Hi there! My name  is Monique and I’m a full-time wife, mommy, blogger and business owner who loves to EAT…oh and cooking is cool too. : ) I’ve been cooking since I was a little diva, learning tried and true, award-winning recipes passed down from my grandmothers, mother, slew of aunts, uncles, cousins, play cousins….you get the point right?

Cooking has always been a huge part of my life. Coming from a big family where ANY and EVERY accomplishment was an excuse/cause for a large family dinner party. I can recall making an A in English and my mother and grandmother cooking this huge Thanksgiving-like spread in the middle of July (mind you I’d always gotten an A in English)

My true love for cooking probably developed when I was around 8 years old. I had this crazy obsession with spices.  I remember sitting at the table while my grandmother cooked and smelling all of the spices. I’d sneak bottles of expensive spices outside to use for my chocolate mud pies and leaf collard greens(whew! I’m 30 years old and if my grandmother found out I wasted all those spices she’d probably still go off!)  One Christmas, my mother got me a big bag of .50 cent spices to use for my outdoor cuisine.  I always wondered why she never  disciplined me when she discovered what I was doing.

I created this site for many reasons:

1.) I got tired of my family & friends calling me for recipes.  I can’t tell you how sick and tired I am of answering the phone and hearing “Hey. What’s mama’s yeast roll recipe?”

2.) I wanted a place to store all of my favorite, tried & true recipes. One day the recipes on this blog will be a beautifully printed and arranged wedding gift to my daughter or daughter-in-law.

3.)  I got tired of people saying “what? yeah right, you can’t cook!” or putting me  on “fruit cutting duty” the minute I happily sashay into the kitchen and ask “how can I help?”

4.) I wanted to share my easy recipes and love for cooking with others. I love that old school style of cooking, it’s the best in the world! But sometimes the recipes can be  unnecessarily complicated which leaves many people just “leaving it to grandma”. I like to think I simplify those recipes without losing that soulful taste. A good , tried and true recipe can be one  of the best gifts ever. I’m over the moon when I get an email saying “that turkey was the talk of my Thanksgiving dinner!” or “my husband said I made the best red velvet cake he’s ever had!” or “I was never taught how to cook, so I’ve been learning from you. Thank you.”  Pass the kleenex honey!! Yall sure know how to get to a broad.

All-in-all cooking is a skill that every woman should have in her “bag of tricks”. So even if you’ve never cooked a day in your fabulous life, I hope my tried & true, step-by-step recipes will help you get started on whipping up some tasty homemade meals that will impress the best. Ok now don’t just sit there looking all pretty, grab a recipe and get ta’cookin!!!

XO; )

Monique

“I have been in love with Monique since day one, and her titles only made her more darling!” –Paula Deen (Real Women Of Philadelphia: Food Title Standouts)

Click Here To Read Monique’s Bio

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