MrsMamaHen.com: Bio | My "Food-losophy"

My name is Conni Smith, also known as "MrsMamaHen."

I am the mother of three nearly-grown, homeschooled kiddos. I am the wife of a soldier, and have been such for over 20 years. I love art, nature, family and God.

For us: “Home is Where the Army Sends you.” We’ve lived all over the place… Germany being a favorite, North Carolina being the longest, and now Alaska being our dream come true. Where the Army sends us next, no one knows!

I am an active volunteer in our local military community. One of the roles I fill, is being an instructor for the Army Family Team Building Program. I find it very rewarding, and having been a new Army Wife with no background in the military, I would have loved a program like this when I was a newlywed. In addition to AFTB, I have filled many other volunteer roles in our Army Community, and am currently a Family Readiness Group (FRG) Leader. You might be superficially familiar with the role that you see on the TV Show "Army Wives" - but I'm the real thing, I don't play one on TV.

Our family has been through many deployments - Iraq, Aghanistan, Bosnia, and even a Korean hardship tour. We've been there, done that, have the T-Shirts.

Most Mondays on MMH, I have a "Military Monday" where I write something about Army Life, or at the very least highlight another Military Spouse.

My "online life" began in 1998, when I started a "home page" where I could share recipes and family photos with friends and family. In 2006 I transitioned into blogging, originally on Xanga, and later moved it to the current location.

I love to cook and bake, and I love to teach others how to do the same. My cooking is meant for the family table, so the ingredients, for the most part, are common and easily-found.

In keeping with my love of teaching – if you ever have questions about a recipe, or would like tips on how to do something, I gladly welcome the “Hey, how do you...?”

The family meal.

It is a tradition that I have kept into adulthood. Every evening, my children and I along with my husband (when the Army hasn't sent him somewhere else) gather around the table for a good, home-cooked meal. When life drags you in all directions, having that daily routine, that tethers you all back together is priceless. I sometimes think that when my husband is off in Iraq or Afghanistan, that he misses my cooking even more than he misses me! (Okay, not really...but it is close.)
In today's world, I have noticed many families who have foregone this tradition. I have met many people that simply don't know how to cook very well.

Here on "MrsMamaHen" I share my own cooking. Each recipe* is shown as a tutorial, a visual recipe that you can follow along with. The recipes each include the printable version of course, but the "pictorial" is what seems to be the greatest of assets to new cooks, or cooks who are simply trying to expand their skills.

I am not a professional by any means. I am a self-taught cook. Unless of course you can count 7th grade Home Ec. But I haven't taken Culinary Arts classes, or any other professional training when it comes to food. You learn as you go, through trial and error. Not every recipe you try is going to make your heart zing. But the more you cook, and the more you experiment, the better a cook you become. And if the bread doesn't rise, it's okay! Just give it another whirl.

I even have some posts that teach some of the most basic of skills, I call them "Cooking 101." Like, "How to Chop an Onion" or "How to make a Hard-Cooked Egg."

I firmly believe that everyone can learn to cook. Everyone can enjoy that priceless family time around the dinner table.

Even if your a family of 1, cooking your own food is fulfilling and certainly better than the fast food "restaurant" on the corner!

About my cooking:

I do my very best to make everything from scratch. I have honestly always looked at mixes as "cheating." That doesn't mean I have never used mixes, though. When I was in my early learning years I did! Especially when it came to cakes and such. But over time, the more I cooked, the more recipes I found or developed, the more I was able to toss the mixes.

Quite frankly, I like being able to pronounce the names of, and recognize all of the ingredients in the foods I am eating. Don't you?

So for the most part, you will see things made with real butter, real sugar, and real everything else!

So that sums it up. I'm a real Army Wife (I don't play one on TV,) I cook real food, I cook for my real family, and we really do love the family meal time. I hope to share this love with you.

Welcome!