About Me
I'm a Colorado native: born here, raised here, raised my kids here, but am determined NOT to die here as well. (I love Colorado, but enough is enough!) I'm married with a 25-year-old son and 18-year-old daughter, both of whom have flown the coop. I have a faux-finishing/decorative painting business (roomscapesdecor.com) that doesn't keep me nearly busy enough with the lousy economy, so I can be found on the Recipe Exchange just about 24/7.
My favorite things to cook
Mexican and Italian dishes, hands down. I can't get enough of either cuisine. I also love freshly-baked bread, but I cheat and use a breadmaker. Just ordered "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day," so I hope to change that.
My favorite family cooking traditions
Cranberry Coffee Cake and freshly-juiced apple/OJ on Thanksgiving and Christmas morning. My Dad's popcorn balls on Halloween. Potluck brunch on Easter.
My cooking triumphs
I have three dishes that friends and family love and request often: Pizza Margherita on a semolina crust; Green Chili w/ Pork (spicy enough to clear out even the most stuffed up sinuses); and regular old tacos using soft-fried fresh corn tortillas. Two other dishes that I'm personally proud of for getting "just right" after lots of experimentation are Chicken Marsala (very much like Carrabba's) and Vodka Rustica (even better than Macaroni Grill's, IMHO).
My cooking tragedies
Only 1000 characters allowed?!?!? Okay, I'll just go with my first and last tragedies. My first was the first meal I cooked for my Dad and Stepmother after I got married many, many, mannnny years ago. It called for 2 tsp of salt and I put in 2 TB. Eeeek! The most recent tragedy was baking a 9"x9" cake in an 8"x8" pan. Whattamess! (And it's all Nobody'sGirl's fault for embroiling me in her quest to replicate Costco's white sheet cake.)
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