Formerly Known as the Manda J Blog

Why “The Kitchen Chair”?

I was born and raised in Eastern Kentucky on a ridge in the Appalachian mountains.

You don’t realize how culturally different your life is until you come down off the ridge…

The house I grew up in stood in the middle of nowhere. All around us were our cattle fields, and in front of us, a long stretch of woods.

My friends were my cousins, and otherwise, my animals.

I could walk over a hill to my grandmother’s house where my great-grandmother, grandmother, and grandfather lived on an adjacent farm. I spent a lot of time eating cold cornbread in milk at their kitchen table, running around barefoot with my cousins, and learning from generations of strong women.

Seems like the best parts of my life have been spent pulling up a kitchen chair, and staying for a while…

So, pull up a chair, and sit a while!

Let’s talk:

Food

It seems like families are busier than ever. However, I still long for dinners around the table that let my family reconnect at the end of the day. I help do that with tips on how to use your instant pot (and what NOT to do with it) and recipes that are quick and easy.

Don’t miss any of my Cooking 101 series!

Home DIY

Don’t let your home distract you from what’s important: family. Help your kids declutter and clean their rooms without tears and spring clean your kitchen with ease.

Parenting

I don’t claim to be the best parent around. I’m just sharing some of what I’m learning along the way!