"I don't cook on the day I cook!"

The anticipation nearly killed me! Summer arrived first and she insisted that she could not unload her car until we were ready to reveal our recipes, as the ingredients and equipment would give away the secret. Whatever. I kept peeling potatoes as I scowled at her. But, then, Kate drove up and I bolted to open the door for her. Finally! We could find out what we would eat in the coming week.

Standing in a circle, I said, "But, let's not do it all at once. One at a time, taking turns, don't say both recipes--just one, then the next person." Amazingly, or maybe I should reflect back on the last month and then say, obviously, our collection was diverse. We would make tamales, latkes, shepard pie, a casserole, and burgers. Perfect.

We got to work and soon realized that we all needed the largest mixing bowl (there's only one), the biggest pots and pans (there's only so much space on the stove top), and counter space. Lots of counter space! We had to take turns, making the process take so much longer.

And on top of it all, our kid-free-mom's-paradise day was not meant to be this time. Two of the three of us had our kiddos here, and of course, they were hungry. "What's for dinner?" they asked us. My response: I don't cook on the day I cook! They looked at me as though I were crazy. The kitchen smelled like heaven, and Summer ran out for some cheap pizza. Happy kids, happy moms.

And here are the results:

We picked out our choices for next week and started the list. But we won't worry about that til next weekend. For the next few days, it's happy eating.

The first month

What is the best way to cheer up a friend? Pedicures, shopping, wine tasting, a walk? These were a few of the options I tossed around, waiting for any sign of interest from my friend. "Or..." I said, "we could cook."

That's how it started. We searched our food magazines and cookbooks, scoured the internet, and decided to try five new recipes, cook for two families, and share a bottle of wine while we were at it. The next week we included one more friend and photos to track the journey. Now, as we embark on our fifth week, we are preparing for a new twist: we've each chosen and shopped for our recipes in secret. Here's hoping that all three families will like our choices and that we won't all choose the same things!

It is past 3:00 and I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of "the girls." I can't wait for each of us to reveal our meals.  Here's to surprises... Cheers!