Recipes, links, and photos from this episode are on https://randomsweets.com/dish-tell-recipes-from-the-heart-with-sarah-peterson/.

There’s something special about a cookbook that doesn’t just show you how to make a recipe—but tells you where the dish came from and why it matters.

That’s exactly what you’ll find in Sarah Peterson's new book, "Dish & Tell: Recipes from the Heart." The Minnesota writer behind Vintage Dish and Tell blog is back with us today to celebrate the launch of her first cookbook—a collection of 75 recipes and stories from the heart of her family and 40 others.

We talk about her journey from blog to book, the stories behind the recipes, and the people who become “recipe keepers” in our lives. If you like handed-down, handwritten recipes with meaning and heart, you’ll feel right at home in this episode.

Guest Sarah Peterson

Blog: Vintage Dish & Tell https://vintagedishandtell.com

Instagram: @vintagedishandtell

Substack: https://vintagedishandtell.substack.com

Contact: https://vintagedishandtell.com/contact/

Facebook: Vintage Dish and Tell

Host and Producer, Staci Mergenthal

⁠RandomSweets.com⁠

Website ⁠randomsweets.com⁠

Instagram ⁠@potatoesandmittens⁠

Instagram ⁠@randomsweets⁠

Facebook: ⁠Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens⁠

Facebook ⁠Random Sweets⁠

Pinterest ⁠@staciperry⁠

Email: ⁠staci@randomsweets.com⁠

#ourSweetMidwestLife

Friendsgiving started as a practical solution for three families juggling hockey schedules—but it grew into a treasured annual feast and eventually a monthly dinner club.

In this episode, Ann Park, Lisa Svobodny, and Michelle Bouchard share how their Friendsgiving tradition began, who gathers around their tables, the stories that make it unforgettable, plus two recipes they bring each year—including sugared cranberries and butternut squash with bacon and spinach—and a recipe for an apple pie–inspired cocktail.

Cheers to a cozy celebration of friendship, food, and creating traditions that last.

Get the recipes and photos at RandomSweets.com.

If anyone knows how to host a cozy, joyful Thanksgiving dinner, it's my friend Leah Brink. She's been welcoming anywhere from 10 to 29 family and friends around her tables for the past 15 years. Her holiday spreads could be straight out of Better Homes & Gardens or Martha Stewart Living, yet her heart for hospitality is all about warmth, gratitude and joy.

In this cozy and practical episode of Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens, Leah shares how she plans for Thanksgiving weeks (and even months) ahead—from scheduling her PTO and deep cleaning her home to baking desserts for the freezer. She talks about making her table welcoming with a flower centerpiece from Shari at Hand Tied Floral Boutique in Brookings, South Dakota, setting the mood with simmering cinnamon and cloves on the stove, and playing her favorite soft jazz and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown soundtrack in the background.

We also dive into the heart of the meal—homemade gravy. Leah walks us through her step-by-step approach to making perfect gravy every time, plus her secret to a juicy, flavorful turkey: a 24-hour brine. You’ll hear about her signature dishes like mashed potatoes and gravy, Red Lobster-style Cheddar Bay Biscuits from scratch, and her must-have baked mac and cheese.

Leah also shares her family recipes, including:
• Her mom’s creamy fudge
• Her grandma’s ginger snaps
• Her stepmom’s Snickers bars
• Her cozy beer cheese soup
• And a link to festive cranberry Brie bites

Get each recipe at https://randomsweets.com/thanksgiving-hosting-and-homemade-gravy-with-leah-brink/, along with Leah’s hosting and gravy-making tips—including using a Thanksgiving day “cooking template,” how she journals notes for next year, and why she believes “prep equals confidence.”

So, this Thanksgiving, if you’re the one making gravy, bring someone into the kitchen to learn alongside you. Or, if you’re eager to learn, step up and take notes—you’ll be grateful you did next year.

I hope you pick up a few new ideas and feel a little more confident — and maybe even excited — about hosting Thanksgiving this year. Big thanks to my friend, Leah Brink, for sharing her warmth and wisdom around the table.

Host and Producer, Staci Mergenthal

⁠RandomSweets.com⁠

#ourSweetMidwestLife

Website ⁠randomsweets.com⁠

Instagram ⁠@potatoesandmittens⁠

Instagram ⁠@randomsweets⁠

Facebook: ⁠Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens⁠

Facebook ⁠Random Sweets⁠

Pinterest ⁠@staciperry⁠

Email: ⁠staci@randomsweets.com⁠