Welsey Jeffers, Bourbon, IN

I am glad to join this project for the Indiana Foodways Alliance. I have always taken pride in being from Indiana and hope to find out more about the state. I was drawn to this project after it was presented in class. Our professor was asked to help find a graphics student to participate in the IFA project. Out of several interested students, I was the one chosen to participate in the project.

My connections to food are like everyone else: I need food to live, but I am very fond of food. I even did a poster of food for a class. Even after all this, though, I would not consider myself a "foodie." I am not motivated by food, but I do indulge in it.

I watch the Food Channel occasionally. My favorite show on the Food Network is “Ace of Cakes,” a show about Charm City Cakes in Baltimore. The theme of the show is cake decorating that is taken to the extreme.

The favorite food concept is lost on me. I like most foods. It is almost as easier to list the foods I don’t like: peas, macaroni and cheese, and anything fish or seafood. My favorite foods are pizza, cheese, and chicken. However, that list is constantly being evaluated.

The worst part is that no matter how much I like food, I am still a picky eater. I eat what I know I like and don’t often try something too different.

Overall, I enjoy cooking and baking, but usually require a recipe. I will sometimes start with a recipe and alter it in a way that I like. Other times, I get creative and make up my own recipe.

As for what I bring to the team, I bring knowledge of the area where I grew up ­– Bourbon, Ind. Others in the group also bring knowledge of their areas of Indiana. I am from northern Indiana. My home county is Marshall and is located in the area referred to as Michiana.