Hi Cooking Moms, Dads & Friends,

TGIF! I hope you had a good week. This weekend is Father’s Day! This will be my second Father’s Day without my dad. He passed away unexpectedly. I miss him so much but I know he’s with me every day. Father’s Day will always be different now, so I’ve decided to try to make it special by making some of my Dad's favorite dishes every year.

Why not treat your dad to a delicious dinner? Grill up the ultimate Father’s Day dinner!

My dad LOVED shrimp! My Cajun Shrimp is loaded with butter and a bit of heat. In the summer I make this in a foil pan on the grill. Serve with crusty bread to sop up every bit of the sauce. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

Speaking of bread, my grilled Stuffed Bread is the BEST EVER! Super easy too. You can have it all made up ahead of time and then just throw it on the grill or bake it in the oven. Watch everybody pull it apart and devour it! Click Appetizers for more yummy recipes to get the party started.

If Dad is a pork chop guy, (and mine was) you can’t go wrong with my Smothered Pork Chops!

If you're making potatoes, why not make ordinary potatoes a little more special? My Fancy Baked Potatoes will totally make you look like a rock star! Trust me on this one. Aren't they pretty? You bake bake them or wrap each potato in foil and throw them on the grill with whatever you are grillin’. Click Sides for lot more tasty recipes.

It’s asparagus season! I picked up a couple gorgeous bunches this week at the farmers market. My Lemon Roasted Asparagus is a taste of summer! Click on my blog post Asparagus 101 to read all about how to pick the perfect bunch, how to store it, and get links to a bunch (no pun intended) of my favorite asparagus recipes too! I always like to serve a big beautiful salad at dinner, and with bacon it's even better! You can’t go wrong with my Wonderful Wedge Salad with the Best Bleu Cheese Dressing. Click Dinner and Salads for more delicious recipes.

And for dessert, don’t let summer go by without making ice cream. My Dad’s Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream is AMAZING! So easy too! A few years ago I found his old ice cream maker in a box while cleaning out my grandmother’s cottage. Tucked inside was his handwritten recipe. I’ve been making his ice cream in his old ice cream maker ever since. So fun!

If you like root beer floats, you’ll LOVE my Root Beer Float Cupcakes! So easy, cute, and delicious. Perfect for Father’s Day! Let the kids help bake and decorate them. What fun! Click Desserts for more of my favorite summer dessert recipes.

Order Amy's Cookbooks!

If you like my recipes, I think you will love my cookbooks. Both of my cookbooks are full color, and each is filled with nearly 200 unique recipes. Lots of secrets, tips and fun stories, too! Click Amy's Books on Amazon to order.

Let’s Travel Together in 2022!

You know I love to cook, but now that the kids are grown, it’s time to travel and see all those places I’ve dreamed of! I’m so excited to be hosting culinary vacations again! Last week there were 41 of us on a trip to gorgeous Mackinac Island for the Lilac Festival. We had a super fun group and the lilacs were stunning! If you missed out, I’ve got more trips coming up. Join in the fun! To find out more about my trips and what makes them so unique click Culinary Vacations with The Cooking Mom.

In January 2022, Escape Winter and Join The Cooking Mom in Puerto Vallarta!

It sure is gorgeous now, but the cold weather will be back. I’m already planning to get out of here for a bit next January! Let’s beat the winter blues and spend a week in one of my favorite cities, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! We’ll stay in a super small, 4-diamond luxury beach front resort. All of your gourmet food and wine and top shelf cocktails at the resort are included! We’ll also join local foodies in search of Puerto Vallarta’s freshly made warm tortillas, the ultimate tacos, tamales, amazing fresh seafood, and fabulous cocktails too. It will be whale watching season during this trip. We are currently offering a discount of $140 per person! Call Brittany at Bon Voyage Boutique Travel 920-725-2880 to book your spot. Click Join The Cooking Mom in Puerto Vallarta to see pictures and get lots more details.

Ireland in April 2022

I’ve always dreamed of going to Ireland! Let’s experience it together! This trip is booking up. From Irish cooking classes, to scone baking, whiskey tasting, a VIP tour of Guinness, and so much more. We’ll do it all. We’ll even stay in a real castle outside of Dublin! I can only take a small group so get your reservation in soon! Click Join The Cooking Mom in Ireland to read more about this trip and find out how to reserve your spot!

Wait List for Italy in September of 2022!

My trip to Tuscany in September of 2022 is sold out. Call Brittany at Bon Voyage Boutique Travel 920-725-2880 or email her at brittany@bonvoyagebt.com if you would like to be on the wait list in case we have any last minute openings.

We also want to know where you want to go! We are starting to plan now for my culinary vacations in 2023! Would you be interested in joining me on Mackinac Island next summer? What about France? A river cruise through Europe? Greece? Scotland? Closer to home eating our way around New Orleans? Wine Tasting in Napa or Oregon? These are all on my bucket list! What about yours? Email me the trips you’d be interested in at info@thecookingmom.com!

Please Invite Me!

Now that life is getting back to normal, I’m excited to start doing live cooking demos again! I'd love to come to your town and meet you! Tell your library about me. I’ll come do a cooking demo for your company or event too. Click Hire Amy for more ideas for how we can spend time together!

Gotta run! I’m going wine tasting in beautiful Door County later today! You can always find out what I'm up to on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Check out my videos on YouTube. Follow me!

Wishing all you great dads a very delicious and Happy Father’s Day, and a wonderful weekend! Cook up some memories!

Take care,
Amy, The Cooking Mom