Howdy friend, I’m Mauri!
I can’t wait to help you change the world from your dinner table.
I’m so glad you’re here. This is a place where you’re going to be reminded how much of a difference you can make in the lives of the people around you, just by sharing some meals together.
Because, girlfriend, when the world feels like it’s falling apart around us, one of the best things we can do is build up our families and our communities…
…and I think your dinner table sounds like a wonderful place to start.
As seen in:
I’m a public policy nerd 🤓 turned food blogger 😋
I used to think that I was going to have a *super important* job to make a difference in this world.
I spent a lot of time in DC, a lot of time in school, and a lot of time pouring over books, research, and conversations with people figuring out what that might look like.
But everything kept pointing me back to the same idea:
Stronger families = stronger communities = societies with WAY fewer problems.
I mean, really, what would this world look like if we simply had stronger families? 🤔
(Tooooootally different, right?!)
Now, I certainly don’t want to oversimplify that, but once I started noticing this pattern, I started looking into it even more, and it was like a thousand lightbulbs going off all at once.
After all, it’s primarily in our families that we learn how to…
And, it’s primarily in our families where we develop and understand our identity – who we are and why we’re here.
(And wowee, you don’t need me to tell you that this is a big one these days! Identity & purpose?! Good golley, if we solved these two, we’d solve half the world’s problems, wouldn’t we?!)
So, as I thought through this, I asked…what does it look like to promote stronger families on a really practical level?
I kind of landed on one main idea.
While there are lots & lots of ways to invest in your family & community, one of the biggest and SIMPLEST things you can do, one of the things that’s proven to make the biggest difference is…
🥁🥁🥁
…family dinners!
(I had ya on pins & needles there for a sec, didn’t I? 😉)
And so, it was after consistently running into this pattern of stronger families = stronger society that I realized two of my worlds were about to collide into one.
Here’s the deal:
I could talk about the Constitution, political philosophy, human nature, and Christian apologetics ALL DAY.
(I know, you can just see how in-demand I am as a conversationalist at dinner parties. 😆)
(Aaaaand just to be clear: I didn’t say I know everything about those things. I could just talk about them all day. And ask questions about them all day. And listen to other people talk about them all day. Well, depending on who’s doing the talking. You catch my drift? 😉)
But, you know what else I could talk about all day?
FOOD.
You name the recipe, and I’m all ears. If it’s outta-this-world-delicious, I wanna hear what’s in it, how you made it, and if that recipe has a backstory, I want to know it!
Then, if you’re up for it, I might just tell you about the time that I spent weeks and weeks making a bazillion variations of chocolate chip cookies, just to nail down what we deemed to be the *chef’s kiss* perfect recipe. (#thankscovid)
But, I don’t just love food for food’s sake.
I love it because of how creative we can be with it and then SHARE IT with other people.
Because I’ve also noticed that good food has this delightful way of bringing people together. It’s a bridge-builder of sorts. It helps us develop community and connection with others in an amazing way.
And that’s when more lightbulbs went off.
What if my *super important* job is to…simply help families spend more time together at the table?
After all, there are so many gals like us out there who are concerned for the state of the world.
Who deeply value our families and relationships.
And who really love to cook up & share great food.
So that, my friend, is why I started this little ‘ole business of mine.
In short, I want to help you pair your love of food + your desire to make this world a better place by making it easier for you to sit down & share meals with others at your table.
We all know that life is busy, recipes get boring, meal planning gets hard, and inviting people over can feel overwhelming.
And I know, “don’t even get me started on how hard it is to get everyone at the table at the same time!”
But it’s my mission to make all of those much easier, much more enjoyable, and ultimately, to be a constant cheerleader for you that what you’re doing MATTERS.
Because it totally does. 🤗
I’m the founder of The American Patriette, an avid experimenter of recipes, a lover of Jesus, Momma to 3 munchkins who will happily lick the bowl after making a batch of our favorite chocolate chip cookies, and your biggest cheerleader for gathering with others ‘round your table.
Beginning at the age of three, I started spending a lot of time in Washington, D.C. with my dad. He’d travel there for work & bring me along with him. We visited countless offices and talked to tons of people during the almost two-ish decades of me in tow. Boy howdy, could I tell you some stories! 😉
That’s where my love of America started, but that’s definitely not where it ended.
Once I got a little older, I was sure I’d do something to serve her well. But after I went through a lot of school, worked a bit, and lived some life, I realized – so much of what I hoped to accomplish in life wasn’t going to take place in big buildings or prestigious institutions. (Although, those are pretty cool.)
Nope, it was going to be right here in our homes, around dinner tables from sea to shining sea.
We thrive on having a revolving door into our house (and then, you know, rejoice a bit when we get to take a nap 😉), and I’m constantly trying to evaluate how to love people at my table even better. I’ve learned so many things from others who’ve loved us well at their tables & in their homes…I have great examples to follow! When I pick up new tips and tricks, I gladly share them here. 🙂
I’ve frequently witnessed how much it means to someone to get a simple invite to join us for a meal or be on the receiving end of a batch of cookies, and when it comes to our own family dinners, I’ll find out in about 20 years how well they paid off, but doggone it, I’m committed to them and I’m hopeful they’ll be some of our kids’ fondest memories as they grow up.
I hope and pray our table is serving others well, and I’m certain yours will do the same.
I can’t wait to help you change the world from your doorsteps!
What Readers are Saying…
“I love these recipes and make them often!“
– Rachel B.
“Mauri has great recipes, recommendations and ideas! She introduced me to USA pans, which was a game changer!”
– Kathy S.
“Tried and true recipes, intelligent conversation and a willingness to help. “
– Elaine M.
“I’ve never made something that myself and others haven’t loved from your blog!“
– Hannah S.
Easy peasy! Send me a DM on Instagram or email me at mauri(at)theamericanpatriette.com. I love hearing from readers!
Well goodness, you’ve made it all the way down here! Which can only mean one thing: you’re as nosy curious as I am, sister! 🙌
I’m a total sucker for “About pages,” too – I love a great backstory! So, if you’re sticking around because you wanna know a little more, let’s play a lighting round of “get to know you,” shall we?!
Favorite show? I Love Lucy. Hands-down.
What do you collect? Non-fiction books on my nightstand (it gets about 2 inches taller every couple of weeks – dern thing is growing like a weed!), floral print everything, and Texas home decor. Also, podcast episodes. Seeing my queue of them each day makes me giddy. #ilovetolearn
Fave music? Anything George Strait, and anything 80s or 90s country. Totally my jam and brings me back to the “good ‘ole days.”
Go-to snack? Chips & salsa. If you’re from the Lone Star State and that’s not your answer, can you even call yourself a Texan?
Who do you root for? The Fightin’ Texas Aggies. And so do my kids. My husband and I are lovers of democracy, but this is one of those areas where they don’t have a choice. (I mean, even if they did, would they really choose anything else?)
Education? I got my undergrad in political science (surprise!) at my beloved Texas A&M, and I also have a Master’s in Theological Studies & a Master’s in Public Policy. I’m also a graduate of the Colson Fellows program. I really, really love to learn. I’d say it’s a problem, but there are worse habits, right?
What about your fam? Oh they are FUN. I’m married to a high school U.S. Government teacher who loves bringing his subject matter to life for his students. Aaron would make any one of you want to go back and retake high school civics in his class. He’s brilliant, and he teaches me more than I’ll ever be able to teach him. He’s a proud veteran of the U.S. Army, an outrageously awesome dad to our kiddos (and our dog!), and my resident dish washer when I make huge messes (all.the.time) in our kitchen. I have 3 munchkins who are an absolute delight and remind me every day of the beauty of God and my dependence on Him. Also, we have big extended families and I could squeeze them to pieces. I love my people so much.
Talents? My not-so-hidden talents include making messes in my kitchen, starting too many projects, and using entirely too many words to provide detailed explanations (which you’ve clearly figured out by now). Also, I have an impressive capacity for dessert.
Why America? Why not a general focus on food & hospitality around the world? This is the place I know best. This is where I was born and raised, and I’ve loved her for as long as I can remember. This is the country my husband fought for. This is the country my husband’s teammate died for (and if we didn’t already remember that multiple times per day, our son, Coffland, is named after him and reminds us of that sacrifice every time his name is spoken). This is the country that has given me and millions of other people opportunities the rest of the world would give anything to have. In short, because this is my HOME and I love her.
Absolutely, 100% most important thing I should know about you? I am a treasured creation of the Lord. (And YOU are, too!) I love that Jesus loves us absolutely, positively, astronomically more than we can ever fathom, even though I make mistakes and messes (and I often make really, really big ones). I take great joy in that forgiveness and grace, and Lord knows I need those more than anyone. I hope, more than anything else, that I share that same joy with you!