Welcome

Welcome to my blog.

My name is Terri Daniel and I am a foodie.  My earliest memories are of cooking (and eating) with my grandmother, who was a fabulous southern cook.  Recruited from a farm in rural Georgia to become the first civil servants at Warner Robins Air Force Base in the mid-1940's, she brought all of her rich heritage to the "big city".  She taught me all the basics of southern cooking, along with canning and preserving which were very necessary skills back in the day.

In 1974 our family relocated to Atlanta and we were introduced to many different cuisines.  My parents are very adventurous when it comes to food and we traveled the entire metropolitan area trying new things.  I loved Atlanta and, when the family was transferred to Valdosta in 1977, I stayed behind.  I loved cooking and entertaining, even on a budget, and constantly tried new things.

But I became homesick after the death of my grandfather and returned to Warner Robins in 1982 to live with my grandmother.  After the hustle and bustle of Atlanta, it took me a while to settle down, but I finally married and began my career.  Upon the birth of my daughter in 1989, we moved out of town to an old farmhouse.  That year I planted my first garden, began canning and preserving again and really enjoyed a simpler life.  I concentrated on preparing fresh vegetables and collecting recipes - many from family and church cookbooks.

Without cable, we spent a lot of time watching PBS and I fell in love with the cooking shows.  Before the internet, I either had to buy the cookbooks or write the recipes down as I watched them being prepared.  Justin Wilson, Julia Child, Jacques Pepin and Natalie Dupree were my heros.  As a member of the PTA, I volunteered and put together a cookbook for our fall fundraiser - spending an entire summer collecting and testing recipes.

In 1996, my daughter longed for friends to play with and we returned to the city.  Joy of joys - we got cable again.  And in 1998, I logged on to the internet and tuned in to Food TV for the first time and my life has never been the same.  To this day, I continue to watch Food TV and I now have The Cooking Channel, as well.  Every Saturday and Sunday morning, you will find me in front of the tv, researching for Sunday dinner. 

And that is why I have started this blog.  Along with my sister, we will search for and test new recipes, then document the results for you, the reader.  We will include recipes from television and the internet, and we will also include canning and preserving techniques for fresh fruits and vegetables when they are in season.  We will document our successes and our failures, in an attempt to share the knowledge that we have gained over the years. 

And most importantly, we will share my grandmother's secret Fruitcake Cookie recipe at some time in the future . . . stay tuned for more.