Featured Friday – A Special Guest Post

I am more than honored to introduce you to today’s Featured Friday Co-Host. I didn’t cook a recipe this week, not because I didn’t want to, but because I’m getting more tired as I near the end of my pregnancy and I asked a few fellow bloggers to help me out and guest post for me. She is a woman that I’ve grown to respect and look up to as a person and as a food blogger. Let me introduce you to Isabel from Family Foodie, she was the first to graciously volunteer  a Guest Post for me today to help me fill the time and space as I prepare and enjoy the arrival of my son. Lets give her a warm welcome and lots of hugs!!

This gal is one to tip your hat off to. She is the founder of the #SundaySupper group that I’ve belonged to for just over a year now!! WOW where has the time gone, check out my very first #SundaySupper Post/Recipe here.  I can’t believe it’s been a year since I’ve virtually met this fabulous woman and her group of talented bloggers. I’ve come a long way each Sunday sharing with you some amazing recipes with some fun themes along the way!! #SundaySupper is all about bringing the family back around the dinner table once a week, with hopes for it to be more than once a week. Isabel feels very strongly about this, she is a mother of four and strongly believes in this mission and I, along with A LOT of other fellow food bloggers feel the same way. When I joined this wonderful group of bloggers every Sunday, I too started to really believe in this mission. My daughter was over a year old, we sat down every night as a family for dinner, and I soon realized how very important it was to me. Fast forward a year and here we are at a very busy time in our lives, we bought a house six months ago, my husband immediately went to work in our basement finishing and apartment for my sister, I became VERY pregnant with our second and now as I sit here typing this intro for a woman I look up to and admire, I realize that sitting down as a family is more important now than it’s ever been because we just don’t get enough time together these days. It’s a time to reflect and talk about the day, a way to just “be a family”.

It’s easy to admire and look up to someone who has started this very important mission. Isabel truly believes that #SundaySupper is about more than just food, it’s about the quality time together. This mission has taken Isabel on so many adventures, there are two that I’d like to talk  more about. With the help of other bloggers this movement has grown so much and has received so much recognition that Isabel has launched #WeekdaySupper!! I know you’ve heard me talk about it because I’ve taken part in it the last few months! You will now see a new recipe featured everyday of the week. Recipes that are designed for all of us, all who are busy but still believe in good food, healthy food, and just plain family food.

Another important event that Isabel has been a huge part of is the Food and Wine Conference of 2013. I haven’t talked too much about it only because I’ve had so much else going on but also because I’m super disappointed that I couldn’t go since my son is due the month before. This Conference came about after the #SundaySupper crew has been “virtually” breaking bread for over a year now. It’s such an awesome opportunity for these food bloggers to come together, meet face to face and learn even more about the blogging world. When I spoke to my husband about it he PROMISED me that we could make it a family vacation next year and go!!! So I’m already looking forward to the 2nd annual conference and I’ll secretly hope for it to be in FL again!!

Let us not forget that Isabel has some amazing recipes out there too, don’t forget to go check them out, each week I drool over her recipes! I’m actually going to be making her Broccoli Ricotta Pasta Dish tonight!!! Wish me luck and I hope to share it with my readers later on this Summer! If you can’t wait, go grab it from Isabel!!  So what have I asked Miss Isabel to bring to my table today?? Well I asked her what her favorite Summer Recipe is and why!!! Let’s see what she has to share with us!! I’m so excited!

“I love making salads for dinner in the summer.  I especially love making big platters of salad with different summer veggies that everyone can choose their favorites to customize their salad.  Family Style Ahi Tuna Salad is one of our absolute favorites.  We love the addition of asparagus to this salad and the salad dressing adds the perfect zip!”