Hi Cooking Moms, Dads & Friends,

TGIF! I hope you had a good week. This weekend is Father’s Day! This will be the third 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 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.

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!

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.

The Cooking Mom Vacations! Let’s Travel Together in 2023!

You know I love to cook, but now that my kids are out of college, it’s time to travel and see all those places I’ve dreamed of! I’m so excited to be hosting AMAZING group culinary vacations! Last week there were 34 of us on a trip to gorgeous Mackinac Island for the Lilac Festival. We had a super fun group and the tulips and lilacs were stunning!

One of the highlights of the trip was a cocktail cruise under the Mackinac Bridge! WOW! Too cool! We even got a VIP private behind-the-scenes tour at the island's BEST fudge shop which made this trip even more sweet!

Are you interested in going with me to the island next summer? Let me know if you are by emailing me at info@thecookingmom.com. I’m planning my trips for 2023 ands 2024 right now! 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.

Join The Cooking Mom in Puerto Vallarta in January 2023!

I’m thrilled for my next BIG trip! I’ve planned the ULTIMATE winter getaway. Beat the winter blues and join me in beautiful Puerto Vallarta! It’s one of my favorite cities in Mexico. It’s got history, charm, beautiful beaches, and an incredible food scene. I took a group there last winter and it was over the top FANTASTIC! We had perfect weather with sunshine every day. Great news. We were even able to negotiate a better rate on this trip than last year. YIPPEE!

We’ll fly out January 15 and stay 7 nights at the most beautiful small boutique 4-diamond luxury resort right on the beach. This trip is also a really great value because ALL of your meals at the resort, fine wines, beer and even top shelf cocktails will be included. You’ll have the options to join me for an authentic Mexican cooking class, personalized food tours, tequila tastings and even whale watching! Or, you can just sit on the beach and relax. Either way it’s going to be fabulous! We can only take a limited number of people. This trip will book up quick! Click The Cooking Mom’s Culinary Trip to Puerto Vallarta to get the full itinerary and pricing information. You can also call Brittany at Bon Voyage Boutique Travel (920)725-2880 for more details or email her at brittany@bonvoyagebt.com for more details.

Join Amy on a River Cruise in France in April 2023!

Have you ever dreamed of going on a river cruise? It’s the ULTIMATE way to see Europe! Bring on lots of wine tasting, gourmet meals, fresh croissants and pastries and so much more! Join me on a river cruise through Southern France from Burgundy to Provence. In April of 2023, we’ll cruise the Rhone river on a gorgeous new boutique ship with only 150 passengers! It’s first class all the way and it’s a true ALL-INCLUSIVE river cruise, meaning all your food, drinks, and excursions are included. Gratuity too!

Plus, you’ll have the option to stay a couple days after the cruise to experience Paris. It will be spring and the blossoms will be in full bloom. It’s going to be stunning!

We found out that if you book my trip you’ll get another exclusive EXTRA $150 per person discount! Plus they extended the deadline to SAVE even more. If you book and pay in full by June 30th, you’ll save an extra 10 percent!

Click Join The Cooking Mom on a French River Cruise to get all the dates and intriguing details. This trip is going to be so wonderful! Join me! Call Brittany at Bon Voyage Boutique Travel at (920)725-2880 for the new pricing details!

Planning New Trips for 2023 and 2024!

Email me the trips you’d be interested in at info@thecookingmom.com! I recently got back from an amazing group trip to Ireland! Would you be interested in joining me on another trip to Ireland in the future? I’m definitely going back! Maybe to Scotland too! I’m planning my trips for 2023 and 2024 right now! Stay tuned!

Gotta run! Arlo the dog is begging me to take a walk. You can always see what I'm up to on Facebook and Instagram. Check out my food videos on YouTube, too.

Happy Father’s Day to all you FANTASTIC Dads! I hope you all have a great weekend. Cook up some memories!

Take care,
Amy, The Cooking Mom