Get to Know Me — Wife, Mom of 5, and Lover of All Things Food

Get to know me — the real me! I’ve been making so many new friends on social media lately, and I figured it was time for a proper re-introduction. I am Stephanie Longstreth, and I am so glad you are here. I started showing up on social media back in late August, and what has happened since then has completely blown me away. So pull up a chair — let me tell you a little bit about my life, my family, my faith, and why I spend so much time in this kitchen feeding people.

I am 53 years old and I have been married to my love, Jason, for 33 years. We got married when I was 19 and he was 20 — babies, honestly — and we have been doing life together ever since. Jason is a college professor, an elder, and a preacher at a local congregation here in Tampa, Florida. He is one of the hardest working, most faithful people I know, and I am so proud to be his wife.

We have five children — and our family story is one I never get tired of telling. Our first four children came to us through adoption. We went through years of infertility, including a PCOS diagnosis early in our marriage, and we walked a long road before we got to the other side. But we always knew — it didn’t really matter to us whether our children were biologically related to us. We just wanted babies to love. So we chose adoption, and it is one of the greatest decisions we have ever made.

Our oldest daughter is 22 and graduating from college this May. Our second daughter is 20 and graduates next year. Then we have our son, who is 16 and has Down syndrome — and he is an absolute hoot. You’ve probably seen him around here. Then we have our son Alex, who is 13.

And then — right after we adopted Alex, Jason and I turned 40 and thought we were done. Four kids, two boys, two girls. Perfect. God had other plans. After 20 years of marriage and never once being pregnant, I found out I was expecting. Our little surprise baby, Olivia, is almost 13 — just 10 months younger than Alex. We laugh about it all the time.

So yes — we are still very much in the thick of parenting, and I would not trade a single chaotic minute of it.

As a preacher’s wife, I have always loved planning big gatherings — bridal showers, potlucks, get-togethers, all of it. Cooking for a crowd is genuinely my love language. It is where I thrive. That is what brought me here — sharing my recipes, my menus, my kitchen adventures, and all the beautiful mess that comes with feeding seven people every single day.

And if you’re going to get to know me, since we’re doing this: I love Diet Coke, I cannot start the day without coffee, I am not aesthetic, my house is not picture perfect, and I am not going to pretend otherwise — I have seven people living here and I feel like that earns me some grace on the laundry front. You will not see house resets on my feed. What you WILL see is real food, real family, real life.

If you want to shop the tools and pantry staples I actually use in my kitchen every day, head over to my Shop My Kitchen page — it’s organized by category and full of things I genuinely love.

I am so glad you found me. I hope you’ll follow along, keep connecting, and never hesitate to pull up a chair at my table. There is always room for one more.

More from the Longstreth Family

Now that you know a little about me, here are a few more posts to help you get better acquainted with this family!

• Jon’s Adoption Story — Down Syndrome, Big Surgery, and the Baby Who Changed Everything — the full story of our son Jonathan, how he came to us, and why he changed everything about how we see the world.
• Eddie Is Thriving — FIP Treatment Update — meet Eddie, one of our two tabby kittens, and find out how this brave little guy is doing after a serious diagnosis.
• POV: All My Babies Are Under One Roof Tonight — all five kids home at the same time. This is what we live for.

Get to Know Me — About the Longstreth Family

Welcome to the Longstreth family! Stephanie and Jason have been married for 33 years and together they are raising five incredible kids — four of whom came to them through adoption, a cause that is deeply close to their hearts. One of their children has Down syndrome and some special medical needs, and advocating for that community is a passion they share proudly. Jason is a preacher, an elder, and a college professor. Stephanie is a stay at home mom and the heartbeat of this household. Life in the Longstreth home is big, busy, beautiful, and never boring — and they love sharing it with you!

Want more real family life, crowd-friendly recipes, and stories from our table in your inbox every Saturday? Join Stephanie’s weekly newsletter — it’s free, it’s fun, and there’s always room at the table!