When I think about my foodie story or where it "began" I have flashbacks, like those you see in movies before people meet their "fate". Every scene is me in the kitchen. 

 

They start with me as an adolescent, I grew up in a single parent home and was the second oldest of 5 siblings in the 90's,  so a lot of responsibilities fell on me and my older brother, cooking was my favorite. I loved creating new meals with the scarce ingredients we had in the cupboards.

 

Then they switch to me in my "GG's" (great grandmothers) kitchen and her teaching me the secret ingredients to her homemade barbecue sauce. 

 

But they don't stop there, I made every ounce of baby food for my daughter from scratch. I used my bridge card to replicate my favorite meals from restaurants when I was too poor to go out to eat. My first, last and every job (at least that lasted) was in the food service industry. In my twenties I used my food as a way to bring friends together, and a simple backyard bbq birthed Scratch By Patria, by accident, 

 

In short, I didn't just choose a foodie life, it chose me.