About Us!

Dwayne & Teresa Cook

Your Host & Hostess...


My greatest earthly desire has always been to be a wife and mother. In 1997, the Lord richly blessed me with the love of my life!  (He came with a pretty cool last name too!)  Since then, He has graciously given us 7 precious children and many opportunities to open our home to friends, old and new.  I am a cooking fanatic so my children will either love it or hate it; so far they love it!  It's sad to me when I hear kids say their moms really don't let them cook because it makes too much of a mess.  It's easy to feel this way, life is busy and it can get pretty messy too!  But life is but a vapor, we know not what tomorrow holds, and each day has opportunities for memories to be made.  One thing I've started with my children is to have a dinner helper for each day of the week.  This is not necessarily for my benefit (sometimes it is quicker just doing it yourself), but it allows special "mama time" teaching and enjoying cooking with each child!  It always brings a smile to my face as I get the mixer out and hear one of my children say, "Mama, can I cook with you?!"  They're getting older by the minute so I'm going to enjoy this while I can!  




Now as to how this all got started...


Cooking with the Cooks is the result of many years of prodding from my
dear husband to archive our family favorites. Too many times, as he would start making his fabulous buttermilk pancakes, I'd hear him ask, "Honey, where is the pancake recipe?!"  (Ok, so I have been known to misplace recipes a time or two!)  I love to cook and often have requests for recipes. I'm sorry to say sometimes it's taken me a year or two before I get them out!  My recipe collection 
one of my many piles
consists of a lovely Hallmark organizer that supposedly holds our family favorites (ha ha), some great cookbooks and about 40,000 clippings from various magazines. I've found 14 hour car trips are perfect for organizing recipes!  I will never retire my pretty organizer.  Fifty years from now, I'd love for my grandchildren to have a book of well used recipes written in my own hand.  However, I finally see the benefits of starting this website, in fact, I think it's kinda fun! Now, for a few technical notes about this site. You won't find 15,000 recipes on here  (at least not for a while :) -each recipe I have on here is one that I've tried and we enjoy as a family.  I'm also sorry that many of them are without pictures.  I love seeing a picture of the final outcome before I try a new recipe-but unless I whip up 50 or so of these recipes in the coming week that's not going to happen.  Speaking of recipes, I try to give credit where credit is due-many of these are from family and friends.  A lot of them are from magazines I've clipped over the years and are now family favorites.  My main goals for this site are to organize my mess o' recipes and make it easier to share them with friends.  I want to encourage young people to get in the kitchen and show examples of how much more cost effective, and healthier, it is to cook at home.  Finally, I hope it will instill a spirit of hospitality for your loved ones and maybe even for those you have yet to meet!  It is our desire that you will make lasting memories with family and friends as you enjoy the art of cooking!  


"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."  I Corinthians 10:31

.....With special thanks to my dear husband who partners with me in hospitality, does most of the shopping and even helps with cleanup!  Also, to my son Caleb, without whose help this site would not even exist!  This has been a fun project to work on with you!  Last, but not least, to the rest of the gang; thank you for always being willing to sample my cooking!
  It's a joy being your Mama!  


Oh!  I almost forgot.........thank you also to my 'girls' 
(my only paid contributors), for all those lovely fresh eggs!


A few of my 'girls'!



I'll take a quarter-pounder, please... 





















 They certainly are earning their keep-check out this baby!






My 2-1/2 year old gently holding it