So I was thinking I would like to share my life,  the strong independent women behind the Mill. You may have noticed I was missing for about 6 months from the Mill.  Back last May I battled depression and anxiety and took me about 6 months to feel pretty normal again.  So here I am, an open book.  Sometime you may hear me say shit.  Which is a common word in my vocabulary.  Sometime I will repeat the same story 3 times in a week.  Whatever I throw at you, know it is authentic.

I wasn't sure how to start this blog.  In Jen fashion I will start right here... I love to cook.  My new found love for cooking evolved over the past 3 years.  In the old days I would just open a box, crack a can and dumped the ingredients into a crock pot for dinner, the nights I didn't pick up McDonalds.  Now I have found cooking therapeutic.  I enjoy making unique dinner recipes, amazing baked goods and some killer ice-cream. I started The Painted Mill back in 2013 when I was forced to get a job to help support my family of 5.  Fast forward in 2023 and I am still here... 

The only good that came out of covid was, I started cooking from scratch.   I use the freshest ingredients I can find, produce from my garden, beef, fresh milk, cream and eggs from Blue Star Farm in White Hall. (I sound like a commercial)  I have been on a homemade kick for a while now and love sharing my recipes with friends, so I think I would like to share my cooking with you and my gardening.  So I will drop some of my favorite recipes below for you guys to try.   One day I will have my own cookbook....I promise!

My newest obsession is thrifting for old kitchen tools.  You can find some cool old Kitchen tools that have tons of wear and tear.  You know how they say " if these walls could talk" I think if these tools could talk.  Anywho... I apologize for all the grammar and spelling errors you will find in my writing.  At Least you know my content is authentic. I may ramble and jump around my thoughts but that's 100% me being me.  You can see what is actually going on inside my creative brain....

Hi I am Jen and welcome to The Painted Mill!

This is my perfect little family.  My husband JC and my twins Cooper and Parker and my middle schooler Molly.  I didn't even get to my four-legged kids.  That's for another day. 

Fun facts:
I have two left-handed kids...
I have one older brother...
I don't have a filter...
I share everything in my life to whoever will listen...
I love to use dot dot dot... in my typing. 
I have 2 dogs, 3 cats...
I love sitting on the beach listening to the waves crash and watching all the people enjoying themselves...
My favorite vacation spot is Key West Florida...
I love to talk to strangers...
I started the Mill without telling my husband.  I came home one day and said "I rented a building and I am opening a store"...
For some reason I don't have fear. My brain doesn't think "you can't do that"  its the opposite, I think "you go girl".
I don't do mean people...