Don’t let this picture fool you; this is my reality maybe once a year. Messy buns, sweat pants, snot smears on my shoulders and knees (kid level) and food crumbs are my typical uniform. Cooking, baking, and canning with four kids is a daily, chaotic occurrence in our house. And I love it.

I am a stay-at-home mom to four kids and an ornery cat, Buckeye. I have 3 gardens, an herb patch, and a growing arsenal of canning products. I aspire to someday add chickens, bees, and more. Homesteading and foraging are dreams of mine that I hope to explore more.

We moved to the Amish country more than a decade ago and I love my neighbors and their recipes. The kitchen is my happy place. I spent many evenings nursing babies, balancing a pencil taking notes while watching America’s Test Kitchen, Jacques Pepin, The Great British Bake Off, and Lidia Bastianich, to name just a few. My passion for testing and adapting new recipes has only grown.

I also love experimenting with different gardening practices. This blog is a collection of my favorite recipes, gardening discoveries, canning adventures and some random thoughts along the way.

Thank you for joining me on this journey!
Much Love,
Laura