About Me

Well, this is my blog about food.

And this is my story about food:

I grew up cooking with Granny, who had a catering business in a small rural town in Tennessee.  Granny made the world's best rolls, by the way... worlds best!  Seeing her create from scratch in her kitchen inspired me as a wee child to want to cook and experiment with food.

So I did.


I cooked for my mom, my college roommates, and even my soon-to-be husband for one of our first dates.  But that wasn't enough, we moved to Colorado and I was having a hard time finding a job.

So I said to David one day, "Hey, what if I went to Culinary School?"  

And I did.

I baked professionally for a local cafe and had a side business with a friend making wedding cakes.  I loved the creative aspect, but alas a full time career in the food industry was not to be for me.  I have an immense amount of respect for those who put in the early morning hours and work production schedules 5+ days a week.  After a couple years dessert making and baking, I felt a pang for something else I had also always wanted to pursue.  (I had planned on some day pursuing my masters degree in psychology, what I originally went to college for.)

So I said to David one day, "Hey, what if I quit my job at the cafe, and went back to school for my MS in counseling?"  

And I did.

Shortly after that my husband began to have health problems so we moved across the country back closer to family.  We both struggled for a while trying to understand what was going on and what could make things better.  After several doctor visits that left us wanting for answers, he finally found some relief through diet change and chiropractic care.  He was at a crossroads with his career....

So he said to me one day, "Hey, what if I became a Doctor of Chiropractic?"

And he did :)

Then, we moved to Georgia to live in a 100 year old farm house with plenty of space to garden.  David works hard at school and is focusing a lot on learning about nutrition.  I travel around town to the counseling centers I work at,  assisting people on their mental health journeys.  We garden whenever the Georgia soil is ready, and pick apples from our tree in June.  A couple months ago, the creative bug was pinching me again.  I still love to cook, bake, and serve company.  I wanted a place to share my experiences, and possibly help make the world a healthier place.  But I didn't fit any exact blog-mold (like a strictly gluten-free blog, etc). 

So, I said to David, "What if I started a middle of the road food blog where there were all kinds of recipes?"

And, yep, this bloggy was born.

Both David and I have really blossomed from becoming healthier eaters, but our journey is not quite through.  We realize health is a process, a life-long process even.  We eat gluten free sometimes, always dairy free (we are both allergic to casein), sometimes an all raw diet, we mostly feel best on a grain-free, dairy free diet, and sometimes we even have a treat :)  This is our health journey, and it has taken us a while to find what we can/ can't eat in order to be the best we can be.  There is no one-size-fits-all "diet".  Each person has their own story to tell and their own journey towards health.

Here, at Pumpkin's Pantry, I hope to make recipes where people at any phase of their journey can come and find some tasty eatin's (that one was for the South :).  Whether you've decided to go gluten-free, or to reduce your sugar intake, or if your trying to find some way to make your biscuits and gravy just a teenie bit healthier, I applaud you on your decision to take one step towards a healthier life.  And I hope this middle-of-the-road food blog will somehow help you on your journey.

Here is my original post ....for more information on what I want this blog to be all about

David and I at Christmas 2010