My friend Jill is, among other things, an avid reader, great cook, world traveler, and a small business owner. Not to mention wife, mother, and grandmother… each a role she treasures.
She approaches life with a smile and a willingness to help anyone she can. She’s not one to do something halfway, and she will cheer you on with plenty of encouragement for whatever you’re doing.
Favorite Family Traditions
The Wagner family loves to get together, and, like my family, food is always an important part of the festivities. They get together for a family dinner almost every Sunday. In good weather, they eat on their back porch at a farmhouse table, which is also one of Jill’s favorite places.
For her husband’s birthday they celebrate with “Papa’s Tapas.” They prepare small plates—usually six courses—with wine pairings. (Jill’s an expert on wine, too!) One of her sons, she has two sons and a daughter, creates a menu. The one here includes Beef Barbecue Nachos, Stuffed Beet Salad, Charcuterie Tray, Salmon and Tuna Tartare, Shrimp Tacos, Lamb Chop with Brussels Sprouts, and Creme Brulee. (How do I get invited to a Wagner meal??)
On Christmas Eve, some of their grandchildren and their parents spend the night. Setting out cookies for Santa, reading The Night Before Christmas, and early Christmas mornings are an old tradition that has become new again.
Favorite Recipes
Jill says most of her cooking now is healthy fare—lots of salads, veggie and grain bowls, and simple chicken and fish dishes. Often, on weekends when they eat with their family, her husband grills or smokes the meat.
But if she had to come up with her top five favorite recipes (which she did when I pinned her down…not really, she readily helped me the minute I asked!) they would include:
Lamb stew (Bob’s creation)
Ina Garten’s roasted chicken
Pasta Bolognese
Roasted salmon (She keeps it simple)
Emeril’s olive oil cake (Doesn’t that picture make you want to start with dessert?!)
A Fellow Bibliophile
Jill and I have been in a book club together FOREVER. You might think this is weird, but as a writer and reader I feel closer to someone who shares my love of reading and good writing. There’s something about reading a book alongside someone else. Maybe it’s simply because it’s a shared experience, and reading IS an experience. You travel to other worlds, learn about history, and feel real emotions when you’re immersed in a good book. Stories connect us.
It’s not surprising that Jill and I share many of the same titles for our favorite books. Here’s what she says are her all-time faves:
The Education of Little Tree
Cold Sassy Tree
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
The Birth of Venus
The Great Gatsby
Ordinary Grace
Lafcadio, The Lion Who Shot Back
Because of Wynn Dixie
Last Bus to Wisdom
Recent favorites:
Anxious People
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
The Grands
Having been a preschool teacher for six years pumped up Jill’s grandmothering skills but I suspect she would have been terrific without any preparation! Not surprising, her favorite thing to do with her grandkids is reading (by far!). But whether she’s crafting or playing at the beach with them, she says her goal is “to be present with them and not distracted!”
You’ll get the inside scoop on more of Jill’s Faves in future blog posts. So, stick around! Go ahead and subscribe to the blog if you haven’t already!
Tonya Smith
Yes, love me some Jill Wagner! Our children grew up together and she was an extraordinary mom so I know she rocks the grandmother gig!!
Tracey Buchanan
She does!
Ann Boyd
I can’t agree with you more, Tracey! Jill is truly a jewel! I’m blessed to call her my friend! Enjoyed the blog!
Tracey Buchanan
One of the bests!!