Happy February, everyone!
Since we started our blog, and started reading lots of other blogs, we've really been overwhelmed by the number of folks out there who are talking about Gooseberry Patch. Whether they're sharing love of our cookbooks or talking about making one of our recipes for dinner, it's really heartwarming to hear about how Gooseberry is a part of your lives.
Not only are they talking about us, but they're sharing recipes, family photos and generously letting their readers get a sneak peek into their life. We love running across stories of sharing time in the kitchen with the kids or grandkids or just finding someone who's passionate about food the way we are.
As a way of thanking bloggers who've really caught our attention and given Gooseberry Patch some love, we're adding something new called Featured Fridays. Each week, we'll shine a gentle spotlight on a special blogger and let you get to know them a little better. Heck, maybe you've never read their blog and you'll love it!
Whether it's the recipes they share, the photos they post or just the general feel-good factor of their blog...we want to share these gems with all of you.
Our very first Featured Friday blogger is most likely no stranger to comfort food-loving readers. Written from Mequite, Texas, this blog is one of our favorites...
Here's Tina, the mom in Mommy's Kitchen, with her 8-year-old daughter, MacKenzie...cute!
Every day on Mommy's Kitchen, you'll find oodles of recipes of Tina's own and some from favorite cookbooks too. Here's one of ours for Spiced Applesauce that she shared recently. Plus, she puts together a handy click-able dinner plan each month and takes photos guaranteed to make you hungry!
We asked Tina a few getting-to-know-you questions...read below for her answers and a link to a favorite recipe of hers!
Tell us a little about yourself and your family.
Well, I'm a wife and stay at home mom to three of the greatest kids. They range in ages from 6-15. Staying at home wasn't something that we planned...it was just something that kind of happened. My husband works for the state so we get paid once a month. I take pride in being a frugal, penny-pinching, coupon-ing, home-cooking mama. My goal is to run things on the home front and to get more for le$$. I call myself a Domestic Engineer only because I think it sounds so much more professional. I am turning my hobby of food blogging into something so much more than I ever expected. I love cooking, baking and sharing recipes. I'm not a professional cook by far and nor do I claim to be. I'm just a mom cooking in my kitchen trying to find my way in the world and enjoying every minute of it.
With a busy family, how do you find time to write & share recipes?
Since my site is cooking and recipe related I just get my kids involved in the kitchen with me. They help me do all sorts of things. Run the mixer, measure out the ingredients and help take photos. Sometimes they even tell me what to blog about. I am a night owl so most times are when everyone is in bed. I find myself at the computer just typing away and enjoying myself. You know the old saying mom is the last one to go to bed and the first one to get up in the morning. This is so true in our house. My thoughts are you can always find time to do something you truly enjoy, and this is it for me.
What originally inspired you to start blogging?
I wanted to help out other people that were not as lucky as I was to have a mother to show them how to cook. I really wanted to get families back to the table and out of the fast food line. I wanted to share with everyone just how food and family can come together. I wanted to get folks excited about cooking and not to dread mealtime. I thought to myself, I can start blogging about my everyday home cooking experiences and recipes and share them with everyone. Maybe it will inspire families to get back in the kitchen. Well, it's working! So many folks have emailed me telling me that they are getting back in the kitchen and giving it a try again, with success this time. That's really what it is all about for me...cooking in the kitchen and getting my family involved in the process. I hope one day my children will pass on those same memories with their own children.
How did you get your start in the kitchen?
My mother!! She taught me how to cook at a very young age. I don't know...I just had a love for cooking very early on. My mother is from Germany and my father was from the south (Alabama) so my mother could cook it all and I loved watching her. I started collecting recipes in my early teenage years. Cooking, recipes and I have always gone hand in hand.
Do you have a favorite Gooseberry Patch cookbook?
Well I have several GP Cookbooks. But my favorite has to be Family Favorites. It has so many recipes that I make over and over. I have so many recipes clipped off with paperclips. This cookbook is a must-have in my house. It has recipes for real food for real families...nothing over the top or fancy-schmancy.
Tell us something that no one would guess about you.
Well the only thing I can think of right off hand is...I have really bad night terrors. It surprises everyone when I tell them. But to top it off I married a sleep walker go figure so things can get kind of crazy at our house!
Care to share a favorite recipe from your site?
Thanks for sharing with us and our readers, Tina. Keep up the good work!
If you haven't clicked over and bookmarked Mommy's Kitchen yet, there's no time like the present...you're sure to find something yummy to try!
