About me

I'm a 20-something, newlywed who loves to cook and bake. To me, it's a creative outlet, it's stress release, and it's fun! I'm always experimenting and tweaking recipes, many of which are family favorites.

Cooking Influences

I've had no formal training in the kitchen. What I know, I learned from cooking and baking with my mom and grandmother or through trial and error. I think the biggest help has been not having a fear of "gourmet" meals. If you dont think of it as impossible and don't set your standard so high that your meal has to look exactly like a picture in a magazine, you'll usually do fine.

I almost never follow a recipe to a "T" unless I'm baking (its a science, you have to be precise). I've done enough cooking that I know what works and what doesnt for us and I adjust accordingly as I go. My measurements when I'm cooking are often eyeballed or based on taste, so make sure you taste as you go so you can be happy with the final result.

I love to bake, especially cakes and cupcakes. I have a ton of cookbooks and also spend a lot of time reading cooking blogs. So the inspiration comes from many places. I love to experiment with new flavors and decorating ideas.

For meals, I do a lot of weeknight cooking, so most of my recipes are quick-prep meals. I try to do a lot of meals that don't require separate side dishes so that I can dinner on the table easily. Most of my meals are influenced by either Mexican or Italian flavors.