Farmhouse Kitchen, May 2026
Kelsey Thompson Scott grew up forming biscuit dough in the shadow of her Mawmaw Carolyn.
“My love for cooking began with her,” said Kelsey, the Escambia County Young Farmers Committee chair. “She taught me to make biscuits when I was 7. A lot of people used canned, but she didn’t. She put flour on her hands and tossed dough back and forth until cathead biscuits formed. She was a from-scratch cook.”
Kelsey recalls the kitchen was chronically messy — a sign of hard work and homemade meals.
“She allowed me to have fun in the kitchen,” Kelsey said. “I want to do the same for my daughter, Celia. I don’t want her to depend on store-bought items. My goal is to teach her to feed her family the way my grandmother did. If someone wouldn’t have stopped with me and showed me things, I wouldn’t be able to do it now.”
At just 3, Celia has caught on quickly. Her tiny hands now stir together delicious strawberry cobbler made with fresh, Alabama-grown strawberries. Her “Cookin’ with Celia” social media videos are adored by locals, too.
“One day we were cooking, and Celia was in my way,” Kelsey said. “I moved and let her take over and started videoing her. She wanted to be involved, so I put her on the counter to help me.”
Kelsey and husband Jacob value family time with their children — Thomas, 12, Gage, 11, and Celia. Jacob grows row crops, while Kelsey drives a school bus and handles marketing for a flower shop. The Scotts live near Kelsey’s family cattle operation and logging business.
With Mother’s Day approaching, Kelsey said she’s grateful for time spent learning beside her Mawmaw — and for the chance to pass on those traditions.
“I hope Celia will remember this one day,” Kelsey said. “I gave her life, but she gives me life. I don’t remember life before being a mom. She does drive me nuts, but she gives me a purpose. I have little eyes on me every day. I want to do right by her. I had wonderful grandmothers. I have a great mom. I want to continue that legacy with Celia and our boys. I want them to always feel loved.”