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About Ellen


  I'm Ellen, and I've got the heart of a gourmand.  Glad to meet ya!

  The moment I could comprehend what the kitchen was and the things that came out of it, I was in.  I wanted to crack the eggs, hold the electric mixer, taste the bread dough, flip the pancakes, set the table, and get up at the crack of dawn to make everyone tall stacks of buttered toast.  I started pulling cookbooks off the shelves, and writing requests on our grocery lists.  After making a recipe once, I would soon do it again; changing it up a bit, throwing in this and that...not all these adaptations were perfect, but I was young; and eager to learn.  Whether making silly salad concoctions with Lucy, "stone soup" with Emma, or baking cookies with Carol, I was happy.  I just loved making things.  The three ladies I just named are my sisters.  Add my parents to the equation, and you have Little Women my world.

  Some fateful day I hopped on the internet to look for a recipe, and discovered the amazing world of food blogging.  In short, it got to the point where my email was jammed full of blog subscriptions.  And I loved it.

  And on yet another fateful day, while making a batch of scones, I decided to substitute blackberries for strawberries.  While gently kneading together the dough, the berries released their juices, and dyed the scones a beautiful shade of violet.  "Look, mom," I said, "indigo scones!"

  And so it began.

  If I had to name one person who inspires me the most to do what I do in the kitchen, it'd be my Grandma Edna.  A faithful lady who made biscuits, cookies, cakes, pies, strudels, and pickles for 87 years.  I mention her, a lot.  She inadvertently taught me that you don't have to be a professional chef in order to flip pancakes and layer cakes, you only have to be willing to practice, work hard, and never stop learning.  As a woman who learned to make food out of sheer necessity, she knew what she was talking about. 

  Through her prime example, I'm becoming some semblance of a baker.

  Lastly, I hope this blog is something that enlightens you.  Whether I manage to inspire you to bake your first batch of cookies from scratch or just put a smile on your face, then I'm satisfied.  Thanks for reading!  It means more to me than you'll ever know.