Ally’s Story
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What describes Dr. Alice D’Antoni Phillips?
Boho Trendy. Cowboy boots. Headbands. Hippie chic. Travel.
Yoga. Entertaining. Food. Adventure. Family. Friends. Grandchildren, lots of them.
Boho Meaning
My old friends and family know me as Alice. My alter ego is ‘Ally’. Reinventing myself from Dr. Alice to Ally came quite by accident.
My husband, Ben, and I were living in Boston for a few years, away from our Carolina roots, and I auditioned for Season 2 MasterChef on Fox Network.
In the application process, I had to describe my trademark food style. That’s when I wrote these two words, ‘Bohemian Bold’. Then I described this kind of cooking and food. Simple food, yet sophisticated dishes and presentations. Hippie chic. Seasonal vegetables, traditional cuts of meats, seafood, fresh herbs, spices from around the world.
And, all in the most unlikely combinations. An eclectic blend of different cultures and influences making a ‘new’ dish.
Poorest States in the US
My roots are humble. I was born and raised at the ‘mouth of the hollers in Man, West Virginia.’ In case you don’t know what a holler is, well, it’s the name for a narrow valley between large mountains. These hollers are cloudy in the morning, as the haze doesn’t burn off until about ten a.m. In the winter, the dusk can begin about 3:30 to 4 pm.
Mom was basically a single parent. My dad took his own life when I was ten. It took a long time for me to really understand and finally forgive my Dad. And, when I say a long time, I mean I was a woman in my 40s before I was at peace and forgiveness with this tragedy.
There were four of us kids (8 to 14) and Mom, a first generation Croatian of immigrants, raised us alone. Mom, who was only about 38, hadn’t even graduated from high school, so she had to have some serious guts and grit to mange to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table.
Life wasn’t easy for her. She got limited help and support from my father’s large family (he had 10 brothers and sisters). Back in those times of the late 1930s my father, of English descent and with family (albeit farmers) dating back to England in the 1700s, marrying an immigrant’s daughter was somewhat unaccepted. It was looked down upon. We kids even looked different than our many fair skinned blue eyed cousins and paternal family members. We definitely had our Eastern European ‘foreign’ dark hair, eyes, olive skin, ‘looks’.
But, God was looking over and after all of us. I know that now as an adult. Mom was relentless about education. She was tough on us. There was no whining or belly aching. She has high expectations and if we stepped over boundaries, well, let’s just say we didn’t do whatever it was again! Here entire life was devoted to helping her kids earn an education and achieve what our grandparents immigrated to the United States for, The American Dream.
Mom was the inspiration for my cooking, however, there was another strong woman in my life, my Grandma.
My namesake, my paternal Grandma, Alice Emma, was a little wiry woman, who was full of piss and vinegar! I know she liked me best of us four kids because I was named after her. Thank goodness for that! All she did was cook. Always in the kitchen. And, I spent endless hours just sitting in her kitchen. Never saying anything. Just watching and learning.
Her life wasn’t easy either. Raising eleven kids wasn’t a walk in the park.
Growing up, these hours many days a week I’d spend in grandma’s kitchen watching her cook taught me so much. I didn’t even have any idea of what my little brain was absorbing and how Mom and Grandma’s love of cooking would literally reshape my life at the age of 59.
Spending time with Grandma Cook was really fun. After she had the big daily meal cooked and on the stove, with all eyes covered with healthy food, she’d ‘rest’. Resting was simple.
She’d head to the big wrap around porch where I’d listen to her stories about all the goings-on in Hollywood and get the highlights of Liz Taylor’s many marriages. Yes, she’d read about this stuff in newspapers and gossip magazines. Once TV was available, we’d watch ‘General Hospital’ episodes. I’m telling you Port Charles, Nurse Jessie, and Dr, Steve Hardy were dear close ‘friends’. No wonder ‘General Hospital’ was the longest running soap opera in production!
Marshall Football Plane Crash
After high school, I had the amazing opportunity to go to college. No, I wasn’t a ‘college prep’ high school graduate. Mom was smart. She made us three girls enroll in the ‘Commercial’ curriculum in high school. We’d learn typing, shorthand, business skills. She knew we needed to graduate from high school and have marketable skills (as secretaries!), and we did.
Fate and God had another idea for me. I applied and was accepted to Marshall University about 85 miles from our home. I remember riding the Greyhound bus there with my grocery bags of ‘stuff’. No fancy luggage. No decor for the small dorm room. It was utilitarian at best. However, it was a sheer thrill! And, a whole new world was about to open for me.
Marshall University is where I met Danny D’Antoni, my former husband, an All-American basketball player, high school basketball coach, former NBA coach and former head basketball coach of Marshall University’s Thundering Herd.
After we married, we stayed at Marshall where he went on to become the assistant basketball coach, and I was getting my Masters degree. In one of those moments that you know for certain someone is keeping an eye on you, we made a decision we’d never forget.
Marshall Plane Crash
We were asked by the football team’s doctor to babysit his six kids, so Doc and his wife, Shirley, could travel with the team and other supporters. They were flying to East Carolina University to watch Marshal play.
Since we were close to Doc and Shirley, we were happy to be with the kids so they could enjoy this adventure. They never came home.
The plane left Huntington, WV Airport on Friday, but crashed upon landing on its return Saturday, killing 37 players, five coaches, two trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters and the flight crew of 5. In 2006, the tragedy was memorialized in the Hollywood film ‘We are Marshall’.
You can certainly access that movie on one of your streaming channels. That experience forever changed the fabric of both my and Danny’s emotional DNA.
We are Marshall Plane Crash
Despite horrific tragedy, life goes on. We were busy, then hectic, newlyweds. Kids started to arrive.
Four sons, one after another, Matthew, Michael, Andrew, Nicholas, in about 5 years. Another tragedy rocked our young worlds when our second son, Michael died. It’s a long story fraught with ‘if onlys’. But, life doesn’t give you those repeat performances. Just remember, life is not a dress rehearsal. You are in the moment, and that’s the only moment you get. Then life moves on.
God did continue to bless us with a third and fourth son.
As if that wasn’t enough, my burning passion to continue my education marched on. Working full-time, at 29, I earned my doctorate degree in Special Education Administration and School Psychology (with a concentration in Learning Disabilities) from the University of South Carolina.
After nearly two decades together, Danny and I decided to go our separate ways. It wasn’t easy. So much emotional and psychological hurt and difficulties. But, I’d been raised to be resilient, tough and resourceful. My difficulties of my childhood really have helped me navigate through life better, I think.
Fortunately, Danny and I were both equally as invested co-parents. Each of us did things differently, but one thing we didn’t do was make our boys ‘pawns’, which often happens in divorce. To this day, we are dear friends, and we’d both be there for each other in a skinny minutes.
When one door closes another opens. And, I had no inkling of the massive door that would be opening to the second half of life. Yes, an epic love story and monumental life changes.
Love Stories to Read
I randomly met Ben, my husband of almost 31 years, at the airport. He asked me to watch his luggage while he parked his car. I was 42 and knew I’d met the man of my dreams.
Sparks ignited. We chatted all the way to each of our next flight connections. Ben struggled to remember the name of an Andrew Lloyd Webber play he’d enjoyed in London, and we parted ways exchanging business cards. For the life of him, Ben still not able to grasp the name of the play.
I didn’t hear from him for weeks. Then out of the blue, I received a post card that changed my life. Written on this post card was, “The answer is: ‘Aspects of Love’ Let’s break bread. Ben” Yes, that Webber play he just couldn’t put his fingers on while we were chattering.
Stories of Love
Imagine worldwide travels and adventures -backpacking in Eastern Europe, learning to ski, Harley road trips, wilderness camping, hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim and more.
We were married in 1994 with my three boys taking turns walking me down the aisle. And, we both embarked upon trying as best we could to ‘blend’ these two families. Ben’s two girls, adults at the time, and my three boys.
It’s been 30+ years of commitment to as best we can continue to build a relationship amongst the children, their spouses, the grandchildren and pray that it continues long after we’re gone.
Ally’s Career
My career began as an educator, supervising special education and the serving as a school psychologist. My expertise was in learning disabilities and ADHD.
In 1970, I began teaching special education in public schools. And, I continued this teaching for several years before becoming licensed as a School Psychologist.
At that point, I shifted my work with unique needs children to the pyschoeducational aspect of the process. Wow, this was a drastic change. But, I’d been in the classroom. I’d taught children with different types of special needs. And, moving to the evaluation process of this type of work was an a natural extension of my skill set.
In 1988, I took a profound leap of faith. I founded my own company, a private practice, that served children and adults in the Southeast.
I’d never been trained in ‘business’, and I soon learned, many times the hard way, how to run a business and be profitable in order to stay in business.
We specialized in innovative programs designed to help them through her unique one-on-one methodology. For almost 32 years, I was Dr. Alice of Education Rx Associates, Inc.
Moving To Boston
In 2008 Ben and I relocated to Boston to a small garden apartment on Beacon Hill. My hair brained idea was to do something very different from my psychologist life. So, I embarked on a childhood dream–becoming an actor!
At the ripe young age of 59, I set off on my next life next adventure. I took acting lessons and started auditioning, with the persistence that has always been me! I learned this tenacity that was bred in me and other kids from the hollers.
Life in Boston
As luck would have it while in Boston, I saw an audition for MasterChef Season 1, and I made it to the semi-finals before being sent home. Naturally, I re-auditioned for season 2 and after beating out over 38,000 hopefuls, I made it to the top 100 to be invited to Los Angeles to face Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliott with the unflinching style that is Ally! Oh, that was one helluva experience. Decimated by Chef Ramsay only fueled my passion to continue in the cooking world.
Cooking Competition Shows
Since then, I’ve been blazing the culinary home cook scene winning accolades for my innovative recipes in cooking contests like the prestigious Dole California Cook-Off, Gallo Family Vineyards, Fiji Water, World Food Championships, and many more. Hallmark Channel’s Home and Family TV recognized me as one of America’s ‘Best Home Cooks’. My cookbook is available on Amazon, Ally’s Kitchen ~ A Passport for Adventurous Palates.
Cooking Shows
I’ve appeared on Food Network’s ‘Clash of the Grandmas’. In 2019, she was recognized by the Taste Awards as a finalist in the ‘Best Home Chef in a Series’ category. ‘The Lyre’, the national magazine of Alpha Chi Omega, selected me from all sorority chapters nationwide as one of their ten 2019 ‘Real. Strong. Women.’ .
After a nationwide search, I have the distinct honor of being selected by GE Appliances as their ‘Great American Grandma’ I’m now a brand ambassador and influencer for Dole Packaged Foods.
My digital magazine, Ally’s Boho Living, is available online.
Dreams in Life
Now, here I am in my 70s. I know that the decade of my 60s was when I truly ‘got my stride’ in life. I had the confidence and a little wisdom to chart another path in life after my career with Education Rx.
What started as a ‘hobby’ has now morphed into a full-time work of passion and love, being an ‘influencer’. There aren’t many of us out there in our 70s and beyond. We’re a rare breed, but we have so much to offer and share on social media with the current generations and those to come.
Dreams have no expiration date. Yes, that’s my mantra. Doesn’t matter your age, stage or place in life, dreams are what fuel our spirits and souls. So keep dreaming and know that if it’s supposed to be, He will make it happen. xoxo ~ally
Disclosure To Ally’s Kitchen Viewers/Readers
You’ll see that I’m compensated sometime to work with brands and companies on food and lifestyle related projects. Rest assured, that the opinions are all my own. 99.5% of the images are owned by Ally’s Kitchen and can’t be used without written permission from Ally’s Kitchen, LLC.
I love to share and collaborate, so contact me about permission to use recipes, images and ask about licensing rates.
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