Inspiration

"...with the purchase of this cookbook you have helped to change children's lives by opening the world of reading to them."

-from Our Most Loved Recipes
Youngstown Learning Center

We eat, drink and sleep this program!

In 2006, I participated in a series of training sessions to provide support to the boards of our Learning Centers. One session was held in New Castle, PA. Evelyn Dearing, then Chair of the Youngstown board of directors described a new fundraising program they had completed - a cookbook with lots of local recipes and even a section in the back where the students contributed recipes and stories of their success. I bought a copy. It has been a fixture in our Lexington office since then.

Well the team at Scottish Rite Charities from time to time peruse this book. Someone came up with the idea, "Why don't we have a pot luck luncheon using only recipes from this book?" Well, This Monday was the day. Bridget stated us off in the morning with Apple Pecan Muffins (page 165). I made started lunch Crab Bisque (page 57). Our main menu consisted of Chicken Roll-ups (page 138) and Broccoli Salad (page 48) made by Maryann and Bacon Cheese Potato Skins (page 20) courtesy of Leslie. Catherine provided Pumpkin Cake (page 203) for dessert. If that wasn't enough, Bridget completed the feast by making Cookie Dough Brownies (page 241) which came highly recommended as it was a blue ribbon winner at the Canfield Fair.

Lunch, which for this staff is usually cold sandwiches or leftovers eaten over the keyboard, was transformed Monday into something wonderful. We took our time together to talk and laugh and relish the tasty treats our friends in Youngstown collected to benefit our work to help children with dyslexia.

In the midst of the effort we are making to secure the future of our Learning Centers, its easy to overlook the joy we should all take from our successes and the people who work with us. Please keep that in mind as you help your Center. Take a moment and smile. The transformations you are making possible today are inspirational.

And if you need any more help, you can find the Cookie Dough Brownie recipe that launched us into sugar induced bliss here.