Merry Christmas to me!  My boyfriend proposed to me Christmas night and now I’m engaged!  So despite all of the usual bride-to-be, “I’m planning a wedding” hoopla, something tells me I’ve got some Secret Ingredients Cookbooks coming my way.

My future mother-in-law has already told me that she plans on dubbing me “project manager” to create a Keepsake Cookbook for our upcoming family reunion this summer.  I can only imagine all of the great recipes that will be in that book; from my Sweet Potato Cheesecake that was a hit again this past Christmas, to my mother’s Sweet Potato Pie, my future mother-in-laws recipe for Pound Cake, and my future father-in-law’s awesome Gumbo recipe just to name a few.

It will be a great Keepsake Cookbook for the family reunion, but I’m sure it’ll be an even more impressive Heirloom Cookbook as a wedding gift.  That most incredible recipe collection, paired with photographs of both my fiancé’s and my family will truly be a treasured gift.

In the meantime, I’ll be sure to keep you all posted on my wild ride from fiancé to bride.

That’s it for me, until next time…
~Ashley

I spent my weekend in Florida at an annual event almost as great as my birthday (haha)!  For the second year in a row, I had the privilege of joining my boyfriend and his parents at their annual family reunion.  This year, the festivities were held in Fort Myers, Florida.  The weather was great, and the food was awesome.

Friday night, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, cousins, and more were greeted by a traditional southern fish fry.  Saturday, we all headed down to the pier and dined on barbequed chicken and ribs, hot dogs, hamburgers, fresh fruit and veggies.  That evening, following a very entertaining family fashion show, we stuffed our bellies with sliced turkey, green beans, stuffing, and macaroni and cheese.  Finally for dessert, a delicious strawberry filled caked decorated with a picture of last year’s family reunion.

I could spend hours recanting the great time I had, but most people know how awesome it is to get together with family members you don’t see very often, especially when you have great food to eat as you laugh and reminisce.  Weekends like these are the perfect recipe for a Secret Ingredients Heirloom Cookbook.  Thanks to modern day technology, creating a cookbook project is a fun and easy activity to include when planning a family reunion.  Stock up on stories, pictures, and favorites recipes one year, and present your cookbook the next. 

Here’s a family reunion cookbook TIP:  give Secret Ingredients Keepsake Cookbooks out as favors and create an Heirloom Cookbook to present to a very special member of the family.  Perhaps whoever hosted the reunion that year, or the matriarch of the family.
I’d love to hear about your cool family reunion traditions and stories!  Send them to info@heirloomcookbook.com, ATTN: Ashley.
That’s it for me, until next time…

~Ashley