My husband and I have been fortunate. We have raised two great humans, they married two other great humans and we are proud grandparents to the most ridiculously darling (and great) humans on the planet, our granddaughter and grandson.
While my faith and family are the defining aspects of my life – cooking, traveling, antiquing and the arts round out the corners.
From each phase of my life, I am reminded of favorite foods and the memories they evoke. During childhood, there was dad’s homemade peach ice cream for the 4th of July and mom’s spaghetti & meatballs that made any occasion special. During my teen years, I created what I thought was the best tuna casserole on earth and baked lemon squares for every party. During a college course, I was tricked into tasting Mountain Oysters and almost fainted when I found out they weren’t oysters. As a new bride and mother, I served taco “haystacks” and any recipe that included a can of cream-of-something-soup. I scoured every cookbook I could find, tagged the best recipes, then had my guinea pig family taste-test them.
When I look through my recipe collection, it is as if I am looking at photographs in a family album. I remember details of each recipe, where and when I acquired the recipe and why I prepared it. Almost always, my handwritten notes, tweaks and suggestions fill the margins.
Food inspiration has been found in every aspect of my life and each place I have visited. I have found equally great recipes in family cookbooks, magazines, restaurants and online. I have experienced delicious salads and desserts at Ottolenghi in London, gorgeous macarons in Paris, yummy peanut butter burgers in Sedalia, Missouri, sensational homemade pies and tenderloin sandwiches in small-town diners across America and my favorite grilled nachos in my own backyard.
I simply love to cook and I love to cook simply. My very favorite recipes have few ingredients, are easy to prepare and are as beautiful as they are delicious.
I started this blog for many reasons: as an outlet to express my creativity, to share my love of cooking, and to continue learning. I want to become a better cook today than I was yesterday. Please join me on my journey. I can’t promise every recipe will have few ingredients, but I do promise to bring you scrumptious recipes you can proudly serve your family, friends or Robert Redford (I will never give up that dream).
Click HERE to see my privacy policy/disclosures page.