Ever since I was a child, I’ve been surrounded by great cooks. I can remember spending countless hours in my grandmother’s kitchen watching her bake and decorate cakes for weddings and parties or whip up a cobbler or throw together chicken and dumplings. In fact while we lived with them for awhile, I would do my homework around the kitchen table and try not to be distracted by her self taught skills. When we moved into our new house with its kitchen island and bar stools, I remember doing the same thing with my mom. Watching her make anything was fascinating. Her culinary skills are well known by all our family and friends and being in the kitchen with her is one of the things I miss most about living away.

It wasn’t until I got married that I really began to explore my own kitchen, but it wasn’t until we moved overseas that my love for the kitchen blossomed. Having to make everything from scratch became very soothing and a source of great relaxation. Google became my dearest and closest friend as I figured out how to make everything that I didn’t have access to like tortillas, different types of bread, cream cheese, brown sugar and so much more. After a hard day of being in a different culture, the kitchen is where I can go to feel normal!

In our second year here, eating became difficult for me. The quality of meats here is very poor and I began to have an even harder time with textures. I have always had meat issues..not caring for the taste or texture and being disgusted by the idea of eating something that had a face…but when the meat we were getting was such poor quality, my issues took on a whole new flavor. Seeing meat began to make me physically ill and while this is totally psychological, it was a problem.

So I just stopped eating meat. Just that simple. I told B one day that I was no longer putting meat into my body and I stopped having the issues. Again completely psychological, but no judging please! And thus began my journey in being a (mostly) vegetarian. I will admit. I do have a soft spot for bacon (extra crispy) and recently on a trip back home had a taste of “the best burger” (-Dad) and it made me reconsider. But mostly I live a vegetarian life. I try to throw in some meat for my non vegetarian husband and most of what I make is quick and simple because I don’t want to be in a hot kitchen when it’s already hot outside!

These are some of my favorite kids in the world

So that’s what I want to bring to the table. Quick and easy vegetarian meals/side dishes with some meat options thrown in. Some baking as I have a major sweet tooth. And a lot of fun.

Please enjoy!