The delicate spot for four-legged creatures in Connie Curler’s coronary heart ultimately led her to assist the two-legged type as effectively.
Curler, of Grafton, used to work at a pet retailer in Mequon. A part of her job was to drop off animal meals donations at Household Sharing.
She noticed the stacks of things at Ozaukee County’s longest-standing meals pantry at its Grafton location, which sparked one other thought.
“I do know there are loads of recipients at Household Sharing that don’t cook dinner, don’t know the way or don’t have the time,” she mentioned.
Curler determined to create a cookbook with easy recipes that may be made with gadgets Household Sharing frequently shares.
“I may accomplish that a lot with these things,” she mentioned. “There’s a lot right here to work with.”
Curler, who’s elevating funds to print the e-book, isn’t any stranger to the kitchen or small-time publishing. Because the youngest of 10 kids, the Cedarburg native spent loads of time watching massive meals being made. She later picked up an curiosity in cooking.
“It’s simpler than cleansing,” she mentioned with amusing.
The pleasure of creating a meal peaks within the gratification of seeing folks devour it.
“I just like the satisfaction of creating one thing that any individual likes,” Curler mentioned. “There’s rather a lot to be mentioned for that.”
Curler had already printed two household cookbooks with a few of her prolonged household’s favourite recipes.
“Rising up in a big household, at household get-togethers all people brings their favourite dish,” Curler mentioned. “Folks actually bond over meals.”
Consequently, the cookbooks have an inventory of tried-and-true dishes.
“Ninety-nine % of the recipes are bulletproof,” Curler mentioned. “Folks don’t submit recipes that don’t work. They submit their favorites.”
For the Household Sharing cookbook, titled “From Pantry to Desk,” Curler drew upon her years of expertise standing over the range making an attempt out completely different recipes and her observe report of success.
At Thanksgiving, “My mother at all times gave me the turkey carcass as a result of she knew it could come again as soup,” she mentioned.
If she has a specialty, soup is it, Curler mentioned. She lately made one for her and her husband that’s within the new cookbook.
“What’s in my fridge proper now could be Texas taco soup,” she mentioned. 
“It entails browning a pound of hamburger and opening cans.”
Different elements embody pinto beans, corn, ranch-style beans, stewed tomatoes, rooster or beef broth, diced tomatoes with chiles, taco seasoning and a bundle of ranch dressing.
It’s precisely the sort of dish Household Sharing Govt Director Julie Hoover is searching for.
“She mentioned there’s a requirement for crockpot recipes,” Curler mentioned.
One of many plans is for the cookbook to place collectively meals gadgets wanted for some recipes and distribute them as a bundle.
No person, Hoover mentioned, ever made a cookbook for Household Sharing earlier than.
“We’re simply touched that she’s doing this,” she mentioned.
Hoover mentioned she appears to be like ahead to serving the clientele with new and scrumptious recipes.
Experimenting is one component Curler enjoys about cooking. She has loads of sources of inspiration — a cupboard filled with church cookbooks — and works as a prep cook dinner at Juice’s Ghost City in Grafton.
However even when she begins out with a recipe, “I’m at all times improvising,” she mentioned.
That’s one cause she likes cooking moderately than baking.
“Cooking is so versatile,” she mentioned. “Baking is a precise science. You need to comply with the directions.”
Creativity is so essential that Curler addressed it within the her newest cookbook’s ahead:
“You don’t have the frozen veggies the recipe requires? Use canned.
“A bean is a bean. If the recipe requires black beans, you should use virtually another bean like kidney beans or chickpeas.”
The e-book has 95 recipes overlaying appetizers via desserts and consists of some recent elements.
“Meals pantries have come to date with recent meats and produce,” Curler mentioned.
“You’ll be able to solely accomplish that a lot with packing containers. I personally love Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, however you may’t eat it daily.”
Whereas the e-book has a wide range of dishes, the theme is constant.
“The recipes are deliberately quite simple and don’t have too many elements as a result of that’s overwhelming to folks,” Curler mentioned.
The e-book has a couple of different particular parts, together with metric conversion charts, the volumes sure dishes and pans will maintain and microwave cooking hints.
“There’s extra to it than only a assortment of recipes,” she mentioned.
Curler is making an attempt to lift $3,200 to print greater than 400 copies of “From Pantry to Desk” to cowl all of Household Sharing’s households and to maintain copies within the retailer with proceeds going to print extra books down the road.
No matter financial standing, Curler mentioned, “Everybody deserves to have an attention-grabbing meal they take pleasure in.”
To donate, go to gofund.me/b6072e61 or contact Household Sharing at 377-0634.
