As far back as I can remember, food and family have always gone together. This is something I've always kept with me and as I've gotten married and had my own children, I've always wanted to keep that.
 
As the focus, I've had my kids in the kitchen since the tender age of 2. At the age of 2, my kids helped measure, mix, and bake their first pan of muffins. Their love of food and family in the kitchen was born.
 
And as my children got older, and cooked more, and we were in the kitchen more with me, my oldest son came to me as I was cooking his favorite dish - chicken and dumplings - and he asked me, "Mom how am I going to get your chicken and dumplings when I move out?"
 
And I said well I know what I'll do, I'll create a cookbook for all of my kids with their favorite recipes and I'll put them together, and when each of you
graduates from high school and moves out I will give you a copy of the cookbook.
 
This is that cookbook.