About

About me - Food writer, recipe developer and influencer, Ellen Folkman.

About Ellen

Welcome to Family Around the Table! I’m so glad you’re here. Here you’ll find incredibly delicious recipes that will bring your family to the table.

Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert, it doesn’t matter. While baking is my passion, I strive to create and share recipes people will enjoy. Recipes that you can get on the table quickly on a busy night but also dishes suitable for special occasions and entertaining.

My Mom and my kids are the inspiration for Family Around the Table. My Grandmother too. I remember my Grandmother making fresh pasta for dinner. She was from Italy and a very good cook so I come by my love of cooking naturally.

My Mom inherited her cooking skills too. As a kid my Mom would make 3 pies a week, yes you read that right, making the crusts from scratch. My Dad and brother were eager recipients of apple and cherry pies, among others. Her pumpkin pie is a family favorite to this day.

A photo with Gesine Bullock Prado.

I am always eager to learn new cooking techniques. I often take cooking classes so I can bring more recipes to the site for you to try. I’ve taken classes at various places including Sugar Glider Kitchen, Sur la Table, and King Arthur Baking School in Vermont.

Four people standing at the Southernmost Point bouy in Key West, FL

About My Family

There is nothing more important in the world to me than my family. In addition to being a wife and mom to 2 teenage boys who love to help me in the kitchen, I enjoy travel, photography, crafting, and preserving memories through scrapbooking.

My husband and I have over 30 years of combined experience in the Wine and Spirits industry, making cocktails another favorite topic to write about. If you love margaritas, especially, I have a number on the site. Frozen and on the rocks. I would say my favorite is my frozen strawberry margarita, which is perfect for poolside sipping.

You’ll also find tips like ideas for using up leftover candy canes, good ideas on how to make the ordinary special, like upping your hot chocolate game and shortcuts as well as a few fun crafty ideas thrown in for excitement.

I hope to include a few more crafty ideas in the future that go along with some party planning. We celebrated a graduation last year and have another in a couple of years and it was fun to make some decorations with my Cricut.

Where I’ve Been Published

You can find content I’ve written at Edible Tampa Bay, and Tampa Bay Times, including a variety of cookbook reviews..I have also had recipes published on Taste of Home and in numerous Gooseberry Patch cookbooks.

I was a brand ambassador for Rodelle products until they discontinued the program in 2022. This recipe for Hot Chocolate Balls was part of their 2021 Cookie Celebration, an event they host every year where their brand ambassadors share cookie recipes for the holidays.

Sign up for my newsletter to get exclusive content in each one. That could be tips, an unpublished recipe, or something from a relevant site that is interesting. I often include a link to purchase one of my favorite products. That could be my favorite instant-read thermometer, a favorite cookbook, or a baking sheet I love.

So there’s a little bit about me! If you’re interested in working with me for recipe creation, influencer options, or a cookbook or product review? Contact me through any social media messaging or email me at [email protected]. I’m happy to send along my media kit for review. It’s updated regularly.

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