“Our Southern Odyssey” was created by a mother (Vanessa) and daughter (Valancie) team. We both believe that recipes are only a suggestion and cooking should never be intimidating.
As of September 2015, because of health reasons we have been preparing and cooking all of our own meals at home (breakfast, lunch, supper and snacks) from scratch, using only whole foods, and being extremely conscious of what we ate. We moved away from highly processed and fast foods back to whole foods.
In 2015 we knew that we were going to have to focus on our health, and we were going to have to change the way we ate. We started by going through an Elimination Diet to figure out which foods were fighting against us and which ones were fighting for us. Because, we had to find the diet that was right for us. This was not an easy process but necessary for our health and well being.
Many of the recipes we provide on OurSouthernOdyssey.com have been passed down through the generations. I guess that’s what happens when you come from a long line of extraordinary Southern cooks who value the flavor of mouth-watering meals. And, it’s a family tradition of ours that when a family recipe is passed down the line to the next generation, we add something new. We might add a different spice, or more or less of an ingredient, to make the recipe our own. Some might say that’s a sin. We say it just makes the recipes unique to each family member. However, throughout the generations we have never tried to do away with the authenticity of our family’s recipes. When you look closely at our heirloom family recipes, you see our family, the past and the present represented. And that is what makes a great Southern recipe flourish. The difference now is, we have changed our recipes to reflect our improved diet. Who knows, one of our ancestors may have fixed the recipes the way we do now.
Being in the kitchen has become what we do together. When we are in the kitchen cooking one of our family’s heirloom recipes or creating a new recipe from scratch we always have an enjoyable time, telling stories and laughing. Don’t get me wrong, cooking all your meals at home can be difficult, some days more than others. But just because something is difficult doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Getting back to thriving not just living is worth it for us.
The recipes featured on “Our Southern Odyssey” have become our new favorites and it is our hope that they will become your soon-to-be new favorites too. You will find recipes that are grain-free, gluten-free, nightshade-free, caffeine-free, and dairy-free.
Remember anyone can be an amazing cook — you just have to find the right ingredients that are right for you — add a little bit of patients — laugh at your failures — and keep trying.
We hope that you enjoy our recipes as much as we do.
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