This is my story ...
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I was born and raised in a small town just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. There were a lot of things that I loved about my home town. It was a perfect place to grow up.
My town was the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else. So when a new boy and his family moved into our little town, when I was just 10 years old - we were instant friends. Even at that young age, this 4th grader managed to capture my attention - mostly with acts of teasing and hair pulling. 😅 But by the time we were 15 - we had moved past the stage of playground buddies and we went on our first date. |
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We navigated our high school years together. Homecomings, Winter Formals, Proms, Football games, Soccer games, wrestling matches and band concerts - we did it all - together. But when it came time to graduate and move on to college - we each chose a different path. I chose Kent State and he went to Miami of Ohio. The 5 hour drive between schools made it difficult for us to see each other over the next 4 years but our relationship only seemed to strengthen during that time. |
After 4 years of college we graduated with bachelors degrees and
my soon-to-be husband was commissioned as an officer into the United States Air Force.
Just weeks after graduation and commissioning (and 5 1/2 years of dating) WE GOT MARRIED! We had the most beautiful Fall wedding with all of our family and friends around us. One of my all time favorite days ever.
Within our first year of marriage, we had adopted a dog, moved three times - to three different states - and ended up in the middle of Utah! To say that I was hesitant about moving hundreds of miles from our families, is an understatement. But it didn't take long for both of us to absolutely fall in love with the West.
I was teaching first grade in the public school system and Ben worked on the base and rode his bike to work. We both perfected our downhill skiing skills and enjoyed every minute of living in the mountains of Utah. ⛷ Life was good.
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It was hard to imagine that life could get any better - then I got pregnant! We were beyond excited to welcome a new baby into our family. Our baby boy was absolute perfection and I was thrilled with my new role as full time mom, but just as were wrapping our heads around the fact that we had become a family of three, we were faced with another separation. My husband was sent on a 3 month deployment to Southeast Asia.
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I'm happy to say that he returned home safely from his tour overseas and not long after, he was reassigned to an Air Force base in Texas. Despite the oppressive summer heat, San Antonio was a great place to live. We fell in love with the people, the food, the culture - everything about it.
It was during our stay in Texas that our family of three became a family of four! The addition of a baby girl into our family made our lives infinitely more wonderful and more complicated all at the same time. Shortly after she was born, we made the decision to leave the Air Force life. |
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Over the course of the next 5 years, we moved to 3 different states and into 5 different houses, in search of the perfect place to raise our family. It was only by the grace of God that we landed where we are now - a small town just outside of Atlanta. This town is a lot like the quaint little town that we grew up in - with a little Southern twist. We never imagined that we would be raising our family in Georgia but here we are - Southerners - with undeniable Southern accents. (Trust me, I've tried to deny it.)
So here we are today. Over the course of our 28 year marriage, we've lived in 6 different states. Our longest stay however, has been right here in Georgia where we've resided for nearly 27 years. I guess we're true Southerners now.
So here we are today. Over the course of our 28 year marriage, we've lived in 6 different states. Our longest stay however, has been right here in Georgia where we've resided for nearly 27 years. I guess we're true Southerners now.
By now you're probably wondering how in the world I ever became a food blogger. The only explanation that I have is that God had a plan for my life beyond what I ever imagined.
By now you're probably wondering how in the world I ever became a food blogger. The only explanation that I have is that God had a plan for my life beyond what I ever imagined.
I'm an Italian girl with a passion for making, baking AND eating great food. I learned to cook from my mother, my grandmother and my dad. I don't have a culinary degree - I learned to cook from watching all of the great cooks in my family. I'm pretty sure that I was rolling dough at my grandmother's kitchen table before I could talk. 😂
My passion for food isn't limited to making and eating food - I'm a compulsive recipe collector too. Does scrolling through cooking magazines, reading through recipes on the internet and combing through old cookbooks looking for new recipes, qualify as a hobby?😂
As you can imagine, it didn't take long before my recipe collection grew out of control. I was desperate to find a better way of organizing and storing all of my precious recipes. And that my friends, it exactly how I stumbled upon food blogging.
As you can imagine, it didn't take long before my recipe collection grew out of control. I was desperate to find a better way of organizing and storing all of my precious recipes. And that my friends, it exactly how I stumbled upon food blogging.
It didn't take long for my new blog to evolve into far more than a collection of recipes though. While I was busy organizing recipes on the blog for myself, I realized that there were other people who were using my blog as a recipe resource as well. Before I knew it, I had started to share stories about my life and post pictures of my family along with each recipe. Without even realizing what had happened - I had become a food blogger.
It didn't take long for my new blog to evolve into far more than a collection of recipes though. While I was busy organizing recipes on the blog for myself, I realized that there were other people who were using my blog as a recipe resource as well. Before I knew it, I had started to share stories about my life and post pictures of my family along with each recipe. Without even realizing what had happened - I had become a food blogger.
I'm inspired by each and every one of you who have found my website and taken the time to read my stories and recipes. It is your encouragement and support that has motivated me to continue posting recipes and sharing my stories. I'm forever grateful to every one of you who has been a part of this journey with me.
Ciao!
Ciao!