Hello and thanks for stopping by. My name is Shelley: wife of my awesome husband, James, and a mom of five incredible kids!  I like to cook, bake, experiment, create and try new things in the kitchen.  My husband and I aren’t afraid to not use a recipe and we like variety in the ingredients we use in our cooking. We try to be healthy when we can in our food choices, but do enjoy the not-so-good-for-you foods as well! We have dairy allergies and sensitivities in our family, so many recipes that you will read on my blog are either dairy-free, or can be made dairy free. The last few years I have also started venturing into the world of gluten-free cooking and baking due to intolerances in myself and loved ones, so some of my posts will reflect this as well.

For a number of years I felt like a pioneer in many ways, as we learned about and accustomed our lives to living at “the farm.”  “The farm” is where my lovely in-law’s live on the old family homestead. In our time there, my kids got to experience life on the farm like the 5 generations of family who lived there before us. What awesome experiences we had there! A beautiful place – right smack dab in the middle of The Flint Hills of Kansas {or God’s country as my husband calls it}.

Living in the country afforded us many opportunities we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Tending a large garden and being able to process all of it’s bounties gave us an appreciation for “living off the land”. So much work goes into the food we eat, which most people don’t comprehend when just buying off shelves at a grocery store. It was such a great learning and growing experience for all of us and I am grateful for that season in our lives.

God moved us into another chapter of our lives beyond the farm. Circumstances and where we live may change from time to time, but I am thankful God does not. He is an anchor and solid rock – the stabilizing force in an ever changing world…so faithful and good! I look forward to the new lessons He will teach me in this journey of life, along with the people we will meet on the way. I invite you to join me on a part of my journey, to catch a glimpse of my world through this blog. Whether my inspiration is from God, family, friends, or food…these ingredients always make for a fantastic recipe!

-Shelley.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Matthew 4:4

Contact: foodandword@gmail.com

Photo credits: Wagers Photography