Hi Cooking Moms, Dads & Friends,

Happy Friday! I hope you had a great week. It’s finally starting to warm up and feel like summer here in Wisconsin. I’m loving it! I know nobody wants to think about winter right now but I’ve got some EXCITING NEWS.

Drum roll please….I’m thrilled to announce 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 AMAZING! 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.

Recipes to Kick Off Summer!

I can’t believe Memorial Day weekend is almost here. Bring it on! I know we are all so ready for the best summer ever. I’m hoping to spend loads of time outside. This weekend I plan to get my grill on. I’m totally craving brats on the grill!

My Brat Tub recipe is the way to go. That way I don't have to be “womaning" the grill the whole time. I get those brats going and then throw them in a tub (foil pan) of goodness with loads of butter, onions, kraut, and beer, of course. They stay nice and cozy and warm and juicy in the brat tub and folks can just help themselves to one when they're hungry. You can throw them all in your slow cooker to keep warm too. Either way it's all good. REALLY GOOD! Click Dinner for more great recipes for the grill.

I’m also craving potato salad. I haven’t had it in ages. It's a MUST at my backyard BBQ’s. My Baby Red Potato Salad is always a winner. People always say my potato salad is THE BEST! Who am I to argue with that? LOL!

Got asparagus? It’s my all time favorite veggie. It’s beautiful right now. Plus, it’s on sale! Use it to make my fresh Asparagus Salad. So pretty. I love it with bleu cheese crumbled on top but it’s delicious with Feta or Parmesan cheese too. Click Salads for summer salad and slaw recipes.

Need some fun summer dips to get the party started? I've got some great ones that you can make ahead. My layered BLT Dip is fun, colorful and delicious. My Mango and Black Bean Salsa and Ranch Deviled Eggs are also super summer recipes. They are so simple to make. Click Appetizers for more of my summer favorites.

For dessert pick up a box of yellow cake mix and canned peaches and make my Coconut Peach Dump Cake. It’s amazing warm over vanilla ice cream. You can even cook it on a foil pan on the grill! Click Desserts for more of my favorite summer dessert recipes.

Next week, I’ll be on TV in Minneapolis and Milwaukee cooking up more of my favorite summer recipes. Hope you’ll watch!

Treat Yourself! Order My Cookbooks!

If you are stuck in a recipe rut need some new ideas, why not treat yourself and order my cookbooks? They make great gifts too! I have 2 cookbooks with lots of beautiful color pictures and each is filled with nearly 200 unique recipes. Click Amy's Books on Amazon to order.

The Cooking Mom Vacations! Where Do You Want to Go?

Besides cooking, I love to travel. Have you heard I’m hosting amazing culinary vacations? We just got back from such a great trip to Ireland! There were 25 of us and I’m missing each and every one of my fellow travelers!

We had so much fun together, touring Dublin, Belfast, Galway, and several little towns along the way! We did whiskey tastings, pub crawls, beautiful hikes through Giat’s Causeway and the gorgeous Cliff’s of Moher.

One of the highlights was going to learn how to make traditional Irish bread and scones. Such fun! Of course we had to tour and drink plenty of Guinness too!

Click The Cooking Mom Vacations to see what makes my trips unique and different from the rest! Email me at info@thecookingmom.com to let me know where you want to go. 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!

EXCITING NEWS & SAVINGS! 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 pricing details.

Gotta run! We’re going to pick up flowers for our pots today. I love this time of year. You can always see what I'm up to on Facebook and Instagram. Follow me! Check out my food videos on YouTube, too.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! Cook up some memories!

Take care,
Amy, The Cooking Mom