About the Book
When Sherry Phillips Mitchell and her sister, Debbie, were transplanted to a farm in Buford, Ohio, in 1962, it changed the course of Sherry’s life forever. In a charming collection, Sherry shares farmhouse remembrances and comforting recipes that retell of not only life’s greatest lessons, but also all the reasons why the kitchen is the heart of every farm.
Sherry’s anecdotes provide a glimpse into what life is really like on a farm where neighbors become like family and life lessons come in all forms and places. In true tales of adventure and misadventure, Sherry entertainingly details such moments as the hatching of baby chicks, a family day spent picking strawberries, an unexpected bumblebee attack, night scares driven by active imaginations, and a tragic moment in a hay field. Included are cherished family recipes like Cast Iron Cornbread, Strawberry Pretzel Salad, Bread Pudding, Daddy’s Sticky Buns, and Old Fashioned Potato Candy.
My Farmhouse Journal shares remembrances and recipes that reflect on a time when simplicity formed the backdrop for a life of learning on the farm.
How I Came to Write My Book
Since I was a young girl, I dreamed someday of being a writer like Laura Ingalls. I was a farm girl like her, but growing up in a different era. And though I pecked out a few stories of my daily adventures on my mom’s manual typewriter, I had to live my stories I would one day tell. Like Laura, I am in the prime of my life finally getting my farmgirl stories written down in my first book, entitled, My Farmhouse Journal: Memories and Recipes.
All my life I carried these stories around in my head and in my heart. Wanting, wishing, dreaming of compiling them in a book. Then suddenly, when sister was diagnosed with cancer I knew I could wait no longer. It was with a broken heart that I knew I had to get these stories published, hoping and praying I could deliver the book into her hands sooner than not. I wanted to see her enjoy the retelling of them too; after all, she was an important character in my life and in my stories.
As I wrote the stories, I thought of how simple life seemed. Learning and living on the farm of my youth. Even then as a child I knew I wanted to own a farm like mom and dad. Mine would have board fences, horses, chickens, a dog and a calico cat. For sure, during those times of dreaming, I played with my brother’s Tonka farm set, more than I did dolls.
My dream of publishing my memories and recipes of my child hood came true in December 2014, just in time for Christmas. Though sister’s health is struggling, my prayers were answered and I wrapped my book’s first copy and gave it to her on Christmas day. Unbeknownst to her, I dedicated my book to her. Upon opening it, she looked up in surprise, “It’s a real book,” she said. I will treasure that moment forever.
