Meet Citified-Country Girl
Born and raised in Bunkie, Louisiana - a small town in Avoyelles Parish where I lived with my Grandmother “Coot” and Great-Grandmother “Mamee” - two of the best cooks in the world! One of my favorite things to do was to watch Mamee bake - of course everything was made from scratch. My favorite was the apple jelly cake - a two layered butter pound cake covered with apple jelly while it was still warm. Yum!
During the time that I grew up everything was simple and fresh. We would spend hours on the front porch snapping beans, shelling peas, shucking corn, picking greens and cutting okra. Neighbors would bring us fresh eggs and we were notified by the local farm when they would butcher hogs and cows... so we knew exactly what we were eating. There were very few cans, boxes and bags of food in our house.
In 1982, after graduating from high school, I moved to Los Angeles, California with my Dad. This was culture shock for me but I embraced experiencing a whole new world which included many different cultures and cuisines. It was here that I developed a real love for food. I remember going back to Bunkie to visit one summer and some of my friends told me I was "citified" and proper..LOL....hence my blog name.
I really started cooking once I moved into my first apartment at the age of 19. I was introduced to canned, boxed and frozen items because of the convenience. I called on my Mom often for tips and directions when I wanted to make a down home southern meal. It wasn't until I became a wife and mother that I developed a passion for cooking. I understood that meal time would bring all of us together and I loved having my family and friends together.
From LA to Alabama where I now reside with my new husband and where I was formally introduced to my new favorite dessert... Blue Bell ice cream (Lord Jesus!). Although we are empty-nesters, anytime our kids and grand-kids come to visit on the weekends or for the holidays they put in their request for their favorite dishes and I make sure its ready when they get here! I'm a Food Network and Pinterest junkie! I love trying new dishes and desserts to add to their list of favorites. I am known for my gumbo, mac and cheese, leg of lamb and many desserts but particularly my banana pudding.
In November of this year I will be 50 years young - my husband and I both have high blood pressure. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure at 23 and high cholesterol at 30 and I'm currently on medication for both. My Dad, who died two years ago from a massive heart attack, was also diagnosed with hypertension in his 20's, he was diabetic and had high cholesterol. I was told that my condition was hereditary. When you have diseases that are hereditary you have to take excellent care of your self by eating right and taking your meds as directed so that you can LIVE with them. As we age our diets have to change...less deep fried and smothered and more baked, grilled and fresh.
I'm currently working full time and completing my degree in Business Administration... which doesn't leave much time for cooking or exercise. Our main Social Media class project is to partner with a classmate and create a blog. My classmate, Sunshine Malone and I decided to use this assignment as a tool to help ourselves and others like us, find easy healthy meals and exercise ideas that we can work into our busy schedules. This is a lifestyle change. Will this be a challenge - yes it will, but with faith and determination I believe I can become disciplined. These are some of the best years of my life and I want to enjoy them to the fullest! I’m up for the challenge - are you? If so lets do this!
Meet Citified-Country Girl
Born and raised in Bunkie, Louisiana - a small town in Avoyelles Parish where I lived with my Grandmother “Coot” and Great-Grandmother “Mamee” - two of the best cooks in the world! One of my favorite things to do was to watch Mamee bake - of course everything was made from scratch. My favorite was the apple jelly cake - a two layered butter pound cake covered with apple jelly while it was still warm. Yum!
During the time that I grew up everything was simple and fresh. We would spend hours on the front porch snapping beans, shelling peas, shucking corn, picking greens and cutting okra. Neighbors would bring us fresh eggs and we were notified by the local farm when they would butcher hogs and cows... so we knew exactly what we were eating. There were very few cans, boxes and bags of food in our house.
In 1982, after graduating from high school, I moved to Los Angeles, California with my Dad. This was culture shock for me but I embraced experiencing a whole new world which included many different cultures and cuisines. It was here that I developed a real love for food. I remember going back to Bunkie to visit one summer and some of my friends told me I was "citified" and proper..LOL....hence my blog name.
I really started cooking once I moved into my first apartment at the age of 19. I was introduced to canned, boxed and frozen items because of the convenience. I called on my Mom often for tips and directions when I wanted to make a down home southern meal. It wasn't until I became a wife and mother that I developed a passion for cooking. I understood that meal time would bring all of us together and I loved having my family and friends together.
From LA to Alabama where I now reside with my new husband and where I was formally introduced to my new favorite dessert... Blue Bell ice cream (Lord Jesus!). Although we are empty-nesters, anytime our kids and grand-kids come to visit on the weekends or for the holidays they put in their request for their favorite dishes and I make sure its ready when they get here! I'm a Food Network and Pinterest junkie! I love trying new dishes and desserts to add to their list of favorites. I am known for my gumbo, mac and cheese, leg of lamb and many desserts but particularly my banana pudding.
In November of this year I will be 50 years young - my husband and I both have high blood pressure. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure at 23 and high cholesterol at 30 and I'm currently on medication for both. My Dad, who died two years ago from a massive heart attack, was also diagnosed with hypertension in his 20's, he was diabetic and had high cholesterol. I was told that my condition was hereditary. When you have diseases that are hereditary you have to take excellent care of your self by eating right and taking your meds as directed so that you can LIVE with them. As we age our diets have to change...less deep fried and smothered and more baked, grilled and fresh.
I'm currently working full time and completing my degree in Business Administration... which doesn't leave much time for cooking or exercise. Our main Social Media class project is to partner with a classmate and create a blog. My classmate, Sunshine Malone and I decided to use this assignment as a tool to help ourselves and others like us, find easy healthy meals and exercise ideas that we can work into our busy schedules. This is a lifestyle change. Will this be a challenge - yes it will, but with faith and determination I believe I can become disciplined. These are some of the best years of my life and I want to enjoy them to the fullest! I’m up for the challenge - are you? If so lets do this!
2 comments:
HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY KEISH ... GOT THOSE GLASSES ON ... READY FOR THE WORLD ... YES.... LOVE THE WEBSITE ... LOOKS GREAT!
Cuz, love your blog...will visit for tips for healthy eating.
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