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I am thrilled to share with you the series of guest posts appearing here in the coming weeks, as I take a little extra time to settle in and soak up my family and the new life among us. "Soulful Mothering" is a series of written words, photographs, craft projects and thoughts on mothering from some of my favorite ladies on the web. I'm so grateful to each of them for sharing their time with me, and their hearts and words in this space. I have been inspired by the gifts they've shared, and I'm sure you will too. Enjoy!
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One of my most treasured possessions I have is a family cookbook my aunt and mom put together in 1980 of family recipes. It has recipes from great aunts, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and now great-great grandmothers in it. I briefly blogged about this years ago, but never showed much from it. The recipe assortment is odd, much of it is not real appetizing, but it's an amazing history to have—how mothers in my family history have fed their families. The maiden names as well, so it's easy to trace even farther back, making it a valuable piece of family lore. I have scanned a few pages, my grandmother, mother, and great-grandmother appear on these pages along with other family members. many of these recipes are very old. I really want to make a book like this for my family. This one is typed, and was bound at a local copy shop back in 1980, It's not slick at all, making it all the more charming. I even have a recipe in here, and as a young girl, I was so proud to have "Amy's Lemon Bars" make the cut.
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I'm Amy Karol. I write books, draw, paint, cook, sew, parent and homeschool 3 young children, try to do yoga more often than not, and am constantly using my creativity to both express myself and not take life too seriously. I have had the pleasure to write some sewing books, Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew (Potter Craft 2007), which is currently in its fourth printing, and Bend the Rules with Fabric: Fun Sewing Projects with Stencils, Stamps, Dye, Photo Transfers, Silk Screening, and More (Potter Craft 2009). I am up to no good on an almost daily basis over at my craft weblog, Angry Chicken. You can see reviews of my books, read my interviews, and listen to podcasts on my press page. I live in Portland, Oregon with my husband, three daughters, and three cats and a lot of art supplies.
