About Me

I grew up in Alaska  and my Grandparents raised me most of my life.
My Grandparents were both born before the Great Depression. They were raised in northern California and met when my Grandfather came to my Grandmothers family ranch to shear their Angora Goats and Sheep, He was 18 and she was 14 when they met.
They married when my Grandmother turned 18 and stayed married till they both passed almost 80 years later. Long marriages were not uncommon in this generation but my Grandparents were, till the last day, honestly deeply madly in love with each other.
The examples they set on a daily basis on how to live life honest, fair, kind, compassionate and trustworthy shaped who I am today.
Growing up in Alaska in the early ’70’s in what would be considered “off the grid” by todays standards, was quite common and my Grandparents were exceptionally resourceful.
We hunted every fall for our meat for the winter, fished every summer for Salmon and Halibut, clam dug every spring in Homer, and berry picked whatever was in season. My Grandparents garden was monstrous! 
My Grandma made sure I knew how to preserve all the food we put up for the  winter. Grocery stores were over 100 miles from where we lived and we only went to Anchorage once a month (weather permitting). 
I can still see all the jars of Salmon, vegetables, jellies and jams that would be stacked on the shelves in the basement. The meat in the freezer, wrapped in white butchers paper, with my Grandma’s handwriting in black marker saying what it was and the date, happy memories.
My life has taken many turns from those simpler times in Alaska. I have lived from California to Florida, Idaho to Mexico and many many addresses in between. I became a Profession International Bodybuilder, a Master Hair Designer, an author, a commercial truck driver and heavy equipment operator, but my “roots” were always there, quietly showing themselves whenever the opportunity  would arise. A small garden here, a few recipes filed away for “later” there, a small smoker on the back patio to smoke some fish, the urge to get ready for winter, even when I live where it’s warm… my “roots”. 
Then a few changes happened in my life. I met an elderly woman who shared a recipe with me that was over 80 years old. After making a batch of this amazing relish, and sharing it with a few friends I realized I longed for a simpler kind of life than the one I was living, one that brings me back to my “roots”.
I have collected recipes for years and now I would like to share them with you so you too can..

RELISH THE GOOD LIFE