Cookpad Ambassador Spotlight: Meet Maureen!

Hi my name is Maureen, I love cooking and being creative with food. I cooked meals for my family since I was 15 yrs old, 40 yrs ago now! I later married had children and have taught them what I have learned.

I have 5 children and 9 grandchildren so any type of get togethers where we’re all in my house makes me so happy. Cooking and feeding the family is so exciting, especially the grandkids being together. We all live close by too.

I joined Cookpad to put my recipes on as it's for home cooks not chefs -  well there are one or two chefs - but it's mainly home cooks and it focuses on the recipes. That is what inspired me to invent, create and add other ways of cooking.

Also I became very confident through joining Cookpad. You would not believe how much I have learned about other cultures, the different recipes and different ways of cooking mean that we at home never have the same meal again in the same week! It has become a passion of mine now and I do enjoy being part of the Cookpad team and encouraging others to cook.

20 years ago I went back to college for 4 years. I have a Welfare Diploma, G.N.V.Q in health and social care. I also did 2 years of counselling. Just 12 months after getting my diploma I was pregnant. I had already had Billy who was 8 months old and had to put my career on hold. It's hard to leave 2 babies. I had 3 grown up and my younger 2 when I was 40 yrs and 41yrs. Never regretted it so that given me lots of time to cook.

My husband Tony loved to try these new recipes at home, he thought it was like going out for a meal as it was different every evening.

Since joining Cookpad my confidence has grown I'm not afraid to try new herbs and spices. I am a lover of chilli, peppers and spices and I have built quite an array of herbs and spices from all over. Having the spices I have added some together and made a few different flavours. Hot and spicy are my favourites, also garlic and ginger ….. I can't be without those two.

My husband passed away in November and I know Cookpad helped a lot giving us little tasks of cooking and putting recipes up and little competitions throughout the months has helped me enormously, giving little tasks to create or cook filled my days and helped me focus. The Cookpad team and Sonia run Cookpad so efficiently sometimes asking for ideas and what as a community we can come up with to do.

I have been inspired by other cooks from all over the world. It has grown into a massive family-friendly app.

You can follow Maureen on Cookpad here for more great recipes from her Liverpool home kitchen.