SOUTHERN SUPPER — THE PEOPLE

Every week we promise you a new story & recipe, but you won’t find either here today. Instead, we’re sharing a meal at the table — the culmination of where both stories and recipes come together. Much like the purpose behind the dinner party this post features, we want to take this week to say thank you.

At the end of April, I invited some people who have loved and encouraged me along with the blog to share a meal together. The food was delicious, (and I’ll share some of the recipes next week) but the meal never really is about the recipes, it’s about the people — much like Cora & Louise.

If you’re on this page reading along, I’m talking about you! When our stories and recipes are enjoyed by others we are incredibly grateful. If you ever make time to comment, share, or reach out to us, it’s always noticed. Sometimes our recipes even end up on your table and for that we are beyond privileged.

When our creative work is able to help cultivate hospitality, beauty, and community we are humbled and eager to continue the work that we’ve begun.

We also work hard to practice what we preach when it comes to feeding others and sitting down to the table. Whether it’s making an extra loaf of bread to share, setting a table for eight, or writing a blog post — we want to offer up ways to say thank you.

Thank you for reading, cooking, posting, caring and making this blog even more meaningful to us. We hope that C&L can inspire and serve you in some way — that’s what this is all about.

I was able to individually toast all of the people who gathered around the table with me on that rainy, spring day, but today I want to say cheers to thousands of others who are reading or may one day read our blog.

Sitting down to the table is the culmination of what we love and care about most. The faces, the laughter between big bites, and the certainty that this is one of the greatest parts of life — this is why we love feeding others.

My favorite author, Shauna Niequist, said, “You don’t always know what’s going to come of it, but you put the time in anyway, and then, after a long, long time, you realize with great clarity why you put the time in: for this night, for these hours around the table, for the complexity and richness of flavors that are so lovely and unexpected you’re still thinking about them the next day.”

I feel this way every time I share life with people at the table, especially after special nights like this dinner party. But, I also feel this way about our little blog. Lots of time and hours of hard work are logged into each post and we don’t know what’s to come for C&L in the future — but the abundance of encouragement and kindness is always surprising and is what keeps us going.

For that, we thank you.

*A very big thank you is owed to Sally Jean for helping take some of the beautiful photos in this post!*