You & me & a cookbook.

Let it be known among the nations. I love blogging.

I love getting to share a little piece of my life with you each day. I love running into people I don’t even know who say ‘Oh, I read your blog!’ and instantly having something to share with each other. I love getting to read your emails that give me more of an insight into your life. And I love getting to read your wisdom, encouragement, and challenging questions.

I don’t blog to make money or to gain fame. I simply blog for the joy of it and for the wonderful community it grows among us as ‘homesteaders’.

This blog is a story – a story of my life as a Christian, wife, mother, homesteader-wannabe, cook, and gardener. It’s about my triumphs and my faults. My strengths and my weaknesses. My family and my hobbies. I’ve shared so many pieces of my life with you all.

Like moving to Alabama.

And Owen’s birth. Parts 1 and 2, respectively.

You were with my for Georgia’s first cold and when she used to make this face.

And you stuck with me even after I verbally vomited on you in my testimony, parts one and two.

I write this blog each day, even though it takes time and focus and energy, because I love getting to share these joys and pains with you. A few days ago, I heard a blogger say that they only blog to sell their readers products and they strove to hide this fact from their readers.

That ain’t me. Like I said, this blog is my story. A story that I enjoy sharing with you all.

That being said, it ain’t no secret that I’ve been hard at work putting together a cookbook for you all! Yes, to sell. And yes, for actual money. Dang Dave thinks it would be a good idea to help pay of student loans (gag). (Gag some more).

It will feature all of the recipes from the blog (plus a few extras!) in a simple, condensed, easy-to-follow format. It will also include resources, reference materials, planning sheets, pantry-stocking trips and charts, and a few other goodies. I dream of seeing that cookbook on your counter, open and smeared with chocolate pudding and dusted with flour. I want it to be used and abused. I want it to be all up in your kitchen’s business, baby. I want it to be an easy reference book for you to utilize. I want it to offer you inspiration and simple, delicious, meal ideas.

And lots of pictures. Naturally.

But I want to hear from you. I want to know if there is anything in particular you’d like to see touched on in the cookbook. I want this cookbook to be a reflection of our relationship as readers, writers, and friends. I’m not just wanting to sell you a thoughtless, thrown-together book to capitalize on consumerism. I’m wanting to offer a collection of the recipes that have accumulated over the time we’ve spent together on this blog.

Though the cookbook is still a few months away from being ready, I’m like a little duck here on the homestead – calm on the surface (okay, maybe not so much…), but crazy busy under the surface! I’ve contemplated pulling an all-nighter or two to really make some progress on the book, but I just can’t get myself to do it. Sleep is precious. And I love it. Especially with the littles.

I’m a better mother when I sleep. And that’s the truth.

I’d be willing to bet I’m also a better writer when I sleep.

Everyone wins.

Except the cookbook. Sorry, cookbook.

Stuart’s been working at piecing together how the cookbook can be available in both e-book format as well as a self-published hard copy. Personally, I don’t love e-books. Especially e-book cookbooks. I want to hold the cookbook in my hand and place it on my counter while I work. I want to feel it’s pages and stain them with sauce. But I know a lot people who prefer e-books.

I want you to be able to have either option. I want you to be able to order one for your daughter and send it with her to college. I want you to gift one to your friend who may be trying to change the way she eats. I want you to order a copy for yourself to help encourage planning a weekly menu. I want to build community and share all this delicious cookbook love, baby.

But I really would love to get your thoughts and feedback as I continue to piece it all together. The budget of whole-foods is always a top topic for people, so I’d like to include something on that as well. What do you think?

It will also, of course, touch on the basics of whole-food cooking – like piecing together the ‘essentials’ to have on hand and how to make them.

Maybe in my next book, I can give instructions on milking a dairy cow. Or growing an incredible garden.


*Ahem*


What? Don’t laugh. It’s going to happen.


I’ve got dreams, baby. Big dreams.


And just in case you’d like to help contribute to the dairy cow fund, until the book is ready, please feel free to shop our Resources Page which will hook you up with lots of great whole-food knowledge and products. You can also purchase anything through Amazon, at anytime, using the Amazon Search Bar (located in the right hand column). It doesn’t cost you any more and helps us save for that sweet Jersey lady we’re dreaming of – pretty sweet deal, huh?


I hope you know I appreciate you. And I promise, I’m going to work hard to make it a cookbook you’ll love.