I have decided to start a Frequently Asked Questions page, in case you are ever interested in some of the tools that I use in my kitchen!
1. What type of cookware/bakeware do you like to use?
I am obsessed with my All-Clad stainless steel pots and pans! It definitely took some getting used to, as I had been using non-stick everything in my college apartment. It also has a much higher heat level than non-stick, but once you get used to it, it is wonderful!! I also love my Wolf griddle for cooking chicken and quesadillas! For bakeware, I swear by aluminum pans - they are simply the best for an even bake without burning the edges.
2. Gas or electric?
Gas stovetop and electric convection oven all the way :) I love my Wolf 6-burner rangetop and I have a great set of GE slate appliances, including my double electric ovens!
3. What camera do you use to photograph?
I use a Nikon D3100, and I will admit...in moments when the food is ready and my hungry family is drooling over the heavenly aromas, I will pull out my iPhone 6 and do the best with what I have :)
4. Did you attend a culinary arts school and do you cook for a living?
I did not attend culinary arts school, but I would love to take cooking lessons to learn even more. I went to college and received my Bachelor's Degree in Music Education. I also completed my Master's Degree in K-12 School Administration with Principal Certification. I teach elementary general music--I love it!
For me, cooking/baking is a hobby and I want to show people that they can be wonderful home cooks without needing to be a professional chef!
5. Who is Lynnie that you always mention?
Lynnie is my beautiful mother who started my love of cooking. When I was younger, I would pull up a chair to help whenever I could! She always let me help, no matter how busy or in a rush she was. A favorite memory of mine was when we would make chicken pot pie together. I was always the veggie cutter and she was the veggie washer. We would race each other to finish our jobs first!
5. Can I use your photo or recipe?
Please do! However, I ask that you please give credit where credit is due. I post the source of my recipes at the bottom of my posts, because I will never claim someone else's recipe as my own. If you do use a recipe of mine, I ask that you rephrase in your own words and use your own photograph.
6. Do you ever use substitutes for sugar?
I would like to learn more about using natural sweeteners like honey, agave, Stevia, etc. However, I will never cook/bake with artificial sweeteners. I have had too many health problems with aspartame and sucralose. If I eat the smallest amount of either ingredient, I immediately get a migraine. For that reason alone, I stay away!
7. How do you eat chicken every night?
My husband will not eat beef, pork, or some types of seafood. That is difficult for me, since I can sit down and eat a whole plate of surf and turf with a side order of bacon! In the past few years, I have probably eaten more chicken than I did in my entire life leading up to our wedding day! Typically, if your husband is out of town, that means you can relax and not make anything for dinner. For me, I make a guilty pleasure meal of hamburger helper :)
8. What's with the picture of the mountains as your background?
So in the summer of 2016, my hubby and I went on our dream vacation across Northwest US! The photo that you see has such a memorable story behind it... We got to Glacier National Park (one of my favorite places in the world!) and we were all set to visit this beautiful lookout location over Lake McDonald. We somehow misheard that this trail was "quick and easy." After hiking 7.1 miles roundtrip with an elevation gain of 1845 feet, tight jeans, one bottle of water, and no food, we made it! We look back on this photo often and even have a canvas of this picture hanging in our living room to remind ourselves that if we made it through that hike without killing each other, we can make it through anything!
Have another question? Let me know!
I am obsessed with my All-Clad stainless steel pots and pans! It definitely took some getting used to, as I had been using non-stick everything in my college apartment. It also has a much higher heat level than non-stick, but once you get used to it, it is wonderful!! I also love my Wolf griddle for cooking chicken and quesadillas! For bakeware, I swear by aluminum pans - they are simply the best for an even bake without burning the edges.
2. Gas or electric?
Gas stovetop and electric convection oven all the way :) I love my Wolf 6-burner rangetop and I have a great set of GE slate appliances, including my double electric ovens!
3. What camera do you use to photograph?
I use a Nikon D3100, and I will admit...in moments when the food is ready and my hungry family is drooling over the heavenly aromas, I will pull out my iPhone 6 and do the best with what I have :)
4. Did you attend a culinary arts school and do you cook for a living?
I did not attend culinary arts school, but I would love to take cooking lessons to learn even more. I went to college and received my Bachelor's Degree in Music Education. I also completed my Master's Degree in K-12 School Administration with Principal Certification. I teach elementary general music--I love it!
For me, cooking/baking is a hobby and I want to show people that they can be wonderful home cooks without needing to be a professional chef!
5. Who is Lynnie that you always mention?
Lynnie is my beautiful mother who started my love of cooking. When I was younger, I would pull up a chair to help whenever I could! She always let me help, no matter how busy or in a rush she was. A favorite memory of mine was when we would make chicken pot pie together. I was always the veggie cutter and she was the veggie washer. We would race each other to finish our jobs first!
5. Can I use your photo or recipe?
Please do! However, I ask that you please give credit where credit is due. I post the source of my recipes at the bottom of my posts, because I will never claim someone else's recipe as my own. If you do use a recipe of mine, I ask that you rephrase in your own words and use your own photograph.
6. Do you ever use substitutes for sugar?
I would like to learn more about using natural sweeteners like honey, agave, Stevia, etc. However, I will never cook/bake with artificial sweeteners. I have had too many health problems with aspartame and sucralose. If I eat the smallest amount of either ingredient, I immediately get a migraine. For that reason alone, I stay away!
7. How do you eat chicken every night?
My husband will not eat beef, pork, or some types of seafood. That is difficult for me, since I can sit down and eat a whole plate of surf and turf with a side order of bacon! In the past few years, I have probably eaten more chicken than I did in my entire life leading up to our wedding day! Typically, if your husband is out of town, that means you can relax and not make anything for dinner. For me, I make a guilty pleasure meal of hamburger helper :)
8. What's with the picture of the mountains as your background?
So in the summer of 2016, my hubby and I went on our dream vacation across Northwest US! The photo that you see has such a memorable story behind it... We got to Glacier National Park (one of my favorite places in the world!) and we were all set to visit this beautiful lookout location over Lake McDonald. We somehow misheard that this trail was "quick and easy." After hiking 7.1 miles roundtrip with an elevation gain of 1845 feet, tight jeans, one bottle of water, and no food, we made it! We look back on this photo often and even have a canvas of this picture hanging in our living room to remind ourselves that if we made it through that hike without killing each other, we can make it through anything!
Have another question? Let me know!
