This is our first journal entry for the Sue’s Secrets journey, thanks for being here!

If you don’t know us, my name is Sheila, and Sue is my mom. We’ve decided to bring an idea to life that has been brewing in my mind for a few months…Sue’s Secrets, a recipe mail club.

Last summer I told my mom that I wanted to create a cookbook of her recipes. At the time, I was primarily thinking about how I needed this for myself, as I am constantly calling her with cooking and baking questions. While Sue has a box of old recipe cards, most of her go-to dishes and baked goods are made from memory, or they are just a list of ingredients, zero instructions, maybe an oven temperature. My recipe notes are typically a mix of random on the fly scribbles written down when I’m already in the kitchen cooking, with hands dirty, and I’ve just texted mom with questions. I’ve seen her in action for a long time so I usually have an idea of what I should do, but then a little doubt creeps in and I decide to double check! Mom is always more than happy to fill me in and answer my questions. What gets me every time is that she’ll casually toss out another tip or trick that I’d never heard before, and honestly everytime I think to myself, “Oh, that’s Sue! She’s so good!” “How did she learn all this stuff!” Needless to say, last summer I figured it was time to write this all down in a nice organized way.

More recently, I’ve come across these amazing and adorable snail mail businesses that are really popular right now. What is snail mail you ask? Well it is the old fashioned practice of sending something by post and receiving physical mail. As a teen and young adult I enjoyed many a letter sent and recieved. It was a special way to connect with friends and family and I cherish those old letters, postcards, and greeting cards. I still have them all and what’s also very special is that I am still in touch with these friends after 30 years. It’s no wonder that snail mail is making a comeback, it’s a wonderful experience to send and receive letters, to shop for pretty stationary, and to have a reason to use it! It feels like a little gift, and a warm hug, to receive a beautiful envelope with love inside.

Snail mail clubs are being set up for all kinds of reasons: sharing artwork, telling love or fantasy stories, sharing travel expereiences, finding pen-pal connections, creating kids stories and activities, revelling in pop culture, enjoying architecture, sharing hobbies like gardening, crafting, sewing, cooking/baking, and even the old mystery envelope - never know what you’re gonna get. I’m going to explore more of these clubs and make some recommendations in a future post, as I plan to subscribe to one myself in the coming weeks. Nothing fun comes in my mail anymore, but not for long! And I can’t wait to start sending out too!

And so, Sue’s Secrets is the blending of Sue’s lifelong cooking and baking talent, my love of letters, writing, and crafty pretty things, and the simple joy of sharing and connecting with others. We’re hoping to launch soon, but there’s still a bit of planning and organizing to do…this journal newsletter is where we’ll share our progress along the way.

Thanks again for being here with us and chat more soon!

Your friends in the kitchen,

Sheila & Sue

You’re receiving this because you signed up for Sue’s Secrets newsletter