I grew up in inner city Detroit, 6 Mile and Gratiot to be exact. I loved our neighborhood and the fact extended family was fairly near-by making holidays and birthdays a fun-filled occasion full of blonde-haired cousins flitting about! Both of my parents and grandparents grew up in Detroit giving our linage many decades of Motown flair. When I was 13 we moved to northern Michigan to a small town called Branch. We lived and worked on a hog farm while our home was being renovated. Here I learned more than a city girl from Detroit ever thought was possible! When I finally had a home of my own the first thing I did was start a garden. Upon my first harvest I was experimenting with canning recipes and often stepped out-of-the-box from traditional tomatoes, jams and pickles.Today, I am proudly referred to as a valid resource for all things canning and preserving and have donned myself, The Canning Diva®. I have taught over 100 classes throughout West Michigan, created YouTube canning tips, had two radio shows growing listeners to over 2 million annually and kept working towards my first published cookbook.

I am beyond blessed. I am connecting with people on so many levels sharing what I love most and bringing back this lost art in an era when it's needed most!.