Hi there!  I’m Leia.

 

Welcome to my blog, Eat It & Say Yum!  I hope you find something you like here, and that you will come back often.  The purpose of this blog is for me to share recipes, ideas, crafts, a bit of cake decorating, etc.  I, like most other people, love food.  I believe people come together over food.  Family dinner time is something I was taught to value from a young age, and I have carried that tradition on with my own family.  Let’s eat and talk together with our loved ones.  Use my recipes to warm the hearts and bellies of those you love.  Take time to cook together and grow those relationships.

I live with my cute family in Billings, MT.  And I LOVE it here!  Seriously, come visit.  I am a devout Christian as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  That defines so much of who I am.  I am glad to have you here, reading along with me.  Continue on to find out a little more about me and about how this blog came to be.

My dad always taught my siblings and I to eat the food we were given.  Out of respect for my mom, and all her efforts to prepare food for us, he would always say “Eat it and say yum!”  That saying stuck, and actually became a bit of a joke to our family.  Luckily for us kids, my mom was, and is, a fantastic cook!  She is famous by all who know her for her amazing dishes, and especially her cinnamon rolls.  She has her own secret recipe.  I don’t have permission to share it with you all yet, but maybe someday!

I’ve learned so much from my mom.  She really loves cooking and baking and I inherited that love from her.  She was always so good about letting me help in the kitchen, even when I made huge messes.  (I’ve got the pictures to prove it!)  Now, I’ve created my own reputation for preparing good food, and I want to share that with people. So, when I decided to pursue a food blog, it was a no brainer, and the name came easily.  Eat It & Say Yum.

About my life…  I married my best friend 18 years ago.  We met in college, and became fast friends.  Two years later we married and soon there after started growing our family.  We now have 5! wild, crazy, rambunctious, fun, and active kids.  We have lived all over the country, but are now comfortablly settled in the BIGGEST town in Montana!

 

Birth of a blog… I am a stay at home mom, which is GREAT, but I definitely felt that I wanted to DO something.  I needed an outlet, something that was mine.  So that played a big part in driving me to start this blog.  I wanted to document my favorite foods, and do something fun.  People were always asking me for recipes, so I thought I would make it easy for friends to find those recipes, and be able to share with a bigger audience as well.

The recipes I share here are some of my family’s favorites.  Some recipes have been passed down through generations, some are newer, but just as loved.  My purpose in writing each post is to share great food, possibly a story, and a bit of my life with you.  As the blog has progressed I have learned, and grown, and really enjoyed being a blogger.  I have also found that I have a love for photography, and a lot to learn, still…

So stick around, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.  Let me know if you follow me, so I can return the favor.  Have a great day!

Also,  at some point in history I have been, a contributor on The Love Nerds,  Life With Crust Cut Off, Omaha Steaks blog- Steakbytes.com, and 365 Days of Baking.

 

*****Disclaimer:  Concerning the content on my blog:  All photos I use are mine, unless otherwise stated.  All opinions are my own.  All recipes I use are my own creation (possibly inspired by others), recipes from my family or friends, or recipes that have been adapted from others.  In the case of a recipe being adapted or inspired, I pledge to give due credit to the source of the original recipe.  I am not out to steal from anyone else, or take credit that is not due to me.  I blog with a clear conscience, knowing I am doing something I love, while still respecting others.  I hope to be respected by my readers and others in the blogging community, and I will respect those who treat others fairly as well.  *****