Well, Mom is a survivor, and she is still with us. (I think we, her children, really need all this advance notice, so to be able to let her go when the time actually does come.)

In my mind, I've been running through all the many things she has done for me. Her cooking, using whole grains and beans, was excellent, but fairly lost on me while I was growing up. I wanted Wonder bread bologna sandwiches and Pringles, like all my friends.

So, as soon as I grew up and moved out of the house, I lived out that dream, of eating the way I thought the rest of the world was living life. I immediately put on pounds. Not a Freshman 15, but a hefty 50! And felt terrible. My Mom kindly mentioned I looked a little chubby just around my cheeks, but in my heart, I knew ALL my cheeks were chubby.

When I finally got my act together, my patient Mom mailed me all her recipes, and whoosh, I dropped all the weight, without any effort at all. And I felt very satisfied, not deprived. This was the life, eating great. Thanks, Mom.

Hi I'm Tanna.

Welcome to Wild Oats and Aprons!

How do you make whole grains as accessible, fast, and craving-good as your favorite restaurant food? Good news; I've got about a million ways. Consider these classes and instruction your own personal Kennedy Space Center, launching you on your own fun journey with whole grains. You will be amazed at how easy and super tasty whole grains can be, and how many ideas will come to you, once you start out. In fact, it would be my best compliment if YOU became better than me, coming up with multiple ideas of your own.

Some have asked me about the glamour girl logo, if I think its a likeness of me.

Good grief, no! She's a "bread babe", and me, at age 45, could be considered more of a 'bread broad'--but don't call me that. That would make me feel all unhappy inside. We both have blond hair and blue eyes, and we both smile a lot, but thats where the likeness ends. (Btw, the wild oats girl, as well as my website, were designed by my incredibly talented niece. Check out her work: http://www.kikiandsquishy.com/chris/info.html

Still, is "bread babe" too cutie-pie for representing whole grain living? I know, right? When you think of whole grains, don't you picture unshaven legs, no make-up, no style? Ha! That was so last decade. You and I are going to make whole grains CHIC! Whole grain dishes will be soon fought over at potlucks, for sure. The Wild Oats and Aprons Bread Babe represents YOU, the customer: smart, chic, happy, super cool. Yeah! Run with it.

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Now on a personal note. At present, my wonderful mother is dying. She has had Alzheimer's for some 15 years now. She is my inspiration, my teacher. She was the original Wild Oats and Aprons girl! Just about every adult day of her life she cooked up whole grains, in incredibly delicious ways.

And even though we, her 13, yes! 13 children (I'm the youngest), will be happy she will soon be free, it will be devastation to not have her with us anymore. I hope I live my life in honor of her. I hope I can share with all of you her vast knowledge and experience with wholesome food, as well as her goodness.

So onward! using whole grains, THE NEW COMFORT FOOD. You just wait! If you don't already, you are soon going to LOVE everything about whole grains!

Enjoy the ride. And thanks for your interest. You won't be disappointed.