertop.

Plants grow. They are living things and will continue to grow roots and sprouts even after harvest. We’ve all seen this when a potato left too long in our pantry sprouts, or the garlic cloves send up green shoots. Most plants will continue to grow even without …

Sasquatch Picks: Gardening Books

Spring has (almost) sprung and green thumbs of all ages are ready to get gardening! Whether you’re starting your very own vegetable garden or only have the space for one on your kitchen counter, this list has everything you need to read to get ready for the start of season.

 

The Encyclopedia of Country Living
By Carla Emery

The #1 best country, rural living, and homesteading book for beginners. For more than 50 years this has been the essential book of basic skills for living off the land. From homesteaders to urban farmers, and everyone in between, it includes …

Spring 23 New Releases

Start the year with new books!

Here’s everything new that’s coming to a bookstore near you this season from all our imprints: Sasquatch Books, Spruce Books, and Little Bigfoot.

My Baby’s Book
By Anne Phyfe Palmer

From the author of This Life of Mine and This Family of Ours comes a new keepsake legacy journal, My Baby’s Book. This gorgeously crafted book provides a place for a proud parent or grandparent to record and reserve the memories, moments, and milestones of a new baby’s arrival—beyond the first year! Something truly special that will be cherished throughout their life.

 …

Pan-Seared Gnocchi from Cast Iron Skillet One-Pan Meals

It’s a challenge to keep it light and comforting when it comes to winter meal prep. Fortunately, Jackie Freeman is here to save the day with her recipe for Pan-Seared Gnocchi from her cookbook Cast Iron Skillet One-Pan Meals. We’re working it into our weekly menu for #MeatlessMonday!

Plump gnocchi are gently cooked with spinach, white beans, and aromatics for an easy (yet somehow quite impressive) weeknight dinner. The trick to this dish is to cook it in stages. Start with the hardest ingredients (shallots and gnocchi), then work your way to the softest (spinach and beans) so that …

Winter DIY: Mending Life’s Plain Weave Darning

On Darning

A friend tells me about her favorite sweater and how she’s afraid if the holes get any bigger, it will be a lost cause. She says, “It has been with me through so much—at first I didn’t quite like it, but something kept me from giving it away. Each time I rediscovered it hidden at the bottom of my dresser drawer, it would call to me softly, but I would always reach for another, more familiar sweater. Later I found it tucked deep in my moving boxes. In my new place, it hung neglected in the back of …

100 Ways to Say No Journal Giveaway

Say “No” more in 2023 with the just released 100 Ways to Say No, a collection of funny and relatable illustrated “scenari-nos” for overcoming your inner people pleaser, setting appropriate boundaries, and getting to no, by Nicole Monente (of the popular @scribblesbynicole Instagram account). Three lucky winners will win a copy of the new book and a Little Words Project custom “No” bracelet! 

To enter, head to Instagram to FOLLOW @scribblesbynicole and @sasquatchbooks, COMMENT on the post, and TAG a friend!

 

Official rules detailed below:

100 WAYS TO SAY NO GIVEAWAY OFFICIAL RULES

IMPORTANT: Please read these Official …

Holiday Gift Guide: Narrative Nonfiction

This year’s Narrative Nonfiction holiday gift guide is filled with tales of adventure, discovery, history, struggle, and triumph. There’s a story for every reader on your list!

Uncharted
by Kim Brown Seely

Faced with an empty nest, a couple embarks on an epic voyage across land and sea, seeking the mythical blonde Kermode bear—and their truest selves. They impulsively buy a big broken sailboat, learn to sail it, and head out onto the Salish Sea to an expanse of untamed wilderness. Wise and lyrical, this heartfelt memoir recounts their voyage of discovery into who they were as individuals and as …

Holiday Gift Guide: Nature Books

This year’s Nature holiday gift guide is filled with visually-stunning and awe-inspiring books. From the quest to find every penguin in the world to the ecosystems of the Salish Sea, from a gorgeously illustrated book for birders to an inspiring orca rescue story, there’s something for every nature lover on your list!

BirdNote
by BirdNote; Illustrated by Emily Poole; Edited by Ellen Blackstone

This beautiful gift book features entertaining and informative essays from the popular public radio program, BirdNote, accompanied by gorgeous full-color illustrations throughout–an illuminating volume for bird and nature lovers across North America. An excellent gift for the …

Holiday Gift Guide: Travel & Outdoor Recreation

This year’s Travel & Outdoor Recreation holiday gift guide is filled with fun and accessible books for exploring the Pacific Northwest and West Coast! From the Cascade Mountains to the shores of Puget Sound, from spectacular cities to drives along the Pacific coast, there is something for every adventurer on your list.

The Mountains are Calling
by Nancy Blakey

Looking for easily accessible yet off-the-beaten-path outdoor adventures you can do year-round in the mountains near Seattle, Portland, and Bend? Look no further! This beginner-friendly guide will show you where to go, what to do, and what to look for while …

Holiday Gift Guide: Top-Rated Cookbooks

This year’s Cookbooks holiday gift guide is filled with delicious recipes from some of the best chefs and cooks in the Pacific Northwest and West. From the wildly popular I Heart Recipes creator Rosie Mayes’ new soul food cookbook to a classic from one of Seattle’s James Beard Award-winning chefs, from scrumptious holiday baking to one-pan meals for every night of the week, there’s something for every culinarian on your list!

Super Soul Food with Cousin Rosie
by Rosie Mayes

Rosie Mayes, popular author of I Heart Soul Food, and creator of I Heart Recipes, serves up 100+ amped-up, …

Holiday Gift Guide: Beloved Children’s Books

This year’s Children’s book holiday gift guide includes books celebrating the great outdoors in the snowy season, the power of reading, adjusting to new places and experiences, a fleet of working boats, the beauty of birds, learning shapes and colors, and more!

 

Library Girl
by Karen Henry Clark; Illustrated by Sheryl Murray

A loving tribute to the power books and librarians have to transform children’s lives. Library Girl is the inspiring childhood story of how beloved librarian and author, Nancy Pearl, discovered her strengths and realized her passion.

 

 

 

A Home Under the Stars
by Andy Chou …

Holiday Gift Guide: Small Gifts and Stocking Stuffers

This year’s Stocking Stuffers holiday guide is bursting with small but mighty book recommendations! From the astrology minded to the DIY homemaker, the city explorer to flower lover, there’s something for every reader on your list.

 

201 Everyday Uses for Salt, Lemons, Vinegar, and Baking Soda
by Benjamin Mott

This handy book focuses on living simpler with 201 natural cleaning solutions that use four simple, versatile, and inexpensive ingredients: salt, lemon, vinegar, baking soda, and olive oil. This is an essential reference for anyone interested in thrifty, natural, and sustainable living!

 

 

 

Northwest Know-How Series
by Multiple …

Holiday Gift Guide: Popular Hardcover Journals

This year’s Journals holiday gift guide is filled with beautiful and luxe hardcover journals. For the person who love to care for their plants to those looking to start a gratitude practice, for the reader who ponders what they’ve read to the genealogist in the family, there’s something for everyone on your list!

Grow a Damn Plant Journal
by Tyler Thrasher

Finally, a gardening journal grounded in science! Perfect for indoor or outdoor plants of every type, it’s made for green thumbs who want to take caring for their plants to the next level. This luxe plant journal challenges the …

Holiday Gift Guide: Arts & Crafts

This year’s Arts & Crafts holiday gift guide is filled with books to get the creative juices flowing. From learning to sketch (with a bonus mindfulness practice!) to mending well-loved clothes and home items, from sewing garments that fit your unique body to prompts to inspire aspiring authors, there’s something for every artist or crafter on your list!

Mindful Sketching
by Peggy Dean 

For the artist (or those aspiring to be), with Mindful Sketching you can express your own creativity and develop a life-changing mindfulness practice in this guide for all levels by bestselling author and artist Peggy Dean. Grab …

Live Mindfully with Journals from Spruce Books

Autumn is a time of change. There’s back to school, crisper air, and the start of  busy holiday season prep. With everything on your plate, it can be a challenge to make time for yourself. Fortunately, Spruce Books has a selection of simple yet effective journals that ease anxiety, reduce stress, and increase happiness. Everything you need to practice everyday mindfulness, reflect, and enjoy your life as you move into a new season!

 

The 52 Lists Project – New Cover Design!
by Moorea Seal

The original journal in the bestselling 52 Lists series is back with a new look. …