Friday friend recipe number 297, 298, and 299--Linda's Cole Slaw & Pecan Salad, Shrimp Stuffed Tomatoes, and Mini Meatballs

 

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook? I once had about 50 of my closest friends and family (from all over the county) on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends. At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 21 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday. (plus so much more....)

AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

I was looking at the cookbook the other night and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."
The Handyman--who thinks he knows me better than I know myself (this happened to be a question on the Friday Friend forum once---does your spouse/partner know you better than you know yourself?said, "you'll never, EVER do that."
WELL---maybe I'll show him!  Maybe I will.

Which brings me to these... recipes #297, 298 and 299

Linda's Cole Slaw & Pecan Salad, Shrimp Stuffed Tomatoes and Mini Meatballs

The Handyman does not like 'textures'.  Different ones in his mouth. 

BUT he liked this salad, and it had a lot of different textures.

I liked it too.  

It might seem like a bunch of stuff that doesn't go together, but you'll be surprised at how good it tastes.

Shrimp stuffed cherry tomatoes!

So, good that you can use the leftover filling for crackers.

That's what I did, and it was mmmm---mmmmm GOOD!

And finally---the mini-meatballs.

Altho, you might be wondering why some people have just one recipe at a time and why some have THREE.

It's because some of my Friday Friends (Barb and Linda) were over achievers and turned in too many to count.

Good mini meatballs, by the way!

A great hor'derve set up!

My cousin Linda, her daughter and me and my mom.

This photo was taken at Linda's son's wedding.  Long time ago.

Wait!  You want to see all of Linda's recipes? 

And her funny stories?  Like she worked for Tiger Beat Magazine once in the 1960's---so click here to scroll thru her recipes and read her stories. HERE.

Back to the photo--

We were at her son, Jeremy's wedding to Jennifer.  (His sister's name is Jennifer too--that's her on the right.  He always said it was kinda weird having your wife and your sister have the same name.)

Anyway----

This is my short and sweet (and awful and wonderful and emotional) story of Linda and her son.  (Don't worry, he's fine)

In October 2017, Jeremy and his wife were in Las Vegas to attend the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on the Las Vegas Strip. 

And there was a mass shooting.

58 people were killed and over 500 were hurt. 

Jeremy and Jennifer were in the crowd.

They were not hit or harmed physically, but they were surrounded by people who were.

I don't think anyone ever gets over something like that.

Ever.

I know it was a harrowing, anxious few hours for Linda and Jennifer until they heard from him.

Jeremy was one year old when I got married. 

I remember him toddling around the church, his sister Jennifer was my flower girl.

It seems like just yesterday.

It breaks my heart that he or anyone has to ever go thru something like that.

One thing that really touches me, is that every year on the date of the shooting, he has listed all the deceased by name and age.

He'll never forget.

This is Linda and her son Jeremy. 

And these my friends are

recipes #297, 298 and 299

Only 68 left to go!

I can do it!

WOO HOO!  I am below 100 recipes now.  Yay!  Yahoo! Whoopie!

Altho.... do you remember when I counted wrong before?  I think I did it again.

I keep counting what I have left by recipe AND by person and it does not add up to 68- it's more like 63. 

Which would make me very happy, but for now.... I'll stick to the 68 until it gets closer to the end, and I'll recount what I have left.