On Becoming Me

Favorite Recipes

Something I’ve rediscovered on this journey to ‘find myself’ is my love of cooking. I taught myself to cook as a teenager when I made a deal with my mom. I would cook for the family in exchange for not having to pull weeds in the garden. At the time it felt like a good trade. Though now I long for a garden of my own.

When I was married, I cooked because I thought I was supposed to…and because he didn’t. Turns out you start to dislike something you previously enjoyed when you feel forced to do it and it’s not appreciated. So after I got divorced, I rebelled against cooking and the boys and I ate alot of takeout. ALOT! Then there was the year I only ate protein and vegetables. I lost alot of weight, but there was no joy in cooking that food. It was just fuel.

In the last year or so I’ve realized how much I enjoy cooking. I have favorite recipes I tweak to make them better. And new recipes I like try. For me, cooking for my friends and family is about the feeling I get when I’m doing it. It’s very comforting…it feels like family. Recently people started asking me for recipes of things I would make. My Aunt Shawn suggested I post them here and wa-la! A new page was born.

This will be a continual work in progress as I try and perfect more recipes. Feel free to tweak these and make them your own. And most of all, cook with love. There really is no other way!