My cookbook was the subject in The Naperville Sun! The above picture is my sister, Debbie Hodapp, who still lives in Naperville. She was a good sport to be interviewed! I actually made the enchiladas and emailed the top picture to the reporter: Judy Buchenot. Here’s the story (which also included 2 of my recipes.)

Naperville has been home to the Weinert family for more than 50 years. DeLorse Weinert still lives in her home where she raised her five children.

Debbie and Barb, who are twins, and their younger sister, Nancy, graduated from Naperville Central High School in 1972 and 1973.

Two of the sisters married their high school sweethearts. Debbie married Dave Hodapp; Nancy married John Geiger.

Time and space might separate them now, but they stay close.

Debbie Hodapp has always been amazed at her sister Nancy Geiger’s ability to be organized.

“She always has everything so neat and orderly. Nothing is ever out of place. I don’t know how she does it,” says Hodapp seated in her Naperville home, which has a welcoming array of toddler toys for her grandchildren she watches regularly when she isn’t working in the cardiac rehabilitation center at Edward Hospital.

When Geiger decided to write a cookbook, Hodapp knew it would have an interesting twist. Geiger, who lives in North Carolina, always has had an interest in cooking and started collecting recipes as a teen.

When her husband, who serves in the Army, was stationed in Germany for three years, Geiger was able to add a European flair to her recipe collection.

While their husbands were away on military exercises, Geiger and the other wives spent time hosting coffees, showers and potlucks for each other.

The many parties allowed her to expand her cooking skills. After leaving the Army life, she continued to enjoy cooking and entertaining.

After creating so many dishes, Geiger was looking for a way to share her recipes. She noticed that many young couples have such busy lifestyles that they don’t take the time to cook and enjoy meals together.

Many rely on fast food and restaurants for meals, but Geiger knows eating meals away from home can be costly in terms of dollars and calories.

“So Nancy wrote a cookbook designed for brides,” Hodapp says.

She agrees with her sister that going to a restaurant, ordering food, waiting for the meal to be prepared and then going home can often take longer than preparing and enjoying a meal at home.

Hodapp thought the cookbook was an excellent idea and gave copies to two of her daughters when they got married and has one saved in a hope chest for her third daughter.

The cookbook, titled “A Bride’s Cookbook or Surviving the First Year,” provides recipes for quick, healthy meals that can save money, time and stress.

The book also includes helpful information like ingredient substitutions, suggestions for a well-stocked pantry, calorie charts and dinner party ideas.

Hodapp says her sister hopes that couples who start out their marriage having meals at home will get into the habit of sitting down together to healthy meals.

The cookbook is available in both an e-book and print format.

http://www.abridescookbook.com/default.html