Sometimes life gets in the way of things like writing a family cookbook.

It’s been awhile since I’ve written to my Life and Sojourns page, but it was time. The whole reason I wanted a page like this was to have a place where I share my offbeat comedy, maybe a goobery poem, a strange thought or two, and anything beside a recipe as a labor along on that journey of love.

Life has taught me more than I ever wanted to know these past few months, but isn’t that always the story? I am still full of hope and faith, and the lessons have only made me wiser. Yes, more wrinkly, and I have earned every single one of them.

A quick update on first family cookbook release:

I have been working quite feverishing on the ebook edit of “Yes, We Ate Turtle.” For the 17 of you out there who actually own the original, the changes will be quite substantial, so be happy you own a copy, bumps and all. Here are a few to expect:

Change #1

I am trying to catch all the errors from the first publishing (wow, finally?) As most of you know, the very first collaborative cookbook I put together was in 1987. It was a church cookbook for St.Peter’s Lutheran Church in Edina, MN.

I had always had a love for church cookbooks and collaborative cookbooks since I could read. I loved the hand drawn pictures, the humor (sometimes accidental!) and the way people shared their beloved recipes like a treasured bedtime story. There was so much heart that jumped off the pages, and I felt that, even as a very little girl.

Because Grandma Bednarz was the one that started my little obsession, I knew I wanted to do a collaborative cookbook with the Bednarz Family, so that journey started many years ago. It was awesome seeing so many pictures and recipes coming in from Char Greene, John Delkoski, Bea Laumeyer, Mary Bednarz, Troy Bednarz, Deb Bednarz, Jeannie Bednarz… the list goes on and on!

It was a wonderful thing to see those beautiful books arrive. I loved seeing Grandma and Grandpa on the cover, and the beautiful barn on the back. When I’d get homesick, I’d love going through the family pictures and smiling through the memories.

But as I cooked through a few recipes (including my own) I noticed a few things missing. Namely ingredients.

Long story longer, I decided to go through it, and cook through as many as I could, read and compare as many as I could, and while trying to keep as much of the integrity of the author as possible, I did a little editing.

Change #2

This is the change that might make a few of the original 17 owners a bit grumpy (bearing in mind you actually READ the original.)

A few of the recipes have been relocated. Let me explain.

After I started “Yes, We Ate Turtle” (dedicated to the Bednarz family) I had a crazy idea to start another family cookbook for my mom’s side of the family, called “The Barker Bites.”

It didn’t sound nutty until I saw the boo-boo’s in the “Yes, We Ate Turtle” book, and when I realized that my mom had likely been hauling the same potato salad from one proverbial cookbook to the other (ahhh, novice authors. Don’t ya love ’em?)

So, I needed to move a few recipes from my immediate family to “The Barker Bites,” which hopefully will be on ebook shortly after “Yes, We Ate Turtle.”

And then, there’s “Generations,” but we’ll cover that later.

Everything is edited in “Yes, We Ate Turtle,” I am writing the front matter and trying to get the pictures edited and placed.

Thanks everyone for your love, support and patience!

-Stace