And here she is...

It has been pretty quiet around here on this blog and mostly because I haven't had anything new to report. BUT, that changes right now! My cookbook went live on Amazon TODAY! Click HERE for the link to purchase on Amazon!

COME! I am teaching a cooking class on Provo on May 23rd!

Yo people. Good news. I am teaching a cooking class in Provo next Thursday, May 23rd at The Kitchen. I will be teaching a class called "Spring Greens" and teaming up with La Nay Ferme and their beautiful produce. I will be going over ways to use greens like spinach, kale, chard and arugula. We will go over a couple recipes and learn a few new ways to get greens into you and your kids diets. It will be fun and tasty, I promise! Here, this is the menu I have been working on.


Grilled kale, red bell pepper and corn salad with cilantro vinaigrette
Arugula and walnut pesto pasta
Spinach and chorizo tacos with chipotle cream sauce
Baked eggs with chard and feta cheese
Strawberry spinach smoothie

Click HERE to sign up! See you there!

Things are getting real up in here......

Hello friends! I can't believe I am really saying this, but "The Family Flavor" is done! We finished everything a few weeks ago and everything is being designed and laid out and getting ready for the big debut on Amazon. To say that it is surreal is an understatement. This book is like my baby, gestation 2 years. I often joke with Sheena that when the book arrives on my front step and I get to actually hold it in my hands, I will drop to my knees and cry like a baby. But honestly, I probably really will! This book is my heart.

We are expecting to go live on Amazon in the first weeks of June. Currently, the process is a lot of approving this and that and saying what we like and don't like with the design. I can promise you this- THIS BOOK IS A BEAUT! You will love it as much as me.

So stayed tuned. Things are getting real up in here!

Ingredients, methods and measurements.

In my brain, it is a continuous stream of ingredients, methods and measurements. Measurements like deciding to add 1 more tablespoon of cornstarch to the sweet and sour sauce for the baked sweet and sour pork chops. Ingredients like sour cream being added to the vanilla cupcake batter so that the cupcakes are moist and soft. And methods like searing the herb and cheese stuffed flank steak before braising it in marinara sauce. I am feeling really good about the recipes I am producing. I am seeing a lot of myself in them. The way I cook, my own techniques and my favorite flavors. I have never been more excited about "The Family Flavor".

I have finished editing 85 recipes and have 40 left to go! Now that the bulk of the editing is done, I have a bit more testing to do, just to be sure I am pleased with what I am writing and developing. Since I decided to slow down recipe development and photography to focus more on editing, I am so much more inspired. Certain restaurant dishes are catching my eye. Ingredient combos are piquing my interest (peach and mint? I know it could be delicious.). It is getting so fun!

Today I finished the recipe development for the vanilla cupcakes with chocolate buttercream. A simple cupcake recipe that everyone should have in their recipe repertoire. I made the cupcakes for my daughter's 2nd birthday. I can't wait to light the candle on top, sing to my sweet little girl and then enjoy my creation.  Writing recipes and eating them after is the most fun in all the world.

Still here!

Guess what, I am still here! I will bet you got so nervous about me no longer writing my cookbook that you were losing sleep. But rest easy, all is well.

What are the latest things with "The Family Flavor"? Editing, editing, editing. A few weeks ago, I decided to quit rushing my book and allow the proper time for editing and perfecting. I wrote a post about it on my personal blog. 

It is so important to me that I put out a good product. Each recipe needs it's due process. A rushed cookbook is a crappy cookbook. To be able to focus on the recipes and their editing, I stopped all new recipe development and started going over each recipe from the beginning. And Sheena and I have suspended photography for the moment. So I have no beautiful pictures to include in this post! But if you are a sucker for beautiful food photography, Sheena's blog is full of great stuff.

Sky-High Buttermilk Biscuits!!!

 Biscuits. Oh biscuits. What is not to love about a perfect biscuit? Fluffy, buttery and a canvas for many a topping. Butter, honey, jam, gravy. These babies are the ideal biscuit. I almost can't believe I got them to look the way they do.

I mean, come on. Just take a look at that big fatty biscuit! Sheena captured this work of art perfect. I love the height of the biscuit and that color of the blackberry jam. I think I might be making biscuits tomorrow for breakfast just because of this image. 

Tired brain

Sheena and I had a photoshoot this last Friday and I just had to share a few. I feel like with each photoshoot, Sheena is pulling out the stops more and more.

Beautiful, right?

Cookbook recipe development is starting to wrap up. Over 100 recipes, from my tired brain. Even after coming up with all these recipes, I still have a running list of recipes for the next book. I just can't stop thinking of new ideas. Like the perfect lemon bundt cake and a spicy potato salad. Writing recipes has become the perfect outlet for me. I don't think I will ever stop developing new ideas. But one thing i have learned while doing this first book is that I won't write the book and photograph it at the same time. It has been quite stressful at times. But I knew this first book would be a learning experience and thank heavens for it!

I hope you are enjoying your Thanksgiving preparations and it is more enjoyable than stressful. Me? I am in charge of the relish tray and an apple pie. The apple pie is actually in my book. Wanna a sneak peak?

Hello gorgeous!