Welcome!

I was watching an old episode of "Baking with Julia" and her guest happened to be Martha Stewart. She was demonstrating how to make a beautiful wedding cake that was "very easy to do!" Of course, it takes at least two days to make and includes several layers, gobs of marzipan made to look like fruit, decorating with a piping tube ... While perhaps Martha is an extreme case, especially in her younger days, it seems to be that all of the cooking shows, cookbooks, guests on TV shows, etc. set such a high standard for cooking that most people just aren't going to strive for.

And why should we? I'm personally sick of the 'perfection expectation'. Cooking should be enjoyable, not anxiety-producing, or so complicated that there's no motivation to even get started. Many people could and should save a lot of money by cooking more often, and it doesn't have to be such a big deal. It doesn't need to be pretty. It's ok to be messy; to cut stuff unevenly; to not be picture-perfect.

So my goal is to share some easy recipes, especially for those times you really don't feel like cooking, and maybe a few that take more time but are worth it. I'll add some good tips on how to be efficient in the kitchen so that you save time as well as money.

Anyone can cook. It's really just following directions, and the more you cook, the more you'll feel confident to be a bit creative and get a feel for it.

Most importantly, have fun! But let's stick with reality. :-)