More About Us
Cast Iron Recipes, Katie M Chase, and the Foodie Movement are all created and managed by Katie M Chase. Contact via email: [email protected]
Who is Katie Chase?
Katie Chase is a Maine born and raised country girl to a Bible preaching, first-generation farming family. Katie met her husband Travis, who also happened to be from Maine, in 2011 while both serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. Within a year of marrying and having their first son, the decision was made for Katie to become a stay-at-home-mom. 6 years, three kids, and a cross country move later, Katie and Travis are out of the military raising their children to respect the land, their food, and heritage.
Katie’s passion has always been to have a house full of children and to create a safe home for all their friends to enjoy. Her love of homemade, sustainable cooking and baking lends itself well to the constant state of growth her family and businesses seem to be in. She enjoys connecting with and teaching others the art of heritage cooking over a campfire and bowl of apple crisp.
The ones I cook for…
God love ’em. This man and these kids keep me on my toes for sure. Weekly foot rubs are a must around here. With the two older, Hunter and Fisher, just starting school and into sports, we’re always on the move. Add in the two littles, Elijah and Hazel, who literally will not stand still and get into everything… I’m on my feet a lot. Most of the time it’s in the kitchen – now with a newborn on my hip! Many growing babies and hungry mouths make for a busy kitchen.
Why I started food blogging
That kid on the left, Hunter, is my oldest. He’s the one that made me a mom and proved the doctors wrong.
For many years the doctors told me it would be near impossible for me to have kids but when Travis and I got married, nine months later we had a beautiful, healthy boy.
At that time we were both still in the Coast Guard and Hunter started having breathing issues. After a trip to the ER and a few specialists later, the problem had been discovered and we were doing what we could to fix it.
However, I was on a ship that was getting ready to deploy, Travis was on a crazy schedule, family lived across the country from us, and oh-yeah… I found I was pregnant with Fisher when Hunter was just 6-months-old.
It’s crazy now to think of how it all played out, but God had our path laid before us. I ended my military career sooner than anticipated and just as I was getting used to being a new mom, I became a mom to Irish twins.
Another baby and a move cross country
After a bit of time passed, Travis and I decided it was best for him to end his career early as well and migrate back home to Maine from California. We were both looking forward to being close to family again. The joy of being home just increased as we welcomed our third baby Elijah to the family.
Eli was born with a bit of an infection, so we had to stay in the hospital for over a week after he was born. I will never forget how hard that was to not see my other kids for that long and the snow storms prohibiting Travis from visiting didn’t help either. However, it was during that time that I started really diving into photography.
It was in that hospital room with our new baby boy that I fell in love with him, light, shadows, reflections, and developed a true gifting for photography.
Finally! A minion in my corner
Only a few years and a couple of cameras later, we welcomed Hazel into the family. She was the ice cream on top of our apple crisp skillet. She perfectly rounded out our family and make cooking even more of a necessity. She also helped me in a home where I was severely outnumbered by the amount of testosterone coming my way in teenage years…
BUT WAIT! There’s more!!
If Hazel was the ice cream, Timber is the cherry! Early this year, 2020, we welcomed our last baby – a boy named Timber. He’s handsome, sweet, and already in love with spending time on me in the kitchen.
How I started food blogging
My love for photography developed, deepened, and expanded over the years. I’ve now done it all professionally from newborns to weddings, events to elopements, and families to food.
Then vs now…
However, in this season of life, food and children are my favorite. I found this thing called food blogging right around the time I had Elijah, that allowed me to continue in my passion for photography while being at home. I went through many blogs at first, and have learned a ton over the years before finally landing and settling on Katie M Chase and now Cast Iron Recipes.
Because I’m an education nerd at heart, I’ve learned and continue to learn everything I can about social media, marketing, SEO, photography, composition, video, organization, and more! If it plays any part in running a business or a blog, I’m going to study it. I even teach other food bloggers now!
Growing these babies, building businesses, feeding their tummies and my dreams all at the same time is just more than I could ever ask for. To be able to do both and literally put food on the table for them is just a priceless gift.
