The Three Hour Salad is the reason that I am writing a second book. My first book: Impromptu Friday Nights – A guide To Supper Clubs, was about how to organize a supper club and prepare a dinner party. My real goal was to provide young adults with a roadmap of how to enjoy getting together with friends to socialize over a meal. In steps my daughter Jenn. She is a master at socializing, a good cook and most importantly, the mother of three kids under 8 years old. She once told me: You know your Romaine Wedge Salad with Gorgonzola Vinaigrette (featured in book one), while it is great, you must know that it takes 3 hours to make with 3 young children hanging onto your ankles. It might only take me 30 minutes to make homemade croutons, prepare vinaigrette, sauté bacon and slice and dice assorted tomatoes, onions, and olives. There is no way that process makes sense for Jenn.
I got it. Supper clubs sound great for young adults looking to socialize with friends, but there must be an easier way. In steps book number two: Impromptu Friday Nights – Bring a Bottle And An Appetizer – A guide To Wine Groups. You don’t need to prepare a six-course meal to get together with friends. You don’t even need a Three Hour Salad. All you need is a bottle and an appetizer. The beauty of appetizers is that they don’t have to be hard to make. You don’t even need to make them yourself as there are plenty of store-bought options that are great.
I mentioned earlier that Jenn was a master at socialization. To be truthful, she majored in socialization through high school and college. In high school she played coed soccer and ran track. Why? Because that’s what her friends were doing. She went to Auburn for college and very little got in the way of her socialization. She did a “Victory Lap” (a fifth year) to make sure she didn’t miss out on a party or football game. In hindsight, I wouldn’t have it any other way. The friends and experiences from her school days, have made her into the person she is today. And, that person is a lot of fun, even if it takes her three hours to make a salad.
Crostini are my latest hero appetizer. They can combine all the food groups. There are all kinds of ways to bring culinary panache and variety to them. They look great. They can be a meal onto themselves. They can be healthy. But most importantly, they are easy to make. One crostini appetizer certainly does not take…Three hours to make. And, just like my daughter Jenn, they are a lot of fun.
Jenn with Dylan, Max and Hadley Grace after mom ran the Disney half marathon
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