About Me

Hello!  My daughter and I used to have a food blog called Besides Pizza.  It is still out there with several years of recipes but there hasn't been anything new in the past few years.  Our concept was recipes that kids enjoy eating and making.  I had considered continuing at the same address but adjusting the focus. In the end I decided I wanted to leave Besides Pizza as is and start something new.

So, what is this new blog?  It is still food.  I considered some of my other interests but I really always come back to food!  I love to cook.  I’m going to post plenty of recipes but I also wanted a place to include essays about healthy living in general.

Here are my main ideas.  Who knows where I will actually take this blog but these are my thoughts and motivations right now.

I became a vegetarian when I was 20 and quit eating dairy at 37 so the recipes will all be meat and dairy free. I feel very strongly about eating healthy, whole foods which are in season and local when possible.

When I was 41 I started running (very slowly).  I also do yoga (kind of – seriously I am not at all flexible!) and other various exercises.  I can’t believe I waited so long to become consistently active but I am now passionate about it.

I've had two set backs since turning 40.  First, I had a detached retina.  This was truly the most challenging time of my life.  For months I couldn't exercise and my family had to cook for me. Then last November, after building my career for the past 17 years, I received a notice from my employer informing me that they had “made the business decision" to eliminate my position.  I’m continuing to look for a job but in the meantime, I’m focusing even more on a healthy lifestyle which includes staying motivated and keeping a positive attitude.  This means there may be essays on these topics and also, the recipes will often be budget friendly. (UPDATE: no longer unemployed!)

I have found that eating healthy, exercising and living on a budget are easier to do when I am organized and when I plan ahead. 

I’ve had IBS since I was 11.  I don’t plan to focus too much on this but I have learned several things over the years that have made it much more controllable, mostly involving diet, exercise and a positive attitude, so it may come up from time to time.