These are some of the foods we would’ve had at the bridal shower. Those who know me know that I love to snack and am always near the food at any party. I love simple finger foods! The highlight of the meal would have been my mom’s chicken salad with hints of rosemary served on a mini croissant. My sister and I ask her to make this every chance we get.

Making and sharing food is one of the ways that we can express our love for family and friends. I grew up following the footsteps of the women in my family: planning, cooking, and hosting get-togethers. They often organized church fellowships and prayer breakfasts, family cookouts and reunions. Memories of shucking corn and washing the silverware as a tiny mite (a term my nana gave the grandkids) are close to my heart.

Now that I am getting married and gaining even more family members, I wanted to share these recipes in an attempt to bring us all together. I love to cook for Zach, and can’t wait to marry him and continue to share meals with friends and family for years to come.

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Sylvia’s Rosemary Chicken Salad

From my kitchen to yours: for years I would not share my secret ingredients in my chicken salad. Because of this special occasion, I will divulge my secret weapon. The secret ingredient is the rosemary- it really gives a kick to the chicken salad. If you can’t taste the rosemary add more and enjoy! You will receive many compliments on this dish- guaranteed! Blessings, Sylvia

Ingredients

4 Chicken breasts (boneless is best)

¼ cup Onions

¼ cup Celery

½ cup Sweet gherkin pickles

¾ cup Mayonnaise

1 tsp Sugar

Rosemary - use generously

Croissants or crackers for serving

Directions

Bake chicken seasoned with rosemary at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Boneless is best, but you can use bone-in- just be sure to carefully de-bone. Dark meat will give you a taste difference.

Let the chicken rest 30 minutes then shred into small pieces.

Dice onions, celery, and sweet gherkin pickles. Sweet relish is a substitute for the pickles, but you will get a somewhat tart taste in your mixture.

Add chicken, onions, celery, and gherkin pickles together. Mix in mayonnaise adding a little at a time to your desired consistency.

Add sugar to taste. Now you can also add more rosemary- don’t be shy about adding a lot. Serve on a toasted croissant or with crackers.

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

So, this isn’t exactly a family recipe (in fact it's Martha Stewart’s), but I used to love getting these from Great Harvest Bakery in Youngstown, Ohio. Great Harvest was right behind the high school Zach and I both went to.

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup boiling water

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

3 large eggs, plus 1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Place cranberries in a small bowl; add boiling water. Let stand until plump, about 15 minutes. Drain, and set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.

Step 2

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until combined. Mix in cranberries and pistachios.

Step 3

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape each piece into a 16-by-2-inch log, and transfer to prepared baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. With the palm of your hand, flatten logs slightly. Brush beaten egg over surface of the dough logs, and sprinkle generously with sugar.

Step 4

Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until logs are slightly firm to touch, about 25 minutes. Transfer logs on parchment paper to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Step 5

Place logs on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut logs crosswise on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place a wire rack on a large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange slices, cut sides down, on rack. Bake until firm to touch, about 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven; let biscotti cool completely on rack. Biscotti can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Strawberry Lemonade

Absolutely delicious when made fresh!

Ingredients

1/2 pound fresh strawberries , stems removed

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

4 1/2-5 cups water , divided

1 1/2 cups fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Directions

1. Use a blender or food processor to puree the strawberries. Strain them through a fine mesh sieve, if desired, to remove seeds.

2. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, stir together sugar and 2 cups water.

Bring to a boil, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

3. Strain the lemon juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart pitcher. Add simple syrup and pureed strawberries and stir to combine. Refrigerate until cold.

4. When ready to serve, add 2 1/2 cups of cold water and stir. Taste, and add more water if it's too sweet.

5. Serve with ice.

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