About Me

I like food and coffee. And I’m usually a better writer than this.

And look, I cook with my eyes closed.

But really.

I live and cook and blog in a small town in a Midwestern state that may or may not be closely associated with The Wizard of Oz, the single most terrifying film in the history of the world. I’m a librarian at a university, and I love my job. I also love cooking, hot caffeinated beverages, writing, reading, television shows on DVD, college basketball, yoga, web design, playing Wii, and things that don’t make me anxious.

I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder in 1998. I have had success with an injectable biologic medication for several years, but the most effective strategy that I have discovered to manage my pain and fatigue is eating well and exercising as often as I can. Yeah, it sounds like a lie. But it actually seems to work.

During college, I was prescribed a steroid when my pain became unmanageable. During the year or so that I took that medication, I gained 30 pounds. Before I started graduate school, I decided to start exercising and eating less pizza and ice cream and drinking less Dr. Pepper and beer. I am currently maintaining a 50 pound weight loss through exercise and healthy(ish) eating habits. And a sparkling personality and can-do attitude.

I started this blog for family and friends who live far, far away from my new home, but who share my love of food. I also started it to inspire myself to be more creative with food. I lost weight eating bland frozen meals, but I stay relatively healthy now with food that actually tastes like food. I love vegetables (especially summer vegetables), fruit, whole grains, peanut butter, and lots of other healthy foods. I also still love pizza and ice cream and beer (I’ve pretty much kicked that evil soda habit, though). Everything in moderation.