Today is a good day. Why? I'm officially a published cookbook author! 

The lovely Jane Deal, affectionately known as the 'Cheese Queen,' and Idaho Preferred let me dabble with some local products to create a recipe. Then, Jane and I put our recipes together to make a meal--a mighty good meal, if you ask me.

It wasn't hard for me to get my hands on local produce. I spent the summer months working part-time at Proost Family Farms, which is an absolutely charming little farmers market with three locations around Twin Falls. (I know, I know, when did I have time to sleep?!) If you know me, you know I am a workaholic. I also love my veggies. So, in a way, the recipe was a nice way to tie everything together.

Jane, by the way, isn't just a fabulous cook--she's an amazing woman. We spent one morning running around like crazy ladies to scope out the ingredients we were going to use. We were both sleep deprived so we spent a lot of the morning giggling over coffee and sharing more stories than recipes.

Our recipe is called 'Meatball Sandwich with Veggie Salad and Cucumber Sauce.' You can find the cookbook at Rudy's in Twin Falls, Country Elegance in Hagerman and Cook's Market in Gooding.

It's $25 a copy, and well worth it to support our local chefs and producers... happy cooking!