About this project

          As you see from the above video, I’m not much of a speaker. I am a writer. I have always loved writing, but up to now, it's been mainly for school and business newsletters, as well as my blog. But my heart has told me it's time to get serious and write on a broader scale. Plus, I keep thinking of my high school English teacher who threatened to hunt me down if I hadn't published something by the time I was 30 years old...and, well, I just turned 50, so there you go.

          Simply put, the book I am working on is about my kitchen. Readers will be introduced to a few of its basic features, while being taken on a journey that amuses as it shines a light on the need for many people to get back into their own. Shrinking budgets and escalading expenses are requiring many men and women to put on the aprons and preheat the ovens that they once shunned. This book will be an encouragement as well as an insightful romp through one of the most important rooms in a household.

          It is my hope to inspire weary women to be creative and positive on a food budget. To look for a silver lining in a sack of potatoes and take pride in nourishing a family and coming together to encourage each other – across the table, across the street, across the country. It's about appreciating everything about cooking and eating at home, from dirty dishes to challenging recipes.

         But, my experience is only part of the vision. As I reflect on my kitchen, cooking strategies, and economic situation, I can't help but consider the challenges that our matriarchs faced and wonder what sage advice they would have for their descendents today.

          My great-great grandmother lived in London in the mid-1800s and I believe she holds a strong message for me that will be added to this story. But I have reached a dead-end in some of the key areas of my research. I need to go there and sift through information and experience her environment - as best as I can 160 years later.

          So I’ve cashed in the last of my frequent flier miles for a plane ticket to London scheduled for mid-October of this year. I’ve started a little savings stash for my daily expenses. What I need your help with is lodging in London, which is atrociously expensive. I have chosen a moderately priced one bedroom apartment to rent in a safe neighborhood, close to where much of my research will take place.

          I’m hoping to raise $1,500 to cover this expense. I need your help! I’m throwing my hat in the creative Kickstarter ring and offering some fantastic gifts at all donation levels. There are beautiful kitchen towels, fantastic recipes, amusing email updates as well as this wonderously outlandish hat that even the Queen Mother would appreciate.

         So make your donation today, THEN FORWARD THIS LINK ONTO YOUR FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, FAMILY, AND COWORKERS.

         I’ll be back with an update shortly to layout my plans for writing and publishing this project as well.