The internet can bring people together and friendships form before two people ever meet face to face. I know this to be true because it happened to me. Years ago, I became friends with a woman, now a dear friend, who lives in Monroe, Louisiana.
She mentioned the blog of another woman, also from Louisiana, that I might enjoy following so that I would come to learn of southern humor and recipes. It just took one read and I was hooked on Shellie Rushing Tomlinson’s emails. To this day, about 14 years later, I still look forward to reading the weekly emails.
Hungry Is A Mighty Fine Sauce
is more than a cookbook. This is a book with southern recipes, replete with stories and southern humor sure to delight, and photographs that are sure to make anyone’s mouth water. The recipes, ranging from comfort food to holiday fare, are explained in an easy to understand manner making them easy to follow.
There are 125 recipes including selections for casseroles, meats, breads, soups, veggies, salads, and sweets. As if the photos and recipes were not delightful enough, here are a few of the story nuggets which I enjoyed:
- “Families are like gumbos, full of a little bit of everything.”
- “I’ve decided to begin making official proclamations. I figure I should use this title of mine for good. Therefore, as the Belle of All Things Southern I now proclaim that chocolate is the new tofu.”
- “It’s only when we tax ourselves to chew on a passage of God’s Word until we’re able to express the treasure we’ve found in it, that the life-sustaining truth we’re enjoying can become broken down bread to share with others. “
- “The following is an actual alert. If I were making a funny, I’d tell you, but I’m as serious as Elvis was about his blue suede shoes.”
- “I’m not saying it’s wrong for us to have an opinion. And I’m not saying we can’t voice it. I just want us to remember that a dying world needs to hear less of our fiery rhetoric and more about the saving grace of our Savior. “
As you read the cookbook, the combination of stories, recipes, and photos will quickly endear Shellie to your heart. In fact, you will come to feel like she is an old friend as she oozes hospitality.
My favorite of all quotes from the book? This one right here:
“I’ve so enjoyed sharing my recipes with you in these pages, along with stories of my family and friends. I hope you’ll get in touch and stay in touch because you feel like family. And on that note, I’d like to speak a blessing over you before I go. May you and I live eager Jesus-hungry lives, opening our mouths wide and asking God to feed us with the Bread of Life.”
Yes, I was given an electronic copy of this cookbook in exchange for my honest review. But trust me, the book is truly lovely and would make a beautiful gift for anyone who enjoys cooking. More so, I was blessed to interact with Shellie, finding her to be warm and genuine and as comforting as her recipes.
Shellie has generously offered a copy of this cookbook to one of you who leave a comment. Don’t miss out. I will pick the winner at the close of the day on Friday.
Shellie blogs at All Things Southern. You can also connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
*** Update (10/8/16): Using random.org, Susan Shipe was the winner! I will contact you for your mailing address! Thank you to all who entered!
Today I am joining … #SmallWonder and Moments of Hope and #LifeGiving and Literacy Musing Mondays .
Mmmmm. Sounds like a great source of homey and hearty food for the family table!
There are wonderful recipes sure to delight any palate 🙂
This sounds like so much fun- and really uplifting : ) Will be looking into it! Thanks for sharing!
It really is a beautiful and fun cookbook. The photos are beautiful too!
This looks great, Joanne. I’m wondering if it might make a good gift for my Mom who grew up in North Caroline. Thanks for being part of the #SmallWonder Linkup!
Kelly, my mom is thoroughly enjoying the book and has yet to read a single recipe 🙂 She is loving all the stories Shellie shares and said then she will go back to look at the recipes. The book is truly a warm and inviting read in so many ways.
Food is so much more than protein, veggies and fruit. It is a story, a heritage and speaks of soul stories. The book sounds like it is full of southern soul stories!
That is it exactly. The stories are so endearing as are the photos! There are so many wonderful and comforting recipes.
Joanne, I’m so blessed by your super kind review! And I hadn’t realized that you had been with me for so long. LOVE hearing that! Tell you what, if you’ll choose a winner from the comments posted — maybe leave it up through the weekend– I’ll give a copy of Hungry is a Mighty Fine Sauce away to that reader. 🙂 Blessings, friend!
Shellie, I met my friend through the very first online Beth Moore study about 17 years ago 🙂 She is coming with her niece this weekend to your shindig. If I lived down there, I’d be with her! I have often been amazed at how God weaves the lives of His people together. Thank you so much for this kind offer & I am surely going to let people know about this giveaway the rest of this week! Blessed to call you friend! xo
I adore Shellie and would love to win this book for my daughter – a southern girl at heart!!!
I’m the friend who is taking her niece to the Shindig. I would love for Pam to win the cookbook! She’s already a good cook, but the recipes would delight her as well as the stories.
Hi Joanne,
If I were a lover of cooking, this sounds like a fabulous book! What a fun gift it would make for the cooks in my life, though! Thanks for sharing Shellie’s book at #MomentsofHope!
Blessings and smiles,
Lori