I’m Jenn Giam Smith
With a passion for all things food, I jumped on this journey to share my love for food with all of you!
I’m sharing my dad’s tips, tricks, and secrets from over 30 years as a chef, family recipes, and I’ll also pepper in a few fun ideas to do with your family.
My Story, Let’s start at the beginning
I’m Jennifer Smith, owner, creator, photographer, content creator, and pretty much everything else for this blog. A wife (yes, Mrs. Smith), mother, daughter, sister, and homemaker (which is a whole other list of attributes), a huge baseball fan, and always enjoys a good football game.
I was born and raised in the state of Wisconsin, by Texan parents (an interesting story that may be shared another day) along with my younger (and only) brother (who, I am proud to say, served as a member of our Armed forces).
I grew up with a mix of cultures. My dad is Chinese and came to the US at a young age. He was the one in the kitchen (he is the reason for my true appreciation for food). My Grandparents brought parts of my Chinese heritage to life with every visit and I hold those memories so close to me. Especially as they got older and visits were fewer.
My mom was a not-so-typical Southern lady. The eternal optimist, determined and stubborn (Ok, that might be typical), she was also ahead of her time. She was the do-all in our family; fixing things in the house, and she enjoyed working with wood, laying tile, knitting, crocheting, sewing, and pretty much anything else that encompasses DIY. She was the one who showed me that being a woman didn’t mean it had to limit you it should empower you.
Fast Forward…
I’m now married to an amazing husband, and father to my children, Nate. A true blue Wisconsinite (and all that entails), from hunting and fishing to hiking and boating, if he can find a way to be outside, he will (yes, even in the coldest of winter days). He is a cornucopia of talents and an amazingly patient person. Especially with me and the many ideas, I throw at him. “Love you, Honey”!
In fact, He’s the main reason for this blog. I had just started to stay home with our (then) two kids. He suggested I start a blog sharing my recipes, photos, DIYs, and our outdoorsy Wisconsin life.
We have 5 amazing children who remind me daily of how great it is to be alive (and also remind me of how human I am).
We enjoy everything that the Midwest (especially Wisconsin) has to offer, UW Badger fans to the end, and couldn’t be happier with the many blessings we have been given. Spending time together (especially outside) is always at the top of the list and we truly love where we currently call home.
Behind the Name (and Change)
Originally, this blog was called Smith Country. The name came to be because when I started this blog, we were living on a 100-year-old farm in Black Earth Wisconsin. Enjoying everything that the outdoors had to offer and embracing the slower-paced simple life.
Today, I have 2 teenagers and 3 little children, and let me tell you, slow-paced is NOT the name of the game. We live outside of La Crosse WI now, still enjoying the outdoors and everything it has to offer, but closer enough that we can enjoy La Crosse itself and all that this adorably small town/city has to offer. So the Blog Changed to Always, Jenn Smith.
Then I decided I wanted to really encompass everything. So I dropped the always and went with using just my name. Which is why now it’s Jenn Giam Smith
Why don’t you share photos of your kids?
One thing you might notice, I don’t share a lot of photographs of my children (minus a hand or two or the back of them as they walk away). My oldest kids are old enough and have said that they do not want to be out on the internet (and before you say anything, they don’t have social media either) unless they know and approve the photos. My 3 youngest children are not old enough to really understand what my blog would mean, and so therefore I respect the possibility that they may not want to be on the internet in their older years. Of course, as time goes on, this might change. but for now, you won’t really seem much, if any of my kids.
My Family’s Favorites
Recipe: Asian Cucumber Salad
I love, love, love this salad! Cucumbers are wonderfully cooling and even with that touch of spice, this salad is still a welcome snack during the summer heat. I went on a bit of a hiatus eating this salad, I grew up with my dad eating it a lot in the summers and when I was little, cucumbers were not my thing. but recently, I came back to it, want to try it again, and found a new love for it. I introduced it to my husband this year and he loves it so much that he said he wants to grow some cucumbers just so I can make it.
