Bread for the Journey

This cookbook is much more than a cookbook

It is a story of our lives together viewed through the lens of food. While it has strong ties to both of our families with many recipes from both Brenda’s and my people, it is also filled with remembrances of meals shared with people we have loved and who loved us, of friends who have long passed, of family traditions, of community gatherings, of people we met while traveling, and of laughter and tears.

Over 385 Recipes to share

A collection of recipes shared with family and friends including: appetizers, beverages, breads, breakfast, desserts, meats, rubs & seasonings, pasta, salads, soups, vegetables, canning recipes, and more!

A lifetime of hospitality

"Brenda often expressed her love through making food, writing notes, giving the most thoughtful, unique gifts, and dropping by a loaf of her homemade bread, which we affectionately began calling “Brenda Bread.” In fact, she tried out different recipes for over a year until she found just the right one." ~ Mary Alice Birdwhistell

A lasting legacy

With costs associated with the production of this book fully covered, all proceeds from the its sale will directly support the Brenda Bradley Memorial Scholarship Fund at McLennan Community College, Waco, Texas. All donors to Brenda's fund at MCC will receive a copy of "Bread for the Journey."

Additionally, you may also order copies through our website. *U.S. orders only please.

About this project

This recipe book is the culmination of a project that Brenda had been considering for several years. Once she was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer on April 4, 2019, she realized the timeliness of the project, and she soon began the process to create a family cookbook. Before she died on January 1, 2020, she was able to sort through thousands of individual recipes, several notebooks that she had compiled, and many cookbooks, to find the recipes that she used most frequently.

Cooking and having people in our home to eat was a practice that we both enjoyed, and it was something that we accomplished together like a well-oiled machine. We were honored to share our home with thousands of friends through the years, and we loved every minute of it. It is a practice that I will continue, and I will always think of Brenda and be grateful for the beautiful way that she lit up a room with her smile, moved among people with confidence and grace, never met a stranger, and always had a good word for everyone. She loved each of you. Brenda’s life will live on as you read these pages, try the recipes, and adapt them to your needs until the time when this book carries the stains of cake batter, raw eggs, wet fingerprints, and hot skillets. Her memory will live through these pages and the stories that they tell.

Randall Bradley