Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

As I launch into 2019, I feel a sense of resolve to begin something new. Cliche right? Well yes, it is cliche to suddenly use the month of January to buckle up and chase after that dream, resolution, or new lifestyle regime. However, this project has been slowly pulling at my sleeves for years, or even my whole life! Most likely, this project began when my mother placed my baby bassinet on the kitchen butcher block countertops. I grew up sitting on that wooden counter watching her prep dinner, roll out pie dough, can boysenberry jam, and flip crepes on Sunday mornings. Like most sane, fun-loving, and happy people, eating is one of my greatest joys. But that is just a small portion of what food is all about. Cooking is my greatest joy. Preparing a meal, either beginning with filling up a grocery cart, or filling a hunting tag, excites me. Dreaming up new recipes, trying new techniques, and setting the dinner table for a party brings me a simple, complete and full happiness. This joy of cooking (yes that phrase has been used before) was instilled in me by my mother. Without fail, she made dinner nearly every night of my childhood. She always opted to cook from scratch. Homemade is best. Whereas some people may find cooking a chore, she taught me to relish every step. Cooking is my escape, my portal to become completely immersed in food. Peter laughs that cooking is my coping when I am stressed out. Therefore on a Thursday night, when a long hard week of work is catching up with me, I suddenly come home with 3 shopping bags and a new bizarre recipe. I stand in the kitchen for several hours chopping, roasting, boiling, sautéing until I am centered and at peace again having nourished my soul.

New year resolutions are meant to guide us, straighten us out, to better ourselves yet again from our previous deviations. But I’ve always viewed new year resolutions as a opportunity to do more of the good rather than less of the bad. For example, if I made the resolution to “not eat any cookies,” then forget it! 1) I would not be very happy and 2) I would fail utterly within the first week. Restrictions and rules have a way of making us feel afraid or a failure for simply being human. However, if I made the resolution, “give away more cookies than I eat,” then I would still be able to make as many cookies as my heart desires, while also practicing generosity and cheer.

This is why I’ve chosen to begin 2019 with this project, a blog to share my joy in the kitchen. I will do my best to translate what tips, tools, recipes, and musings on food so I can inspire you to find the joy of sharing a homemade meal with your family, friends, and loved ones, while also honoring my own happiness and cultivating my love of cooking for you.