Dinner with Debbie and Jim!

I had the pleasure of visiting Debbie and Jim at their house this past Sunday for my latest Meals with Memories adventure. I first met Debbie at Harriet’s Jewish Studies class at Woodlands Community Temple. Harriet invited me to speak about my gold award project to her students who are all older adults interested in continuing education. Harriet thought that some of them would be great participants for Meals with Memories. Debbie was so kind to volunteer for my project. We spoke on the phone to make a date for our dinner party and she told me to bring my mom! Debbie didn't have a specific recipe in mind. We agreed that I would make a chicken dish and we could foster intergenerational connections over the meal together! 

I had so much fun cooking dinner for us. I was most excited to make homemade buttermilk bread after I had eaten some at my dear friend’s party the day before. Her mom sent us the recipe and I thought it would be neat to cook fresh bread for Debbie and Jim. I also made roasted chicken with figs, orzo, fruit salad and chocolate bundt cake for dessert with some help from my parents. 

I enjoyed learning about Debbie and Jim and their extended family. Jim studied at NYU for his medical degree and then became an allergist in Westchester and Debbie managed the practice. We discovered over dinner that my mom had actually seen him for her allergies when she was a child! The couple has two children who also live in Westchester with their families. They love having their children and grandchildren close by! We talked a lot over dinner about colleges and how the process has changed over since their kids were applying to schools. We swapped stories about growing up, shared pictures of our adorable family dogs, and enjoyed a great meal together. It was so nice to get to know them and make new friends!