I am extremely fortunate to have been raised in a family with extraordinarily talented, confident, supportive and nurturing women who happen to be excellent cooks. I’m not delusional. It is what it is. These are my aunts…

Auntie Sues (that’s just what I’ve always called her): Anyone who knows her knows she has a great sense of humor and her laugh is contagious. The only girl in a family of seven children, you might expect her to be more of a tomboy, but I’ve always been impressed by her feminine side. From her hand writing, to her Oscar de la Renta perfume… to her food presentation, I’m crazy about her. Her food is ALWAYS special and delicious. She is the type to slice your potato 20x across the top so when it is baked every bit of garlic infused butter seeps into every crack for a full flavor and equally beautiful looking experience.

Aunt Lynnie: She has a seamless way of getting everything on the table, from scratch, while you’ve been visiting, without you knowing. It’s hard to put into words actually. She has this abundance of energy that she exudes very comfortably. She’s the type that you stop over unannounced and she pours you a cup of coffee like she was planning on it, and the next thing you know you’re eating dinner. She makes an amazing potato salad, that you wish was at every barbeque you’re invited to…and since she didn’t, you kind of don’t want to try their’s because you know it’s not going to taste like hers. She is the type to spend a whole day teaching you how to jar her family recipe of Bread & Butter pickles. Thank you for that Aunt Lynn.

Aunt Leann: She is a mother of four, a superintendent of a charter school, and she can cook anything (and I mean anything) well. For example: You have a rabbit in the fridge? Not Aunt Leann, everyone just devoured her rabbit stew. She is the type to pay attention to detail. As in, she will cut out 50 toasts in the shape of acorns to top her squash soup. She has a dream of having her own cooking TV show, and she should, and you should watch it, because you will learn something. (Now, Aunt Leann, please don’t judge all of the commas in that sentence).

Aunt Christy: She is ageless. She has soft brown eyes and perfect dimples. She had twins! She had four children in total, but she had twins! In the kitchen, I’ve always thought of her as courageous and experimental. She would bring picture perfect homemade éclairs to family gatherings. The first time I heard of hummus was from her. I imagine her pantry to be stocked with exotic spices. When I called her to get grandma’s recipe for vegetable curry dip, she texted me 15 minutes later to say she just left curry powder from Penzey’s (her favorite for that recipe) in my mailbox. If you’re sick, and she knows it, she’ll bring you pot roast, corn bread, and mini cheesecakes… After my fourth baby delivery, she left warm banana bread on my front porch. You get the picture.

Aunt Becky: My mother’s only sister. She has probably influenced the way I perceive things more than I even know. She always seems to know the way she likes, well, everything. She likes her bedroom dark. She likes the temperature of her house a little on the chilly side, and she likes to curl up with a blanket. It makes you consider how you like things. It’s the same when it comes to food. She likes her dressing (or stuffing) wet and with mushrooms. She likes her butter cold. She likes her milk even colder, with ice, in fact, even in her cereal! It’s not that I picture her whipping things up in the kitchen, as much as I think of how she is confident in how she prefers her meals. Although, I do get a craving from time to time for her green bean casserole topped with crispy bacon.

Thank you- all, I love you very much.