About Me

Welcome to The Nightshade Shelf, where the jars are full, the tomatoes disappear before they make it to the kitchen, and things get a little spooky.

I’m a home canner living in NW Tennessee, and I accidentally fell headfirst into canning two years ago. Turns out there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of trapping summer in a jar so you can pop it open in the middle of winter and remember what sunshine tasted like.

I’m hopelessly addicted to warm tomatoes straight off the vine. If you’ve ever found yourself standing in the garden eating one with juice running down your arm, congratulations—we’re friends now.

When it comes to canning, I don’t mess around. No weird shortcuts, no trendy nonsense, and no mystery ingredients I can’t pronounce. I stick to old, tested recipes.

By day, I work for the Amish. Every spare minute outside of work belongs to the garden, where I’m usually chasing tomatoes, peppers, or whatever plant has decided to become the main character that week.

I also share my home with Herman, my cat, who’s named after Herman Munster because I’ve been obsessed with spooky things for as long as I can remember. If a recipe can be paired with a haunted house marathon, even better.

The Nightshade Shelf is part garden journal, part canning notebook, and part love letter to good food. If you’re looking for someone who believes the best ingredient is the one you grew yourself, you’re in the right place.

Now come on in. Mind the cat, admire the jars, and if you catch me sneaking another tomato from the garden… no you didn’t.