Cookbook Edition: Our Sorority Book Club Branches Out

My sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, has a pretty active alumnae group in Seattle and I transferred my alumnae membership the moment I moved, with high hopes of making friends out West.

I famously arrived at this Theta book club from the airport the night I moved here and now when we all introduce ourselves, one of the girls invariably remembers meeting me when I first arrived in Seattle...and tells everyone "and I mean when she first arrived!" It's fun and it tells the girls that connecting and showing up when I say I will is important to me. 

It was November 2015 and I had just flown in for my first extended stay in Seattle. The plan was that I'd be in our apartment with Dan from November to April, and then I'd fly back to Michigan with my mom to start packing and selling both of our houses over the summer.

It feels like just yesterday, but now we've built our house, are completely moved in and can start making big plans.

I have always loved to cook and I was particularly excited to hear that the book club was dedicating our August meeting to the love of cookbooks. The leaders suggested we check out fellow Theta and Seattleite, Heather Christo's blog for our recipes. Heather was the guest speaker at our holiday luncheon. We did and had a lovely meal. 

I think it is so interesting that most members went to different colleges in different parts of the country, but we all ended up in Seattle and have our sorority to help us connect. (finger snaps) Making friends as an adult is challenging, but leaning on your affiliations (school, church, volunteer) can really help you get a leg up.

I made Heather's Blueberry Maple Mustard Grilled Shrimp and a bowl of cheddar biscuit nibbles called Cheese Wookies (from a different cookbook). The sauce was simple and flavorful - win/win! and everyone ate their fill.

My friend Clara made this magnificent Quinoa Salad with Roasted Vegetables. 

Our hostess, Kristen made this satisfying Grilled Garlic, Rosemary and Mustard Shrimp and some gluten free cupcakes to satisfy our sweet tooth.

It was such a nice night! We were able to try new recipes and eat a lovely meal out on the patio. We even talked about the possibility of making an all cookbook book club, because we all like to cook and really enjoyed having a real meal at our gathering. Who knows, it just might happen! I look forward to whatever these women cook up.

#seattle #cookbookclub #bookclub #heatherchristo #finddelight

My Sorority Luncheon: Heather Christo and a Charming Party Favor

I attended my sorority alumnae holiday luncheon this year and wanted to share with you a glimpse at the guest speaker and the darling touch that was placed at each place setting. 

The event speaker was allergen-free chef, cookbook author and fellow Theta, Heather Christo. She gave an engaging and thought provoking speech about how she has taken her training as a chef and her mama bear instincts to create beautiful and delicious allergen free meals for her family. Her children are thriving without allergens and the world has taken notice. Her blog, Heather Christos is gorgeous and her followers rave about the recipes. 

Heather was thrilled to share her beautiful new cookbook, Pure Delicious at our luncheon and sign copies for attendees. What a terrific gift for someone who follows or is interested in an allergen-free diet. Heather's recipes are free from gluten, dairy, egg, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish and cane sugar. She is a delightful woman and I was so happy to chat with her over lunch.

The cute touch that was at each place setting was Heather Christo's gluten free gingerbread cookie recipe and a star-shaped cookie cutter. My sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, has Twin Stars as our symbol and I thought it was a darling way to remind us of our connection. Plus it's December and we're all in the cookie-baking mood. It was wonderful to see how easy it is to put an allergen-free recipe into practice.

I encourage you to click around on Heather Christo's website. I guarantee you will be impressed and tempted to alter your diet. Happy New Year!