Meet the Mom

To understand Nanette Frantz’s  frame of reference toward food you should know about her Grandma Smith’s  messy kitchen.  There was always stuff on her countertops.  Much of that stuff was canned goods of the homemade variety.  She loved to can, mostly things she grew herself.  Nanette’s  love of gardening and home canning grew from a childhood fascination with Grandma Smith’s kitchen to a way of life.

Since getting married over three decades ago, Nanette has always canned fruit, vegetables, soups, meat, etc.  Her daughter, Olivia, grew up eating home canned foods and now engages in food preservation too.  They gather in the summer to cut, clean, and prepare summer’s bounty.  Nothing can match the glory of eating the best summer has to offer in the dead of winter.  It somehow holds the promise of another spring, another summer, another harvest. 

From the love of food preservation came a fondness for pure and simple homemade foods that began for Nanette early in life.  There was never been a time when she didn’t like to cook.  As a child she had children’s cookbooks, she  clipped recipes from magazines, and experimented with cooking for family members.  Before she married, she started collecting recipes in a metal recipe box (before the age of computer scanning and that glorious resource known as the internet).  The recipe box was gold with orange and brown mushrooms on it—for those of you who were alive in the 70’s you can probably visualize it.

Nanette’s other major influence was a grandmother who was a fabulous baker.  She could make the most wonderful rye bread and holiday goodies.  Every Christmas she made a Swedish tea ring to pay homage to her Swedish heritage.  She is gone now, but every Christmas Nanette makes that same tea ring for the family.

Nanette’s husband, of thirty five years, has enjoyed the culinary journey of wife and daughter.   He and Nanette live in Indiana with their dog Shelby.  They, including the dog, enjoy camping and even visit local farmers’ markets during their travels.

Food is tied up in emotions, memories, traditions, and milestones that mark and enrich our lives.  This “attitude” toward food is something Nanette and daughter, Olivia, share and they’d love to share it with you!