Why Not Start a Blog? All the Cool Kids Are Doing It!

There really is no reason for me to have put this off as long as I have, except sheer laziness. But, simply posting photos with attached recipes on Facebook has started to become cumbersome (especially when sharing to other pages), so I figured I should do something about it. Most of the recipes you'll see here for a while will have already been posted on my Facebook page as I started it almost a year ago, but I'll also be adding new things as well. I figure this will also be a better platform for longer posts about various things as well.

First, a little about me. That's me, some time in the mid-1970's! I'm a single woman with no children, but I do have three sisters and a boatload of nieces and nephews. In my regular life I work as a stagehand, and on the side I am a freelance writer for tech/gadget sites. Another of my side projects is making beaded jewelry, which I sell on Etsy and at local craft shows.

Things I am not: a dietician, a trained chef, or a nutritionist. Things I am: a person who enjoys cooking, who tries very hard to eat healthy, who enjoys a wide variety of foods and is willing to try almost anything once. One of my primary goals is to get people interested in cooking from scratch instead of relying on pre-packaged food. Which is not to say I never use anything out of a can or box, and it certainly doesn't mean I'm above eating a cheap frozen pizza now and then. But it does mean I want to show you how to make delicious, healthy food that won't require you to take a second mortgage out on your home to pay for, because it is very possible to eat well on a budget.

A few things you will not find here, because I don't eat them: Cantaloupe or Honeydew melons, cilantro, capers, and anything involving organ meats. Other than that, pretty much anything goes. If I've made it, I'll post it. And if you make something I've posted, I would love it if you would report back how it went!

I primarily cook for my mother, who was diagnosed as pre-diabetic a few years ago. Many of the recipes you will see here will fall on the ultra-low end of the carbohydrate scale, because my challenge when she was first diagnosed was coming up with tasty alternatives that did not involve potatoes, pasta, or breads. I've learned some tips and tricks along the way that I'll pass along for that, because I know how hard it is when you're first starting out. I also know how hard it is when you've been doing it for a while, but are stuck in a rut.

You will also find a number of recipes that will make any diabetics quake in their boots. I enjoy baking cookies and brownies, and every year I make myself a completely ridiculous birthday cake because I can. I certainly don't recommend eating like that all the time, but every now and then I need to. Each recipe I post will include nutrition information (when possible), because it's good to know what you're in for from the start. Since I am in the United States, all measurements and temperatures will be posted according to our system.

One thing I can absolutely guarantee you is you will NEVER find a food picture posted here that I got from somewhere else. Every single recipe I post is something I have cooked, or a friend or family member has cooked, and the pictures are taken by me (or them) in our own homes. I also will never post a recipe and claim it as my own if it wasn't. If I got a recipe from elsewhere, I will always provide a link to it if I can, or there will be a mention of the person I got it from if I can't provide a link. I do not believe in stealing other people's work and taking credit for it.

If you're looking for fancy food, you probably won't find it here. Or maybe you will on occasion, but not as a rule. Instead, what you'll find is tasty, healthy food you can for the most part make on a budget. There are a number of companies' products I use on a regular basis, and I will mention their names when I post. I do not have any association with them, and I am in no way compensated for promoting their products. I just happen to have several go-to companies that I love, and when I use their products I like to put their names out there. You can, of course, feel free to substitute your own favourite brands...recipes are not set in stone. They are meant to be tested, tasted, altered, and adapted to suit your taste or preference. Many of "my" recipes have been adapted from something I found somewhere, but as I said above, I will not claim them as my own unless I have substantially altered them.

Please note that you should not begin any diet for any reason without consulting your doctor. I cook within the parameters set by my mother's doctor to control her carbohydrate intake so we can avoid her developing full-blown Type II Diabetes. Your doctor may have a different plan altogether for you, and it's important to talk to him/her before you dramatically change your diet.

And with that, we're off! I hope this will be a fun adventure for all of us! I've never blogged, so this will be a learning curve. If anyone has any suggestions as to anything that might make this more interesting or easier to read, please let me know!