Why All the Cooking?

This is what my freezer looks

like as we prepare for our

2013 Family Reunion.

Several, including family members
have wondered why I am doing so much cooking.

There are several reasons:
#1  I enjoy spoiling my family.
#2  I want to be able to enjoy visiting while everyone is here,
so if I cook ahead of time, I just have
to take it out of the freezer and heat it up.
#3  It was fun going through my cookbook
and picking out some old family favorites
and thinking of those people
while I was cooking.
#4  THE MOST IMPORTANT
We had a family reunion 2 years ago.
My family came after my first chemo
treatment.  My wonderful oncologist
timed my first chemo so that I would be
feeling good by the time family arrived.
The JOY of being with family
at that reunion and the HAPPY MEMORIES
literally carried me through
my time of recovery.
Because they spoiled me 2 years ago,
it is my turn to spoil them now!!!

Texas Trash
They guys especially like this.

Grasshopper Pie has become
a favorite of the nieces and nephews
through the years.  One Thanksgiving
we were moving to a new house
and the recipe was packed away.
Niece Jenny to the rescue.
She had a copy of the recipe.
Josh has teasingly accused me for years
of making this for my favorite
nephew.  They are all my
favorites.  

I must have made this Chocolate Sheet Cake
hundreds of times for devotionals that
we had at our house for the teens.
Because my family all lived close by,
they often got to have the cake too.

Sand Tarts were a favorite of my brothers
and also of my sweet daddy.  We
will miss his infectious
smile as we enjoy each
others company.

I made Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls
(adapted) for the first time in Colorado,
but I think the family will like them.

Some other dishes that are in the freezer
and are not pictured are:
Pepper Steak--a favorite meal of Jeremy
Chili-for Hot Dogs and Chili on the 4th of July
Million Dollar Spaghetti--my family is worth a million $
Grandma Bergeron's Oatmeal Cookies
Amaretto Cheesecake
Sausage Balls--a must have for the Young Adult
Christmas Brunch every year
Chicken Spaghetti--a recipe from a dear lady
at a church from years ago

Can you tell we are getting excited about
having family here in Colorado both
for the official reunion in Rocky Mountain
National Park, but also for a few days
here in the Springs?
I don't know what all we'll do,
 but I do know that we will EAT!