Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog! I’m Jess and I love food! Especially delicious, healthy, and tangible food. One of my biggest pet peeves is the idea that healthy food always tastes bad. It’s just not true and I love to prove it wrong! While I try to eat healthy most of the time, I never deny myself anything, so as you will see, that means that sometimes I do cook, and enjoy meals that are less than healthy, or maybe healthy-ish
My food history
My journey to get to this place with food is not necessarily typical. As a child, I was an exceedingly picky eater. I ate only pancakes every single morning (my mom was/is a gem) until I was around the age of 16 or so, and I never wanted any green stuff in my food. So cooking with green herbs (I especially remember a strong aversion to parsley) was out. There was one summer when all I ate what pancakes for breakfast and tortilla chips with the really creamy velveeta-y cheese sauce for dinner at work. Whew… what a nightmare! I continued with these eating habits through college, eating french fries every single day for lunch in the cafeteria. It was not until the year after I graduated that I finally began opening my mind to other foods, most notably–vegetables.
I decided to do a year of voluntary service inWashington,D.C.and lived in a communal house with 5 other girls. Being that we were all full time volunteers, we were on a strict budget for groceries, so meat was never an option, but we did manage to eat a decent amount of vegetables. Since I wasn’t in my moms house any more, I did not really have a say in what was made for dinner. Whatever my housemates decided to make is what I ate. I learned a lot that year and among the biggest lessons that still effects my life is that vegetables are good (!) and that the world of food extends beyond pancakes and french fries and is very interesting and exciting.
I stayed in DC for 2 more years after that (although this time with a paying job) and continued to dabble in cooking and baking. During this time, I met my husband, Jeremy, who also loves good food. He opened me up to even more foods and cooking techniques (he loves to cook too!) that I had never experienced before. It was also during this time that I began really caring about the nutrition of the food that I ate. I began to enjoy making healthy food. After being in DC for a total of 3 years, I moved toLancaster,PAto be closer to Jeremy and because I was ready for a change and to move out of the city. I would say this is when my love of cooking, baking, and food got really serious. I began following lots of cooking and healthy living blogs which has provided me with a very long list of “recipes to try.”
I am hoping that this blog keeps me accountable to work through that list of “recipes to try” as well as help me organize and keep track of non-food related happenings in my life.
I’m so glad I found your blog! I’ve been trying to spice up the menu for my fiance and I, while simultaneously keeping it healthy, but I’ve kind of hit a cooking-block. I look forward to trying out some of your recipes!
Congrats on getting married! Sounds like your in a good place right now – with vegetables haha 🙂
I just discovered your blog and you have some great recipes!!! I can’t wait to read more. Also.. congrats on the wedding =)
I just noticed your kitten! How cute! 🙂
Hi Jess… just came across your blog! Congrats on your wedding.. you look beautiful in the picture with your hubby. I hate how healthy food gets the bad wrap of tasting bad! Seriously.. it is so good and there are so many things you can do with it to bring out great flavors!