Kitchen Success!

 

Last night served as a celebration for a couple of reasons. First place, it's always a happy occasion to welcome friends to your home. It's even more so when those friends are family.  Second, I prepared the final recipe to have cooked all the recipes from the main dishes section of the FBC Athens cookbook. I casually started this my senior year in college. From Baked Bean Casserole to Zippy Zucchini Pizza, I've spent the last eight years discovering which recipes have worked and which have been...well, less than satisfactory.

I didn't get serious about this task until three years ago I was a member of an awesome group of women that met each Monday for "Supper Club." Oh how I loved those Monday nights. Then, when B entered the picture, I started cooking for him. And now that's it's my responsibility to feed him most nights of the week, it became much easier to work my way through all the chicken casseroles and western hashes.

There have been all sorts of positive outcomes from this eight-year journey. For one, I've learned how to be a better cook. I learned certain shortcuts in the kitchen and I've settled into a comfortableness around my stove, oven, pots and pans. Also, I've gained a sense of confidence in myself as I prepare dishes for friends and family. I'm learning to not think less of myself when something's not good - because, gosh darn it, I gave it my all in the kitchen....and the dog has never refused to eat anything I've given her.

            
                                  

Finally, I've created a sort of diary for my children. Every recipe in this worn book has comments made from me. The comments give hints as to missing ingredients (I'm telling you, not every Baptist woman gives all the ingredients to her favorite dishes), other possibilities, whether or not to prepare it again, and who ate it. My first recipe prepared was made for my college roommates Leah Resseguie Cox and Chasse Land Greene. It was chicken and dumplins.  I have marked a recipe I cooked for my brother Eric and his wife Donna on the night they brought baby Anna (now 8!) home from the hospital. That's a favorite - Vegetable Beef Casserole.  My final recipe from this book was for Brandon's cousins Farah, Chad, Max, Aunt Deloris and his parents. Brandon said it's a keeper, and I agree. We'll definitely be eating Taco Mac N' Cheese again.

                          

So, it's an end of an era. I guess I'll start on another cookbook for main dishes. However, have no fear friends, there's still plenty of vegetable plates, appetizers, breads and desserts I've yet to share with you.