About

Welcome to No Empty Chairs!

This blog was created as a way to record and share the joy our family enjoys around our kitchen table.  With a family of seven people constantly going seven (or more) different directions, family meal time is a tradition that we hold fast to.  It is a time to gather together as family (and often friends) to share good food and to talk and laugh about life. Hence-No Empty Chairs. I want no empty chairs at my table. I want all to come hungry and leave nourished, both at mealtime and in life.  And when we all put aside this mortal life, I plan to joy with family and friends where there are No Empty Chairs  at my table through Eternity.

For a more detailed look into the philosophy behind No Empty Chairs, click HERE.

The regular chair warmers in our home include:

  • Kelly, also known as cook, chauffeur, maid, gardener, tutor, psychologist, seamstress, doctor, general handyman, and now blogger (ie: Mom)
  • Brian, husband and dad, and great sport about all of the adventures in the kitchen from his wife and children!
  • BigJ (20) will generally eat anything and everything, and is my source of knowledge for all things technical. We are keeping his chair warm while he is far away serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in California!
  • BigA (17), a lovely girl who is coming into her own in the kitchen: watch for contributing posts.
  • MiddleK (15), future Food Network star, who stages her own cooking show for the younger two.
  • LittleA (10), a happy, full-of-life little boy who eats most everything except chocolate (which does cause some strife in our house at dessert time!).
  • LittleJ (8), a precocious little girl whose food likes and dislikes change with the wind.

So please, pull up a chair, and welcome to our table!

Signature

My Credentials:

  • Schooled at my mother’s knee on the fine art of feeding a family on a limited budget.
  • Interned as a teenager in same kitchen. Much experimentation and recalculation. My major textbooks at this point included back issues of Southern Living Magazine.
  • Residency as a poor, starving college student who was always willing to trade cooking for cleaning duties with culinary-challenged roommates.
  • On-the-job-training: 23 years of marriage (and counting), resulting in over 8000 dinners cooked (not to mention breakfasts, lunches,  and snacks); over 70 children’s birthday cakes and party fare; untold numbers of church pot-luck dinners, neighborhood block parties, holiday meals, cookie exchanges, baby and bridal showers.
  • Specialization: Cooking with whole, natural ingredients and limited sugar and processed food (although some days you just need a good, sweet chocolate chip cookie). Currently working to certify in the art of cooking with Stevia, particularly in the area of food preservation (canning).

7 Responses to About

  1. knobby/dad

    Kelly:

    I am sure impressed. I knew all those cooking lessons I gave you would serve you in good stead….
    NOT.

    Love to all the family and keep up the good work.

  2. Kay/Cousin

    Kelly, I really enjoy your recipes. I print them, punch them with a three hole punch, and put them in a binder. I made the Mediterranean Frittata for some friends who stayed over. I thought I would have way too much food, but they ate it all. I can’t wait to make the one I got today, the flank steak stuffed with pesto….yum. I e-mail the recipes to all my friends. Thanks so much for all you hard work, and I definitely don’t believe your father, can he boil water?
    Love ya,
    Kay Conley Cammarata

  3. HI Kelly I love both your crediatial and recipes. Thank so much for sharing. I am learning some good stuff on here. Once again thank you. I book mark your recipe I want to try out by like. I think I have too many bookmark since I came across you:)

  4. Kat

    Stumbled across your site and I’m really enjoying it….your recipes are simple and delicious and don’t require hours and hours and hours of time in the kitchen…..and I HATE cooking! LOL

  5. Pat S.

    my first time here, but I wil be back!

  6. maishah

    wow such thoughtful recipes :]

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