Hi, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm a 50 yr. old women and I still believe I'm a teenager. My hopes and dreams are young and wild, and it's breathtaking! I love life, even when it feels life doesn't love me. I really enjoy the time I get to spend in the kitchen. When a new idea, or a creative recipe pops into my head, my excitement is overwhelming. I simply can't wait to experiment with it. I'm not a chef, nor did I ever have any training in the kitchen. I am completely self taught. As a young girl growing up, I was not allowed in the kitchen, so I didn't actually learn to cook until I was a grown women living on my own. Due to my poor eating habits, and extreme love for junk food, my friends assumed my cupboards would be overflowing with Kraft Dinner, Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee & Mr. Noodles. Um, they were so right! I honestly bought the stuff by the cases. My one friend Beth laughed when she saw my fridge contents, but almost cried when she saw my food cabinet Ha! In fact, she nicknamed me "Bari the Bulk Buyer" hahaha, that still makes me laugh! She was an amazing friend! Whenever she prepared a meal for her family, she always brought me a dinner too. Man I love her, she was a brilliant cook, absolutely gorgeous and has a heart of gold! Damn, I should have married her...but I'm straight, and well, she is too. She is actually happily married with 3 grown children now. Anyway, before I get to far ahead of myself here, I need to clarify a few things. I am not completely "kitchen illiterate". I have always worked in the food and beverage industry, So I did have some food knowledge. I spent many years watching the cooks & chefs from the sidelines, as well as asking tons of questions. But as far as actual cooking, I had never really tried it.
I can promise you, my reputation in the kitchen was beyond embarrassing. I will never forget the day I decided to throw my first dinner party. In fact, I remember it vividly. I decided to prepare a full course meal. I was so hungry for turkey, and decided to go for it. Purchasing that turkey was the beginning of a new life for me. I knew from that moment on things would be different. In order to have this dinner, it meant I had to do some serious shopping. I had nothing but a few mix matched pots and pans, as well as an electric frying pan. I went on a major shopping spree, bought everything from a roasting pan to a baster. I mean I bought everything...casserole dishes, pots and pans, serving platters, chopping knives, mixing bowls and measuring cups and much much more! Of course, my grocery list was extensive too, considering I only had salt, pepper, Worcestershire, hot sauces, celery salt and I believe garlic salt in my spice cupboard? If you noticed, those are pretty much all the main ingredients to make a delicious Caesar Ha! So I basically bought one of everything in the grocery.
I couldn't decide what veggies to make with my turkey dinner, so I made them all! I had ten hot vegetables in total! I also had coleslaw, cranberries, sweet pickles, gravy and homemade bread...I made everything from scratch, except for the gravy and bread. I was terrified to make the gravy. Everything turned out lovely, and I didn't want to ruin the most important part of the meal, so Beth made it for me. She also prepared the homemade bread for us, I wasn't about to attempt that! To be Continued SOON...
