Come dine with us!

A few months ago, when my niece was getting ready to graduate from the 8th grade, I had decided to do something special and unique for her. I knew my niece had developed the same love for cooking and baking that I had, and that's when it hit me. . . a recipe book! So, I sat down and put together a bunch of recipes in her own little book. Some of the recipes were ones I made that had become family favorites (eg, my version of OliveGarden's zuppa toscana) and others we had made together (eg, puppy chow and cake balls from our X-mas Baking Extravaganza).

In addition to the recipe book, I also gave her a personalized apron and some kitchen utensils. I'm not so sure she was really thrilled with the gift (who would really like that kind of thing at 14?!), but I do know that she may come to appreciate it someday.

Well, the whole idea of creating the recipe book got me thinking that I should organize my recipes in electronic format, complete with pictures. Actually, my husband brought that idea up a year ago, and I laughed at him (sorry babe!). My thoughts were...who would want to take the time to take pictures of their food!? Well, if you've had a meal with me in the last year or so, you have learned that I have my camera handy when prepping, baking, and eating. Sure, it may be annoying if you want a hot meal, but I do think I'll have something worthwhile to hold on to...even if it's just for me.

It's been almost a year since I stumbled on some great cooking blogs. Women like the Pioneer Woman,(http://thepioneerwoman.com/), the Cake Pop lady (http://www.bakerella.com), and the Doughmessticated Diva (http://www.doughmesstic.com), just to name a few, have inspired me to set out on my own cooking adventures. My pictures may not be fancy and my words may be all over the place, but at the end of the day these recipes are a literal snapshot of what's cooking in my kitchen. I do hope you will let me know if you try something (and credit this blog). I'd love to hear from you.

So, pull up a chair, sit down, relax and have a glass of wine with some homemade zuppa . . . because now you are Dining with the Davis'!