My Inspiration
This blog was inspired by my mother, Fannie Marie Clark Rogers Love. My mom grew up in Ponca City, Oklahoma and was of Native American and Irish heritage. Her cooking style was Midwestern comfort food all the way and she could turn dust into something delectable. There was nothing put to waste, we grew up on very few processed foods, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, plenty of beef, chicken, fish and game and almost always a big bowl of gravy in the middle of the table to pour over your potatoes, or better yet, soak up with a thick slice of homemade bread.
She could kill you with her gravy and her desserts were off the charts. I still can’t replicate my mother’s pie crust and I’ve given up trying – some things just need to be left alone. In short, my mom nurtured us with lots of love, an unshakeable faith and plenty of delicious food. A few years ago I was inspired to pass her recipes and my love of cooking good food along to others and here we are!
I was raised in Kansas but moved to Texas in 1984 after my first marriage and this is where I raised my two girls. As my daughters were growing up I tried my best to
follow my mother’s example by preparing them homemade meals and making restaurant dinners out a very special treat. My girls are all grown up now and in 2007 I married my husband David, the father of 3 sons, and so together we have a very large blended family that is growing by the minute as the children marry and have children of their own. On an average day I’m cooking for just the two of us but there are always those times when the troops pull in and I still have the opportunity to cook family style
About My Recipes
Many of the recipes on my website were handed down to me by my mother who made cooking look effortless and I don’t remember her ever following any written instructions whenever she
made a delicious meal. When I moved to Texas in the 80’s and was starting to cook for my own family we would spend hours talking long distance about how to make all of my favorite childhood dishes.
Looking back now I can appreciate how encouraging and incredibly patient my mother was with my endless phone calls and questions! My success at cooking “mom style” didn’t happen overnight, in fact it took several years and many fails to get even close to making my food taste like home. But with time my confidence grew and my children began to have their own favorites. Most of my collection of family recipes are here on my website to share with YOU!
A lot of the other recipes you will find here have been passed along to me by friends because they’ve been kind enough to share their own family favorites. I always get so excited to try a new recipe that comes highly recommended by a trusted source…it’s like receiving a very personal gift. I have never understood the concept of keeping secret a delicious recipe because anyone who has a true passion for cooking knows that good food is all about sharing the love.
This leads me to the origins of my next recipe source which is food television. I’m an addict just like every other amateur cook in America these days. I still watch a lot of Food Network, the Cooking Channel and my very favorite, the original “foodie” network, PBS! I’m just so happy watching, learning and soaking it all in from the many talented people who are willing to share their skills and so many wonderful recipes which I often post on my website.
I also find recipes from other bloggers who are just like me, people who simply love to cook. There are so many amazing and talented people out there whipping up delicious food and taking beautiful photographs that blow me away with their passion. They inspire me to try their recipes and if I think you will like them too then I pass them along by posting them on my website.
It’s pretty rare that I follow the directions exactly as another cook writes a recipe unless I’m baking. I just can’t resist a “change here and there” to see if I can make it my own! So if I’ve taken a recipe word for word I will link it to the author’s website, if not I will usually note that I’ve adapted it from another chef, blogger or friend.
All of the credit for food photography goes to my husband, David. I’ve taken a handful of pictures but David is so much better behind the lens and he usually takes a photo right before we’re ready to sit down for a meal. He is truly one of the most creative people I know, and everything that happens on this website, other than the creation of the food, is because of him. My mom inspired me to cook and my husband was the inspiration behind my decision to share my love of cooking with others.
I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I have, it’s truly a pleasure to share them with you!
Chris
Comments
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Loren Shrope
June 3, 2022
Got you banana bread cooking in oven now. I’m one who loves to watch good shows and trying different things. My mother could put food on table in 20 minutes from the refrigerator and cupboard for our family of five kids and father , she wasn’t gourmet but learned over the years how to just cook and in those years you ate what was put on the table. We’re talking in the forties and fifties , she was raise in Geraldine Mt. 25 miles from town and lost her mother when she was 9 years old there were 5 girls and a brother she kind of took over cooking for the family.
Beverly Houser
June 4, 2019
I ran across your Barbeque Chicken Thighs recipe today, and cannot we air to get started. Thank you so much for sharing. WEATHERFORD, TX
Chris
July 7, 2019
Hope you like it!
Sheila
November 28, 2019
Hey, Chris…I tried the pie today for Thanksgiving dinner. It was really soupy! It was thick when I cooked it and pour it into the baked pie crust. Have you ever had this to happen to you? Wonder what caused this?
Chris
November 28, 2019
Hi Sheila, this comment is showing up on My Inspiration page so I’m not sure which pie? Was it my chocolate pie recipe?
Erin Wilt
February 18, 2015
I am reaching out to you because I thought you are either a good fit for a new cooking show I am casting for or you may know someone who would be a good fit! MysticArt Pictures and a Major Broadcast Network are now casting nationwide for a brand new show entitled, “Family Cook-Off.” The show is wrapped up in a feel-good sitcom vibe (think Everybody Loves Raymond, etc.) and we are seeking families where the wives and mothers have kitchen tension and the husband is caught in the middle.
Do you and your mother-in-law or daughter-in-law have constant friction in the kitchen? Do you know a man in the middle finding it impossible to choose a side? Are you ready for the kitchen conflict to end once and for all?
We’re moving very quickly, so if you’d like to be considered or hear more info, respond back to me with:
1. Recent pictures of everyone
2. Info on why you and your family would be a great match for this show
3. Your contact information and best time to reach you
And as always, feel free to forward to everyone you think would be perfect for this show.
Thank you,
Casting Department
MysticArt Pictures
818-563-4131
Chris
March 20, 2015
Good morning Erin,
I apologize for the delay in responding, I’ve had my website under construction while doing some new design work and programming.
Reading your description of the characters you are looking for, I am most likely not the best fit. There honestly isn’t any drama in my kitchen. With a very large blended family, the time spent around my table when we all get together for a meal is probably one of the few times there isn’t any drama LOL!
Thanks for the consideration and best of luck on your new series,
Chris