Brandie Skibinski - Food Blogger

Brandie Skibinski grew up as a Navy brat ("that’s what they call us military kids") in Norfolk, Virginia. Eventually, she married a Navy man. Her husband is out of the military now and they live in beautiful Southwest Virginia, near the Appalachian mountains.

Brandie is a momma that also works outside the home, so she said she understands the daily challenges of balancing home life and work--as well as all the day-to-day tasks (like finding time to get to the grocery store and putting a good meal on the table quickly!).

When she was a kid, Brandie said she loved to put together food.

"I can remember the first thing I ever learned to cook properly was a fried egg," Brandie said. "Then, I moved up to crepes filled with grape jelly and sprinkled with powdered sugar. I was 12 and apparently I thought that was very gourmet. What can I say, my mom indulged me."

Brandie describes her style of cooking as everyday family meals--meals that don’t take a whole day to prepare that she said she still feels good about serving to her family.

"For me, it isn’t just about the meal," Brandie said.  "It’s about taking time out of our busy days to spend 30 minutes at the dinner table and reconnecting."

Brandie said she started her blog, The Country Cook, because she wanted to keep track of her recipes and her family’s recipes for future generations.

"It was a way for me to not just share a list of ingredients and directions, but to share the story behind those recipes," Brandie said. "We all have family traditions and family recipes. No matter how humble or how simple the ingredients and recipes may be, they are ours and we owe it to our kids to pass on that legacy.

Brandie's Links:

The Country Cook

Facebook

Twitter

Brandie's Recipes on AllFreeSlowCookerRecipes:

3-Ingredient Party Meatballs Recipe

1950s Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Baked Potatoes with Thanksgiving Leftovers

Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Celery Slaw

Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

Classic Macaroni and Cheese

Classic Taco Soup

Comforting Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Country Chili With Cornbread

Country Goodness Lemon Garlic Chicken

Creamy Herbed Fingerling Potatoes

Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy

Creamy Tortellini and Sausage Stew

Fancy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Five Ingredient Beef Tips and Gravy

Gooey Chocolate Spoon Cake

Ham and Potato Corn Chowder

Kansas City BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Lazy Day Chicken and Stuffing

Loaded Potato Soup for Slow Cooker

Pulled Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

Restaurant-Style Garlic Parmesan Chicken

Slow Cooker Beef Dip Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Slow Cooker Creamy Italian Chicken

Slow Cooker Creamy Hot Chocolate

Slow Cooker Cube Steak with Gravy

Slow Cooker Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast

Slow Cooker Party Meatballs

Slow Cooker Pecan Pie

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Gravy

Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos

Slow Cooker Soup Beans and Ham

Smothered Pork Chops and Potatoes

So Cheesy Lasagna

Tortellini Meatball Soup 

Vegetarian Black Bean Chili