Last updated on January 31st, 2020 at 05:07 pm
How We Became a Cooking Family
The Cooking Family had its genesis in an Indiana farmhouse built in 1836. It was my home from the day I was born, and still holds a large piece of my heart. It was in that small kitchen that I learned to cook from my mom and my dad. Both of them contributed unique aspects of my cooking style today.
My mom specialized in country dishes; Baked Steak with cream gravy and fried eggs from our chicken coop were favorites. My dad, however, was a master of improvisation. He could make a delicious dish from a can of this and a pound of that. Then there was my dear Aunt Carolyn.
The Hostess
Aunt Carol, as we called her, was my dad’s older sister, and she was the queen of entertainment. She loved having people over, and her cooking style and tastes were decidedly more “cosmopolitan” than that of my parents.
I can remember her layered jello dessert, each layer perfectly proportioned to the others. And her Swiss Steak, and her perfect Christmas cookies … oh my. She passed away suddenly in 2013, but her memory and her spirit of hospitality have left an indelible mark on my life and in my kitchen.
All of these combined influences have created my cooking style and attitude. I love it. I love cooking, and I love butter and heavy cream and rich flavors. And my farm upbringing has given me a love for fresh veggies. So naturally when I had my own children, I got them involved in the kitchen at an early age, because that’s where I wanted to be.
As soon as they could stand on a stool at the counter, I had them with me, handling whatever tasks they could. I now have 7 children, and my older children are accomplished cooks on their own. They can put an entire meal together without much (or any) input from me. And I didn’t realize that was abnormal, until…
The Struggle is Real
…the day I put a status on Facebook with a photo of a meal one of my children had made. Many of my other mom friends began posting comments, “You HAVE to show me how you did that.” Another said, “send them over to my house next!”
Shortly after that, I started to notice status updates from friends struggling, really struggling with getting dinner on the table every night. But I realized that there’s an innate desire for families to regularly have dinner together. We have to do it every day, so why should it be difficult? The truth is, it doesn’t have to be.
From Beginner to Pro, We’ll Have Fun Learning Together
We’re here to help. We want families to have the same joy of mealtime that we’ve had the pleasure of experiencing. If you are one who needs to start from the beginning, welcome! I can’t wait to see you experience the freedom that comes from thriving in this area.
If you know how to cook and just need a better system for dinner time, or need your kids to learn also, this place is for you also! We’re just getting started, but as we build, here’s what you’ll find:
- Posts about tools that are helping me prepare meals
- Tips for pantry staples so you’re never caught with nothing to make for dinner
- Live cooking events. Cook dinner with us in real time!
- Ways to overcome mental obstacles to getting dinner done
- Strategies for getting kids involved in the dinner prep process
Click Here to join our list. You’ll get first notice when we complete a free, short tutorial for my current favorite tool, The Instant Pot.
You can do this. And we will be here to show you how, every step of the way.
With joy from my kitchen,
Holly and The Cooking Family