Some of the best ideas have arisen through the creativity of our readers. That's how the first Cooking Light Supper Club was born when, more than 10 years ago, a group of readers in Northern California "met" on our online bulletin boards and decided to get together in person to share a meal every month. Today there are supper clubs all over the country.
So we were again delighted when five readers came to us with the idea of a Virtual Supper Club. All avid cooks, moms, and bloggers, Hélène (Vancouver Island), Val (British Columbia), Jamie (Florida panhandle), Shelby (upstate New York), and Aggie (Central Florida) have pledged to get together (virtually) once a month to blog a menu of Cooking Light recipes.
Like many real-life supper clubs, they'll choose a theme in advance, then select recipes that fit the theme and the season. Because they live in four states and two countries, they can't sit down to a communal meal, but they can tell you all about it (along with yummy photos, like Hélène's Cool, Creamy Chocolate Dessert shown here) on their respective blogs. We'll post the entire menu here.
Since our bloggers hail from both the United States and Canada, this month's theme is a Red and White and Blue Menu, in honor of the Fourth of July and Canada Day (July 1). Great for any outdoor celebration, this menu pairs a wonderful grilled salmon with fresh summer sides and a creamy lightened dessert. (Just wait 'til you see the rest of their mouth-watering real-life food shots.)
Red and White and Blue Menu
Maple Grilled Salmon by Val
Spinach Salad with Stone Fruits and Maple-Spiced Pecans by Aggie
Charred Corn Relish by Jamie
Curried Chicken Salad with Nectarines by Shelby
Cool, Creamy Chocolate Dessert by Hélène
Please visit their blogs and leave them some feedback. If you'd like to become an honorary member of the Virtual Supper Club, blog a recipe that fits the theme, and leave a comment here with a link.
Next month's theme: Regional cuisine
Read on to meet our bloggers:
Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club founding members:
Hélène (Vancouver Island, Canada) of La Cuisine d'Hélène is a stay-at-home mom of three kids (ages 15-20) and an avid cook and baker. She loves new flavors, ethnic cuisines, sports, travel, and yoga. An active member of our online bulletin board community, she has been a Cooking Light fan for more than 15 years.
Val (British Columbia) of More than Burnt Toast is a single mom of a 21-year-old university student and the co-founder of BloggerAid -- Changing the Face of Famine, a group of food bloggers raising funds for the School Meals Programme. She manages to stay fit and live a healthy lifestyle through strategically planned 3-hour lunch breaks.
Jamie (Florida Panhandle) of Mom's Cooking Club is a mother of 'tween twin daughters. She works part-time for a financial institution. She started blogging two months ago under the encouragement of her sister-in-law, Aggie. She likes sharing new recipes and teaching her daughters the joys of cooking.
Aggie (central Florida) of Aggies Kitchen is a stay-at-home mom of two young energetic children. She loves to eat good food--and feel good eating it--and is married to a guy who loves food almost as much as she does. Nothing makes her happier than feeding her family and friends.
Shelby (upstate New York) of The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch is a mom of two young men and wife of the infamous Grumpy. Inspired by her Grandmother, she started her blog as a record of memories and recipes. She satisfies her "need" to bake by feeding the "starving" college students and staff at her workplace.
