My name is Courtney Hill. I grew up in a smaller town in the Midwest, then moved to the city in my adult years. I learned most of what I know about cooking from my mother, who learned from her mother. I didn't grow up on the farm, but I have relatives who are farmers and, well, let's just say we know a thing or two about good food! I learned the rest of my cooking knowledge from my formal education. I have a master's degree in family and consumer sciences (FCS), and I taught high school FCS for four years. I decided to stay home when my twins were born, and I loved being home with them. I still love teaching and the FCS umbrella of subjects. I think they are essential and teach us how to become functioning adults and members of society. I approach my recipes with an educator's mindset. Hopefully you find them easy to follow and easy to prepare. I am married to my love. We have been married since 2005. He is a very talented commercial photographer. I work at the photography studio as the studio manager and chief financial officer. We have two children--fraternal twins. Being twins has its unique joys and challenges, and we love them very much! I am a very crafty person, and I love to create and work with my hands. My hobbies include knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch and embroidery, sewing, quilting, canning, gardening, cooking, baking, and cookie and cake decorating. I also love to throw pottery but haven't found the time in the last few years. I am a mid-century girl at heart. I love the fifties and anything vintage. Some of my favorite pastimes are thrifting and antiquing. The theme of my cookbook definitely has the mid-century vintage vibe that I love, and so do a lot of my recipes! While I was a stay-at-home mom, I found myself slipping away a bit. I was knee-deep in dirty diapers and schedules. I needed to do something for myself as a creative outlet. So I created a video cooking blog to share my recipes and teach people how to cook simple and delicious meals for their families. I started it in January 2015 and have enjoyed every minute of it. This cookbook is a companion to the blog. I hope you enjoy the recipes and check out the how-to videos on my blog: cookhomemade.net. I want to inspire and teach a new generation how to cook great meals at home for themselves and their families. I want to bring back family meals and time spent together with Mom or Dad in the kitchen preparing them. I bring a modern spin to classic vintage-style recipes. I love being from the Midwest. It's the heart of the country, and there is so much wide-open space, even in the city. A lot of my recipes are inspired by my Midwest roots. I hope this cookbook gives you some staple recipes you will share with your families. Enjoy the food and the time together!
