I am Southern, and there are benefits and drawbacks to that, but the food is a benefit. Today’s guest is like a kindred spirit. A sister I didn’t know I had. I had been following Amy Hannon on social media, but I was still surprised and delighted when out of the blue, she sent me a copy of her new book. Amy’s book is a cookbook called Love Welcome Serve: Recipes that Gather and Give. The recipes are amazing, but her message of intentional kitchening is even better.

Amy Hannon is a business owner, entrepreneur, author, and a genuinely gracious and caring soul. She is the owner of Euna Mae’s a kitchen boutique named after her grandmother. She hosted a cooking show on a Northwest Arkansas NBC affiliate producing over 160 episodes. She is the author of Love Welcome Serve a comfort food cookbook that is all about sharing, gathering, and family. Today, we talk about recipes, what it means to serve, and we get to the heart of intentional kitchening.

Show Notes

• [05:11] Amy feels like she knows Melissa. Melissa wanted to meet Amy, she has been following her story.
• [06:23] Amy often gets asked if she knows Melissa.
• [08:28] Social media helps you find your kindred. It's a weird and fun way to find your people.
• [09:30] People send Melissa books, but it usually comes with an ask. Amy's book didn't come with an ask. It just came in the mail and touched Melissa's heart. It reminded her of cooking with her mama in the kitchen.
• [11:45] Amy wanted to help people use food and time in the kitchen to taste life and love.
• [13:06] Amy makes the pies in her book for her dad every Christmas. The food helps him remember and love. It brings back memories.
• [15:12] Amy puts brown sugar and a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch in her chili. It was amazingly good.
• [15:53] Amy started playing with recipes and just putting stuff in.
• [17:34] Melissa and Amy are going to have a sausage ball trying Hidden Valley Ranch and Red Lobster Cornbread Mix. Brown sugar will make it a little sweeter.
• [19:21] The cream cheese chicken enchiladas have two cups of heavy cream poured over the entire pan. The tortillas simmer in the cream.
• [20:18] Brown sugar chili over cheese grits is really good.
• [20:35] Amy married a pastor and had to learn how to cook quick. Everything in her cookbook is super easy. She doesn't have time or energy to spend.
• [21:45] She cooks real food, but tries to use reasonable shortcuts.
• [22:37] One of Amy's favorite things to do on vacation is shop local grocery stores.
• [23:39] Amy answers some questions from Melissa's friends.
• [24:50] Her and her family ate at the Boathouse in Central Park in New York. She's convinced that food tastes better if the situation and the people are right.
• [26:24] Amy loves using a dutch oven.
• [28:16] Amy always has butter, pasta, potatoes, onions, heavy cream, and frozen shrimp on hand.
• [29:21] She leaves the butter out and eats raw cookie dough.
• [29:58] Amy makes more than she needs and gives out take-out containers to guests.
• [31:19] Her love languages are verbal affirmations and gifts. People bring her treats and things made in her city. She always keeps sauces, salts, and red pepper jelly with little serving spoons.
• [34:55] Always have a little something on hand for a hostess gift.
• [37:17] David makes the Aaron Franklin smoker recipe.
• [38:42] Amy felt like God told her she had something to say. Women are busy, compare themselves, and have lost what a privilege it is to be in the kitchen cooking. If we remember that we have a purpose to live with intention and change the lives of people.
• [39:51] Remember that we have a wonderful purpose to be intentional in our kitchen's for God's glory. People love to gather and eat. Food breaks down walls and creates connections and unity.
• [41:48] Double your recipe, if you have soup to give the person who needs food will come. Live in a spirit of generosity.
• [43:04] Love Welcome Serve is an awareness for Amy.
• [46:56] I'm bringing you dinner. What's the best night? Don't ask, just tell.
• [47:09] Everybody at home can just breathe and relax. It represents a slower sweeter time.
• [49:00] Teenagers want adults around who love them for who they are.
• [51:04] Amy and her husband Sam are in a new season in their lives. Raising teenagers and their friends were a delight in their home.
• [53:49] Things look different in every season, open your eyes to find relationships to love and nurture.
• [55:13] People who are cooked for feel cared for.
• [56:37] Amy answers the lightning round...

Thanks for joining us on Ordinary People Ordinary Things. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review. Just like your mother taught you.

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• Love Welcome Serve: Recipes that Gather and Give
• Bob Goff
• Le Creuset Dutch Oven
• Franklin Barbecue
• Amy Hannon
• Euna Mae’s
• Euna Mae’s on Instragram
• Euna Mae’s on Facebook