I seem to be one of the few foodies in the world who DIDN’T grow up with fabulous food. My mother didn’t enjoy cooking, so it was just the basics – boxed mac ‘n cheese, the occasional pork chop & rice casserole and a lot of KFC.

For the first 37 years of my life, I was the same. Then I moved to Texas in 2004, and two things conspired to get me into the kitchen.

First, we were REALLY broke, so we cooked at home instead of going out, and I tried making a few things from scratch, to save money.

Second, it took me 3 long months to get a job (unheard of for me!), so I had plenty of time to watch cable TV. After watching a lot of Food Network, I decided that I could do that stuff.

And so began my obsession with cooking! Now, I cook dinner from scratch most nights of the week. I have my lazy nights that involve fast food or frozen goods, but most of the time I’m trying out a new recipe. I love to try new things and try to wow my boyfriend with some fabulous new dish.

Sometimes I want to make the most complicated, esoteric things (see my Secret Layer Ginger Cheesecake), but mostly I try to create recipes that are really delicious, yet fast and easy enough for a busy weeknight cook.

I dream of someday going to culinary school, not to become a professional chef, but just so I can have the knowledge!

In 2008, I lost 35 pounds by counting calories and finding ways to make delicious, fast, easy, healthy meals at home.

I truly believe that life is all about balance. When it comes to food, that means eating a variety of delicious foods, in moderation, stopping when I’m full, and allowing myself some treats on a regular basis – as long as they’re not *too* regular.

I still have some weight to lose, but I don’t mind if it comes off very slowly over the next couple of years. To achieve this, I will continue to explore new recipes and techniques for every day cooking, enjoy indulgent treats occasionally and search for the perfect balance between easy and adventurous, healthy and indulgent, but the most important thing is…

Don’t Forget Delicious!

Disclosures

Beginning December 1, 2009, the FTC requires bloggers to provide disclosures whenever there could be hidden interests or unspoken biases related to recommendations. Here is my disclosure.

One of the purposes of this website is to help me make a living. Therefore, please assume that any time you click a link on this site, it is possible I could make some money, whether through a direct purchase from me, an affiliate link or some other method.

However, I do consider myself an honest and forthright person and will never knowingly misrepresent or purposely overstate the value of a recommended product. My intent is to only recommend products that I truly feel are worthwhile and of high value.

But just to make sure my butt is covered, please accept this as my disclosure that “Yes, I am out to make a buck.”

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Illustrations courtesy of Louis Gray, Jeannine Schafer and Tim Ferriss