California cook and Recipe Club member, Dee Stillwell, knows how to bring people together. With her keyboard in one hand and cake-server in the other, Dee recently organized fellow Club members in and around her hometown of Sacramento, and soon their very first Just A Pinch Recipe Club Luncheon was hatched!

The Crew and I were tickled pink when we received Dee's photos of the festivities...and the food! Joined by five other Sacramento area members, Dee quickly found out that, in fact, strangers really are merely friends you've yet to meet. "I hope it will be one of many more get-togethers," says Dee of the luncheon, "and that the turnout is better each time we meet... we had a great time sharing cake and life stories."

Indeed, Dee did not come to the table empty handed; the luncheon served as a wonderful opportunity to sample some Blue Ribbon eats, namely Dee's Tiramisu Layer Cake that she whipped up especially for the event. (After all, everything is better with a cup of coffee and a piece of cake, right?)

Dee and the gals hope to expand their luncheons, and encourage other members from around the country to join them in organizing meet-ups in their own hometowns! "My ultimate goal for these get-togethers," says Dee, "will be for us to get to know other local foodies and eventually get the girls on board to do something in a charitable way."

And it's that kind of giving spirit that truly binds us together. It just never seems to fail that behind each Blue Ribbon is a heart of solid gold. Good people and good food... now that's a recipe for happiness.

Do you have a story of meeting fellow Club members? We'd love to hear it!