Before I begin posting any recipes or food ideas, I have to thank those people involved in influencing my love of cooking (whether they know it or not!). 

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I wasn’t a great cook in the beginning.  When my husband and I started dating, he requested several meals and desserts to challenge me.  I give him credit for pushing me into the kitchen and honestly critiquing my skills.  I am a much better cook because of him.  For my first birthday gift to him he requested an Apple Pie (from scratch)!  

 

Now, I’m OK at cooking meals, but I suck at baking desserts.  I can’t even bake brownies from a box without getting them rock hard.  It’s hard to practice baking when you don’t eat many sweets and definitely don’t need a ton of desserts laying around all the time. 

However, I did manage to make his apple pie. I sweated my way through making the pie crust (from scratch) and baking it up nicely.  He approved of the pie and has been challenging me with new requests since. So to my dear husband, I say thank you for inspiring me and ask the all important question, “What’s for dinner?”.

I can’t begin talking about life in my kitchen without first acknowledging the impact that Ree Drummond has had on my cooking “career”.  I know it may sound crazy thanking someone who you only know from the screen in your living room and who definitely doesn’t know you back.

                          

I was first introduced to the Pioneer Woman through her guest appearance on another cooking show I watched regularly.  She was so down-to-earth and relatable.  I began following her blog and became hooked on watching her show.  I learned so many tips and recipes from her.  

Even now, when I want to try something new, I start by searching the Pioneer Woman version of whatever it is.  Many of the tools I use in the kitchen were inspired by Ree and watching her show.  

It is true what they say: “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”.  Thank you for helping me win over the love of my life.

When my little Bud was younger, we would watch the Pioneer Woman together at naptime.  He requested it more than Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  Thank you Ree, whether you see this or not!

Last but not least, I have to thank the women in my life who came before me and left all too soon.   

I grew up eating home-cooking by some of the best cooks in the world (in my humble, yet biased, opinion).  My mother and my grandmothers all had their own specialties.   

I regret not spending more time under their feet in the kitchen.  I encourage my kids to be in the kitchen as much as possible, helping cook and learning to use kitchen tools.  I believe it helps them develop life-skills beyond being able to feed themselves. 

 

So, thank you Mama for showing me how to cook using whatever was on hand and always making my favorites.   

Thank you Grandmama for Sunday dinners and for always trying to feed me whenever I would visit.   

And thank you MawMaw for always having fresh fruit cut up for me while a pot of something hot simmered on the stove.  

The kitchen is a magical place in my memories and in my daily life.  It is where we all come together, where we talk and share about our lives, and where we nourish our bodies and souls.  My Life Between the Dishes revolves around these times and I am thankful for these precious moments. 

 

Who influenced you the most in your kitchen endeavors?  Leave a comment below and let me know!

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Giving Thanks Before a Meal

4 Comments

  1. Rosita

    I actually liked Martha Stewart. She was good at everything. I wished I could be more like her.

    Reply
    • Lifebetweenthedishes

      Yes! I agree 🙂

      Reply
  2. Inna

    It is so nice to be grateful for little things that matter so much. I love how you gave credit to your family in the end. It is so important to teach gratefulness to children as they grow and so they could later on pass those manners and good intentions to someone else.

    Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
    • Lifebetweenthedishes

      Thanks Inna 🙂 I agree on important it is to teach gratefulness to our kids!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Misty, the imperfect Mama behind Life Between the Dishes.  My goal is for you to find tools, tips, and resources here to help you maintain sanity through daily mom life!

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