A sign in Linda Harvey’s kitchen reads, “TOGETHER: a great place to be.” The kitchen is warm and alive with activity as a big meal is about to be served. And I do mean a BIG meal. This is the kitchen of My Friend’s House, a non-profit group home for boys and the recipient of much of the food prepared by the Just A Pinch Test Kitchen.
The Kitchen Crew and I prepare MANY recipes every week and we’re often asked what we do with the extra food once the recipes have been sampled. While it’s often tempting to devour ever last bite ourselves, it’s even more of a thrill to hand-deliver your goodies straight to these growing young fellas at My Friend’s House.
Linda and the boys are a delight to be around and just so appreciative of getting to try all your wonderful recipes. (The guys seem to especially love potato dishes and casseroles!) We talk a lot about our community here in the Club, but the recipes you share have an even greater reach. With one recipe, you can truly touch the lives of thousands of people who try it and share it with their own loved ones. We’re lucky enough to get to see it first-hand with every visit to the boys.
Each week the Crew and I deliver food to My Friend’s House, and each week the boys meet us at the car to help carry the food… and get a sneak peek at that week’s menu! Like all young men, these guys love to eat. In fact, there’s one boy in particular that for a long time would always ask me about fudge. We didn’t happen to have any fudge on our Test Kitchen menu at that particular time, but he was so patient and would politely ask about it every week. Well, how can you resist that kind of sweet tooth? So now, every so often I will make a special batch of fudge from a recipe on Just A Pinch and slip it in with all the other goodies. Let me tell you, the smile on his face is worth a million thank-yous.
So many of you have shared with me how much joy you get from seeing someone enjoy what you cook. We’re so honored to be able to help spread that expression of kindness even further. Feeding someone with food that you made by hand is truly a giving of yourself, and together your recipes are making a huge impact – in Linda’s kitchen at My Friend’s House and in kitchens all around the world.
Together, it truly is a wonderful place to be.