Introducing Ourselves
#7
Smile    
Well, I’ll start this welcoming thread off by posting a little bit about myself. And, I hope others will join me in introducing ourselves to new friends.
 
I guess you could say I was a late bloomer – I’ve loved cooking/entertaining all my adult life but I didn’t go to culinary school until I was almost 60! And that’s when my life’s dream career began. Up to that time, I was a mom to 4 kids plus 4 ‘bonus’ kids and living a hectic life (with cooking and entertaining always at the center) with husband #2, Roy, aka Roy Richard. Roy is a retired Mechanical Engineer who is spending his retirement years with his woodworking and remodeling every house we move into.
 
While still in school, I started a Personal Chef business, a Chef’s Journey, cooking for some great folks in my area; the business eventually morphed into catering work in which I was lucky to be able to continue while working at other cooking jobs.
 
Now, all the kids are raised (and they are getting olderly!), most of my cooking/catering  equipment has been given away, sold or donated to students and I’m concentrating on writing cookbooks. Six down and 4 or 5 in the works. I’ll be spending the rest of my cooking life trying new recipes, foods, wine tasting and trying to keep up with the newest kitchen ‘gadgets’ which every cook should own.
   
 
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#8
  Re: Introducing Ourselves by cjs ([size=x-small][color...)
LOVE the pic, Jean!

My turn, I guess.

I'm a retired school teacher.  I taught fifth grade all subjects for many years before a move that put me in a middle school as a sixth grade English teacher.  That lasted until my retirement.  After retirement, I spent time taking care of my husband for a while due to health issues.  Now that he is well, I have gotten recruited to act as office manager at my his land surveying company.  

My love of cooking started in a very unusual way.  I could cook, and my family was very satisfied with the dishes I grew up on.  But in 2002, my husband was diagnosed with two meningioma brain tumors.  One had to be removed. While he stayed near his hospital (Duke) for radiation after surgery, he was able to use the services at the hospital fitness and nutrition center.

What we learned there caused use to reevaluate our eating habits.  We started reading labels and cooking from scratch as much as possible.  In my efforts to improve our meals and learn how to cook without so many processed foods, I stumbled on a forum of other cooks, foodies and professional chefs.  What I learned from all those patient and helpful people changed my life.

One of the chefs I met there invited me here.  I will never be able to repay her.  Her advice and recipes that she's shared over the years has made me a better cook and a better person.  Not to mention all the wonderful people she led me to meet and learn from!  Thank you Jean!  (cjs)

There are many great people on this forum, some regulars and some who only pop in when they can.  But they are all great cooks and great friends!  And we all love sharing recipes and reviewing Cuisine at Home recipes!  So if you are looking at this as a guest or a new member or an old member who doesn't participate, I urge you to jump in and join the conversations!  I'd love to see our little family grow and learn about what you love to cook and eat!
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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#9
  Re: Introducing Ourselves by cjs ([size=x-small][color...)
Oh, thank you, my friend.

I especially love this - Smile
"There are many great people on this forum, some regulars and some who only pop in when they can. But they are all great cooks and great friends! And we all love sharing recipes and reviewing Cuisine at Home recipes! So if you are looking at this as a guest or a new member or an old member who doesn't participate, I urge you to jump in and join the conversations! I'd love to see our little family grow and learn about what you love to cook and eat!"
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#10
  Re: RE: Introducing Ourselves by cjs (Oh, thank you, my fr...)
So beautifully written, Daphne. We do have a great group of people on this forum and always welcome newcomers. This forum is a pleasant, safe, and happy place to visit, due to the hard work and attention from our moderator, Chef Jean, who also generously shares her knowledge and recipes with us. Smile

My name is Maryann and I live in a suburb of Cleveland, a town that is full of foodies and people who love their sports teams. I am married to Ron, my high school sweetheart, and we have 2 wonderful daughters with husbands that we love like our own sons, and 4 grandbabies who light up our lives. We all love to cook, even the "kiddos" who each seem to have their own area of expertise and help to create some fun family meals.

Since joining this forum, I have learned so much and continue to learn something new every time I login. My husband, who used to be a strict "meat and potatoes man" now enjoys trying new dishes as much I do, and especially enjoys cooking outside.

So, for anyone who is reading this and wants to join our forum, just jump right in and say hello. Tell us as much or as little about yourself as you feel comfortable with. In no time at all, you will feel like part of the family. Smile
Maryann

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently..."
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#11
  Re: Introducing Ourselves by cjs ([size=x-small][color...)
WOW, left out family!  Thanks Maryann!

I also married my high school sweetheart.  His name is William or Bill, depending on who you ask or where I am when you ask.  He has a surveying business in Southport, NC, a lovely old fishing village that was "discovered" about 15 years ago and is suffering growing pains.  Be careful what you wish for.

We moved to William's family home about 16 years ago on a large lake north of there, but Southport will always be home, since that is where my kids grew up.  My kids are all grown: Will, Ashley, and Andrew.  Andrew lives in our log cabin across the street and works with William and myself.  A true small family business.

Anyway, my mother still lives in Southport on a little alley overlooking the old yacht basin facing west and offering incredible sunsets.  They filmed Safe Haven there, and Mom got to know Josh Duhammel (sp?).  She loves to show off all her pictures of the two of them as well as Juianne Hough and filming to tourists that crowd the town.  She is extremely healthy at 84 and has done 2 mission trips to Guatemala in the past 5 years.  But she is starting to show small signs of diminishing acuity, so we have decided to move back to Southport within the year.  I will not miss that hour drive every morning and afternoon, and I look forward to reconnecting with old friends.  We are really isolated where we are now.

Way more than anyone ever wanted to know about me, but I'm famous for my long posts!  LOL!  But it was fun!
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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#12
  Re: Introducing Ourselves by cjs ([size=x-small][color...)
No way more than we want to know, Daphne! Love hearing all of this from all our friends!
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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