Cooking has been a passion of mine ever since I was a young girl. My grandmother was a big inspiration with her thousands of recipes both traditional and unique. Her food was delicious and the way she moved around the kitchen was effortless.  At the same time, she wasn't beyond a simple lunch like her "Garbage Plate" which was chicken bites, fresh veggies from her garden, and a variety of dipping sauces.  My influences come from every technique I learn, meal I eat, and chef I watch cook. However, the base of my cooking style comes from 30 years of watching my Nana and picking through her thousands of recipes.

My mother influenced me in a different way. We ate family dinners most nights while growing up,  however, they were the same 5 meals over and over again. This inspired me to start cooking so that I could try new things and eat my favorite foods. Growing up in a small town with the closest grocery store 30 minutes away, I had to become creative.

The desire to have someone come and help out with your weekly meals can come from a number of places. First, my Nana no longer had the ability to cook her fabulous meals and would enjoy having the pleasure of delicious home-cooked food. Second, growing up my sister and I was extremely involved in out of school activities making our lives busy, driving from one event to another. My mom could have used the help some weeks, with delicious and healthy meals that were ready in the fridge and just needed to be reheated.  I also have 2 family members with Celiacs and one with Crohn's disease, so I fully understand needing to follow specific dietary guidelines when cooking.

I started cooking professionally in High School about 27 years ago when my dad bought the local restaurant in town. Getting to explore the art really opened my eyes to a career in cooking. After high school, I thought I was culinary school bound, but this came later in life instead. After getting a BFA in photography, working as a TV producer, heading back to school for my MBA, and starting a business in Internet Marketing I have finally found my way back to cooking.  Working in the kitchen of a number of restaurants and studying at L'Academie de Cuisine have turned me into a cook that loves to explore new ideas, flavors, and diets.

My biggest thrill is making food that people enjoy, whether it is a recipe I have made 100 times, one of your family's favorites that you have passed along to me, or something new that I create based on your likes and dislikes.  Getting to work with families one on one is a joy each and every day. Let me show you what a blessing ready-to-heat, home-cooked meals can be for your family. Enjoy those precious moments around the dining room table, with a healthy home-cooked meal that is ready minutes after you walk in the door.

Check out some of my latest food on Instagram.