Kathy and I are flying to Florida this week to watch our #2 BYU Cougars take on UCF! And, since Kathy is from Florida, we're looking forward to visiting her sister, Sharon, while we're there.

As it turns out, Sharon is also the mother-in-law of BYU's head football coach, Kalani Sitake!

Last week, Kathy called Sharon to let her know we were coming. The next day, Sharon called back with a very important question:

"What's Dan's favorite cake?"

Apparently, Sharon was already planning to make beef stew with homemade rolls for dinner, and now she was trying to figure out what to make for dessert!

Kathy laughed. "Sharon, you don't have to cook for us! We're just looking forward to visiting with you. We don't want to stress you out!"

"Are you kidding?" Sharon replied. "I'm so excited that you're coming!"

So Kathy finally gave in.

"Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting."

"Hmmmm...interesting," Sharon said.

Haha! I can't wait to see what she comes up with!

When Kathy told me about all the food Sharon was planning to make, I said, "She doesn't need to do all that! I thought we were taking them out to dinner!"

Kathy just smiled and said something that really struck me.

"It's how she shows her love."

Wow. Isn't that the truth?

For so many of us, cooking isn't just about putting food on the table. It's about showing people we care. It's about making someone feel welcome, bringing family together, and creating memories that last a lifetime.

And that got me thinking...

Food brings people together!

Think about it.

When we gather with family, what do we do? We make a delicious meal!

When we get together with good friends, what do we do? We go out to eat!

And, with Thanksgiving and the holiday season just around the corner, what are we all looking forward to? Getting together with family and friends and enjoying some wonderful food!

And, let's face it. The better the food, the more enjoyable and memorable the occasion!

As it turns out, collecting great recipes, cooking delicious meals, and sharing good food is a very SOCIAL activity!

And that's why I'm so excited about what the Cook'n Elves have been working on!

We just released an exciting new update to Cook'n for iPhone and iPad that takes recipe sharing to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL!

Remember the My Friends tab in Cook'n? It was a great way to share recipes with family and friends, see what they were cooking, and even send messages.

Well, the Cook'n Elves have completely reimagined it!

They've replaced My Friends with a beautiful new Social hub that's faster, easier to use, and loaded with fun new features!

In fact, I put Kathy's phone and my phone side by side so you can see the difference for yourself. Kathy's phone, on the left, shows the old My Friends view. My phone, on the right, shows the amazing new Social hub!

Watch this quick demo and see what the Cook'n Elves have been up to!

Pretty cool, huh?!

Not only does the new Social hub look AMAZING, but it's built with native iPhone and iPad components instead of the embedded web browser we used before. That means a smoother, more responsive experience!

And, there's a LOT more to explore!

Across the top of the new Social hub, you'll find five sections: For You, Friends, Leaderboard, Profile, and Messages.

Here's where the fun begins!

For You: See What's Cook'n!

Ever wonder what other Cook'n users are making for dinner?

Now you can find out!

The new For You section gives you a front-row seat to what's happening in the Cook'n community!

You'll see Top Chefs, trending recipes, mouthwatering food photos, and the Likes and Comments those recipes are receiving.

See something delicious? Tap the recipe photo to check it out!

See a chef whose recipes you love? Tap their name or photo to discover more of their creations!

It's like walking into a giant kitchen filled with friends who love to cook!

Friends: Keep Up With Your Favorite Cooks!

This is where things get personal!

The Friends section shows you what your Cook'n Friends have been up to, including how many recipes they've made, how many cookbooks they've shared, and what they've been cooking lately!

Did your friend just make an amazing-looking lasagna?

Tap the Message button and tell them how good it looks!

Want to browse their recipes or shared cookbooks? Just tap their name or avatar to visit their Profile!

Want to invite your family & friends to be your Cook'n Friends so they can share recipes together with you? Just tap the big PLUS icon in the bottom right corner!

Sharing recipes with friends has never been so much fun!

Leaderboard: Let the Friendly Competition Begin!

Okay, this might be my favorite part!

The new Leaderboard lets you see who's cooking up a storm in the Cook'n community!

There are three main categories: Likes, Made, and Streak.

Want to see who's getting the most Likes? Check out the Likes Leaderboard!

You can see who's received the most Likes in the last seven days, who's received the most Likes of all time, and even who's averaging the most Likes per recipe!

You can also see who's spreading the love by giving the most Likes to other cooks!

And here's the really fun part...

Tap "Jump to Me" to see where YOU rank!

You don't have to be a professional chef or have thousands of recipes to climb the Leaderboard. Make something delicious, share it with the community, and you just might find yourself moving up the charts!

Come on! Get your chef on!

Profile: Show Off Your Culinary Creations!

Have you ever wondered what your Cook'n Profile looks like to other cooks?

Now you can see!

Your Profile displays your photo, your cooking Streak, the number of recipes you've made, the Likes you've received, your Cook'n Friends, your cookbooks, and more!

You'll also see your Recently Made recipes and the cookbooks you've shared.

Tap "See All" to explore your complete collection!

It's your own little corner of the Cook'n community, where your culinary adventures come to life!

Messages: Stay Connected!

And, of course, what good is a community if you can't talk to your friends?

The Messages section makes it easy to send and receive messages from your Cook'n Friends.

Found a great recipe? Tell a friend!

Saw something delicious they made? Send them a compliment!

There's even a new System tab where you'll receive important announcements and messages from the Cook'n Elves!

Cook'n Goes to 11!

Remember that famous scene from This Is Spinal Tap where the guitarist proudly explains that his amplifier goes to 11 instead of 10?

Well, that's exactly how I feel about the new Social hub!

The old My Friends feature was great.

But this?

THIS GOES TO 11!

And, the best part is that we're just getting started!

The Cook'n Elves have outdone themselves...AGAIN!

So, here's my challenge to you.

Open Cook'n on your iPhone or iPad, tap the new Social button on the bottom navigation bar, and take a look around!

Invite your family and friends to become your Cook'n Friends. Share your favorite recipes. Check out what other cooks are making. Leave a Like. Send a message. And, who knows? Maybe you'll find yourself climbing the Leaderboard!

After all, great food is even better when it's shared with people you love!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a football game to attend...and, hopefully, a big slice of chocolate cake waiting for me in Florida!

Go Cougs!

Bon appetit!

Note: The new Social makeover is currently available in Cook'n for iPhone and iPad...coming soon to Android!