We thought we were heading to Tibble Fork Reservoir to celebrate the Fourth of July with family.

We had no idea we would come home with full stomachs, wonderful memories, and a whole new group of friends!

On Thursday, July 2, Kathy’s sister Jenny called and said, “We’re thinking about going to Tibble Fork tomorrow to celebrate the Fourth of July. It’s going to be packed, so we’re thinking about going up at 6:00 a.m. to get a good spot. Do you want to come?”

We said, “Sure!”

One family group text later...

Forty members of our family showed up!

Kathy and I went up early to claim a good spot before the crowds arrived. And it’s a good thing we did because there were LOADS of people there!

We found a beautiful spot in the shade with a little creek running right beside us.

The weather was perfect. It was cool and comfortable in the mountains, the water was as smooth as glass, and we even saw a bald eagle perched high up in the treetop overlooking the reservoir.

Everyone had a wonderful time fishing, swimming, kayaking, and paddleboarding around the lake.

Right next to us was a family from Colombia with several teenage children. Since Andan, Carson, and I speak Spanish fluently, we struck up a conversation with them.

We learned that they had not been in the United States for very long.

I noticed that they were simply enjoying the day together. They did not have any paddleboards, kayaks, or even chairs to sit on. They had brought a cooler, a portable barbecue grill, and each other.

So I told them, “If you would like to use our kayaks and paddleboards, you are welcome to them!”

The kids were thrilled!

They jumped at the chance and immediately headed out onto the water. It was so much fun watching how excited they were.


A short time later, I turned around...

...and the mother was standing there holding one of the biggest plates of food I had ever seen!

It was overflowing with grilled ribs, carne asada, Colombian sausage, corn on the cob, yuca, potatoes, fresh pico de gallo, and homemade guacamole that may have permanently ruined store-bought guacamole for me.

And she did not hand me just one plate.

She handed me three enormous plates overflowing with food!

I said, “Whoa! I can’t possibly eat all of this!”

She smiled and said, “It’s for your whole family!”

So I set the food down, pulled out some extra paper plates, and divided this incredible meal into smaller portions. Then I started walking around and handing plates of food to everyone in our family.

You should have seen the looks on their faces!

They were all saying, “Wait...where did this amazing food come from?”

They were especially surprised because we looked completely unprepared.

We had brought a bag of lunch meat and bread.

Our new friends looked like they were catering a wedding!

I told everyone, “It came from the Colombian family next to us. It’s authentic!”

Everyone responded, “NO WAY!”

Earlier that morning, Kathy had tossed a package of bratwursts into our cooler.

I am still not sure why.

We had not brought anything to cook them on!

So I carried the bratwursts over to our new friends and asked, “Would you mind if we cooked these on your grill?”

They happily replied, “¡Seguro que sí!”

Of course!

We grilled about twelve bratwursts, ate five, and left the rest for them.

We came to Tibble Fork expecting a fun day of paddleboarding with our family.

We left with new friends and memories that we will probably talk about for years.

Sometimes all it takes is one small act of generosity to turn an ordinary day into something extraordinary.

We shared our paddleboards.

They shared their food.

And before long, two families who had never met before were laughing, eating, and enjoying the Fourth of July together.

Unfortunately, I did a terrible job taking pictures that day!

Somewhere along the way, I completely forgot that I was supposed to be gathering material for this newsletter.

In hindsight, I wish I had taken a picture of the family, the incredible food they gave us, and the expressions on everyone’s faces when I started handing out those plates.

I guess you will just have to imagine it!

As I watched everyone sitting together and sharing food, I was reminded why I love recipes so much.

Recipes are not really about ingredients.

They are about families, friendships, traditions, generosity, and bringing people together.

That is one of the reasons I have been smiling lately when I look at the Cook’n activity reports.

Cook’n usage usually spikes during the winter, especially around Christmas when it is cold outside and everyone is entertaining family and friends.

Activity usually dips a little during the summer because people are traveling, vacationing, and trying to avoid turning on the oven and heating up the kitchen.

But something different is happening this year.

More and more people are using Cook’n!

It seems like the word is spreading, and families around the world are using Cook’n to organize, preserve, and share the recipes that bring the people they love together.

I hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July celebration, and I hope you are having a fantastic summer!

The Cook’n Elves have some exciting new features coming soon, so keep your eyes peeled...

And Keep on Cook’n Good Look’n!