Even though I was born and raised in the south suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, I really grew up around a campfire in central Ohio. Every weekend we left for the family cabin by the lake, where inevitably there would be a Saturday night bonfire with wobbly folding chairs, marshmallows, and my dad's guitar strumming Roger Miller songs.

It was in the woods around the lake that I gained my real love for the out-of-doors, and so after venturing off ot college, it only made sense that I studied geology -- the only major that required hiking boots. It was in those hiking boots that I met my husband. We were stuck together like coal and fireclay (see below), and soon after graduation we were married.

After college and before kids, I worked for a coal and limestone mining company and spent my time crawling around in mines, picking ticks off my head, and watching rock explode. Every girl's dream, right? But I gave it all up to be a stay-at-home mom who is usually never home.

Since motherhood, my interests have varied from teaching music classes to children ages 0-3, teaching cooking classes, Ohio earthquakes, and debuting as the notorious "Campfire Karrie."

But with all of these activities I've been able to spend heaps of time with my wonderful family.  This time together provides me with so many humorous and heartwarming emotions, I just had to write them down.  And "Small Town Soup" was born. 

"Small Town Soup" debuted in 2003 online. In 2005 it began appearing in local newspapers. Why is it called "Small Town Soup?" Because I live in a small town. And because I love soup. And both small towns and soup make me happy.

Other things that make me happy? Coffee. Oatmeal cooked over a campstove. Bluegrass music. Stretch denim and wrinkle-free cotton. The Fourth of July. Eating beans right out of the garden. Morning cuddles with my kids. And most likely, more coffee.

The Family

The McAllisters live in a small jelly-loving town in northeastern Ohio. Always good sports about being the main characters of my rants, my husband and I have three children: a daughter (6), a son (4), and a new baby girl. Nearly 200 pounds of dog also live on the premisis-- a black lab named Belle and a bloodhound named Norma Jean. Our dogs are quite possibly the stinkiest animals on the planet, but we love them. We also are host parents for Curly the fish, who at this rate will probably outlive all of us.
See more photos here, although they are outdated... You can also find random photos posted on my Small Town Soup Blog (STS Blog).