Heather

Hey y'all! My name is Heather, and I am a food lover and a passionate follower of Christ. My love for food has stemmed from a longtime obsession with it. Growing up, in my quest to be thin and fit into all of the “good” (see also: small) sizes, I overdid it and followed several different paths of disordered eating from 7th grade through my senior year in college. After meeting and marrying my husband, I knew that pattern of eating (or, in some cases, not eating) would keep me from growing closer to my husband as it had already stunted my relationship with God. Although the thought process of disordered eating is still with me, through the grace of God and the loving encouragement of my husband I have begun to see food as it really is: a blessing of sensual flavors, aromas, and nourishment.

My experience in cooking began in the kitchen, helping my mother and father cook. With mom I got to mix ingredients in bowls, and dad always let me cut up the olives for “Old Dead Bugs and Worms” (spaghetti). My parents have always been a great example of cooking together, eating as a family, and cleaning up as a family. I graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in Restaurant, Hotel, and Institutional Management. During my college years I think it’s safe to say that the only channel I ever watched was Food Network, garnering recipe ideas and tips from Rachel Ray, Giada de Laurentiis, Emeril Lagasse, Ina Garten, and Paula Dean. After college I accepted a job with Starbucks Coffee Company. Although I no longer work there, I would definitely say that with all of the coffee tastings and pairings I did there, Starbucks is where I finally began to develop my palate. I took pride in deciphering flavors no one else could, and began to practice at home when cooking. That’s not to say there haven’t been (and won’t ever be) errors and issues with my take on recipes, but it’s been a fun process.

I now live in Colorado and work for an outdoor apparel company, but my passion for cooking and great food is very much alive and well. One of the best days of the week is Thursday, when I take a couple of hours to bake treats for my department. I love the opportunity to be creative and watch people enjoy a little treat at the end of the week. I believe it’s my passion for sharing good food that will hopefully have people reading and cooking. My hope is that through my experiences with cooking, others will be able to find a joy in providing delicious and (mostly) healthy meals for their friends and family. That being said, best dishes!