The Traveling Apron Cookbook: A Delicious Journey of Food, Friendship, & Family Traditions

By Aimee Broussard

From coast-to-coast, there is something universally common about our relationship with food. Its more than just the food we eat and the way we nourish our bodies. Its the way we feel when our food is shared and the manner in which we connect with others over a shared meal. But perhaps most importantly is the way in which a favorite heirloom recipe can allow a flood of treasured memories to invade our hearts with the simple aroma of ingredients. The traveling apron journey began with one simple goal in mind: to connect a community of women together around those beloved recipes. After 20,000-plus miles of travel, whether youre looking to update your weeknight dinner rotation, entertain friends on the back porch, or simply looking for a dessert for your next holiday bash, theres a little something for everyone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LifeRich Publishing
• Release date: Mar 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781489701619

Aimee Broussard

Crafter. Baker. Apron Maker. Award-Winning Cookie Creator. A self-proclaimed “go-getter,” Aimee traded in a career in corporate insurance for a career a tad bit sweeter. Armed with a recipe box full of family favorites, a KitchenAid mixer wedding gift, and a shiny new sewing machine, Aimee set out to master the art of crafting, baking, and apron making—proving that if she could do it, anyone could. Her online community is built around food, friendships, and shared traditions. A graduate of Louisiana College, she makes her home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with her husband, Brian, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Stella and Milo.

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Copyright © 2014 Aimee Broussard.

Apron photo credit:

Lida Mathews Photography

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

LifeRich Publishing books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4897-0160-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-0159-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-0161-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014904746

LifeRich Publishing rev. date: 3/20/14

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Contents

Sips And Dips

Café Au Lait

Hurricane Punch

Watermelon Granita

Italian Margarita

Mint Julep

Arnold Palmer

Spiked Arnold Palmers For Two

Southern Sweet Lemonade

Brownie Martini

Cinnamon Coffee Latte

Yo-Yo Fruit Dip

Pizza Dip

Veggie Dip

Spicy Corn Dip

Crab Dip

Green-Chili Cheddar Dip

Brightbeginnings

Sour-Cream Coffee Cake

Big Momo’s Biscuits

Peanut Butter Smoothie

Skillet Cinnamon Rolls

Lemon Sour-Cream Pound Cake

Monkey Bread

Soups,Sandwiches,And Salads

Crock-Pot Loaded Potato Soup

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Crawfish Chowder

Summer Lovin’ Sandwich

Shrimp Po-Boy

Easy Waldorf Salad

Shrimp Remoulade Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad

Pasta Salad

Sides And Appetizers

Spicy Creole Shrimp

Parmesan Lime Corn

Cast Iron Crawfish Cornbread

Cast-Iron Dirty Rice

Honey Garlic Party Meatballs

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Red-Potato And Green-Bean Sauté

Cheesy Sweet-Potato Mac

Nana Murphy’s Honey Bourbon Baked Beans

Bruschetta With Baked Ciabatta

New Year’s Black-Eyed Peas

Shrimp And Grits

The Main Course

Mexican Quinoa

Crock-Pot Chicken And Dumplings

New Orleans–Style Barbeque Shrimp

Stormie Casserole

Coffee-Filter Tamales

Baked Parmesan Chicken Strips

Beef Stew

Stuffed Shells

Spicy Shrimp Pasta

Mexican Lasagna

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce And Italian Meatballs

Grilled Steak Marinade

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

Italian Grandmother Lasagna

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Chicken Alfredo Manicotti

Seasoned Salmon With Lemon Caper Sauce

Tortellini With Sausage

Sweets And Treats

Mini Apple Mincemeat Pies

Banana Nut Bread

Best S’mores Bars

Lemon Cheese Bars

Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

Sherry Muffins

Easy Apple Crisp

Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie

Pecan Praline King-Cake Cookies

Butterscotch Pralines

Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cinnamon Ice Cream

Gluten-And Dairy-Free Peanut-Butter Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Maple Pecan Bites

Me Oh My, Mini Pecan-Pie Bites

Grandma Miller’s Peach Cobbler

To my husband, Brian, who consumes my meals without complaint and remains my biggest fan.

To my late grandma Eloise, who wasn’t much of a cook but taught me to appreciate the written word and, more importantly, instilled in me the confidence to do something special with the stories people share with me. Her words of wisdom continue to grace me throughout this journey.

And lastly, to my Stella and Milo, whose unwavering encouragement of wags and licks continues to keep me in the kitchen cooking.

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Introduction

There are those who grow up in their family’s kitchen alongside their mother or grandmother, soaking up every bit of cooking knowledge they can possibly obtain. And then there are those like myself who received the cookbook Clueless in the Kitchen when they left home for the first time because their missed-opportunity kitchen time was spent on extracurricular activities instead. Fast-forward to a career in corporate insurance and a lifestyle bouncing from coast to coast, and it wasn’t until I married that I began my love affair in the kitchen—or realized how absolutely incomplete my life had been without a KitchenAid mixer.

As I bid adios to that life in a suitcase, I spent my newly found free time devouring every cookbook I could get my hands on and experimenting with food in a way I’d never done before. Armed with a recipe box full of my husband’s favorite foods gifted from my sister-in-law, I set out to blaze a rather unconventional culinary trail.

And my Pecan Praline King Cake Cookies won a cookie bake-off competition along the way!

Despite my lack of knowledge in the kitchen, I’ve always had a great appreciation for food. I love that certain recipes can remind you of certain people. I love that certain ingredients can remind you of certain places. And if there’s one thing I discovered while spending all that time on the road in my former profession, it’s that, regardless of where you’re from, the love and community that is created