The Family Table

LORIE R. THOMPSON

It is wedding week for my beautiful daughter, Kendall, and her man, Benjamin (BJ) McCauley. We are so excited to celebrate this love match.

Kendall and BJ met on a summer job just after graduation from college. Kendall was returning from Georgia Southern, and BJ was fresh out of culinary school. They developed a great friendship over the next few months of working together. Soon, the friendship developed into dating and now into marriage.

Our family is so happy to be adding BJ. He is kind, intelligent, hard-working, and he LOVES my daughter. You can see it in how he looks at and talks to her. The two of them are always together. It is hard to get Kendall to agree to do anything that takes her away from BJ for very long. As they prepare for their wedding, I am happy to know they are best friends and never want to be apart.

Without a doubt, Baby Girl loves him. She talks about him in every conversation when he is not with us. She tells me what he says, what he thinks, and what he cooks! Oh, did I mention BJ is a marvelous chef?

I know that BJ’s family is equally excited about the wedding and gaining Kendall as a new daughter in love, and they should be! Baby Girl is a wonderful young woman. She is a “doer.” She is smart, creative, and a seriously hard worker. She has an integral sense of values and always expects the best from everyone around her. She always helps others and has a big heart for those in need.

BJ’s Mom, Angie, has been essential to the wedding plans. She has made her love for BJ and Kendall a shining beacon throughout the planning. I am thrilled that Kendall is going to have wonderful in-laws. That is a blessing! Kendall already feels at home with them. BJ has two grandmothers that Kendall loves. She thinks she won the grandmother lottery! Kendall is easy to love and will be an excellent addition to the McCauley clan.

The wedding day will truly be a celebration as we share the joy of uniting these two young people and our families!

The kids came to my house tonight to work on the wedding to-do lists, and BJ and I cooked supper. He made Blackened Shrimp and Fettucine Alfredo. I cooked broccolini and made a salad with fresh lettuce from the garden. It was delicious!

Let me tell you how Chef BJ made his Blackened Shrimp and Alfredo sauce: Place your fettucine in boiling, salted water and cook al dente, following package directions and times. For the shrimp, begin by drying the raw shrimp with a couple of paper towels and sprinkling them with a layer of blackening seasoning. In a heavy skillet, melt 3T of unsalted butter and bring to high heat. As the butter begins to brown, add the shrimp in a single layer. Do not overcrowd them. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, turning as you see the translucent shrimp becoming opaque. Remove to a warm plate to hold.

For the Alfredo sauce, melt 1/2 C butter. Add 1-2T of finely minced garlic. Allow garlic to cook in the butter for 1-2 minutes. Add 2 C of heavy cream and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer until reduced. Add 1.5 C of grated parmesan cheese and whisk in until sauce is thickened and creamy. Serve over the al dente fettucine and top with the shrimp.

Broccolini has become one of my favorite green vegetables. Sam’s Club sells large bags, and I buy a couple every visit. To prepare it, trim the end of the stems and any solid leaves off. In a heavy skillet, add 1/4 C of olive oil. Thinly slice 2-3 garlic cloves. Add garlic, 2 tsp of kosher salt, and 1 tsp of crushed red pepper to the oil and heat over medium-low heat until the garlic begins to brown. Remove the garlic and hold it to add to the dish later.

Add the broccolini spears and turn the heat up to medium. Toss the spears, allowing them to brown a little. Continue to cook and toss for another 8-10 minutes, or place them in a hot oven under the broiler until they are tender and somewhat browned. Add the garlic cloves back in before serving.

We had a marvelous supper tonight and enjoyed the time together. Kendall told us that fettucine alfredo was the first dish that BJ cooked for her, so it is a special favorite of hers.

The anticipation of the weekend is building, as are the concerns over ensuring the details are correct. We know it may rain (as it has rained every Saturday this month), and it may not all be perfect, but we will gather our two families and the kids’ best friends and make this wedding a reality. We will speak the scriptures and the vows. We will pray, eat a lot, dance a little, and start these two wonderful young people off in a great way in their marriage. And that, my friends, is the goodie in life!

Say a prayer for my children as they begin their lives together. Pray that God will bless them with contentment in their marriage and that they will honor him in their daily lives together.

May God bless each of you with a productive and joyful Summer!

Lorie Thompson is a REALTOR at Poss Realty in Clayton, Georgia. Her expertise in her industry is second only to her culinary talents. Lorie is a dynamo in the kitchen. Honestly if she prepares it, it will likely be the best you’ve ever had! Lorie and her husband, Anthony (Peanut), make their home in the Persimmon Community. She is the proud mother of Joe Thompson and Kendall.