Being raised on a farm, the youngest of four children, I really wasn’t privy to any kind of city life until I met my now husband of thirty-nine years. Shortly after graduating from Auburn University in 1977, we were married and moved to New Orleans, Louisiana. With my recipe box in tow, I began to wonder if my  mother’s hot potato salad, sugared pecans, stuffed cabbage  and dozens of other family favorites would survive in this city of gastronomic experts.  Before long the sweet pecans and other German inspired dishes were served alongside all my new recipes like seafood gumbo, oyster dressing and bread pudding with whiskey sauce.  I was in foodie heaven but without the farm.

It wasn’t until our children were grown and we’d moved to Asheville, North Carolina,  a city known for its incredible farm to table restaurants and  ongoing entrepreneurial pursuits, that I decided to sell a food that my family and friends had been enjoying for years, “Sweet-n-Spicy Pecans”. Their buttery crunch is topped off with cinnamon and other spices, along with a touch of cayenne pepper.  I also sell a vegan version for customers who don’t eat dairy or animal products.