A Peek Inside

I've decided that since I got home early from work and my hubby is busy watch television, I would spend a bit of time here with you. Many of you, my friends and family visiting my blog, have had the opportunity to join me in my little kitchen for afternoons of experimenting with food and eating until we can't see straight, but there are many who haven't had the pleasure. Because of that fact, I thought I would take the time to share a bit about me.

I'm a born and raised native of the Pacific Northwest, I'm lived most my life in Oregon, in Portland and several of the surrounding suburbs, and in my late teens  and early 20's I spent ten years in the Seattle area before returning home to Oregon. 

I currently live about 15 miles to the west of Portland, commuting everyday by train into downtown to work in one of the many Portland area fine dinning restaurants. So I must say, I've become very spoiled eating excellent fresh local food prepared to perfection every day. I may only be the bookkeeper, but I've never been afraid to hang over the shoulder of the executive chef and ask questions, and he never seems to tire of me hanging around the kitchen (at least not yet, but I do produce his paycheck and balance his books). 

As for my cooking background, it's been many years of trials and errors, tweaking and testing, that has has left me being invited back to cook for others over and over again. Growing up I spent some time in the kitchen with my mother, but I must say my love for creating good food came from experimenting with my father, and years of baking, canning and cooking with my grandmothers. So with allot of year of wisdom imparted to me, I gained the confidence to pretty much try anything in the kitchen.

As I raised my boys they also seemed to gravitate to the kitchen and my youngest even made the choice to make cooking his profession, graduating from culinary school and working full time at the same establishment I do. I cherish spending time in the kitchen with the boys cooking holiday meals or even just a Sunday meal after church. There is a very strong connection to food in our family whether its cooking it or sitting around the table eating and sharing time together.

For the past seven plus years we've lived in a small 2 bedroom, one bath, 1955 cottage, the kitchen does not have a dishwasher and at this point still has the original cabinets with fixed shelves. It's a quirky little kitchen that has been known to be crowded with people who want to be in the middle of the fun or mess, or both. Some day I hope to remodel this limited space, but for now it will continue to produce food for people I love and care about and I'm not going to waste time worrying about what this little space could be, 

there is food to be cooked now!

I have shelves of cookbooks, folders and binders of things I've cooked, would like to cook, or things that just sounded good. I've have spent countless hours in front of cooking programs or surfing the internet picking up skills or ideas for things to make. I guess you could say I'm a bit of a food junkie, a foodie, but pray that you never call me a food snob. For a short time my son and I had a small catering company, which we still dabble in from time to time. We cook for church events, friends and family when the need arises, or just look for an excuse to gather people together to share a meal.

So now you know, I'm addicted to food, family and friends, and this is my little kitchen where it all happens. There is a double stacked basket of produce, a toaster oven (I don't own a microwave), my food processor, a drain board that is always piled with clean dishes and pig cutting board that never gets used, but it's my home and I love to spend time there.

Welcome to My Kitchen