Wholesome food made from scratch, handmade home, and debt-free living.
Hello, I'm Madison!
My husband Damon and I had our first house built in rural Maryland at the ages of 22 and 23 after operating our dog-walking and pet-sitting business daily (and nightly!) for four years. We have since added our Golden Retriever puppy, Finn, to our family. Now, we are focused on living a debt-free lifestyle (working on the mortgage!) while providing for and decorating our home.
Here you'll learn how to cook from scratch with my growing collection of gluten-free recipes, discover budget-friendly DIYs to save on home and garden projects, and add a touch of handmade to your home.
Like many, the pandemic has opened my eyes to the fine line the world operates on. In the years to come, I will be focusing on learning gardening, preserving, and more skills such as sewing, so that in the future we will be able to provide more for ourselves and save along the way.
Why Wonders of Cooking?
There's something about cooking that re-ignites the soul, joins those loved and those lost, and breaks down what was once thought an impossibility. That, to me, is the wonders of cooking.
Sometimes we create something unexpected, something lovely. The kitchen is a place to be creative, a place to surprise yourself. In the words of Chef Gusteau from Ratatouille, "Anyone can cook."
I find I dabble in the kitchen, my cooking style being a bit like an ungoverned dance. Something I find particularly wondrous is the freedom to bring flavors from anywhere home, whether that be copycat recipes, indulgent carnival foods, or world cuisines. Certain foods accompanied by family and friends, the right music, and a special tablescape can transform your home for a short while into the county fair, your favorite restaurant, or a place you've traveled, or allow you to explore somewhere new. That pocket of time exists for only you and those dearest.
My Goals and Values:
- Create delicious recipes that everyone will love and that anyone can cook
- To live a simple life (debt-free!) with an emphasis surrounding family and the home.
- Cook with only natural ingredients/whole foods. Eliminating all artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and fillers such as all forms of corn syrup, food colors, and words that can't be pronounced. As well as cook with only gluten-free ingredients.
- Eliminate pesticide exposure (specifically glyphosate) on foods by buying organic whenever feasible. At this time, I can't afford only organic produce, so I prioritize buying thin-skinned and more susceptible produce organic, such as tomatoes and lettuce. If any recipe includes corn, whether it be fresh, canned, or cornstarch, it will always be organic corn. This is my personal preference as I experience symptoms similar to my Celiac Disease when ingesting any form or quantity of non-organic corn. (If interested, you can find organic cornstarch on Thrive Market and find organically frozen and canned corn at most grocery stores. I live near several organic farms and buy locally when using fresh.)
- Buy less/no packaged foods or individually packaged snacks. Instead, I make these goods myself for a lower cost while yielding a higher quality and higher quantity.
- Make EVERYTHING from scratch. For example, bread, tortillas, sauces, salad dressings, gravies, granola bars, and granola, trail mix, pickles, etc. Tip: If you are a beginner at making things from scratch, focus on things like sauces, salad dressings, and snacks. These are the easiest and quickest to make and also happen to be the stuff with the most horrible of ingredients at the grocery store. If you need a down day, you can also sub for a store-bought organic sauce instead.
- Make a house a home on a tight budget & decorate with elements that are handmade and inexpensive.
- Ferment foods every week to aid healthy gut bacteria and digestion.
In 2017, I started a food blog and gave up that same year because I didn't feel "good enough" (and partially believed the lies that blogging was dead). I wrote a book in the meantime (YA, Fantasy) and here I am, again. Starting another blog. I don't know if my querying will be successful or if I will become an author or if my blog will succeed. Here I am anyways because gosh darn it, I love to write.
I have to be honest -- I failed my first blog because I didn't know how to say this:
I am still growing.
At 24, do you think I've checked the box on all my values? Heck no. But, I am getting there. Life is a journey for a reason.
Gluten Free Recipes
Since 2016, I've suspected that I have Celiac Disease (I do have one of the DNA genes, but didn't get the scope done -- kind of a long story for another time). Either way, I experience a reaction to gluten (wheat, rye, barley, byproducts) and have been eating 100% GF ever since. As a result, this is the place to find delicious gluten-free baked goods & classic, heartwarming dinners. While I specialize in GF foods, my recipes are enjoyed by everyone and can easily be converted to many diets by simply switching out ingredients. (i.e. switching GF all-purpose flour for regular flour, switching almond milk for regular milk, etc.)
Fun facts
- Constantly battling bugs, mud, & all things country in our backyard.
- I watch 18th century inspired cooking videos in my spare time
- I spent one and a half years vegan and another year vegetarian after that. Some of the habits stuck. To this day, I still don't drink cow's milk and we prefer to use vegan butter (except for baking).
Stay awhile.
Please feel free to check out some of my recipes, home and garden projects, or debt-free living tips before you go!
Most popular recipes:
Gluten Free Sourdough Bread is one of my most popular recipes on Google Search and Pinterest.
In order to make the bread, you need to learn How to Make a Gluten Free Sourdough Starter.
Another reader favorite is my Pineapple Pork Chops.
One of my popular gluten free sourdough discard recipes is these Gluten Free Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies.
