I would like to introduce you all to one of my favorite cookbooks...The Gathering of Friends by Michelle Huxtable and Alyse Christensen. I was delighted to receive this from a dear friend last Christmas. It was one of my favorite gifts. The pictures throughout the book are beautiful, the entertaining ideas brilliant, and the recipes are 'tried and true'. I spent the holidays going through each page and dreaming about all of the gatherings I would host in 2009. In fact I was so inspired by this book , that it became part of my New Years Resolutions last year (see here).
As I have written about before, I firmly believe in the power and beauty of creating and sharing a nourishing meal with those you love. So you can see why I was immediatly pulled in by the preface of this book...
"To women everywhere who are part of this grand sisterhood, who derive great pleasure from hearth and home, there is something wonderful about carefully preparing and sharing a meal with another. Food is a love language. The Gathering of Friends will empower the reader with ideas of how to open your home to entertain ...to strengthen family bonds and encourage new friendships"
Volume 1 is full of 16 Gathering ideas, such as 'A Chrsitmas Celebration', 'Garden Brunch', and 'An Evening Gathering'. It comes complete with wonderful menus, stunning pictures of the table dressings, the recipes, and even includes the shopping list. It makes entertaining easy!
I would highly recommend this book as a perfect Christmas gift! You can order them directly at The Gathering of Friends website, click here. Right now they are running a Christmas special of buy 3 get one free. I have already ordered some for gifts and have volume 2 on the way for myself! I can't wait to receive it! I hear that it is set up a little differently with 5 weeks of meal planning with shopping lists at the end of each week. We will post about it and host a Volume 2 giveaway January for a Happy New year. But for now...
I am happy to announce that Sisters Cafe has partnered with with 'The Gathering of Friends' and will giveaway TWO volume 1 cookbooks...one from them and one from us! You will LOVE this book!
As I have written about before, I firmly believe in the power and beauty of creating and sharing a nourishing meal with those you love. So you can see why I was immediatly pulled in by the preface of this book...
"To women everywhere who are part of this grand sisterhood, who derive great pleasure from hearth and home, there is something wonderful about carefully preparing and sharing a meal with another. Food is a love language. The Gathering of Friends will empower the reader with ideas of how to open your home to entertain ...to strengthen family bonds and encourage new friendships"
Volume 1 is full of 16 Gathering ideas, such as 'A Chrsitmas Celebration', 'Garden Brunch', and 'An Evening Gathering'. It comes complete with wonderful menus, stunning pictures of the table dressings, the recipes, and even includes the shopping list. It makes entertaining easy!
I would highly recommend this book as a perfect Christmas gift! You can order them directly at The Gathering of Friends website, click here. Right now they are running a Christmas special of buy 3 get one free. I have already ordered some for gifts and have volume 2 on the way for myself! I can't wait to receive it! I hear that it is set up a little differently with 5 weeks of meal planning with shopping lists at the end of each week. We will post about it and host a Volume 2 giveaway January for a Happy New year. But for now...
I am happy to announce that Sisters Cafe has partnered with with 'The Gathering of Friends' and will giveaway TWO volume 1 cookbooks...one from them and one from us! You will LOVE this book!
To enter visit the Gathering of Friends website (click) and tell me which recipe sounds good to you!
We will pick the winners on Wednesday using Random.org.
Merry Christmas everyone!
The Chicken Angeline looks and sounds delicious! Thanks for the great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI recently used the flank steak recipe -- delicious...
ReplyDeleteThe chicken cordon bleu recipe looks amazing. I'm always a sucker for that though :)
ReplyDeleteI want to try the fried tomato sandwiches as a Christmas party appetizer. Also like the sweet & sour chicken and honey walnut rolls.
ReplyDeleteThe sweet and sour chicken looked great! The cookbook looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI am very interested in the cranberry salsa! Yum. Thank you for this wonderful giveaway.
ReplyDeleteChrista
The cream of mushroom soup looks fabulous. But so do the fried tomato sandwiches.
ReplyDeletemmmm that chicken cordon blue looks so yummy! I may have to make that this week!
ReplyDeletelanceandlaceyw@hotmail.com
honey glazed walnut rolls....mmmm!
ReplyDeleteThe peach cheesecake puffs look divine.
ReplyDeleteFried Tomato Sandwiches...YUM!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the opportunity!
~Stacey
csfish@roadrunner.com
This looks like such a great cookbook, I was looking on their blog and thought their chicken cordon bleu sounded great, I think that's what I'll be making for dinner tonight!
ReplyDeleteoh man....they all looked good. I think I am goind to try the pumpkin pound cake. I have also been trying to find chinese food recipes and that sweet and sour chicken looked tasty and easy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the give away - I have really enjoyed your blog.
Merry Christmas.
I can't wait to try the peach cheesecake puffs, especially since it combines two of my husband's favorites: peaches AND cheesecake! Yumm!
ReplyDeletePumpkin Poundcake and Chicken Cordon Bleu looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteMelanie,
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed at how much time & effort you put into making everything around you beautiful & delicious! Your website is awesome! It sounds weird, but I want to try the water recipes in this cookbook for my wedding business. We have those clear glass water containers & they have made them so pretty with strawberries & other fun things floating in the water. What a great idea! The cream of mushroom soup sounds great too- love soup this time of year.
The fried tomato sandwiches. Love your blog BTW.
ReplyDeleteI'm dying to make those honey glazed walnut rolls! YUMMMMMM!
ReplyDeleteI Am A Fan For Making Desserts! The Peach Cheesecake Puffs Look Yummy!
ReplyDeleteThe Chicken Angeline sounds amazing!!!
ReplyDeletewell the flank steak of course...
ReplyDeleteand seriously great post. I have made an effort to host more parties this year, and have had a wonderful time...
Today I posted about a "gathering of friends"... my first ever annual cookie/beer exchange neighborhood party.
Honey glazed walnut rolls look divine!
ReplyDeleteAnother vote for Honey Glazed Walnut Rolls. mmmmm.
ReplyDeleteThey all look yummy, but I really want to try the cranberry salsa. It looks so good with the cream cheese!
ReplyDeleteThe Peach Cheesecake Puffs sound divine!
ReplyDeleteOh, I want to try the Chicken Cordon Blue!
ReplyDeleteI want to try the honey glazed walnut rolls. They look soooo yummy!!
ReplyDeleteI have had the fried tomato sandwiches - they are so delicious! I would love to win this cookbook.
ReplyDeleteI think the Strawberry Greens & Red Wine Peppercorn dressing sounds delicious!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
I REALLY hope I win! I've seen these cookbooks floating around out there on other blogs. All the recipes on there look good but I want to try the Chicken Angeline tonight! ;) Thanks for a fun giveaway.
ReplyDeleteTHese books look beautiful! i love the pictures. The flank steak looks awesome. That would be the first on my list!
ReplyDeleteWow, chicken Angeline looks divine! What a fun book...
ReplyDeleteUm....Peach Cheesecake Puffs...hello! Almost makes me miss summer.
ReplyDeleteI think the Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe looks very tasty. Thanks for the opportunity to win!
ReplyDeleteThe cranberry salsa sounds yummy!! Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteWow! Which recipe doesn't look good? I've seen this book at a few different stores, but haven't seen inside yet. I'd love to have one. The Flank Steak recipe looks like something my family would enjoy and I plan on making it this week.
ReplyDeleteI want to make the cranberry salsa for our Christmas Eve party food spread!
ReplyDeletePumpkin pound cake and chicken cordon bleu sound delicious. A beautiful cookbook.
ReplyDeleteThe pomegranete pear salad sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteThe chicken cordon bleu....that picture is burned in my memory. Wow, it looks fabulous!
ReplyDeletethe pumpkin surprise and the pumpkin pound cake sound delicious....I love anything pumpkin right now...this looks like a fantastic recipe book!
ReplyDeleteThe sweet and sour chicken sounds great!
ReplyDeleteThe books look beautiful! I would say the flank steak. Kim
ReplyDeleteStrawberry Greens & Red Wine Peppercorn Dressing sounds very scrumptious to me! I would LOVE this book! Thanks for the give away!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to try the fried tomato sandwiches!
ReplyDeleteThe Cream of Mushroom Soup, I love soup this time of year and it has been so cold this last week.
ReplyDeleteFlank steak for sure. And the cranberry salsa. Yum.
ReplyDeleteThe peach cheesecake puffs sound delish. Yum.
ReplyDeleteThe flank steak sounds delicious! I've never asked the butcher to run it through the tenderizer, let alone twice! I'm excited to try it!
ReplyDeleteCranberry Salsa looks like a recipe I want to try for this holiday season.
ReplyDeletePeach Cheesecake puffs look delicious to me! I love puff pastry and fresh peaches, so I can't wait to try this recipe next summer when peach season comes around. Thanks for all the yummy recipes. We're making the homemade
ReplyDeleteturgles later today. Teresa
TRigell at aol dot com
All the recipes look good to me--but I would like to try first the cranberry salsa! I would love this cookbook!
ReplyDeleteChrissy
I'll hold onto that recipe for Fried Tomato Sandwiches until next summer, and use my garden-fresh tomatoes that way! Meanwhile, I could go for some Cranberry Salsa!
ReplyDeleteWow, peach cheesecake puffs? I gained weight just reading that. :o)
ReplyDeleteThe Perfect Pumpkin Pound Cake on their blog sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteWow, look at all the comments already! I think the cream of mushroom soup (from volume 2) looks absolutely amazing. What a fun giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThat flank steak recipe looks so good!
ReplyDeleteThe chicken angeline is exactly what I would prepare for dinner guests.Perfect.Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
ReplyDeleteYum Yum! Peach Cheesecake Puffs for me please!!
ReplyDeleteI would love to make the Perfect Pumpkin Pound Cake. It looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteThe honey glazed walnut rolls look SO good!
ReplyDeleteThe peach cheesecake puffs sound and look delicious.
ReplyDeleteFried tomato sandwiches, look easy and sound sooo good!!!
ReplyDeleteWow, the sweet & sour chicken/vegetables looks wonderful (and easy!)
ReplyDeleteMy sister gave me this book for Christmas last year! I love the orange chocolate chip cookies!
ReplyDeleteStrawberry greens and Red Peppercorn Dressing
ReplyDeleteI have heard about this book on other blogs and it looks fantastic.
Definitely the 'Honey Glazed Walnut Rolls'!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I've been wanting to start doing more entertaining!
I have got to try the Peach Cheesecake Puffs!
ReplyDeleteI love hearing about new cookbooks that others have found to be good!
ReplyDeleteI would love to try the Strawberry Greens and Red Wine Peppercorn Dressing.
marci6tx at msn dot com
the chicken angeline looks so unique and yummy! i want this book so bad! i've heard so much about it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great looking cookbook. I think the Peach Cheesecake Puffs look so good.
ReplyDeleteSweet and Sour Chicken!!! megan_eliason@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteOh the fried tomato sandwiches look amazing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great book! The Chicken Angeline sounds fantastic! I love anything with artichoke hearts.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
Thanks!
Michele Brigante
I know it is the first recipe to pop up but the Fried Tomato Sandwiches look yummy! I am such a sucker for cream cheese!
ReplyDeleteI think the book looks amazing. I for sure want to try the cranberry salsa. YUM!
ReplyDeleteI thought the Chicken Angeline and the Flank Steak both looked divine, I love your cooking blog, I use your recipes alot! thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI vote for the Chicken Angeline! How can you go wrong with artichoke hearts and mushrooms?
ReplyDeleteAnd butter ;D !!!
Chicken Angeline sounds fabulous. Erin I went to a dinner for the residents (and wives), and one of the wives who use to live in MI for her husband's intern year was talking about this blog, and how much she loves it! Small world!
ReplyDeleteThe flaunt steak looks so yummy. My husband and I never get sick of steak!! Please pick me!!
ReplyDeleteThe Fried Tomato Sandwiches look so amazing and so easy! I love that combination! Especially if you have home grown garden tomatoes....it would taste divine!
ReplyDeleteI love a good cookbook. The pomegranate pear salad looks and sounds delicious and unique!
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely going to try the flank steak.
ReplyDeleteEmily
emilyheinhold@yahoo.com
I don't have the "gift" of entertaining but I really love to cook and I think I could be inspired by the looks of this book!!! I'm always looking for appetizer ideas - and the fried tomato sandwiches look awesome!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm in for peach cheesecake puffs. YUM! Even if I don't win, thanks for recommending this site & book. I love new recipes!
ReplyDeleteI am going to second the peach cheesecake puff. My favorite fruit in the summer are peaches and you can never go wrong with cheesecake!!!
ReplyDeleteBecky Kight
hmm... just one? Sweet and sour chicken looked yummy to me. I saw this book on Nie Nie's blog, it's the first I have ever heard of it, and now you have it... looks yummy! Looks like I will be adding a few more items to the Christmas list :)
ReplyDeleteAll of the recipes look delicious, especially the chicken angeline.
ReplyDeleteThe Peach Cheesecake Puffs look divine!
ReplyDeleteHoney Glazed Walnut Rolls for me please!! :D
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful cookbook! Thanks for sharing. I want to make the cranberry salsa. That looks so fun and festive.
ReplyDeleteBecky
Definitely the Honey Glazed Walnut Rolls. I just love my bread, LOL.
ReplyDeleteAll of them look so good how can I pick just one! But the Pomegranate Pear Salad looks divine!
ReplyDeletePomegranate pear salad from the blog. Wow !
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful looking book! Chicken Angeline sounds sooooo tasty. Anything with artichoke hearts is a winner.
ReplyDeleteI want to dive right into the plate with the flank steak and potatoes. It would be so fun to serve to friends in the summer.
ReplyDeleteStrawberry Greens and Red Wine Peppercorn Dressing - love a good salad!
ReplyDeleteI'm always a sucker for bread. The "Honey Glazed Walnut Rolls" sound delicious!
ReplyDeleteHoney Glazed Walnut Rolls-Hubby was sitting with me, and he said, "OOOOHHHHH Those look good!"
ReplyDeleteI think the flank steak sounds delicious! Actually, most their recipes look great! What a fun giveaway!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Merry Christmas to you, too! I would love to win this!! I think the Peach Cheesecake Puffs look divine. Yum, yum!
ReplyDeleteI can't resist the sweet stuff - those peach cheesecake puffs look so yummy! What a beautiful cookbook!
ReplyDeleteI think the Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe looks divine...I've been on the lookout for a recipe that doesn't conain cream of chicken soup, and this one fits the bill while also looking absolutely delicious!
ReplyDeletePomegranate Pear Salad sounds good to me! I have pomegranates in my fridge right now that had no purpose - we'll have having this salad tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteI've tried the cranberry salsa on your website and it was yummy! I'd like to try this variation though too. I think the book looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteThe Chicken Angeline and Cream of Mushroom Soup look delicious - and I usually don't like mushrooms! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThe fried tomatoe sandwiches...sounds like a fun version of my favorite, bruschetta
ReplyDeleteHoly Peach Cheesecake Puffs!
ReplyDeleteWhoa.
I mean...
Whoa.
I can wear slippers to the grocery store, right?
I'm a sucker for Flank Steak, so I'm going to have to vote for that!
ReplyDeletePumpkin poundcake
ReplyDeleteThe cranberry salsa looks amazing. I am going to try this. I think it would be a nice change with turkey even at Thanksgiving. I am always experimenting with cranberry anyway and this looks like it would be very tasty. Thanks for letting us all in on this cookbook.
ReplyDeleteThe honey glazed walnut rolls look amazing!
ReplyDeletesnakan0 at hotmail dot com
The honey glazed walnut rolls look delicious! Yay for sweet bread!
ReplyDeleteI'm a dessert girl all the way! The Peach Cheesecake Puffs looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteThe honey glazed walnut rolls looked amazing to me!
ReplyDeleteMmmm I love mushrooms, so Chicken Angeline!
ReplyDeleteI would have to go with the Chicken Angeline as well! :)
ReplyDeleteThe Honey Glazed Walnut Rolls look scrumptious!
ReplyDeleteI would make the cream of mushroom soup recipe first!! yum!
ReplyDeletethanks for entering me!!!
The Peach Cheesecake Puffs look fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI think I am making the Perfect Pumpkin Pound Cake today for a friend.
ReplyDeleteHmmm..lot's to choose from. I'll have to go with the Chicken Cordon Bleu - you had me at "8 oz cream cheese" :) I heart your blog - it has brought such joy back into cooking!
ReplyDeleteThe Chicken Angeline looks wonderful. I love artichokes!
ReplyDeleteAll the recipes sound wonderful but I will go with the Chicken Angeline as I am going to make this one soon.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog and all your recipes.
Love the look of the pomegranate pear salad! so fancy! it will be on my christmas table
ReplyDeleteThe sweet and sour chicken looks yum!
ReplyDeleteDenise Jorgensen
Pumpkin poundcake and chicken cordon bleu. Is it dinnertime yet?
ReplyDeleteDoes it get any beter than fried tomato sandwiches? Me no think so!
ReplyDeleteI would totally go for the peach cheescake puffs but my hubby would love the flank steak. Actually all of them sound superb! What beautiful presentations!
ReplyDeletePeach cheesecake puffs!
ReplyDeleteI love all things pumpkin this time of year so I would enjoy trying the pumpkin surprise. YUM!
ReplyDeleteI think the Flank Steak recipe and the sweet and sour Chicken recipes look delish! Thanks for doing this ladies!
ReplyDeleteThe Peach Cheesecake Puffs sound yummy and super easy!
ReplyDeleteThe Strawberry Greens &
ReplyDeleteRed Wine Peppercorn Dressing looks so appetizing. Wish I had taste-o-vision.
Pumpkin pound cake. . .Yum!!!
ReplyDeleteLove this site. Thanks, Sisters!!
I would love to try the fried tomatoe sandwiches and the chicken cordon bleu looks so good!
ReplyDeleteThe chicken angeline looks devine!
ReplyDeleteMelanie,
ReplyDeleteThis is fun! I still don't eat chocolate so I'm always looking for yummy non-chocolate desserts. The Peach Cheesecake Puffs look yummy! I'm sure I can sneak them somewhere into my healthy eating plan, right?:)
This is great!!
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought that the sweeet and sour chicken in volume2 looked good-I'm pretty simple,not so daring with new recipes. THEN I saw the honey-glazed walnut rolls!!! Hello! They look yummy and I like something sweet in my food. And I've never made rolls from scratch but this recipe might motivate me. yum
ReplyDeleteCaryn N
The Chicken Cordon Bleu Sounds fantastic!!!
ReplyDeleteI am saying the Sweet and Sour Chicken. Looks yummy!
ReplyDeleteThe honey glazed walnut rolls look awesome! FUN!
ReplyDeleteThe pomegranate pear salad looks great!
ReplyDeleteI will have to make the honey walnut rolls and the peach cheesecake puffs simultanously as I can't choose which one to make first.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to try the "Peach Cheesecake Puffs"...I will have to wait until next August though when the fresh peaches arrive!
ReplyDeleteI liked the Flank Steak marinade! My family loves Flank Steak! Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteCarly = fullmercarly@hotmail.com
Definitely the peach cheesecake puffs. I am all about dessert.
ReplyDeleteThe fried tomato sandwiches, AND the cream of mushroom soup......heaven!
ReplyDeleteOkay, the fried tomato sandwiches got me! I never would have dreamed to create something like that, but I am sure it is divine!!! Thanks for your giveaway!. :)
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, the Peach Cheesecake Puff looks heavenly! This is a beautiful book!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great looking book! Chicken Angeline looks heavenly! Anything with artichokes will definitely please my husband!
ReplyDeleteThe chicken cordon bleu sounds delicious (so does the fried tomato sandwich)! Yummy!
ReplyDeleteI would like to try their flank steak recipe - one of my favorite meats. Great looking cookbook!
ReplyDeleteThe chicken cordon bleu looks delicious!
ReplyDeletejmojmo24 at gmail dot com
cranberry salsa! pumpkin pound cake! yum, yum, yum!
ReplyDeleteIt all looks so delicious. I would probably try the sweet and sour chicken first!
ReplyDeletelove your website, what a hard choice to choose just one but for sure the chicken cordon bleu
ReplyDeleteDenise Hone: The Chicken Cordon Bleu sounds amazing. I love that dish.
ReplyDeletedenisehone@hotmail.com
ooooo, I love love cheesecake, therefore the peach cheesecake puffs sound DEVINE!!!
ReplyDeleteJami
jamity@hotmail.com
Pomegranate Pear Salad... I think because it has blue cheese that I miss so much while I am prego.
ReplyDeleteI think the peach cheesecake puffs look delicious. Hope I win!!!
ReplyDeleteeverything looks amazing on the site/cookbook, but the sweet and sour chicken looks like a real winner!
ReplyDelete