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| My family of 3 |
Hi, I'm Adele, and I’m a homeschooling mom of two teens - a son and a daughter. I’ve been cooking & baking for picky eaters for over 20 years; and with time, (A LOT of time), I’ve learned to enjoy it. I was married to my high school sweetheart for 18-1/2 years when he lost his 13-month battle with a rare and acute form of leukemia in 2010. After his passing, I found spending time in my kitchen to be comforting… a form of therapy. The kitchen was the one place where I felt in control and surrounded by good memories. Cooking and baking for my family brings me a lot of joy and keeps me going.
I love to adapt, improve, and experiment with new recipes. I've always wanted to document our family's favorite recipes for my kids, and this blog is the perfect medium for that..... I hope to eventually convert it into a cookbook just for them. I will always give credit to where I've found a particular recipe. If I've changed it a bit to suit my family's tastes, I will note that it was "adapted from...(source)" If there is no source mentioned, it was created by me. All of the photos on this blog, including the main header photo, were taken by me or one of my children.
When it comes to cooking & eating, I believe in balance. You’ll find heart-healthy recipes here as well as indulgent desserts. I use organic ingredients when it’s practical & affordable. I try to avoid recipes that use condensed soups and/or pre-packaged mixes. I try to create and seek out recipes that are simple, but flavorful and filling... and attractive enough to use for entertaining . I believe in doing the best you can for your family and not feeling guilty about all the perfection you couldn’t achieve… things come up; life smacks you around; and sometimes, it’s all you can do to get a frozen pizza in the oven. (It's okay... be grateful for that pizza!)
My hope for this blog is that I can inspire you to cook more meals from scratch, and that you’ll find some tips and recipes here that make your time in the kitchen a little easier and more enjoyable.
Thank you for visiting!
If you have any questions, I can be reached via email at: adele@orchardvalley.net.
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| Our family pre-cancer |
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| Our family in 2009, during cancer treatment |
