Our Recipe Books

My name is Ephratah Schwennesen, and from the time I was a young child I have enjoyed working in the kitchen, cooking, baking, and trying out new recipes. My mother loved to cook and passed her skills on to her five daughters.

When I was in my early 20s, I started a catering business, and also managed the kitchen for after church meals and large fundraiser banquets. I now have a husband and four children, and I still love finding new recipes and cooking in my kitchen, serving meals to my family and having friends over for dinner.

As a young teenager I developed a love for cooking and baking for my family, which was further fueled when I took a homemaking class in middle school. My love for cooking and all things homemaking has endured well over 30 years!

Now married, my husband Robert – who is a fantastic cook – and I have found incredible joy in creating meals together for our family and friends. Over the years, I have acquired an extensive cookbook collection and love reading about various cooking and baking techniques as well as the origins of specialty ingredients and recipes. While my husband and I are passionate about cooking dishes authentic to our Mexican heritage we really enjoy learning and experimenting with recipes and cuisines from around the world.

In 2020 I began the pursuit of learning to bake sourdough bread. I now have a small cottage business named The Freckled Bee, making and selling sourdough bread at the Homestead Weekly Market here in Waco. Aside from cooking and baking, I enjoy gardening and find much fulfillment in sharing the skills I've learned in all these areas with others. I am looking forward to sharing the recipes and knowledge I've gleaned over the years with all of you!

I began cooking at a fairly early age. I remember making the first complete meal for my family at age 8. My mother and grandmother did catering, and had food businesses that I was always included in. This helped train me to pay attention to details and presentation. When my husband and I began a family of our own, I found joy in making meals that my family and guests would love. I have always enjoyed creating weeknight dinners and even lunches that are simple and yet elevate the ordinary. It’s such a great way to show love to the people around me. I now have several binders of tried and true recipes that I have repeated many times over the years and look forward to sharing them here with you.

Hello I’m Erin, wife of artist Daniel Anz and mother of four beautiful children. I have always enjoyed cooking- first for my three younger brothers and now for my own family. I’m not a ‘fancy’ cook but I love making meals that my family gets excited about every time I put them on the dinner table. My oldest daughter is 16 now and we often cook for the family together. She loves good food and cooking together is even better than doing it by myself!