See UPDATE below! I’m settled into my new home!
Onion Creek Kitchens at Juniper Hills Farm began as a long-time dream for moving out of the big city hustle and bustle of Dallas, to the rolling hills, criss-crossing creeks and endless fields of wildflowers in the Texas Hill Country.
After years and years in the floral, event planning, restaurant, coffee bar and bakery world, I yearned for a change. Something less than five am to midnight, to making my own hours. Something less retail and cash register driven to something more hands on and person to person. And so it began with building a new life. Gardening in a new way, more yucca, less petunia. No city water, more rainwater. Restoring dormant land with native grasses and flowers; coaxing birds and bees to the property with hives and boxes; planting milkweed to tempt migrating butterflies. Who knew my home was their home? Learning the nuances of living in the country and getting to know your neighbors in a different way than in the city. You have to work harder at that. Getting involved in the community like I never had time for in the city. From helping to dream up and experience the realization of a much needed new animal shelter in our hood, to finding ways to buy books for the local, hard-working library. Small town school kids depend more on libraries than I ever knew. And this was just my home life.
One thing you learn when moving to a beautiful and special place such as this, is that friends, family and clients want to come and spend some leisure time—they want a place to lay their weary heads. I was fortunate enough to be able to create those spaces with our Casitas that so many of you have stayed in over the years and experienced the peace and solitude of this beautiful land. So many of our guests have expressed a deep gratitude for the experiences and special times they have had here resting in this place. Being the host of a bed and breakfast has been a wild ride and one I wouldn’t have missed for the world! The stories I could tell–perhaps there is a book in there somewhere.
I knew I wanted to teach cooking, I’d done it a bit in Dallas and loved the satisfaction I felt with the closer connection to people and food than what I felt serving meals in a restaurant. Building the commercial kitchen was a dream realized of the perfect working space for cooking and communing with friends and students. Being able to create the classes and host special lifetime celebrations for friends and clients has been the joy of a lifetime—and also a very wild ride! A great learning experience for me with many lessons learned. I have absolutely loved cooking with each and every one of the literally thousands who have passed through our doors in those sixteen years.
It’s time to shift my focus. Slow down a bit. All that above, it’s a lot! The decision to sell the property created the opportunity to buy a new piece of land, very close by. A new chance to breathe life into a little forgotten piece of the Hill Country and build a new nest. I will continue with this website and selling the products I have created over the years and perhaps add some new ones. (My favorite inexpensive cooking tools?) I love to research, test and write about food and food experiences. I want to continue to do that. I’m working on that cookbook I’ve talked about for years. So many stories to tell of my years in the food industry, so many recipes to share. SO many of you have encouraged me to get that done and shown a big interest, and I appreciate that. As I mentioned and as you must know, I love teaching and I hope to continue to do so in various places. UPDATE! The new house, on the new property is finished and we are moved in! I’ve been teaching in my previous kitchen, now Mystic Sky Ranch for the new owners, in your homes, vrbo’s, airbnb’s and at area venues–and loving it!
Reach out if you have an interest in a cooking event in your home with friends or as a business experience. I’ll keep you posted on places I will be teaching. And that leads me to this. Please Keep In Touch.
https://www.juniperhillsfarm.com/cooking-together-with-friends/
I sincerely hope that you will continue to stay in contact. My address and email are below. Email is the best contact for me. I don’t usually do this, but I must ask you, if you don’t already, please follow me on social media and ask your friends to as well. This really will help me get that cook book done and sold and it’s a great method for sharing recipes and stories about my Texas Hill Country with all of you.
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/juniperhillsfarm/
Or
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/onioncreekkitchens/
If you are not a social media person, I will continue to send out an occasional newsletter to keep you informed of goings on. If you are already on the client list, thanks, if not, contact us.
PO Box 344 Blanco, Texas 78606
With love and appreciation for all the years we have cooked and enjoyed the Texas Hill Country together, let’s continue the journey,
© 2021 Onion Creek Kitchens. All Rights Reserved.