About me

I am a retired school library media specialist living in southwest Florida. I spent a number of years working in schools around the world and have lived in Germany, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. I enjoy travelling, reading, and eating great food. I especially enjoy the challenge of re-creating dishes that I discover when I read a book. My last creation was a “Waves of the Danube” cake which was mentioned in "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks. It was absolutely decadent and delicious. I have always been in love with cooking and pie baking comes easy to me. I find that baking soothes me in times of stress. The first time I bake something I always follow the recipe exactly to see how it turns out. Afterwards, I will analyze it and make changes if I feel that the recipe could use some tweaking before I make it again. My cooking skills come from my Polish American family roots in Detroit, Michigan and its suburbs. My brother and sisters are all great cooks and they absorbed many of the lessons learned while they were growing up.

Unless otherwise noted, the pictures that you see with my recipes were taken by me either in my kitchen or in my dining room. I reserve all rights related to these photographs. You may use them only with written permission from me.

Cooking Influences

Paula Deen, my Polish grandmothers and aunts.