Hi, I'm Dana Marie.
I've been cooking for more than 40 years, and a lot of what I know started at home, around family, good food, and plenty of time in the kitchen.
A Love of Good Food Started Early
I grew up eating plenty of the foods that still bring me comfort today, from traditional Southern cooking to soul food and all the simple dishes that make you want to sit down and stay awhile.
My father and my aunt both helped shape my taste for good food, and they gave me some pretty big shoes to fill. Their influence stayed with me as I grew older and found my own way around the kitchen.
Then my best friend became my sidekick for discovering food beyond what I grew up eating. We explored different cuisines, tried new flavors, and discovered just how much good food there is out there. I love a great many of them, but after all these years, my heart still belongs to simple food made at home.
“I love discovering new foods, but there will always be something special about a good homemade meal.”
Dana MarieYears in the Kitchen
That's more than four decades of cooking family meals, trying recipes, making substitutions, learning what works, and occasionally figuring out what definitely doesn't.
What I Love to Create
Everyday Dana is a place for the things I genuinely enjoy making, cooking, learning, and sharing.
Cook
I love trying new recipes, cooking the foods I grew up with, and putting my own spin on familiar dishes. Sometimes a recipe needs changing. Sometimes it just needs a little more butter.
Create
I'm also a content creator on YouTube, where I share food, cooking, and the things I'm learning along the way. I enjoy turning what happens in my kitchen into something I can share with others.
Craft
When I'm not in the kitchen, I love crafting. Quilting, creating, and learning something new gives me another way to slow down and enjoy making things with my own hands.
The Best Part Is Sharing It
One of my favorite parts of cooking is seeing my family gathered together. There is something special about putting food on the table, everybody digging in, and watching their faces when they approve.
Those gatherings are part of why I enjoy creating recipes and sharing them. Food has a way of bringing people together, and some of my favorite memories have happened around a table with a meal I made myself.
So when I share a recipe here, I'm not trying to make cooking seem complicated. I want to share the food I actually enjoy making and the little things I've learned from spending so many years in the kitchen.
“Trying something new is fun. Seeing my family enjoy it is even better.”
From Dana's kitchenA Little More About Me
Food Is My Happy Place
I can appreciate food from all kinds of cuisines, but give me a homemade meal made with familiar ingredients and I'm happy.
I'm Always Learning
Even after 40 years of cooking, I still enjoy trying something new, changing up an old favorite, and seeing what happens.
I Love Making Things
Cooking isn't the only thing I like to create. Crafting and quilting give me another creative outlet and a chance to learn something completely different.
Family Makes It Matter
At the end of the day, sharing something I've made with the people I love is one of the best parts of all.
Welcome to Everyday Dana
This is my little corner of the internet where I share recipes, cooking experiences, creative projects, and some of the things that make everyday life worth enjoying.
I'm glad you're here.