Hi friends,
It's been a while since we've talked, and I've missed hearing from you! I wanted to pop in here on this old blog of ours to say hello and catch you up on what I've been busy with.
Since January, I've been quietly building something new: Elegant Meals Made Simple. I officially launched it on March 1st, and I'm so excited about what God is doing in me and through me with it. It's been a labor of love — part cooking, part hosting, part faith, all heart.
Over there, I offer monthly menu plans, hosting tips, and free recipes from time to time. If you're ever throwing a special party or gathering, I also do custom menu design. I'd love for you to check it out at www.elegantmealsmadesimple.com, and if you haven't already, please consider joining the blog while you're there — I'd love to stay connected with you in that space too.
Now, on to the fun part. I'm currently a Semi-Finalist in the Favorite Chef 2026 competition, and the next two weeks are the ones that matter most. Semi-Finals wrap up this coming Thursday, and I need to be in 1st place to advance to the Finals — and then, hopefully, all the way to the win.
If you have Facebook, would you consider voting for me daily between now and Thursday? Every single vote counts, and it truly does add up.
Here's my voting link: https://favchef.com/2026/michele-cole
And if anyone feels led to donate toward the competition, I'd love for you to reach out to me directly first — I want to be strategic about timing so donations have the biggest impact. The best windows are 2x vote days or the very last day and hour of the competition, so let's coordinate if that's something you're interested in.
I miss hearing from you all, and I'd be so grateful for your support — whether that's a vote, a share, a prayer, or just a quick hello back. Thank you for walking this road with me, even from a distance.
With so much gratitude,
Michele
P.S. We celebrate Ken's BIG 60 birthday 7/30. We are surely getting old (er). Life has been good but challenging...and we are still praying and believing for God to open doors for the vision. His timing, not ours.... and so we continue to wait.
Please message me and let me know how you are doing! I'd love to hear from you and pray for you too!
