Carpe Diem!!

Hello & welcome to my blog!  I am jumping for joy now that I have finally started this adventure.  Since getting married in May of 2010 to the most wonderful man, I have enjoyed cooking more than ever before.  I have no real training, I love to experiment with flavors, and I am not the most accurate when it comes to measuring or following a recipe. 

I draw my inspiration for cooking from watching my mother cook and bake in her own kitchen (her cookies are to die for!), learning tricks of the trade from my expert cook of a brother (who knew a shrimp and Anjou pear pizza could be so delightful?), and adoringly watching my favorite TV chef, Giada de Laurentiis, put together her many media-broadcasted bites of deliciousness.  Bon Appetit magazines gracefully adorn our living room table at all times, as well, and reading them is often what I read before going to bed.

I LOVE FOOD.  I love everything about it - the tastes, the smells, the textures, the colors, the memories it conjurs up, and how it can feed you in so many more ways than satiation.  I love the joy of eating with others and talking about the food.  Sharing dinner with friends and enjoying a delicious meal is one of my most cherished pastimes, and I jump at most any opportunity to get a big group together and savor a meal, laugh together, and enjoy the simple pleasures of this life. 

I adore pairing food with wine, as I have fallen deeply in love with wine, but I am not a wine connoisseiur in the least.  I am a huge fan of Virginia wines, and I am beyond blessed to have a brother and sister-in-law who currently live close to Napa and Sonoma.  I have done my fair share of tastings. :-)

Among other things, I am consistently drawn to the visual aspects of cuisine.  In the past, I have been taking pictures of my kitchen creations and sending them to my family via cell phone.  My wording usually includes something like, "warm brown butter banana muffins to start your day!" or "chicken chili with herbs and spices for this cold night!".  While that is all wonderful, I wanted to do more. 

I am delighted to start this blog.  I hope you share with me your own tips, recipes, and suggestions; I also hope that my blog will inspire you get movin' in the kitchen, savor every bite, and appreciate everything about food.  My mission is to talk about the simple dishes I have created, as well as to put out there what continues to inspire me to cook and learn to cook better. 

As always ~ Bon appetit!