When did you first get in to cooking and do you remember the first recipe you tried?
My Mom says I never liked cooking growing up, but in an 8 person family, the kitchen gets pretty cramped. I really started to enjoy cooking when I moved out on my own & had my own space. The first recipe I mastered was a black bean enchilada with a cream cheese sauce. I always followed it step by step from the cookbook, and somewhere along the line the cookbook got lost. I’ve never been able to perfectly recreate it since. It’s a goal of mine!
What's your kitchen like and how do you keep organized when cooking?
My kitchen is small, but open to the living room so it feels much bigger. I have a small table in the center of the kitchen that I use as a cooking station. I keep organized by getting all of the ingredients & measuring spoons/cups out ahead of time. My toddler girls really like to help, so I set them up with their own cutting station & give them some veggies to prep. I put things away as I use them & try to do dishes as I go. If my husband is home he’s on dish duty. It’s really nice to have a clean kitchen to enjoy your freshly baked dish in!
What tips would you give to someone wanting to become a better cook?
Just start cooking! You’ll learn as you go. After a while, knowing what spices go with what & what baking ingredients work together best will just come naturally!
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party and what would you cook for them?
All of my close friends! Really, as lame as that may sound, that’s my dream. Just to have all of my friends together, enjoying good conversation, passing dishes of food & sharing bottles of wine. We’d serve tacos with lots of filling choices (cauliflower, chickpeas, potatoes) & toppings to choose from. Something that’s easy & laidback. My dream dinner would be set under the trees in our backyard at a large rustic table, with hanging lights. All of our kids would be magically behaving themselves & everyone would feast!
Do you do any other crafts and what are your hobbies?
Yes! I sew & paint with watercolors. Photography is a recent passion of mine & we do a lot of DIY projects around our home. Yoga has also been an important hobby to me over the past decade.
Cakes
Meat
