Whenever I have the opportunity (which is never often enough, considering my busy schedule), I truly delight in sitting down and watching Home & Family on the Hallmark Channel. With all the talk shows that discuss politics, gossip, and more negative things in this world of ours, it’s simply a breath of fresh air to watch a morning talk show that features good news and family-friendly content. I don’t remember when I first noticed Maria Provenzano, but as the show has been featuring her more often in recent times, I decided it was time to reach out to her for an interview–to which she ecstatically agreed!

RH: Maria, thank you for taking the time to chat with me today.

MP: Ruth, it is my pleasure. Thank you so much for reaching out.

When I told the fans I was going to be interviewing you, one of the fans said to tell you how much they like your Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe. They said it is their go-to recipe.

Yay! Yes, I have an oatmeal raisin cookie recipe on my website. I’m a cookie monster. I love cookies! And that recipe is one of the most popular recipes on my website. I created is because my mother-in-law loves oatmeal raisin cookies. I made it my mission to make a good recipe for her, so I did a lot of trial and error on that one.

I know I’ve seen you on Home & Family for quite a while now, and whenever I get a chance to watch, I always know that your segments are going to be making good recipes or doing fun crafts. So how did you get started doing all this?

I was just talking with my mom about this the other day. I grew up doing this. I don’t know how to not do it. My mom did crafts with us when we were kids. Back in the ’80s when puffy paint was really popular, I had like a million shirts that were “puffy-painted.” My mom is a crafter. She taught us to sew, knit, cross stitch–things like that. And I grew up in the kitchen making everything from scratch. I didn’t know that people actually went to the store and bought cookie dough. I think it was more in the ’80s and ’90s that people used to get premade cookie dough out of the jug. But I didn’t know that even existed. In my world, I didn’t know that people bought jelly or canned sauces because we always made everything.

So for me, that’s why I created my website “From Scratch With Maria.” The blogging world happened, and I thought, “How great is this? Now everyone has websites!” I had people asking me all the time…like if we were getting together with friends, “Oh what’s your recipe for those cookies or sauce or whatever?” So then I was like, “I’m just gonna start my website as a place for me to document all the things that I was doing already.” Then it became a go-to place for people to go and find my recipes. So it started out as simple as that. And then it really grew into what it is now. And it’s really like another child to me. {laughs} My website is really like my third child because I put so much love into it. And then I was fortunate enough to be a part of Home & Family, which is a career that lets me do all these fun things. It’s just so amazing.

Maria’s older son

How long have you been with Home & Family?

I always use my son as a gauge to help me remember. My son is four and a half, and I did my first segment when he was thirteen months. It will be four years in October. I had been on the show doing segments here and there as a regular contributor to the show, but it was this season that they brought me on full-time back in September. Then I had my baby in October, and I went back five weeks later for our Thanksgiving show. And I’ve been working ever since then. For a time, I was doing just two days a week, but as of this month, I am back up to three days a week.

It’s great that the show is willing to give you that time off. I know Hallmark is family-friendly.

Maria’s younger

Oh my gosh, they were amazing! They were trying to get me to take more time. They were like, “Maria, take three months.” They had to push me away to just have the baby. I was the one who wanted to come back because I love it so much. I live and breathe for the show. I was clawing my way back like, “No, I want to come back! I have to come back for the Thanksgiving show!” And I didn’t want to miss any of the Christmas stuff. Christmas is my favorite time of year; I love it! But they couldn’t keep me away. {laughs} But they were willing for me to take off as much time as I felt I needed.

How did you get involved with this kind of career?

I actually studied theater in college. I went to Florida State and I majored in theater. I got my Bachelor of Arts in Theater. When I was a kid, this job that I’m doing now didn’t exist. At the time, the only person really doing it was Martha Stewart. But when we were growing up, we didn’t realize this was an actual job that you could do. It was just something I loved doing and was doing anyway. But my whole life growing up, I wanted to be an actress. So that’s what I majored in at school, and that’s what brought me out to Los Angeles. I actually worked as an actress in Los Angeles, and I stopped working when I had my first baby. I stopped working for the first couple of years that I had him. Then I didn’t really go back to work. My website became like my job. That’s how I made my money. Then Home & Family found me, and that became my job. And my son was thirteen months old at the time. Thankfully, I was able to be home with him because I was on Home & Family consistently for that first year. It was great that this job afforded me the opportunity to be home with my first baby like I was.

Recently, I interviewed Larissa {Wohl}, and I asked her if she would ever want to be in a Hallmark movie. And she thought that would be great. So is that something you might like to do some time?

You know what? If that happened to me, I would be so excited! I grew up watching Hallmark movies. Being on the Hallmark Channel and being a part of this show is literally a dream come true. When I was growing up, Hallmark didn’t even have a channel yet, and they would do the Hallmark specials, like Sarah, Plain and Tall and all those movies. Then they would always have the Hallmark commercials about the cards. Back in the day when we had VCR’s and you had to record things, my mom and I would sit down and watch the show when they were on, and we would record them and watch them again. That was such a big deal to us. We loved the Hallmark Hall of Fame movies. So having that nostalgia experience has given me a great deal of respect for the Hallmark brand. Then transitioning to being on the show. I mean, literally nothing would make me happier than being a part of a Hallmark movie! It would be a dream come true. It would be an honor to be a part of something that I loved as I was growing up.Kind of like being on Home & Family. I miss acting a lot. Recently, I was talking to one of the make-up artists on the show about doing theater. I love live theater. There’s nothing like it.

with Daniel Lissing

After talking to you and Larissa, I’m starting to think Hallmark should pull a Home & Family member in now and then to make a cameo in their movies. I bet there’s a lot of you on the show who’d love the chance. You can always tell who the performers are when you guys play those hilarious games. 

I am in full agreement with that!

Now, do you have a book out as of yet, Maria?

Not yet. I’ve been in the process of writing a cookbook for a little while. I’m writing a dessert cookbook. I have this beautiful dream of a dessert cookbook, but I think it’s gonna take a couple of years because I want it to be perfect, and there’s so many recipes I want to include. But there’s a lot of trial and error involved in the process. It’s going to require testing a lot of recipes. But that is on my radar for sure.

Since you are a DIY expert, have you done more recipes or crafts on the show?

On the show, I do more crafts. My main title is under the DIY department. But more recently, I’ve been able to do more food segments. I wouldn’t say half and half yet, but my website is primarily food. And I also put my crafts on there that I’m able to do on Home & Family. I originally did begin my website as a food blog. Most of the people on the show do either food or DIY, but I’m the one who dabbles in both.

I honestly love your craft segments. Sometimes the DIY experts will come on and do these lavish craft projects–which I love, by the way–and if I had the time and inclination, I probably could do them. But what I like about yours is that they often seem more attainable to a busy working mom like me.

I love some of the projects that these DIY experts do! They are just so amazing and so cute! Sometimes I’ll show my husband some of these more elaborate projects they do, and I’ll say, “Look, this is so cute!” But I understand how sometimes it is hard for a viewer to wrap their head around a more complex project if they are not someone who normally does those kinds of things. But that’s when it’s great to watch the show for the entertainment part of it. It’s the same reason I watch Fixer Upper on HGTV. I would probably never redo a house like that, but the entertainment value of watching someone create something like that is amazing! And sometimes it will at least inspire you to try something a little bit different or out of your comfort zone. My area of expertise is using things you find at the craft store. When I go to a craft supply store, I become like a crazy person. I know where everything in the store is, and I help other people find stuff in the store too. And I do think what makes our show so good is that you do have those varying levels of expertise. There’s the projects for people who build and the projects for people who don’t build.

That is so true. One time, Dylan Neal was on, and he did a project that my daughter saw and decided to try at home. There was no way I could do it, but leave it to my daughter the artist! She projected a picture on the wall and drew it on a piece of paper taped to the wall. 

U inspired the artwork my daughter did @DylanNealStudio & her words were, “Dylan’s right! It’s easy to do! And fun!” pic.twitter.com/6qEFs59ATA

— Ruth Hill (@ruthhill74) August 28, 2016

That’s great that you did that! And I’m glad you sent it out for him to see. I encourage anyone who tries any of the projects on the show to send us a picture. We love hearing about that and seeing your projects. I have literally cried when people have sent me pictures of the projects they have done. Like for Valentine’s Day, I did these ideas for pictures to take of your children using different backdrops.  I had so many people sending me pictures. In fact, one lady sent us a picture of her daughter–we featured it on the show–and I think her daughter was around ten months. And she is the cutest little girl…oh my gosh! This girl was wearing this cute Valentine’s Day outfit, and she was sitting with this huge backdrop behind her. It just melted my heart that I was able to affect someone else’s life that way. My purpose in life is to essentially help people be creative and help people create memories. That for me is why I do what I do because it’s nostalgic for me because of what I did with my mom. It’s one of the reasons why I have such a good relationship with my mom. Those projects we did together when I was growing up are some of my best memories.

I didn’t understand that not everyone got the chance to do these kinds of things as a family. I remember when I was in middle school, a friend of mine came over. It was October. Since she was one of my best friends, I had her stay the night. I was really into carving pumpkins, and she was like, “I’ve never carved a pumpkin.” At the time, we were thirteen years old. I said to her,” You’ve never carved a pumpkin?” And she was like, “No.” I told my mom, and we went out and got pumpkins, carved them, and baked the seeds in the oven. My friend was like, “You eat pumpkin seeds??” This was pre-Pinterest, pre-DIY shows and food shows that show you a million different things like that. We did that, and I remember seeing her experience these activities with us; it was just so much fun. And it was such a good, wholesome time together. And as teenagers, I think it’s important, especially for that age, to spend time with their family and have a good, wholesome place to express your creativity. And just the fact that she spent that time with my family doing that really affected her. And remembering that kind of stuff…that’s why I like to do what I do. I really try to create that in other people’s lives.

Maria, I’m so glad you shared that story. That was really neat.

Awwww.

with Barbara Niven

Has there been a memorable guest for you? I am sure there have been many, but is there a favorite moment for you?

You know who I love? I love Barbara Niven. Every time I see her…she is one of those people who remembers you too. And my mom absolutely loves her! So I went up to Barbara and said, “My mom asked me how you are in person.” And so Barbara said, “Let’s do a video.” So we put a video together and sent it to my mom. And it meant so much to my mom. Barbara is just one of those people that when you look at her and talk to her and you spend time with her, you feel happier. So she is one of my favorites.

With Sunny Anderson

Sunny Anderson, a chef on the Food Network, I love her too! I love watching Food Network, and I love watching her in the kitchen. She’s another one of my favorites. So those are probably my top two.

I absolutely agree with you about Barbara. I’ve chatted with her a couple times, and in these interviews, I try to highlight her, but she spends so much time building me up, it’s amazing! And there’s a quote of hers that sticks with me when I have those difficult moments. “Don’t give up five minutes before the miracle.” I can’t tell you how many times those words of hers have helped me to remember to not give up.

Aw, she is just the sweetest! And I love that quote because it’s so true.

Maria, I am so glad we had this chance to talk. And now after hearing about your acting background, it all makes sense. When you’re on Home & Family, you have this bubbly personality that just gets everyone excited about whatever you’re doing. I think you could get us excited about just about anything.

with Paul Greene

You know, it was funny. I was recently talking with our executive producer about exciting things that I wanted to do, and she went, “You just love doing this, don’t you?” And I said, “I think because I so genuinely and authentically love doing this, I live for this! I live for making cookies! I live for glitter!” And I hope that’s what comes off in these segments. After all, our show is for the viewers; we don’t do it for ourselves. I mean, we do it because we love to do it. But we do it for other people. I think if we can get other people excited about things we create for them, then we’ve achieved our goal.

I would say you guys definitely achieve your goal. I don’t always get to see the show, but when I do, it’s always fun and positive. And now that I know more about you, Maria, it will be even more fun to see your segments. 

Thank you so much, Ruth, I’m glad you think so. And I look forward to continuing to share creative projects with the viewers and helping them make memories with their families.

At Hallmark TCA’s

Discovering Maria’s acting background has aided me in understanding why she relates so authentically with the viewers. There is an effervescence that while it is innate within Maria, she comprehends how to project that onto the screen and definitely make a connection with each viewer who watches her. Furthermore, Maria possesses what I would call “a servant’s heart.” Anyone who keeps the viewers in mind as she plans and executes her segments honestly has her priorities in the correct place. It’s not about ego for this devoted crafter, mother, baker, wife, and professional; it is all about enabling and inspiring others to make long-lasting memories in this frenetic, digital age in which we live. While Maria could invest less time in this career of hers and probably still formulate entertaining segments, for Maria, this is much more than a career. It is what I like to term “a calling.” Anyone who is so eager to jump right back into her segments after the birth of her baby and accomplish it so effortlessly while immersing her entire self in everything she does is certainly a marvel and a genuine soul who is unlike some of these DIY experts out there who merely do it for a paycheck.

So please consider tuning in to Home & Family every weekday morning on the Hallmark Channel, and watch for this vivacious woman who encapsulates everything that is good about this world in a beautiful, bright bubbly persona that stretches far beyond the confines of TV to sincerely make a connection. Additionally, be sure to check out all of Maria’s links below and consider following her where applicable. I would assert that Hallmark has struck proverbial gold with the addition of Maria to Home & Family, and I can hardly wait to see what she cooks up in the days, weeks, and months to come. Oh, and I breathlessly await her first Hallmark movie appearance!

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