Favorites So Far

our kitchen sketchbook

This newsletter contains an ebook version of my sketchbook full of favorite recipes as a 48 page downloadable ebook titled “Favorites So Far”.

For over a decade I've kept a small sketchbook in the kitchen and, by hand, written and illustrated our favorite homemade recipes… You see we pay special attention to favorites because that knowledge can be helpful. Let me put this in context:

Recently when my hurt foot was feeling the most hurt (my eyes had tears in them) without being asked my partner and spouse of 28 years

J. L. Sullens

played an album by Tracy Chapman.

She knows that Tracy Chapman is one of my favorite musicians (possibly the favorite). And though my foot still hurt the music was soothing and it soothed my spirit that my spouse knows me so well.

This knowing each other well is mutual.

Quite a number of years ago when I began keeping a sketchbook in the kitchen I took care to notice what dishes were enjoyed and I filled the book with recipes that JL had especially liked so I could cook them often.

The original kitchen sketchbook is the small grey book in the photo below. I enlarged those sketches when I reproduced my sketchbook for ease of reading while cooking.

When we had been together 24 years I published forty eight pages of my kitchen sketchbook as a printed book titled “Favorites So Far” to share with our family and friends. (Printed book link here and the ebook is downloadable below)

Here's one of the favorite recipes out of all of the many favorites in the book. It's also a good example of what my kitchen sketchbook pages look like - everything written and illustrated by hand.

Since it's our anniversary time of year, and this kitchen sketchbook is one of my favorite projects, I thought I'd share it with you too.

Here's a photo of us taken by a friend around the time we met 28 years ago.

The above photo was taken not long after I'd told JL that I was an artist. She replied “Yeah? Well, draw something then.”

I asked “What's your favorite flower?” and then with a pencil on a scrap of paper I drew her answer.

She kept it, had it framed and it hangs in our house today!

Here's a more recent photo of us (from before I hurt my foot).

And here's a more recent flower painting I did for JL.

One of my favorite songs by Tracy Chapman is called “You're The One"

Here below is the 48 page downloadable ebook version of our “Favorites So Far" kitchen sketchbook. No paywall. Just love. (And I'll add it to my index of ebooks asap bringing the number of my books for paid subscribers to 13! If you're a paid subscriber please get what you like!)

I hope this week you're able to love people, play music, eat good food and notice the favorites - both your own faves and your loved ones faves - and enjoy them often!

P.S. Some of the recipes in the book Favorites So Far are also available as postcards from this link.

Here's the downloadable ebook 👇

Favoritessofarbyclancysullens

16.8MB ∙ PDF file

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