Cooking Up Memories

If you have a special bride in your future, I think you'll enjoy this unique gift. One of the gifts I gave my daughter for her upcoming wedding, was a customized recipe box. I scoured the Etsy site and found one with a bicycle for two image, which is what Amy and Chris have on their wedding site. It has their names and wedding date on the top, so Chris will never have the excuse that he forgot their anniversary date. Bonus! :)

I also ordered personalized recipe cards "For the Kitchen of Amy and Chris." They had sets of pink and blue with different graphics on each--wedding dress, engagement ring, wedding cake, bouquet, heart, and so on. I sent the recipe cards along with the bridal shower invitation to family and friends on both sides. Amy seemed pleased with the gift and everyone brought recipes to the shower. And since her fiancé's family is Italian, she landed some great Italian recipes!

I wanted to add a few more recipes before I shipped the box off to Amy. While going through my special recipe "folder" (meaning post-its, napkins, yellowed envelopes, the back of grocery lists and bank receipts--all with recipes scribbled on them), I noticed several things:

• I don't cook as much as I did when I was younger.
• I had forgotten about many of my recipes.
• I need to make some of these dishes. My hubby would love it!
• Going through old recipes is nostalgic--truly, a blast from the past.
• I got completely lost while reading recipes from my mom and grandmother. I loved seeing their handwriting, which is a precious keepsake in itself.
• I grinned and chuckled when I saw recipes that Amy had scribbled and drawn on as a child.
• I loved finding recipes that had spills on them. I knew those were the good ones.

I'd encourage everyone to give sentimental gifts like this. I'm sure Amy will cherish the recipes, and it was a fun project for everyone. (The picture here is right after they got engaged!)

Finally, (and you knew I had to talk about writing!), I'm introducing a chef/caterer in the sequel to THURSDAYS AT COCONUTS, so I'll be able to use some of the recipes for the meals she prepares. Maybe I'll even include some recipes in my book. Don't you love novels that have a few recipes in them? What's your favorite recipe or special bridal gift?

Soup's On!

I love so many things about fall that it would take too long to mention them all. One is that it's soup weather. And sweater weather. And boot weather. And the gorgeous leaves, pumpkins, and cooler temperatures. Oh, my. What's not to like?

I thought I'd share my favorite fall soup--Southwestern Bean Soup. It's so easy and delicious. If you can open cans and a jar, you can make this soup!


SOUTHWESTERN BEAN SOUP

1 19 oz. can Black Bean Soup (not drained)
2 15 oz. cans Red Kidney Beans, drained
2 15 oz. cans Navy Beans, drained
1 16 oz. jar Chunky Salsa (mild or medium)
1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
Small can chopped mild Green Chiles, drained

Spray a slow cooker with cooking spray and pour the beans, salsa and vinegar into the crock pot. Stir until well blended. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. This makes 8-10 servings and freezes well.

Serve with cornbread or salad. Also good with condiments like salsa, guacamole, sour cream and chips.

Enjoy and let me know if you tried it. Also, feel free to post your favorite soup in the comments section.

Weird Sandwiches

A debut author I've "met" on Twitter (Richard Jay Parker who wrote STOP ME, a thriller you can buy now) inspired me to write this post. I read his bio and it mentioned he lived on mustard sandwiches when he was a poor, aspirirng writer. Yes, just bread and mustard. What are some of the weird sandwich combinations you've tried? Here are a few: Bread, butter and sliced radishes (my mom's favorite) Chips and sliced pickles (put a pickle between two chips - my favorite) Peanut butter and sliced bananas (future son-in-law's favorite) Can you think of other strange combinations? Please share.