Bridal Shower Bites - Aunt Carol's Panakakua

Mom and Dad were up to visit recently - we had a lot of fun going to see the Boston Commonwealth Shakespeare Company perform Two Gentlemen of Verona in the Boston Commons! I was eager to invite them over for brunch, partly to show off all our new china and partly to make this for them: Aunt Carol's Panakakua (Finnish Pancake).

Bridal Shower Bites - the Aunts' Watermelon Salsa

Aunt Linda and Aunt Chris both sent me this recipe, so I figured it had to be good! I've been wanting to make it, but had to wait until it's watermelon season. And lo! Tis now upon us! Hurrah!

Yum! I used to not like watermelon, which now I don't understand.

Bridal Shower Bites - Mom's English Muffin Loaf

I called my mom as soon as I got the Bridal Shower invitation - apparently she knew all about it but didn't want to spill the beans. Anyway, the first thing she said was, "I have no idea what recipe to send you. You already have all of my recipes!" And I do. Mom made a cookbook for me as a college graduation present that has all of the recipes I loved from growing up, and she keeps sending me new ones that she's tried or thinks look interesting. I send her recipes, too, so we have a pretty fluid recipe sharing system already set up. Which means that it was hard for either one of us to think of a recipe that she has that I don't, and she didn't want to send just any recipe without trying it out first. I told her she didn't have to send any, since she's already given me so many, but Mom likes to play by the rules.  So she went on a mission!

Is it a muffin, or is it bread??

Bridal Shower Bites - Aunt Josette's Leib Kuchen

 I have been wanting to make these cookies since Aunt Josette sent the recipe for the shower, mainly because of the note she wrote on the recipe: "Grandpa Kessler loved these cookies!" One of (the many) great things about Aunt Josette is that she and Uncle George are a part of both sides of the family. As kids, that meant that we got to see them at family reunions on both sides, which then meant that we saw them probably more often than any other family members. Which was awesome. They bridged the gap for us between the Kesslers and the Mootses, which led to little insights like the one on the recipe. Grandpa Kessler loved these cookies.

I trust Grandpa's cookie recommendations

Bridal Shower Bites - Meaghan McCallin's Hot & Smoky Baked Beans

We had an impromptu cookout last weekend for Memorial Day before we headed over to Fenway Park to watch some good ol' American baseball (the Phillies were in town.  Our resident Philly Phanatic got tickets for both games.). While brainstorming about what sides we could make for the cookout, we hit upon Meaghan's baked beans recipe. Part of me feels like a traitor making non-Boston baked beans in Boston, and the other part of me figures that the rules are probably a little different in Cambridge. Anyway you make them, baked beans seem like a pretty quintessential cookout side dish, so I figured we could give them a go.

What's better at a cookout than baked beans?

Bridal Shower Bites - Aunt Joyce's Ginger Ale

And we're back to our regularly scheduled programming after last week's foray into Icelandic cuisine!

Aunt Joyce's famous homemade ginger ale!

Bridal Shower Bites - Aunt Kitty's Chicken Pie

Happy Sunday!

Things have been a little bit crazy here in the Boston/Cambridge area this week, but are thankfully starting to get back to normal. I wanted to make Aunt Josette's cookies during my unexpected day-off-work / governor-mandated-lockdown, but didn't have all of the ingredients (and couldn't go get them, either.  That's what a lockdown will do). I ended up making a banana bread instead with an old banana that I found in the freezer. I should have spent the time writing this post, though, since we actually made this recipe a few days ago, but I spent more time than I should have just watching the news (again, that's what a lockdown will do to you).

Bridal Shower Bites - The Radel's Veggie Chili

And we're back with the another Bridal Shower Bites! This time, we're trying out one of the recipes from Aunt Carol and Reen: a veggie chili recipe passed along from Mark, Jr. I was originally worried that since spring's a-coming, it would be a little too warm for a chili recipe, but luckily Boston has refused to follow Punxsutawney Phil's prediction of an early spring and we're still having cool enough weather to try a new chili recipe. Phew!

And we are enjoying them!

Bridal Shower Bites - Aunt Linda's Granola

So it's been a while...
 I was so touched when I received this: