A new cookbook I absolutely love

After getting the news about my friend Katherine, I found myself scrolling through her old Instagram posts, and I remembered that she had provided the illustrations for a cookbook I'd meant to order. I don't need any more cookbooks, and I'd never heard of the author, but I'd meant to order the book anyway just because Katherine's artwork was in it. So over the weekend, in between the contractors banging away at my new floors (pray for me, y'all), The Very Vera Cookbook: Occasions arrived.

Katherine illustrated the Table of Contents and …

The section dividers and a lot of individual food items as well. The artwork is all so lovely, as I knew it would be!

But what I did not expect was that I immediately fell in love with Vera Stewart, who apparently has catered lots of soirees in Augusta over the years, and she shares some of her secrets throughout the book. (I wish I'd had the opportunity to ask Katherine how she hooked up with Vera, but here we are.) And imagine my delight when one of the first things to catch my eye was tea sandwiches featuring carrots and pecans! I will be making these.

I also loved the look of these Sweet Little BLTs with Maple-Candied Bacon. What a sophisticated presentation!

And I would want to make the Lemon Cheese Logs even without the Santa mug being in the photo, but since I collect Santa mugs, I hit the brakes when I came across this recipe. When you slice the logs to make these cookies, you use the fork to press grooves into the dough before baking, then you dip them in chocolate. These will be so great for Christmas treats!

Vera herself appears to be a petite woman (earning bonus points from this five-foot-two reader) who is just a powerhouse. I had no idea I would love this beautifully photographed and illustrated cookbook so much, and I can't wait to use it. I feel like Katherine just gave me one final gift!