No, not the cookbook (although it's a totally awesome cookbook), but the cookbook stand.
Seriously. My whole life I have needed this. Or at least the percentage of years spent cooking.
Form meets function. Booya! And get this…it folds flat.
Marry me, NOW!
This is hands down the single best purchase of 2011 and quite possibly of 2010 as well. (Although my chartruese Columbia jacket runs an awfully close second.)
Now when I make my most favorite Golden Tofu and Warm Asian Slaw wraps I can easily see the recipe I'm cooking and refrain from either a) splashing it with cooking oil, or b) soaking it with drool.
And speaking of drool, just a quick peek at our remodel which is getting closer and closer to being a done deal.
And what's behind the big maple doors over the fire place?
Hot damn! The Zielskes done got themselves a giant, fancy TV.
I had never seen HD TV in action until last night. I flipped on The Biggest Loser, turned to Dan after recovering from the shock and awe of seeing the trainers' pores and said, "We have arrived, good sir. We have arrived."
I mean, I knew Bob Harper was a beautiful man, but until I saw him in glorious 1080 High Definition, I knew that I had only just begun to truly live.
Lisa says
Thanks for the tip for the book stand, I will have to get one. I didn’t think too much about HD until I saw the Olympics, wow!
KathyinMN says
LOL-that was the one thing I commented on when we got ours-we flipped on a baseball game and I could see every pore on the pitchers face. every.single.pore. Whoa. Welcome to the new age Zielske’s, you have indeed arrived. Have you settled on a color choice for the walls? Looks like you were making a decision there?
mary says
the stand is awesome but HOLY MOTHER OF MARY, that remodel totally rocks!
madeline St onge says
Love the cook book stand, I now think I need one.
Love the way the remodel is coming too and the orangey paint color on the wall on the right is perfect with the light wood 🙂
MarionW says
I need to get one of those cookbook stands! HD is really interesting when you first get it and realize that those actors don’t have perfect skin after all.
Barb says
I love the hiding spot for your TV. I SO need to renovate our space to get me a hiding spot for ours. (oh yeah, enjoy your HD viewing!)
Ruth says
Your cookbook stand is WAY sexier than mine. I have just a clear plastic one which now resides in my studio. I use it to open an art book for inspiration when I’m at the easel so it doesn’t get splashed with acrylics. I must get to Crate and Barrel. I’m always scared to go there cos of all the other cool things I’ll want!
Beth says
I never gave a dang about what kind of TV or what size we had as a rarely watch…but hubby wanted a big screen and two years ago bought a 1080 52″ flat screen for our family room………..the first time I watched I was hugging him with joy!LOL I don’t watch much more TV than I did then but man I enjoy it when I do!!! Congrats!!
Angie Hall says
You go, girl! I really want one of those televisions! I have been begging my hubby for one for years, and the thing is, he is a tv executive and the kids and I are still forced to stand in front of a 24-inch old school tv in order to watch Sponge Bob! It’s sick, I tell you.
And I love the cookbook stand, but I don’t cook. The kids cry when I threaten to make dinner and I have no malpractice insurance, so I can’t cook for friends who come over to watch our tiny tv.
cathy says
We have yet to decide. None of the samples are working for us. Choosing color is not fun. You think its going to be but…
cathy says
Yeah… when its all done i will do a comprehensive before and after. Hard to remember what it was like before! But, I have plenty of before photos. Trust me.
cathy says
Yeah, its like were saying, Television? What? Oh no… we dont watch television. But we all know better now, dont we.
cathy says
Funny stuff. : )
Karen W says
A friend of mine developed and made a bookstand like that years ago when her father was recovering from hand surgery and couldn’t hold a book. She made everyone in our book group one as a Christmas gift. I love that it stores flat, and it’s definitely one of the best gifts I’ve received. As for the TV, we’ve had ours less than a month. I typically don’t watch much TV, but we’ve had several “movie nights” recently, and sports events are amazing. What were we waiting for?
jakki says
LOL Bob Harper IS a cutie isnt he though? I’d find it hard to be too mad at him for making me do all that exercising. Especially as sweet as he is.
Congrats on arriving 🙂
dawn says
I like the stand and your yummy wraps look so good. Wow that is some tv you have hiding in there. You deserve it after all the exercise, swimming, cooking etc. you do so sit back and enjoy it. I hate hate picking new color paint also. We just painted our little little half bath and I went thru 5 colors before choosing and still not that excited about it but calling it DONE!! Good luck.
heidig says
Wow! Loving the book stand AND the remodel. Can’t wait for the before/after photos. I’m afraid we are still in basic cable land with a television that is way deep. The back goes on and on. No flat screens in this house but yours is gorgeous. Enjoy!
Jaana says
I was thinking the same thing last night… just how beautiful Bob is. And didn’t Marci leaving just KILL you? She’s amazing. It was the right decision, but it still made me cry. I love that show, it’s so inspiring. I’m on a “biggest loser” journey of my own, so I definitely can identify. Though I do reserve the right to eat cake today (my birthday!). Shameless birthday plug, I know.
The renos look great, by the way! I’ll bet you can’t wait until it’s done!
Jewel says
Beautiful remodel. Can’t wait to see the before and after pictures. Congrats on the HD TV. You got to see Bob in all his cuteness AND chef Curtis Stone. Great night for eye candy on BL for sure!
Wendy Z. says
Yeah, Bob is cute but, personally, I’m a Curtis Stone kind of girl. And he is stunningly beautiful in HD!
Nancy May says
The remodel is looking great. Try photoshop for your colors… Take your picture and use the eyedropper tool to fill the white walls to get an idea of how it will look. I find it helpful anyway… I think the room would look great using a heather green out taken right out of that slate, or a charcoal gray… something borrowed from that slate to bring it all together. (execpt the gold color…) Not that you asked ha ha!
cathy says
Nancy, that is an awesome tip. Wow. Love that!
I will do it!
Sue Sykes says
Oh yeah – HD is the ONLY way to go, baby! I remember my hubby telling me that we NEEDED to have it and I said, “Pffffft, how much of a difference could there be??”
Um, yeah. Okay, so he was right… for the first time. 🙂
Megan says
That is a seriously cool cookbook holder. I had a plexiglass one for years, but hated it because it didn’t fold flat. You are a thing-finder extraordinaire. Were I not now a devotee of ziplist and online recipes, I would totally consider this.
Color: I was thinking something in the gray family too…or an orange with a touch of red.
cathy says
We originally WERE going with gray, but then started working with a colorist. Well see how it all shakes out.
Jana says
I’m seeing sage green on the walls – to contrast gently with the woodwork, not clash, and compliment the slate. Great idea to use photoshop to mock up a color scheme! My husband, a graphic designer & sign artist does that often, taking pics of a biz, then placing the imaginary sign up in PS. Nice book holder too – I want one!!
jengee says
i love that cookbook stand.. it was one of the first things i put on my wedding registry! i’m glad to see that i’m not the only one excited about it!
Courtney Walsh says
The book stand. Brilliant. I need one too!! Thanks for the tip! And woohoo on the TV! 🙂 They’re awesome aren’t they?
cris of Kiss My Tulle says
1) Thanks for the cookcook rec – I have been looking for one that was functional and attractive and this is it. Totally just added it to my C&B registry.
2) Do we get to vote on paint colors for your living room? Cause I really like the sandy colored one. I know you needed my opinion 😉
Melissa says
Oh, this post CRACKED ME UP! From start to finish! Yes, HD is da bomb. But my husband, who does not really watch a lot of TV, wouldn’t agree to getting a new TV. So I simply waited until he was deployed to Afghanistan to “change his mind”. My son and I picked out a new HD TV and bought a new Wii in one day (back in August 2008). So our HD is actually much older than yours! LOL! When he got home and saw it, he finally understood. Now we want a second HD TV for downstairs, and once again, hubs is resisting. That’s okay. He’s deploying again soon, so you know what that means! And I’ve also decided when he leaves again we are going to get ….. wait for it …. Netflix! (We are so progressive, yes?) And I am SO buying the cookbook stand! Thanks Cathy for a great post! You are da bomb too!
cathy says
I should hold a contest, huh? : )
Teresa says
Love the cookbook stand! I have one I love from the 50’s but it’s not as fancy as yours. I’m jealous too. We had to cut off the satellite last weekend and the digital anteanna doesn’t pick up the cahnnel with Biggest Loser. We’ve also went to a smaller tv because of said anteanna. 🙁
Natalie says
Wait…how can you tell which are the good recipes if they’re not spattered in grease and other whatisits? Lovin the remodel, doesn’t THAT feel good to be getting there? Awesome.
KissMyTulle says
Yep. Because this is obviously a matter for your readers to decide and not you or your family – who will be living there. hee.