Okay, let's begin!

I think those were the words my first Home-Ec teacher used when we had our first "lesson" on how to crack an egg.....I've pretty much been hooked on cooking ever since. Unfortunately cooking results in ..... yup....eating, and therein lies the problem.

I am a smallish, oldish, sometimes thinner than other times, midwestern housewife who struggles daily with a lifelong love of food and a determination to eat better without sacrificing all I find meaningful and pleasurable in life.

Six years ago I lost 68 pounds and got into jeans smaller than I wore in High School....I did it by eating one meal a day and that meal consisted of a huge salad dressed with vinegar. It made me sick, I became horribly anemic, and learned a terrible lesson about how important food is for your body.....Now I weigh about 20 pounds more than I did then but I feel good, I have enough energy to exercise HARD for at least an hour every day as well as shop, clean, serve others, and enjoy doing whatever I want to do......at 50 years old. I'm happy with my life and feel good about learning to eat better.

I might as well tell you right now that although I said I love to cook, I actually love to bake and cooking just came along for the ride. I DO have to make dinners, lunches, and the occasional breakfast (but that can be cinnamon rolls!YUMMY!) so I've learned to cook other things besides cookies, pastries, pies, and cakes....please don't be too disappointed if I get sidetracked occasionally and dwell on the things I love the best.

Basically I'd like to share what I've learned about eating healthy, maintaining a fairly reasonable weight and enjoying life. I hope you enjoy the dishes I share and the levity with which I present them. Here's to looking good, and eating better! Cheers!