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From Our Blog Archives
The Cupboards are Bare
Fri, February 01, 2008
from Alison
Well in this case, it’s really my freezer.
In anticipation of the “Souper Bowl,” my freezers have been so full of soup for the last few weeks, I literally couldn’t fit in another item. In fact, I have been defrosting and eating foods from my over stuffed freezer simply to make room for more soup.
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Kitchen Mates
Mon, February 04, 2008
from Shannon
Some of you might think I’m crazy and many of you might not relate. But my husband Ben is one of my best cooking friends. I swear this is not just about Valentine’s day and he does tend to have a Top Chef attitude--standing over a pot and asking for ingredients to be handed to him. We are working on that.
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A Little Cumin to Cure the Monday Madness
Tue, February 05, 2008
from Alison
The school bus pulled up right on time yesterday afternoon and with a bright smile on my face, I greeted my older kids as they stepped off. Instead of arms open wide for hugs, I got crossed arms and shrugs of disappointment. No Root Beer left over from our Super Bowl party and no play dates planned. Things just weren’t going their way and, as I was told over and over, I was a bad mommy.
My mood suddenly altered by my grouchy school children, the idea of making dinner was last on my “want to do” list. Until, that is, my friend Debbie stopped by with her kids. I had some ground lamb on hand and together, we created a meal that soothed our souls while feeding our hungry bunch.
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Vacation Cooking
Fri, February 08, 2008
from Shannon
There is something wonderful about vacation cooking, when you use local ingredients to create the taste of a place. Sometimes, it’s fabulous--catching your own fresh fish off the side of a boat, or learning how to make traditional sauces of a country far from home. Other times it calls for great creativity when you’re met with that tiny grocery store with a few past-their-prime choices. But either way, vacation cooking paints memories of your trip and who you spent it with. What are your favorite vacation recipes?
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An Old Fashioned Cooking Date
Mon, February 11, 2008
from Alison
“Old fashioned” takes me back eight years ago when I first started cooking with Debbie. We both needed to feed our families healthy food, and we wanted to spend time together. It all started with a simple, fresh tomato sauce from our garden tomatoes and fresh basil, and some golden chicken tenders. Through these basic foods, Debbie I discovered the joy and practicality of cooking together.
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Sunshine Committee
Wed, February 13, 2008
from Shannon
Among my group of friends, when someone has a new baby, breaks a bone or needs a major jolt of help, we call in the “sunshine committee.” Here’s the idea: Even when your life is in turmoil, you have to eat.
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A Sweet Valentine’s Day
Thu, February 14, 2008
from Alison
Valentine’s Day is such a sweet holiday. Get together with a friend to make cookies and it becomes even sweeter. That’s exactly what I did. Having limited artistic ability, I partnered with my friend Jennifer, a skilled baker, and followed her lead to create gorgeous homemade cookies for my friends and family.
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Friendship Fruit Salad
Mon, February 18, 2008
from Shannon
Cooking together works for all kinds of people--young, old, men, women, those who work outside the home and stay-at-home moms. This past week I was so excited to see my daughter’s class of four- and five-year-olds creating a simple but beautiful dish, Friendship Fruit Salad.
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A Magic Carpet of Dough
Tue, February 19, 2008
from Alison
There are some cooking dates when bringing my toddler along simply isn’t an option. Making ravioli at Lou’s house is one of those times. Pasta making requires full attention and multiple hands. Shaping, smoothing and passing fresh sfoglia (a thinly stretched sheet of pasta dough) through the pasta press is timeless and artistic.
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A Single Bite
Fri, February 22, 2008
from Alison
One crispy bite of my toasted cheese, tomato and onion sandwich and I am in my childhood kitchen with my father. Together, we’re slicing onions, tomatoes and cheddar cheese.
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Homemade Take-Out
Fri, February 22, 2008
from Shannon
If you’re new to the Cooking With Friends concept and aren’t sure what you want to cook with your pals, think about what you reach for when it’s dinnertime and there’s “nothing” to eat. Look in your freezer and peruse your take-out menus. Then make some homemade take-out.
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Snow Day!
Sat, February 23, 2008
from Alison
It was a snow day here yesterday. School was closed so we spent the day sledding, snow man building and warming up with lots of hot chocolate.
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Cooking with Little Friends
Mon, February 25, 2008
from Alison
The other day, I came home to a beautiful yet messy surprise. My almost 8 year old daughter and her 10 year old friend were in the midst of making Gingerbread cookies – from scratch and by themselves.
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Cooking With Friends Recipe Collection
Wed, February 27, 2008
from Shannon
My friend Heather created an amazing surprise for those of us who have been cooking together in Denver. We’ve been cooking in groups of 2 or 3 and then meeting for food swaps. There are about 14 of us now. One of our problems is we aren’t so organized in sharing our recipes. So Heather came up with a great idea--she made Cooking With Friends Recipe Collection binders for all our recipes, complete with sections for types of food. They are beautiful and so helpful!
So now after this week’s soup swap we have some delicious food in our freezer and the following recipes in our book: Chicken Enchilada Soup, White Chili, Golden Winter Soup or a French Potage, Asparagus Soup, Red Lentil Soup and Grandma Ann’s Veggie Soup. Thanks for a great swap and to Heather for a wonderful idea. If you are organizing cooking groups in your areas, let me know and I’ll help you design your books too.
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Marvelous Mayhem
Thu, February 28, 2008
from Alison
With kids so much a part of my life now, it’s inevitable that they will learn how and why to cook with their friends. After school on Monday, sixteen 7-year old Brownie girls gathered at my brave friend Emily’s house. Yes, there was mayhem that to some would have seemed like madness. To me, it was marvelous.
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