{About}

My name is Angela. I'm a middle-aged mama of five adult children. I revel in kitchen and household organization, and I love DIY projects. I started Joyously Domestic in 2012 as a way to share a few recipes with family and friends. The kitchen is truly my happy place.

Food has always been a very important part of my family. I grew up with grandparents who had huge gardens. I spent a good part of my summers each year helping to plant, weed and harvest. We canned for weeks each fall. We processed corn, beans and lots of other fresh produce for the freezer, as well. We'd go apple, pear, peach and berry picking, then spend an entire weekend making jams.

My mother always cooked from scratch for every meal. And, she is a fabulous baker (you'll find some of her recipes here on JD). I learned lots of scrumptious Southern recipes from my "granny" who was born and raised in Kentucky. And, another grandmother often let me come to her work with her ... she was a private chef for years. 

Every holiday, birthday, anniversary and special occasion was a huge event on all sides of my family. We'd spend the day cooking together, then sit around the table for hours sharing food, stories, laughs ... and making memories.

Old School Creamed Chipped Beef

I am blessed to have in my recipe arsenal many of those same recipes from my childhood that have been passed down through my family. I love the fact that I was able to spend time in my own kitchen with my children sharing many of the same recipes that I was taught to make from my grandparents and mother.

Besides cooking and blogging, some of my other passions are music (I play piano and guitar, and I write music), party planning, shopping, home organization and snuggling with our ginger kitty, Frank.

Joyously Domestic is a love story of sorts to my grandmas and my mother, and a digital guidebook to my children so that that they may have record of our family's recipes and traditions. 

Holiday Hot Cocoa Kits

I am a firm believer that food can be more than just nourishment for our bodies. It is a beautiful thing when it is, also, nourishment for our souls. It is something that connects us on so many levels. I grew up with a mother who was regularly taking dishes to someone who had just had a baby or had just had surgery. She'd spend weeks at Christmastime making candies, cookies and breads to deliver to our friends and family. And, my Southern grandmother never let anyone leave after a visit to her home without a "care package" of canned goods, leftovers and freshly-made baked goods. 

I grew up being taught that feeding someone is an action of love. Food brings people together. When someone takes the time to pour passion and love into a dish, the results are tangible.

I am thrilled to share a plethora of amazing recipes and ideas with you. It's my desire that you will take time to create your own memories with the ones you love through food and fellowship.  

What You'll Find Here on Joyously Domestic:

I started this blog mainly focusing on family-friendly cooking. So, you'll find lots of recipes on here. But, I, additionally, sometimes share some ideas for crafting projects, parties, print projects ... and thoughts and musings on my family life.

Bacon-Wrapped Pork with Potatoes

I believe in finding the joy in everyday tasks, so it's been my goal from the inception of Joyously Domestic to truly encourage the home cook to try new things, go a little crazy in the kitchen once and awhile and to embrace the joy in cooking.

I strive to provide valuable, inspiring recipes for the home cook here on the blog. We're all trying to get wholesome meals on the table each day and it can be a struggle to come up with new, creative ideas that bring some excitement to our everyday recipe rotation.

It's my hope that you'll be inspired while visiting Joyously Domestic. I don't take myself too seriously, and I invite you to settle in with a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine) and get cozy. There's a little something for everyone here. Check out my recipe index (everything is listed by category). I'm sure you'll find a few things that will get your culinary juices flowing!

Angela

Cauliflower Rice Taco Salad

UPDATE 2026:

As Joyously Domestic has aged throughout the years (and as a result of some health issues), I, personally, have come to favor a more vegetarian (mostly plant-based) lifestyle these days. I find myself leaning more towards a healthful approach to cooking.

Sure, there are times when we all crave those "down home" comfort food recipes of our childhoods. But, I am excited to share more of my plant-focused recipes and lifestyle with my readers, too.

You'll still find all of my original recipes that you've come to love here at JD. They're not going anywhere. But, you'll see some new favorites of mine woven into the mix, too, going forward.