Dear Reader, I cannot think of a better privilege than sharing my story with you. Through loss, abandonment, and experiences with mental illness in my family of origin and my own bipolar disease, I learned the power special people-loving friends and family-had in nourishing my soul. Through their help and my own persistence, I became a resilient, successful adult and, more importantly, a loving and faithful friend. I look forward to sharing my journey with you, friend by friend, recipe by recipe. Sincerely, Ellen J. Dehouske, PhD