More about Amy...

I was first exposed to cooking and baking when I was a small child in my grandmother's kitchen. I always wanted to help and get in on the action...especially when cookies were involved! After a while though I didn't cook a thing until my highschool foods class. At that point my interest in cooking was sparked again, and I would often cook meals at home for me and my Mom. I wasn't very adventurous in my cooking at that point however, merely following recipes. I graduated from Bethel University with a degree in studio art, but now my real passions are cooking and baking. I have always been a creative person, but it wasn't until about 7 years ago my freshmen year at college that I began experimenting with cooking and venturing outside the box, creating my own recipes. I should have gone to culinary school, but I chose art instead, and even in my later art work in college you could tell what my true passion really was. For my senior art show, I did a series of artwork using cookie dough to create sculpture...that way I could get the best of both worlds through art and cooking which I feel go hand in hand anyhow. After I graduated college I continued with my job at a local natural foods store deli, where I am currently working today. I believe that good food is important, and organic and local food are always included in my menus. I have been a vegetarian for 7 years, and enjoy cooking vegetarian dishes the most. I also enjoy baking, and creating beautiful baked goods such as cakes, where I can unleash my artistic side through decorating them. One of the reasons why I believe that wholesome and organic foods are important is that I am a competative runner. I have been since highschool, but my running career didn't take off until about the middle of college. I hold several age records for Minnesota in the 5k, 8k, and 10k, and compete in over 20 road and cross country races throughout the year. So, being a competative athlete, I need the right fuel to run fast! So, I love to experiment with healthy food and make it taste great as well! I believe that recipes are meant to be shared with others! This is why I have chosen to create a blog which shares my sucessful recipes with others, hopefully bringing some enjoyment to their experiences with food!