About Me

I am lucky to be retired and able to enjoy my free time cooking, gardening and exploring this beautiful state.  We spend a good deal of time on the water here in WNC and also in N Fl.  Sometimes I wonder if it's normal to spend so much time thinking about food?  I am always looking at recipes, thinking about what I can create.  Although I am not so much a baker, I have begun to experiment with baking bread.  Some successes and a few failures.  I have been trying the Lahey method of long fermentation and with a little more practice it should be acceptable.  The latest book I have been devouring (pun intended) is Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads.  Haven't tried any recipes from him yet but am getting close.  My favorite time is when my garden is full speed ahead and I do alot of sauces, pickles, jams and freeze beans.  My roasted tomato sauce is to die for.  Mostly I freeze the sauce because it's easier.  I have had a few issues with canning it and that is still a work in progress.  I have had no problems canning anything else.  Our plum tree produced for the first time last summer and I created a Plum Chipotle BarBQue sauce.  Tasty.  I also made ketchup since I had so many tomatoes.  For the ketchup I used Jamie Oliver's recipe.  Of course I tweaked it a bit.  I could go on forever about kitchen stuff, oh and speaking of kitchen, we completely renovated ours last summer and it is wonderful!!!  I just can't stay out of it for long.