Sweet treats were the order of the day when the Winnfield Rotary Club held its regular weekly meeting on December 4, compliments of special guests Rae McManus and Pat Thurmon, authors of the new cookbook Thyme with Friends. McManus and Thurman served delicious chocolate éclair cake and salted caramel fudge, prepared according to recipes included in their book. It also includes recipes from another outstanding local cook, the late Sharon Brewton, which were contributed by her daughters.

This beautiful looseleaf book sports beautiful art by local artist Gail Shelton on the front cover, divider pages bearing flowers separating the sections into Appetizers and Beverages, Soups and Salads, Vegetables and Side Dishes, Main Dishes, Bread and Rolls, Desserts, Cookies and Candies and This and That, each with Helpful Hints on the back. The book features page numbered sections and a handy index at the end. For a little lagniappe, quotable quips of various well-known personalities appear at the bottom of random pages where space allows.

This well-organized and delicious book was conceived by Pat, who loves to cook and shares her talent for good food with her family, church family and good friends. She says, “I always wanted to do a cookbook,” and suggested this idea to Rae one day as they were discussing raising funds for Rae’s post-kidney transplant care.

As Rae explained to the Rotarians, she developed an osteosarcoma, a cancerous tumor in a bone, located in the upper part of her right thigh when she was 14 years old. During treatment to clear the cancer, Rae was placed in a cancer treatment study in which chemotherapy fluids were dripped directly on the cancer site. This treatment was successful in removing the cancerous tumor. However, Rae experienced numerous complications from the treatment including bone spurs, damage to the head of the femur for which a surgeon grafted part of another femur into her body and soft tissue burns requiring skin grafts. The femur graft failed and Rae’s leg was eventually amputated. She also suffered damage to her kidneys from the chemotherapy and began losing kidney function in her teenage years. 

The loss of kidney function has continued over the years and Rae is now in need of a kidney transplant to sustain her life. Her kidney transplant team has advised her she will have to remain in Dallas at least eight weeks after the transplant for her after-care, during which she will incur significant expenses for transportation, lodging and food, as well as other expenses which will not be covered by insurance. The funds raised through the sales of Thyme with Friends will go toward covering Rae’s expenses during her immediate recovery from the transplant surgery.

Anyone interested in getting a copy of the cookbook may contact Rae at ermcmanus@yahoo.com.