Hi everyone! My name is Andrea. I’m a wife, a momma of two, and life never seems to slow down. I enjoy spending time with my family. That’s what is most important to me. You know what I else love? Cooking! Put the two together, and it gives us evenings around the table, enjoying good food together and chatting about our day. No phones, no TV. Just good old fashion talkin’. I know, I know. You’re thinking, I have my kids’ baseball practice at night, or I have yoga class three times a week, plus work full time!

Trust me, I get it. That’s how “Andrea’s Country Home Cookin” came into play in the first place. Ten years ago, I would post up pictures of delicious easy dinner meals on my personal facebook page, and friends would message me asking me for the recipe. At this point in my life, I was babysitting six kids a day in my home, and they found it crazy I still had time to cook! I got to the point where I was getting asked for my recipes so much that I decided to create a page on Facebook just for my recipes. Within the first few years, I had 3,000 fans which was so cool because it was all just from my friends sharing my recipes! I mean, after all, I never expected to get anyone else other than folks I knew. I, later on, posted a recipe for my Cinnamon Roll Swirl Cake, and it went viral in 2013! Millions had seen it, hundreds of thousands had shared it, and within two weeks I was up to 30,000 fans. Four months later up to 70,000 fans. For months I watched my page grow and grow! This year was my ten-year mark on owning “Andrea’s Country Home Cookin.” I now have over 215,000 fans, never paying for ads or promoting my page like the owners of Facebook want you to do to get new fans. I just have some pretty awesome loyal supporters who share and enjoy my recipes.

In this time, I have written my own cookbook, selling over 3,500 my first year that were shipped worldwide. My cookbooks are literally all over the world. From all over the US, Canada, Europe, Mexico to even Australia! Shipping them was a real treat, but God love these fans out of the states paid more for shipping than they did my cookbook! After my cookbook, I found the time to get a website started finally. I had no idea where to even begin with something like this. Thanks to a wonderful neighbor of mine, Harland Bergstrom, he got me up and running in no time. You can find my website at http://www.andreascountryhomecookin.com or find me on Facebook at Andrea’s Country Home Cookin!

So as you can see, my cooking page has been a big part of my life the past decade — taking me to places I’ve never imagined. Now, thanks to Webb Weekly, I get to reach out to all of you and get more families around the table with some good eatin’! So excited about my column! Now that you know a little about me, and how Andrea’s Country Home Cookin came to be, let me go back a bit.

Mother’s Day is quickly approaching us, and Lord knows we have to celebrate our mommas! They do so much for us, love us unconditionally, and teach us things throughout our lives. My momma is such a strong woman. I knew when I was younger that if I could just be half the mom she was, then I would succeed in the best job in life. Now, did she teach me to cook? Uhhhh. Well. Ummmm. Not so much. Hahaha! Believe it or not, we were actually water and oil in the kitchen together when I was younger. I wanted to do it one way, and she wanted to do it another. I was pig-headed and young. What did I know!?

BUT, I watched her every day, have these amazing meals each night. Worked full time, had two kids, helped with homework, and somehow still managed to have cookies for us warm right out of the oven when we got home from school. Together we all sat at the table, thanking the Lord for what he had blessed us with, then each taking turns talking about our day. Some days we were entertained by my mother and brother shoving grapes up in their upper and lower lips, so they looked like something off the movie “Planet of the Apes.” Dad and I would sit there trying our best not to laugh at their famous taco nights when there was always a bowl of grapes! I’m 33 years old now, and this still happens! Memories folks. Memories. My fondest memories are with my family, around the table. The smell of certain foods still takes me back to those nights when I was younger and thought about what mom was making for dinner all day long.

So from one mother to many others of you out there, let this be the start of a beautiful relationship. Not just me and you, but making your life easier. Giving you simple, easy on the go meals that you can make ahead of time and freeze, lots of crockpot meals and delicious comfort foods that your family can enjoy.

Now dads, listen up, this one’s for you. I’m gonna sneak a few Mother’s Day brunch recipes in here for you for Sunday! There’s no gift better than having a meal prepared for you by the people who love you most. Get a pretty bouquet, picked or bought. (Fresh picked wildflowers are one of my favs!) Place them in the center of the table with some pretty napkins and brightly colored plates. Make the table your own kinda special. Something you know she would love. There’s something about a pretty table and delicious brunch food that will make her weak at the knees. Trust me; I’m a momma, I know. Happy Mother’s Day!

Coffee Cake
Ingredients:
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 small box instant butterscotch pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla
Topping:
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped nuts
Put all cake ingredients in bowl, beat 4 minutes. Pour ½ batter in a 9×13 greased pan. Put ½ topping mix on and add remaining batter, then rest of topping on that. Bake at 350° for 45 to 1 hour. I just stuck a knife through the batter, when knife comes out clean, cake is done.

Easy Breakfast Casserole
• 1 pound ground pork sausage ( I use zesty or hot for more flavor.)
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 6 slices white bread, toasted and cut into cubes
• 8 ounces extra sharp Cabot cheese, shredded
Crumble sausage into a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly brown; drain.
In a medium bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350′. Cover, and bake 40-45 minutes. Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325′. Bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until set.