Hey friends and welcome, I’m so happy that you’ve made your way here. Actually, I’m just tickled to death that this website even exists, it’s been quite a ride to get. Let me catch you up if we’re fairly new friends. In the Spring of 2021 I began posting videos on YouTube of my family’s favorite meals, some quick and easy dinner ideas, and kitchen short cut type videos.
Now I’m no technology whiz but thanks to a lot of help from my future son-in-love, I fumbled through; filming on my phone, editing videos on an old laptop we had laying around the house. And that was the beginning of this life changing journey. I quickly found a community of other creators who embraced me with open arms, cheered me on, shared all their knowledge of YouTube and helped me out when I had questions, and more importantly they’ve become wonderful friends who I cherish. And after a few months of posting videos I began to notice the same people were watching and commenting every week, and this community was growing. And I’m not just talking about numbers – it’s more than that, I call it a community because that is really what it is, “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.”
Nothing could have prepared me for the positive impact that OUR YouTube community has made in my life. And I call it OUR community because it would not be here if not for YOU; watching, commenting, supporting, laughing, and sharing with me. Two years, 200+ videos, and I don’t even know how many recipes later….here we are 100K friends strong on YouTube and launching a website! Here you will be able to print or pin your favorite recipes that I share, that’s been highly requested and I am so happy to be able to provide this! Be patient with me as I will be loading the latest recipes while going back to catalog all our old favorites, too. You can also keep up with everything that is going on behind the scenes here with me too, I do step out of the kitchen every now and then LOL.
I hope you enjoy the site and the newsletters to come, and please feel free to leave me any feedback you have about what you like or don’t, or anything you’d like to see me include on the site. Just like on YouTube, it’s gonna be real here. Two years ago, before stepping even one foot into the social media arena I made a promise to myself that I was going to show up as myself, my Appalachian, country-rooted, crazy self, with all my imperfections and quirks, my shortcomings (especially the technological ones), and share authentically from my home and heart. That means sometimes you’ll see me mess things up royally, but sometimes you’ll be there to celebrate with me when to my surprise something turns out better than I ever thought it would. You might see me all dolled up with hair and makeup on pointe, but there will be plenty of evenings you catch me cooking in my pajamas, hair pulled up high and fresh faced. Hopefully you’ll laugh ALOT with me but there have been times I’ve shed a tear or two in a video.
The kitchen IS the heart of the home and things happen in life that break my heart (and yours) and it tends to bubble out when I’m cooking with you. Sometimes you say I encourage you, but friends YOU ALWAYS encourage me! And your encouragement and support has taken this website and our entire platform from a dream to a reality! So thank YOU, for watching, sharing, and giving an old dog a chance to learn some new tricks and find purpose in my life at a time when I wasn’t feeling very useful anymore. Most of all, thank you for welcoming me into your hearts and homes every week and accepting me, just for me.
Until next time, I send you love from my kitchen,
– Mel
