As it turns out, my nephew has also inherited Mama's "love of cooking" gene! We recently spent an afternoon together baking cookies in my kitchen. Ray wanted to bake sugar cookies. I wanted chocolate chip. We compromised and baked them both!

My husband, Vince, and I have just returned from a much-needed vacation to the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. We both have salt water in our veins and love the ocean. Still, it's always great to admire the breathtaking majesty of the mountains. The cooler temperatures were pretty wonderful, too! Always on a quest for new recipes and catering ideas, I found myself surrounded by trees loaded with apples and couldn't resist the temptation to test some inspirations.