If you need a wedding present....

.....for all those June weddings you've gotten invitations to, or you want to give a graduate striking out on his/her own a really lasting gift, may I recommend something that was recommended to me? Try this book:

I have prepared quite a few recipes out of this book, and we have enjoyed most of the things we have tried. Several of the recipes have even made it to the infamous Southard Family Cookbook, which is the true standard of how much we like something.

Here's a recipe we made this week that made it to The Book:

Apricot-Ginger Chicken

2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon grated, peeled fresh ginger
6 large chicken leg quarters (about 3 3/4 pounds)

Prepare grill. In small bowl, combine green onions, apricot preserves, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger.

Arrange chicken on grill over medium heat; grill until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Arrange chicken around perimeter of grill (where it is cooler); cover and grill until juices run clear when thickest part of chicken is pierced with knife, 25 to 30 minutes longer. During last 10 minutes, brush with apricot mixture. Makes 6 main-dish servings.

My notes: I used 12 chicken legs, which I had gotten on sale at the grocery store. Worked just as well, and was totally a delish way to spark up cheap meat. I saved aside a little of the sauce before I basted it on chicken, heated it up on the stove, and served it on the side as a dipping sauce. Yummo.

Zteen's reaction? "Only one thing wrong with this recipe, Mom. You didn't make enough!"

That's high praise.