Auntie Cynthia & All Snack Recipes
Welcome to All Snack Recipes — a heartfelt and flavor-filled food blog where home cooking meets community, and where every recipe carries a story.
I’m Cynthia, but most people around here know me as ‘Auntie Cynthia’, and a few lovingly call me ‘Big Heart’. I’m a 43-year-old self-taught home cook based in Richmond, Virginia, and a proud single mom to an amazing 11-year-old daughter.
My culinary journey began not in culinary school, but in the warmth of my home kitchen — especially during the quiet, uncertain days of the COVID-19 lockdown, when I began cooking daily for my 62-year-old neighbor, Fifi, a woman who once gave endlessly to our community.
What started with full meals quickly turned into a passion for creative and comforting snacks.
I discovered that these little bites of happiness were perfect for brightening up difficult days, for easily sharing with neighbors, and for creating moments of joy with my daughter.
Whether it’s colorful snack boards for our mini neighborhood gatherings or quick and healthy snacks for homeschool breaks, I’ve developed a real love for the art of the perfect snack — simple yet special, accessible yet memorable.
From One Act of Kindness to a Life Mission
What started as a daily plate of food for Fifi became something much bigger — a calling. I found myself cooking for others: elderly neighbors, tired parents, and those simply too overwhelmed to cook nourishing meals. Over time, this evolved into a full-time mission rooted in love, dignity, and delicious food. Every dish I create carries a piece of a story — whether it’s something I learned from Fifi, a recipe passed down from family, or a meal I created for someone who needed a little comfort.
A Journey into Flavor and Community
My style of cooking is intuitive, soulful, and personal. Some recipes were born after ten rounds of testing in my kitchen. Others are memories from my childhood in the 70s. Many are simple meals I made with my daughter at my side. And through it all, I’ve never stopped learning.
As All Snack Recipes grew, it transformed from my personal journey into a collaborative hub, where a team of food lovers, recipe developers, and culinary explorers joined me in sharing recipes, memories, and joy. Today, this blog is a space for comfort food, creative twists, and cooking with heart.
Why All Snack Recipes?
At the core of All Snack Recipes is a simple belief: food brings people together. Whether you’re new to cooking or looking to spice up your weekly meals, we’re here to support and inspire you with recipes that are:
- Simple: Step-by-step and beginner-friendly, so everyone can cook with ease.
- Diverse: From old-school comfort meals to global flavors and new favorites.
- Nourishing: Many dishes highlight wholesome ingredients for balanced living.
- Creative: We encourage you to experiment, adapt, and make each dish your own.
We also share tips, techniques, and customized meal plans, always with the same goal: making home cooking rewarding, joyful, and deeply human.
The Heart Behind the Recipes
I may not have trained in a Michelin-starred kitchen, but what I offer is food made with love, intention, and connection. Every post on this blog — every recipe, every story — is part of a bigger picture: a dream.
My ultimate goal? To open a cozy, love-filled restaurant called Fifi, in honor of the woman who reminded me how powerful it is to show up for someone, one warm meal at a time.
Whether you’re here for a quick snack idea, a comfort dish from childhood, or inspiration to start cooking again — you’re in the right place.
Welcome to the kitchen.
With love,
Auntie Cynthia
(and the All Snack Recipes Team)