Prengancy in a Nutshell

Hello all!  Any of you still here?!?  It's been a good LONG time since I've stopped by...but here I am.  I've been through the bump, now have a three and half month old, and am wearing my glorious lingering baby weight like the badge of honor it so honestly is haha!


Soo...pregnancy was a fantastic experience and perhaps one of the tops in my life.  I loved being pregnant, I loved my big (no wait HUGE) belly and I, to be quite honest, was sad to know that it was going to come to an end.
  









My taste for food did change quite a bit, my diet was mostly carbs and protein.  Oh and yes, lots of sweets!!  Turns out I had a boy, a large one at that :)

  
During pregnancy I refrained from eating soft cheese (pasteurized or not), shellfish, smoked meats, deli meat, yada yada yada...
  
I was good, I played by the rules and didn't even drink a drop of alcohol during my bout with the bump.
  
I did loose my taste for most chicken and vegetables by the end.  We literally for months ate just a menu of pork and beef, ground turkey & ground chicken.  Hubs was a great sport through it and almost always let me indulge in cravings.
  
I ate plenty of Ben and Jerry's, enough that we should have bought stock in the company at the start of the nine months.  We did try to be good and keep to the low fat frozen yogurt.  Which by the way they only sell in three flavors...!  Come on Ben and Jerry, don't you know your delicious pints are a mandatory addition to every pregnant woman's diet?!?!  Can you please show us mercy by increasing your low-fat offerings that so perfectly satisfy our cravings?  Especially so the guilt we feel afterwards is lessened...I mean come on, we have enough to worry about post birth than to sweat the extra ice cream pounds.
  
I loved cheese pizza.  Honestly I loved all pizza....but there was something about a single slice of New York Style Cheese that hit the spot.
  
I also loved bagels and bagel sandwiches.  By the end of the pregnancy my local bagel shop was used to seeing me at least a couple times a week on my way into the office.  Some days it was just a cream cheese, others it was my sausage egg and cheese with warmed jalapeno...yum!
  
Gummy worms.  I loved Black Forrest gummy worms.  I most often enjoyed these sweets while on the golf course, they were the perfect little snack :)
  
I was delighted by pancakes.  Actually once the baby 'dropped' I could eat a breakfast that would rival any lumberjack...2 gingerbread pancakes, 2 scrambled eggs with cheddar, home fries with creamy herb gravy from the best breakfast joint in town!
  
I craved spice....and heat was no match for me and my gigantic belly.  My go-to was a spicy ground chicken creation we began to enjoy almost weekly (I'll post this recipe at some point, because we still enjoy it!).  Banana peppers were my pickles by the end, I loved their briny spiciness on everything.
  
Another story to share would be my weeks long attempts to get things moving - El Gato, 5 pepper chili, more spicy chicken, yoga poses, big meals, massage oil...and just willing him out!
 

My 40 Week Lunch Out at El Gato Cantina...
we pulled out the big guns for this one ;)

I am sure I will reminisce at some point over those 9 months and 2 weeks of bumptastic fun, but for now that's my pregnancy in a nutshell and official return to the blog :)

To the blogging community/friends, here he is...my one...my only...The Kiddo!

The Kiddo:  Born at 42 Weeks, he was 10lbs 9oz and measured 23 inches long

A different kind of smoked tasties from the sea

As with much of the country, we have been experiencing a heat spell...

*For nearly a week it was day after day of HHH (Hazy, Hot & Humid)!

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The great thing about btown is that we're on the lake...and when you're on a lake you not need to only have beach buddies, but you need to have friends with a boat ;)

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Fortunately for me, I do have such friends. One of the two that makes up T/T (we're going to call her T-MD) found herself with an itch to get out on Sunday and her +1 Mrs. T was out of town...luckily for me she thought to call!!
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T-MD also happens to be a dear foodie friend. Actually in combo T/T make up a powerhouse of culinary adventures!

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It shouldn't have surprised me...but it kind of did. T-MD introduced me to something new on our Sunday Afternoon Booze Cruise...

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That's right folks sardines!
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When T-MD first asked me whether I'd ever had them, I somewhat buzz'idly (not a word I know!) responded...only in cesar salad haha!! She so kindly corrected me, pointing out that she said 'sardines' not 'anchovies'!
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Always game for trying new things, I dug in...and I've got to say, these were fabulous!! Lightly smoked, imported and packed in oil - THEY WERE GREAT!
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We spent hours out on the lake that day...T-MD spent some time reading her Sunday New York Times and I floated around blissfully like a fish in water. One of the few things that could have brought us in that perfect day, did...our Sunday ice hockey group haha!!
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I learned that T/T also have a boat-grill...yup that's right! One of these days we've said we're gonna do a Korean BBQ at sea...well on the lake.
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I can't wait and I bet you all can't either :)

End to Winter Hockey Night

This is a time for the end and the beginning...
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While the winter hockey season has ended, the official start to Spring has begun.
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Among other things we are in the midst of Ms. Homemaker's preparations to become self sufficient and independent...
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Hubs' trip is just around the corner (literally hours at this point). We've been attached at the hip. When someone asks if we can do dinner, go out for a drink, etc, so that they may bid him farewell, I can't help but be selfish and think to myself 'NO! I want him all to myself.' The truth is, I've been letting him call the shots...we do what he wants or needs, when he wants or needs.
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Each moment I have with him I try to further burn into my mind the images and memories of us being...well us. This week when the sox began the season, I was right there beside him...him, me, us and only us! I want to further ingrain in my head and heart what it feels like to sit here alone with him...even now as he plays xbox to relax and release some anxiety, I write my blog. It's comfortable and comforting.
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I am feeling guilty of being selfish with what time we have, but I really am trying to share him. We've been touring the state bidding goodbye to family and friends, checking things off the to-do list as we go. We've been shopping to purchase a stock supply of daily necessities, worrying whether we'll get it all to fit in the minimal luggage he's allowed.
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The other night I couldn't sleep. We went to bed together and as his breath grew deep and he entered well into his REM cycle, I laid there wide awake. I watched him sleep. This is something I almost never do, since I am usually the first one to pass out and call it a day. There is just something about the timing of things.
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Each moment I have alone in the house I try to acknowledge the silence and say to myself, 'this is what it is going to be like.' I try to prepare myself and imagine what it will be like with no used coffee spoon sitting just on the edge of the sink. No pile of comfy sweats sitting by the couch, with which Hubs will change into upon returning from work. I think of Pups, who will not have his fellow male companion for so long and how I will try to be more for him so that he may not feel the emptiness of the house...
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I am worried that things will be different. I mean after so much time apart, they almost have to be right? We never stop growing as individuals. Even though we will be apart, we will be changing as a couple. Is this the last time it will feel exactly this way?!?!
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Is this the end of how we are...just the way we are now? Will things change so much that we're forced to face a new chapter of life??
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I don't know if I am ready for things to change...or at least not yet. Fighting against things out of my control, I try to enjoy what is now and see that darned glass half full. While I am comfortable and comforted by the way we are and who we are now, I can't help but ask myslef what will happen? How will this go??
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As we count down the hours and prepare, everything is a last. This is the last Wednesday we have, yesterday was the last Tuesday....you get what I mean?!?!
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Since cooking and food are just one way I express myself, I've been bugging Hubs with 'what is it you really want to eat before you leave?!?" To be honest he's had a worrisome appetite. He's hungry, but sick to his stomach. He's up for anything, but really only concentrating on the ETD just ahead.
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To mark the end of March Madness and the winter Wednesday night hockey season last week, I made California Style BLTs. You can never go wrong with bacon after all!
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I started with a find VT beverage to get warmed up...

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You gotta love that the name of this blend is the lone area code of the state!
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With no Hubs around, I've been trying to use up what we have in the fridge...

and bought a ton of bacon!

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Piled high, we have California BLTs!

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I gave Hubs extra bacon on his :O)

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We also enjoyed some spicy sweet potato fries that I baked up in the oven.

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BLTs - Toasted potato bread, mayo, dulce gorgonzola, bacon (lots of it!), iceberg lettuce, vine ripe tomato and avocado.

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Spicy Sweet Potato Fries - Slice sweet potato, canola oil, garlic powder, cayenne, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

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Happy Tax Return!

I really look forward to tax season...mostly because at this point in life my taxes happen to be easy peezy, with a guaranteed return.

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I always use some (if not all) of it to treat myself to something I otherwise would not have done/purchased.

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2008: Spending money for a trip to Chicago

2009: New Pandora bracelet and bead

2010 [Married life now, Hubs has encouraged me to try saving it]: Ultimately, I decided this year I would save some of it, but still give myself a little treat...

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AND HERE IT IS!!!

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I've wanted this recipe collection for months and now I have it :-D

I also indulged just a bit further and picked up a couple of other smaller cookbooks. One is on learning the ratios for making just about anything and the other on a world of dumplings.

Having flipped through Ad Hoc several times in the 48 hours I've had it in my possession...I'm getting anxious!!! Already the calendar is full and my weeknights booked with lots to do.

It looks like Mr. Keller and I will have sneak in our first date this Friday, after 5pm in my kitchen...with Hubs joining us for dinner of course!!

Happy Valentine's Day 2010!

I just finished the shopping for my 2010 Valentine's Day Menu!

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This year was a bit of a battle...been on the road the better half of a week, Hubs is working crazy hours, hockey has come up a couple times and of course there are the distractions of the Winter Olympics.

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However I think I have come up with a multi-course meal to tantalize the taste buds and warm the heart!

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2010 Valentine's Day Menu

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Salty/Sweet Beginnings

Prosciutto & Fresh Mozzarella Crostini, drizzled with a Balsamic Reduction

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Tangy Tastes of Love

Salad with Lil' Ms. Homemaker's Vinaigrette & Carrot Slaw

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A Garlicky Passion for Mussels

Mussels in Garlic/White Wine Sauce

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Kona Steak Dream

Seasoned Grilled Steak with Kona Coffee Porter Reduction

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A Heavenly End

Saint André Triple Cream & Cooked Apple on a Soft Baguette

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Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Super Bowl Sunday Pregame Report

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Grab some food and a beer...

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Cause the ultimate All American Holiday is here!

It's Super Bowl Sunday!!!

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For Super Bowl 2010 I am most fired up for the pregame cooking, commercials, halftime show and company of all we'll be spending the evening with. I'd love to be able to say this is due to our home team, the New England Patriots not making the cut...but sadly no, football just isn't my thing.

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So it's early...well for a Sunday, it is early.

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With my game face on, I am headed to the kitchen to get to work.

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2010 Superbowl Lineup:

Lil' Ms. Homemaker's Homemade Guacamole

Sriracha Chicken Wings

Classic Buffalo Wings

Gorgonzola Greek Yogurt Dip

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Before I get to business in the kitchen,

I'd like to wish you all a Happy Super Bowl!

Pictures to follow in the Post Game Report!

Korean Pilgrimage : The Stores + Me!

When I was younger I would resist the trip. Why exactly, I couldn't tell you.

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The experience is unique and I realize now as a grown woman that I am lucky.

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My luck, as I understand now, is because not everyone has had the privilege to experience a pilgrimage to the Korean Store.

As children, my sister and I would sit in the back of the car for what seemed like eternity, but really only an hour and a half. The trip was as important as a vacation...each month my family of four would load up in our Toyota Previa and hit to road for some shopping.

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This shopping was not for clothes, not for general house items, but rather for my mom's opportunity to go to Korea...or at least as close as she can get from VT.

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I took for granted soooo much when I was younger, in fact I feel rather guilty now about the resistance and annoyance I put upon my parents. Today is different...and I can't get enough!

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I am proud of who I was, who I am and what I have been able to experience. For the first time in my life I now understand how lucky I am...how incredibly fortunate I am to be half Korean!

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The food I grew up with was taken for granted...I could eat an All-American meal of steak and salad one night and then the next have Bulgogi without my mother batting an eye lash.

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This is just how I grew up.

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I can't thank my mom or dad enough for imposing and integrating our Korean heritage on us as kids...how did they know that some day I would realize, that one day I would be able to see, the bigger picture?!?!

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These days, with food at the forefront of my passion in life, I have an urge to cook. Not just dinner, but as a career. I want to own a restaurant, or a food processing company, or even a seasonal Korean BBQ stand. While I would take any of the above and can't pinpoint what exact opportunity I want....all I do know is that I have this urging need for one or the other to truly be fulfilled!

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For me it is about sharing with my somewhat sheltered community the true notion of a family dinner...I want to capture the love and care that goes into the preparation of every element...I want more than anything to quit the BD dungeon I am stuck in now and gamble it all away for one chance...just one opportunity to be me!

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As a young woman at 27, I know this is the time. I have the energy, the passion and soon enough the talent to make this happen...what holds me back? The insecurity of not knowing and the $$ I'd have to ask my hard working husband to sacrifice.

As I ponder this each day, my thoughts go back and forth, back and forth...I am sure we'll return to this topic in no time. However right now I'd like to take you shopping...at the Korean Store!

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As soon as we walk in we are greeted with Anya ha-sayo (hello in Korean)! My mother then begins her chatter with Agashi (Mister of sorts), so on and so forth. Never having taken to learning the language (actually to be honest I resisted as a bratty child and kick myself now for it)...the rest is completely foreign to me, literally! So I roam the isles, checking out the familiar and never seen before items in front of me. I am astonished as to how many items I do recognize, for can say with certainty that I have experienced them.

The canned mackerel above is near and dear to my heart. As a baby I am told I was fed this with rice...as a child, teen and occasionally now I indulge in the spicy version. So salty, so fishy (in a good way)...it's me!

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It's me and it's Korean...it's a common go-to household fix with cheap ingredients and much craft and care. Still to this day when I sit to share a pot of hot mackerel with my mother, she'll still pick the flesh of the small bones and drop it into my rice bowl. Her maternal nature/instinct is inspiring and who I hope to be one day!

The next isle is filled with all sorts. Mostly calling my attention are the thai items, which I have learned to use from my super-fab half thai sister-in-law! Coconut cream, some red and green thai curry...check!

When we first walk in is the isle of soy sauces, vinegars, marinades, etc. Here is the prized double concentrate vinegar. I have been out of the stuff for a month or so now. As a chemist by schooling, I understand the general idea...but there is just something about this stuff! No matter what you purchase from a traditional grocery store...it never is the same (and I've got a cupboard of vinegars to prove it!).

Now this is the curry I grew up with! A meaty stew type brown curry that tastes of my childhood. I have seen this occasionally in the Asian isle of my grocery store...but at the prices here, I can't resist and have to add some of the hot stuff to my cart.

Ah, yes one of the key staples to Korean goodness...hot pepper powder! There are so many different brands, textures, etc the store has an entire isle dedicated to this fiery being.

The meats here are different. I don't quite understand where they come from or how they end up at this little Korean store in MA...but their authentic. You have to purchase them frozen (and of course I brought a cooler). Today, we are luck cause it's only $3.99/lb!


Rice for Koreans is more important than anything I can pinpoint in a traditional American repertoire! My mother without her rice becomes sick...literally ill. This trip she kindly insists upon purchasing a large bag for the hubs and me.


We're not getting the usual stuff either...nope, this time she's treating us to the new harvest! Based on her explanation, rice is usually harvested, mixed and stored. The type we are getting this trip is the freshest! It was harvested in Korea just this fall!

Before leaving the store my dad reminds me of one of the odder things I've heard of Koreans (and thus my mother) loving to eat.

That's right Chrysalis! I've never dared to try these myself, but I am told they are to Koreans what peanuts and bar mix are to us. You can walk into a karaoke bar to find bowls of these creatures waiting for you...this one will take a little time as they remain in the bizarre category to me!

At this point we are now into Korean Store #2. Here are the fresh produce. The napa is amazing, the diakon fabulous, the long green peppers so unique, etc...never do you find this stuff in your typical grocery store!

The isles here are just as packed with Korean goodness!

Other than the typical shitake, I have never attempted the dried mushrooms. Next trip I do think this is in the cards though :O)
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I hope you have enjoyed your sneak peak at a truly unique experience. I am sure I'll be bringing you all back to these roots many a times as this blog progresses.
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Love you Mom, Dad & Lil' Sis!!

Blog Identity...for my hubby

As the most important person in my life, and someone who shows up most often in the blog, my husband has officially earned the right for his very own blog-identity.

I tried asking him what he thought would be fitting...

Some people think he resembles Dennis Pedroa, so I pitched this one his way only to have it slugged back with a bit fat no.

Green Mountain Boy seemed fitting for professional reasons...not to mention I kind of like that he is a Green Mountain Boy, cause my hockey team is the Green Mountain Girls! Still he is not interested.

He then threw out the idea of being called Brooks. Where he came up with that one who knows...and this time it was my turn to say sorry no, we need imagination, creativity, pizzazz, etc.

Some ideas I may still try...

Ben & Jerry, since he is one of their biggest consumers, critics and flavor idea contributors.

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OR how about Chubby Hubby, it's his favorite Ben & Jerry pint afterall?!?! [By the way, there is nothing chubby about my hubby!] Probably not the best option, cause I'd come off as a mean name caller.

Tom Colicchio would be nice. Chef, Restaurateur, and Top Chef Judge makes him one of those folks I'd love to meet. Not to mention they share a similar fashion sense when it comes to hairstyle.

Good Eats is a possibility, it's his favorite food show to watch. But this may have the potential to get a little confusing.

A well-suited blog-ID for him is imperative, as it will also need to create a catchy name for his food rating scale.

Ideas?!?!

SUNDAY THERAPY - Introduction

As most would agree, working in today’s economy is at times stressful and even frustrating. I am lucky to have a ‘great day job’ where my bosses are cool beans, the co-workers tolerable, and I have a few office friends that make surviving the day possible. Not yet hit with layoffs, pay cuts or benefit losses, we are very fortunate…and that could perhaps be the true reason I say, ‘I have a great job.’

Being someone in business development (BD), my sole purpose is to find work, build/maintain relationships, write proposals, schedule meetings, travel and so forth. While it has been said that we have enough work to get us through the foreseeable future, we all worry about the unforeseeable.

By nature, I tend to read into peoples' behaviors, words, etc (remember I’m in BD) and it is my opinion that there has been a shift at the office. Everyone is paranoid, open communication is suffering, camaraderie is being lost and moods are just plain nasty. It makes for a tough week with atmosphere and dynamics like those.

This past Sunday I conducted a sort of retreat, one that involved only leaving the house for a few things at the grocery store. At the end of the day, I had left the previous weeks and months of work behind, reemerging refreshed and ready to tackle Monday once again!

The Prescribed Therapy (aka Menu)

• Rosemary & Potato Focaccia
• Minestrone with White Eyed Peas & Kidney Beans
• Oven Roasted Chicken
• Cornbread Stuffing
• Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffins
• Maple Pumpkin Pie

It's great to be here...

Hello wandering blogger/blog reader!

I have never considered myself much of a writer, in fact other than writing endless chemistry reports in college or business proposals for my ‘day job’ I have not and do not write...until now!

Since you found this page, I am assuming you are pretty tech-savvy, which means you likely also have a Facebook page (FB), Myspace account, ‘tweet’ on twitter, or perhaps all of the above. Am I right?

I cannot tell you how many times I have posted status updates revealing my food adventures, just waiting for my ‘friends’ to react, respond and generate real conversation about the food. I have realized that instead of filling my friends' FB news feeds with my cooking obsessed updates, I best find another way to put my thoughts and experiences out there…so I give you Food Therapy 4 Me!