About Me

I am consumed! Consumed with trying new recipes, foods, cooking gadgets, and restaurants. And with this blog, I log my culinary adventures with a few photos and anecdotes along the way.

I live in Philadelphia with my hungry and obliging husband, who never objects to being my food guinea pig and has enough patience to let me snap a few photos before we eat. You know that moment of excitement at a restaurant where your food is being placed in front of you? Well, in his life, that's typically followed by me saying "Wait, let me grab a picture before you eat!" So thanks, husband!

I love to cook and create with food, but above all, I'm passionate about eating well. I enjoy focusing on seasonal and local foods, unique restaurants, healthful recipes, and cooking for everyday life — with an occasional indulgence for good measure!

Where it all started for me
I grew up in a house where we ate dinner at the kitchen table every night and cooked family breakfast on weekend mornings. And from a very young age, my parents taught me what "real" food was. My family tells stories of me toddling around the backyard, eating snap peas off of the vine. And in 4th grade, I can remember feeling out of place when I pulled a green salad w/vinaigrette dressing out of my lunchbox while my friends were stacking stamped circles of processed deli meats and cheeses on crackers. Oh, Lunchables, you were a revolution that my parents never bought into! In hindsight, I think it served me well.

I was raised among cooks, and from them I learned everything from the basics to how special a meal cooked with love is. And that there's never anything wrong with licking the spoon when you're through with a recipe!

Why a food blog?
The idea for this blog started from a little something called chicken pot pie. You don't understand — people are seriously impressed by these pot pies! You see, you spend an hour or two one weekend making them, and you end up with 9-10 individually-sized servings of absolute home-cooked deliciousness. Now, there are no magical ingredients in these, and everything together probably costs $15-$20. Not bad for 10 dinners. They're not overly complicated to make, and they keep in the freezer for months.

Digression? Maybe. But maybe not. Having an amazing recipe like the one for pot pie made me want to spread the word — to help people understand that they can eat wholesome, homemade food even with careers and kids and less-than-perfect cooking skills. And that "frozen meals" don't have to be loaded with sodium, fat, and preservatives, but could come from your own homemade stash.

I want to spread the word that thoughtful food choices and meal planning can be rewarding, healthy, and even enjoyable! And the sweet treats — well, those are the "occasional indulgences" that I referred to earlier. A necessary evil!!