I love to cook. But doesn’t every food blogger’s “about me” start that way? I can’t imagine anyone putting in the amount of time and effort a food blog requires unless they love to cook! The real question is why should you follow mine – what makes me the “expert” you’re looking for? Hopefully this answers that:

• I was a successful litigation attorney for many years – It’s where I learned the power of persuasive writing. I figured that if I could convince judges and juries to award millions of dollars to my clients, then I can probably convince you to try my hummus chicken.
• I was the CEO of a large medical practice and laboratory that I helped start and run until it was sold to a national organization – It’s where I learned how to manage a bazillion things at one time. And keep a smile on my face!
• I owned a tattoo shop – Now that was interesting! That’s where I learned the power of social media.
• I was a pharmaceutical sales rep – That’s where I learned how to “work it” in a short skirt.
• I used to sell cars – It’s where I learned the value of honesty. It’s always the best policy.
• I was a model in Hollywood (many many years ago!) – It’s where I learned how to prance around in a bikini and not feel stupid. It’s also where I learned how to take rejection. Lots of rejection! (Maybe I should have re-thought that whole bikini thing…)
• I have five kids (and they all eat!) – They’re each two years apart. Numbers four and five were born while I was in law school. That’s when I learned the real meaning of organization. I don’t really remember law school. Can you blame me?
• I was a nationally ranked springboard diver – That’s when I learned that no matter how good you are, there’s always someone better. Learn from them.
• I have had marriage failures and successes – I’ve learned WAY too many things through those to list here. But it boils down to…  you get what you give. And the giving comes first.
• I cook for anywhere from 12-20 people nearly every day (read more about that below) – I have an amazing, wonderful, fun, exciting, and sometimes infuriating family! They’re awesome, and I wouldn’t change anything for the world! I’m one lucky person!!

Hopefully that sealed the deal (that last bullet point alone should have done it!) But if you need a bit more convincing, you can read more of my story below. 🙂

It starts with “I love to cook…” It makes people happy. And I love a challenge. So when my sister (who hates cooking) came up with an indecent interesting proposal, I couldn’t help but enthusiastically agree to take it on! She suggested that she’ll purchase the food if I cook dinner for our families. She has five kids. I have five kids. That’s A LOT of snotty-nosed kids beautiful children to feed! Her husband thought is was a great idea, so we gave it a shot. As a lawyer who works full time, I knew the key to success would be planning and organization. As a mom of five, I knew the key to success would be to keep the food interesting.

That was six years ago, and to this day, I still cook five nights a week for the whole gang, now including my wonderful husband and his three great daughters, (usually anywhere from 12-20 people. Every. Single. Night). And it’s been one of the best things we’ve done for ourselves, our children, and our lives! Not only has it given me a wonderful opportunity to explore and enhance my love of cooking, it’s taken our families back to the way it “used to be.” True clan mentality. We eat together nearly every night – we laugh, we talk, we share stories, play games, occasionally we cry. We’ve got each other’s backs. It also gave my sister some much-needed relief from the daily pressure of cooking, which, trust me on this one, benefited everyone!

I am not a professionally trained chef, and there have certainly been some mishaps along the way (I keep trying to forget that time I dumped the five pounds of perfectly browned ground beef and onions into the trash can as I was trying to drain off the fat…. And let’s not talk about the time I was a bit over zealous with the new Cajun spice mix I made and nearly burned everyone’s taste buds beyond recovery!) But I do seem to have a knack for bringing solid, well-balanced, and pretty tasty food for a large crowd to the table every night, so everyone’s forced to eat as a family pretty happy! And now I can pretty easily whip out a meal for 2 or 22. The learning curve was steep, but well worth it. I hope to pass the knowledge and experiences on to you in hopes that cooking for a large family or group will be less daunting.

You’ve probably figured out that our families are close. Really close. Not only do we eat together, we also travel en masse. Pretty much every vacation is spent together as families or couples. We go camping (tent and RV – most prefer the RVs… duh!), we go on cruises, we stay at vacation rentals, even houseboats. And something we’ve figured out?? Everyone still has to eat! So that’s my role. I feed people. I love it.

Which brings me to the focus of this blog – how to feed everyone, anywhere. Whether it’s for a crowd in the comforts of your own home, or family on a houseboat, or two couples tent camping in the desert, or in someone else’s vacation rental, folks gotta eat! I’m here to show you how to get it done! And still enjoy your family, your vacation, and your life. It makes people happy. Cheers! (Something else we’ve figured out? A cold beer or a nice glass of wine seems to make most things better. Just sayin’).

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