Kathy from Mea Ono relaxing in the barnyard.

I grew up during the 50's in a mid-west community that used food to mark all occasions with a big emphasis on desserts! So, making and sharing baked goods has long been one of my primary ways of showing love and appreciation.

I moved to Hawaii in 1970 and raised a son and daughter with my husband Kahele. Along the way I developed recipes guided by the philosophy that if you're going to make a treat - Make Something Memorable!! My goodies were always welcome at family gatherings, school events and pot-lucks.

Find dogs enjoying Mea Ono Homestyle bakery dog biscuits

One of my biggest fans, a friend in the Food Service industry, encouraged me to start a cookie business. In 2001, I opened Mea 'Ono which means "delicious treats" in Hawaiian. My first customers were school sports teams doing fundraising - one baseball team purchased over 5,000 bags of cookies as the players worked to finance a summer trip to New York.

In 2004, my husband and I retired and moved to Shingle Springs California where we built a licensed commercial bakery on our property. In addition to baking, I enjoy horseback riding, camping, managing our donkey, goats and dogs, and working on various community service projects. And, I still show my love and appreciation by sharing cookies and biscotti (and dog biscuits)!!