Alison and Shannon
We're like you. We have families, jobs, lives and commitments. But we also love good food and want to make healthy meals. We don't want to be that person who gets frazzled at 7p.m. because there's nothing to eat in the house. At the same time, we want to spend more time with our friends, talking about our lives and just hanging out...
Immerse Me
Okay, this one’s for Beth. The past two times I’ve seen her, Beth has told me that after hearing me proclaim the virtues of an immersion blender, she asked (and received) one for Christmas. But, she’s still not sure what to do with it. Both times, we were surrounded by other friends who chimed in: “Soups! Sauces! Dips! Smoothies!” There was a chorus of blender ideas.
Moroccan Lamb Stew
Slow cooking lamb in these delicious spices makes for a tender, juicy stew. Make sure to add the chickpeas at the very end, or they will become too soft. The stew can be served as is in large bowls, or alongside couscous. The fresh mint really brings out the flavor of the meat and a dollop of low fat plain yogurt on top is also a nice addition. If you have some extra time, brown the meat in a skillet (dusted in flour first) coated in a bit of olive oil to seal in the juices. Otherwise, you can omit this step and throw all the ingredients in together.
go to the recipe >>
Birthday Girl
Jennifer, a long time CWFC Yahoo member, won a copy of the book Cookie Swap with this story and photos of her adorable cookie.
We all love an excuse for a girls’ night out and what better reason than to celebrate a friend’s birthday? So one blustery cold evening, a small group of friends met at a local restaurant for a night of good food and calm conversation without kids. I volunteered to bring a cake to mark the occasion and as I thought about how I wanted to decorate it, I remembered the Birthday Mom had brought “goody bags” to our playgroup earlier that week. For the past year, I’ve been baking cookie favors for kids’ birthday parties and I thought why shouldn’t a Mom get to have cookie favors at her party too? So I made doll cookies to represent the ladies at the dinner and decorated the cake with them as well as cookie flowers and an imprinted “Happy Birthday” cookie plaque. The Birthday Girl was on top of the cake with her party dress and pearls. One doll had on a tie-dye sundress, one a 1940s swimsuit, another was dolled up in a kimono (she had been a geisha for Halloween one year), one a princess - although that was the last to be claimed 
, and the last was all clad in a winter coat.
Why is Cooking With Friends better than cooking alone?
First, there are so many tangible benefits. More hands working in the kitchen makes cooking faster and easier. When you cook in large quantities with friends, you are able to quickly stock your freezer and pantry. People who cook together learn each others’ culinary skills and cultural history, and encourage each other to try new things. But we love Cooking With Friends most because of the intangible benefits. It gives us time to have real conversations and get to know each other better. It makes cooking a more social, less solitary endeavor. It helps us connect or reconnect with people.
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