About

Life in our house really does revolve around the kitchen. Our suburban, 10 by 12 foot kitchen, with mismatched countertops, a ceramic tile floor that is hard on the feet and appliances that are not top of the line. But it is the place where I bake bread, fix dinner, try out new recipes and make more desserts than are good for us – in short, have fun while feeding the family. My husband, Rich, and son, Calvin are right in the thick of things usually. There are times when I really enjoy playing around in the kitchen all by myself. But I can’t argue with the coziness and fun of baking cookies on a cold winter weekend, complete with dough eating, quality control tasting and extra hands to do the dishes.

I forget sometimes that not everyone gets as much enjoyment out of cooking, baking and messing around in the kitchen as I do. Sure, I have the days when I absolutely can’t face cooking one more meal, or we have “nothing” in the house to cook, which usually means I am out of inspiration. Those days we end up going out, having breakfast for dinner or having grilled cheese sandwiches. I should confess that grilled cheese around this house usually involves homemade bread from the freezer, cheddar, fontina and Parmesan and a little garlic spread on the inside of the bread, but that is a future post…

After 10 years as a stay-at-home mom, I am figuring out how to juggle freelance writing, taking care of the household chores and all that entails (since I usually write only part-time), volunteering at church and playing in the kitchen (and updating The Cook’s Life fairly frequently). So expect a lot of posts to concentrate on quick and easy, but still fairly healthy recipes. And I will always fit in dessert and other fun recipes. I have figured out through trial and error how to fit the more involved recipes around my various commitments – some are better suited to the weekend, but many can be fit in around work, family and whatever else eats up your time.