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In Memory of My Daughter Margo

This post celebrates my daughter Margo's life. Margo passed away peacefully in her sleep on July 6 after a 15-year battle with chronic illness. At 24, she lived life to its fullest and made the most of every day. 

 

Margo was a remarkable person in many ways. Our most cherished memories of Margo include her:

 

1) ability to smile and find joy even in the toughest of moments,
2) constant desire to put others first and give,
3) incredible creative talent: margomade,
4) innate baking and cocktail-making skills, and
5) unconditional love for pugs and all furry creatures.

 

Margo was an intrinsic part of Something New For Dinner. She designed the original website and collaborated on our new site. She cooked with me, baked for me and made me delicious cocktails. She was a skilled recipe editor and could look at 100 photographs and zero in on the best three in nano-seconds. Margo and her buddy Eric produced and filmed our video It All Starts Somewhere. Margo designed an ebook we will soon be publishing and our gorgeous Something New For Dinner aprons.

 

Margo will be missed everyday. Her smile, her sassy sense of humor and her amazing kindness to all will live forever in my heart. 

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Margo's favorite recipes

Margo was an avid cook. Even as a college student she cooked from scratch several times a week. Margo once told me that I had taught her to eat well. After she moved away from home she said the only way she could continue to eat well was to cook. And cook she did. Her friends were always happy to be asked to dinner at Margo's. When invited to a party she always brought something delicious. She was particularly well known for her Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, her Ginger Molasses Cookies, Hawaiian Chocolate Bread Pudding and her tasty Sangria.

 

To honor Margo, here is a list of her favorite recipes. It's a long list, but these were the recipes she made over and over and asked me to make when she was home. I hope you enjoy them as much as she did.

 

 Salads

Chicken Frisee Salad with Roasted Peppers, Manchego & Spanish Paprika

Chicken, Berry, Date & Candied Walnut salad 

Pear, Prosciutto & Pomegranate Salad

Minted Fresh Fruit Salad

Watermelon, Tomato & Strawberry Salad with Burrata

Strawberry, Blueberry, Spinach & Quinoa Summer Salad

Warm Goat Cheese Salad

Japanese Cucumber & Shrimp Salad

Avocado Massaged Kale Salad with Oranges and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds 

Roasted Turkey Cobb Salad

 

Soups

Hamburger Vegetable Soup 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

French Lentil & Garlic Sausage Soup

 

Sides

Homemade Applesauce

Tomato, Basil and Feta Bruschetta

Puamana Coconut Rice 

Orzo Salad with Tomatoes, Basil & Feta

Perfect Asian Sesame Noodles

Chicken, Artichoke, Lemon & Rosemary Risotto

 

Main Courses

Chicken, Potato & Prosciutto Kabobs

Za'atar & Lemon Grilled Chicken

Mom's Chili

Pineapple & Pork Lettuce Wraps 

The Best Mac & Cheese

Corned Beef Hash

Beer Can Chicken

Roasted Leek, Pancetta & Tomato Pasta

Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken

Chicken & Mango Lettuce Wraps

 

Breakfast

Dutch Baby Apple Pancake 

Honey Yogurt

Mango & Yogurt Breakfast Parfaits

 

Desserts

Nectarine Crisp with Salted Honey Whip

Nana T's Insanely Good Toffee

Angel Food Cake

Rice Krispie Treats Samoas Style

Rice Krispie Treats Tagalong Style

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pignoli Cookies

Pumpkin Pie with Fresh Ginger & Espresso

Chocolate Espresso Pots of Creme

Apple Crumble

Pavlova with Berries, Brown Sugar & Sour Cream

 

Cocktails

Tamarind Whiskey Sour

Garden Mule Cocktail

Margo's End of Summer Cocktail

25 COMMENTS

Comments

  1. Elizabeth R says:

    Kim, this is a beautiful tribute to your very lovely daughter, Margo. Thank you for sharing a bit of her with your followers and please accept my heartfelt condolences. I hope knowing that so many will see and enjoy her works and favorite contributions will bring you some small measure of comfort, and may you always hold your cherished memories close to your heart. Many blessings to you and your family.

    1. Kim Pawell says:

      Thank you Elizabeth.

  2. Dory Ford says:

    In honor of Margo, this take-out queen is going to light up the kitchen. One more way that Margo’s influence will encourage people to try new things — and likely generate a few gut-busting laughs. Thanks for providing a vehicle for more Margo memories.

    1. Kim Pawell says:

      Margo would approve of lighting up the kitchen, trying new things and gut-busting laughs. Thank you Dory!

  3. Vickie Keasler says:

    What a beautiful tribute! Thank you for posting these recipes. I will try them all!

    1. Kim Pawell says:

      Thank you Vickie. Please let us know if you discover any new favorites.

  4. Lynne Robinett says:

    Kim, a lovely tribute to Margo and a beautiful photograph. I cannot begin to comprehend your heartbreak but send my deepest condolences to you and your family. In honor of Margo, I am going to begin my own neighborly dinners with my small group of close friends and will be cooking up Margot’s favorite recipes. I hope I do her proud, and I hope a happy tribute to her life. God Bless you and your family.

    1. Kim Pawell says:

      Thank you Lynne. Margo would very much approve of more neighborly dinners. Thank you for your kind words.

  5. Marsha Feldstein says:

    I’ve been checking for your Monday posts and wondered why they were missing — my heart sank when I saw your post today. Your tribute was phenomenal and gave us a wonderful picture of a beautiful, creative, amazing young woman. Thank you for sharing this with us. My deepest condolences on your heartbreaking loss.

    1. Kim Pawell says:

      Thank you Marsha for your kind note.

  6. Roxanne Nichols says:

    What a wonderful way to honor your beautiful daughter, Margo! Thank you for the recipes, I will love cooking and sharing them at our family gatherings. Sending my deepest sympathy to you and your family.

  7. Andrea Bridges says:

    Our heart breaks for you. We remember when you came to the xmas party and you were pregnant with Margo. You had a craving for a sandwich and Keith made you one. We will recreate your recipes and will teach them to our kids to pass on to their kids. The circle will continue. We send our endless love your way.

    1. Kim Pawell says:

      Thank you so much Andrea. We truly appreciate your kind note and past and future memories. Much love to you, Keith and your family.

  8. Lisa Wiltse says:

    I was so sorry to see this post. Margo took my sewing class at our shop a few times and I enjoyed having her in class. She was so meticulous with her sewing which was so impressive. She made a beautiful blouse with a fabulous fabric. I took one of her scraps and still use it for an example of a quality fabric for my new students. Margo spoke often of you and her siblings and I liked her stories. My heart hurts for you and your family.

    1. Kim Pawell says:

      Thank you so much Lisa. I really appreciate your note.

  9. Mary Eadington says:

    In honor of Margo…. I’m making a couple of her favorites for Katya’s 29th birthday…..
    Watermelon, tomato, strawberry salad with burrata and Asian sesame noodles; with one of your salmon recipes! Of course I always have to make a fresh strawberry pie with graham cracker crust for her birthday cake! Just returned from our Ireland/Scotland trip…… Hope to get together when we get unpacked & organized!! Love & hugs. 🙂

    1. Kim Pawell says:

      That’s very sweet Mary. The fresh strawberry pie sounds wonderful. Enjoy Katya’s birthday!

  10. Candy says:

    Love the Margo favorites page!!!

  11. Candy says:

    I love the Margo celebrations and remembering her great spirit.

    1. Kim Pawell says:

      Thank you Candy. She did have an amazing spirit and verve for life.

  12. Celeste says:

    This is a wonderful tribute to your beautiful daughter! I think I was supposed to find this website as I just typed in “something different for dinner”. We share the sadness of losing a part of our hearts. I’m looking forward to trying both of your recipes.

    1. Kim Pawell says:

      Thank you Celeste. We miss Margo every day. We just put one foot in front of the other and try to live life with the same determination, grace and sense of humor that Margo did. I am so sorry to hear you have also had a loss of someone close to you.

  13. Kim Ngo says:

    As her chemistry teacher, I was fortunate to taste many of her baked seasonal goods and they were all delicious! Only a few students leave a lasting impression in your heart and Margo is one who has done so. Smart, kind, happy, and pure goodness will continue to be my lasting memory of Margo.

    1. Kim Pawell says:

      Thank you so much for your kind words Kim. It has been a little over a year since Margo’s passing and we miss her everyday. I’m not sure how someone so young could be so wise. She really knew what was important in life and taught me so much. In her honor I am trying to live life like she did. Thank you again for contacting me.

  14. Nicki Burchard says:

    I’ve never expressed my feelings to you about your loss, and I am so sorry for that. I guess I didn’t know how to or what to say. I now can say I feel your sadness and if anything I can do to help I’m here for you. We lost Ana our 27 year old daughter 5 months ago. It hurts.

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