Welcome!

Hello friends! I hope you will enjoy this blog as much as I will writing it! My name is Emily and I am what the Pioneer Woman calls an "accidental country girl." I grew up in a really tight knit community where our neighborhoods became our friends and family. If I went outside in the summertime there were always other kids to play with and a community pool only a few blocks away. Over time I grew to love the idea of moving to a big city for a short time while I was single and just starting out after college...however God has a plan and it wasn't for me to move the city, in fact it was just the opposite. 
I met my husband at church one Sunday. He was one of the few people in my age bracket and if I do say so myself he was GOOD LOOKING! After a few dates I came to realize he grew up as a farm kid out in the country. I had no idea what living in the country or what working on a farm really meant but I would have done anything to be with him! I came to realize farm life wasn't easy and it wasn't at all what I had pictured for my life. 

Chad and I on our wedding day! Wedded bliss!

But now we have been married for 7 years and have been living on the family farm for the last 2. I was like a fish out of water but have been slowly adapting and learning.... essentially making my life work on the farm! There are so many amazing aspects to living in the country like the quiet evenings, the beautiful view of God's creations, and just enjoying the simple things in life. 
As a means to cope with all of the new changes in my life I began to cook early on in our marriage. Growing up with a mom who was terminally ill (but still a fabulous cook) I never had the opportunity to learn how to cook like most little girls. I began learning in college slowly with simple meals like Ramen noodles and graduated to simple casseroles. However once I got married I wanted to become the "perfect" wife which meant I had to learn how to cook. Thank goodness for the age of Pinterest! Pinterest opened up a whole new world of recipes and how to's for this beginning cook. After some time I discovered the Food Network and again my cooking skills expanded. Now that we have moved into our forever home and I had the chance to renovate and design my own "country chic" kitchen I am diving in even further with my culinary skills. 

Renovated kitchen picture 1

Renovated Kitchen picture 2

As I continue to create and discover new recipes I ask that you join me on this endeavor as we explore farm fresh, family-oriented meals with a touch of elevated quality with a dash of my city culinary dreams at hand! Welcome to the Country Chic Chef!