Time for a taste test

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Hi all,

Media 5Didn’t get much posting done this month but moving, and settling into a new place has taken its terrible toll. Those wrinkles weren’t there last month. Never mind, it has given me a chance to try something new. For a while now I have been following a lovely lady who cooks and posts about the things she cooks. As much as I blog on an author website (mine – ha ha) and probably should keep to writerly stuff I can’t help but be drawn to other things. Writers think they are a different species in the creative world and perhaps in some ways we are, but the truth is, creative comes in many shapes and sizes and the arena may be different, but the processes are the same.

I love that Diane is wholesome, innovative and all about flavour. Her food is easy and made for family enjoyment and fun. Does it have some of the fine-tuning we see in cooking shows? I don’t know but I can never get the right ingredients together for those, anyway. Does taste count for something? I Diane 3have been trying her recipes out and they never fail. I love that and I love the food, too much if anything. She is like a book you curl up with and just enjoy. There is no analysing, comparing, it just is.

So, I thought I would share not just some of her dishes but some information about her, and believe me she is just like her dishes, moreish. Let her tell about herself and just for fun, try matching the recipe names to the photos. Notice the meatballs stayed close to my little spiel? It’s the Italian, give me a meatball anytime (possible hint in there). Names of the various dishes located below, the food, sorry, all over the place. Can you match up? It should be easy but it’s not. You could always check out Diane’s website and talk to her. Link below

Hi, my name is Diane

Diane 11

My first memories of baking were with my mom. She would give me leftover dough and save just enough filling to make my own little pies. It left its mark because at age 14 I got a job at a bakery and stayed until I was 19 years old. It fascinated me –  all those ingredients in a gigantic mixer churning out delicious treats like buns, bread, sweet rolls or even better was the frying of donuts later filled with so much goodness! My job was to slice the bread and buns, ice the sweet rolls and fry cakes, bag the food, display the baked goods and sell them to the customers. Nothing too much at all 😊

❤Which is which?❤

Golden Kolacky Cookies      Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup      Easter Cake

Lasagna Florentine      Frozen Peanut Butter Pie      Creamy Vegetable Casserole

Homemade Meatballs      Slow Cooker Loaded Potatoes      Banana Split Cake

Cobb Salad      Chicken Stir Fry & Ramen Noodles      No Bake Cookies

In my early 20’s I took three Wilton Cake Decorating Classes to extend my sweets portfolio, but I have never cooked anywhere other than home. This hasn’t stopped me trying to make anything and everything. I find it a challenge to cook different thing. I have also canned, pickled, dehydrated, baked, made candy, made pasta and vanilla extract to name a few.

Diane 1One year we bought chickens and for Christmas gifts I used the eggs to make homemade pasta. I also made chocolate covered caramels, raisins, peanuts and chocolate covered cherries, a fascinating process. My basement is full of kitchen gadgets. Luckily these include a cherry pitter.

My favorite gadget is my dehydrator which I use for making yogurt, beef jerky and for drying homegrown herbs. I dehydrate jalapeno peppers and then grind them to a powder. I even dehydrate marshmallow, crazy right? The recipes that have had the biggest impact on my site strangely enough are those using beef heart, beef tongue, chicken hearts and gizzards. I don’t know if people love them as much as I do, or if they are just curious, but they are looked at every day.

Diane 5Diane 7Diane 12

 

Diane 10Diane 9Diane 2

Diane 4

Diane 6In between cooking I worked with developmentally challenged adults. My job before retiring was to teach them to become independent so of course I taught them to cook. Their joy when they cooked with me was my joy.

I also had a small craft business where gigantic cookies and craft played together. The success of the cookies inspired me to start a Family & Friends Cooking Facebook page. That went so well that I decided to start my own website, scary as I knew nothing about computers and I still don’t! All I knew was that I wanted to inspire people to get back into cooking at home so I took it one small step at a time, reading all I could. Homemade is so much healthier, and it brings a family together. Nothing is more satisfying than to say you ‘made it yourself’.

Thank you, Barb, for asking me to share my cooking life and thank all of you that follow my site. Please keep doing it because I love doing what I do, and I love doing it for all of you.

Diane

Follow Diane at InDianeskitchen.com

 

Happy cooking and happy eating,

Ciao for now

Barb

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26 Comments

  4. I’ve followed Dian’s blog for a while now and love her step-by-step recipes! Many of them are relatively easy and use ingredients you have at hand. I’ve forwarded many of her recipes to my 12 yr. old grandson for him to try!
    Great seeing you here, Diane 🙂

  5. I’ve only known of Diane for a very short because she was kind enough to offer my very first LIKE to my website. I’ve been following her ever since but the initial gratitude that caused me to follow has quickly turned into appreciation for how exceptional she is at her craft which is so much more than cooking and baking, preserving and de-hydrating. Diane has a kindness about her – as displayed in all the time she takes to READ and thoughtfully RESPOND to everyone who comments on her site…every single day, always with cheer. I feel that, although I don’t actually know her, I sure wish she were my neighbour… and not for her cooking. That would just be an added bonus. Thanks for hosting Diane.

    • Wow Sue thank you so much for such kind words!!!!! I can’t wait to see how much your blog expands as your journey continues! It isn’t the blog but the people like all of you than make it so much fun!

      • When, after 57 years, you finally discover what you are passionate about and that, in turn, brings forth belief in your abilities like you’ve never experienced before, it brings with it a huge, “I’ve finally found my calling”, sigh of relief
        … and it’s easy to spread the kindness… But that could just be the permanent lack of sleep BS’ing me… 😉
        ..

  8. I came to know of Diane when the first followed my new blog. I love her recipes and I am trying out some of them at home. I followed her blog and since then my baking rating has since improved 😊😊😊. Thank you for hosting her.

  13. Nice blog .Strickland family related closely to Parr family through most of time 1212 – 2012.John Strickland from York built Sizergh Castle Kendal UK .His family breed the first captive turkeys in Europe. General Strickland needs no mention and first cousins to Queen Kateryn Parr sixth wife of King Henry V111. The writer of Queens of England also a Strickland. Last one died in London 2012. That wing of family gone now .Sizergh Castle now National Trust. Liked your idea of hosting .read it twice. Thank you to Barbara too

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