Meet Grace, from the Grill on the Hill.

Let me introduce you to Grace the inspiration for this Blog.

Grace is a 1922 kitchen wood stove that my husband and I drove to Long Island, NY to get one cold day in March of 2013.  She is patiently waiting to be hooked up so I can use her in some of my cooking adventures.  I can hardly wait to fire her up and see what I can do with her. (I do use the small Vermont Castings Parlor stove in my living room to cook on, so Grace should be that much better. And yes, cast iron cookware is essential...more on that later.)

My first adventure will be with some bread or biscuits as many of my friends have suggested.  I found a really sweet cast iron muffin pan in a local antique mall. Every time I have used it the muffins just fall right out of it. That is the beauty of cooking with cast iron. Once the pan is seasoned you will have the best non-stick surface ever.  And as you can see, I use it on the grill too. (That is where the name of this blog comes from, my grill and my house on the hill.)

We live in a small town where we grew up, actually within spitting distance from our grandparents' properties and are slowly getting back to our roots.  I have quite a garden growing and we are currently raising some pigs.  We are putting together quite the little hobby farm/homestead to raise our family and share good times with our friends. Food is always central to our gatherings.

My mom taught me a long time ago how to make pie, cook and even the process of water bath canning.  This is what this blog is about...cooking and kitchen tips that I find helpful, and of course as the title says cooking with Grace; I guess you could say literally and figuratively on many levels. In addition to what my mom taught me, I had the good fortune to take a few gourmet cooking classes through our local college and the community education program.  I also have a pretty good imagination and I am not afraid to try new things.  Most of my recipes are from the basics, like things your grandmother would have made but then I start tweaking and next thing you know there is a new spin on an old favorite.  As my husband says, he hasn't had the same meal twice in over three years.

This blog should help me keep track of what I do in a dish and hopefully I can make a "do-over" again as it was the first time, though this isn't a real concern for me.

So, with that welcome to my blog where all good things come to those who wait while I do what I do in the kitchen, on the grill, in the living room or eventually with Grace.

Kerry