The departure point...

Today I will start my project, but before I set up my goals, I need to start with a disclaimer...  or three...

First, I am not a cook.  I am not a baker.  I am not a chef.  That being said, I can follow a recipe.  My husband is a chef, deliciously trained, and he spoils me rotten on a nearly daily basis.  He is the primary chef in the household.  I have some dinner recipes that I am good at, but I have no creative flair for what I am doing.  I am an English teacher - I read and follow directions with very little leeway in one direction or the other.  I don't even enjoy cooking, so it is something I gladly relinquish the reigns of.

Second, if there is anything I love to create, it's sweets, then (maybe) appetizers.  I love to make (although not eat) dessert.  Of course I will eat and enjoy, but it does not make or break a meal for me.  Appetizers, on the other hand, could be my downfall.  I'd rather eat a selection of appetizers for dinner than eat a main dish.  My husband loves to grill, so I let him touch the raw meat, prepare it, and cook it any way he wants for any meal. BUT, if there is dessert or appetizers to be had, I call them because those are fun to do.

Finally, I have inherited my mother's penchant for shopping and kitchen gadgetry.  I love to shop, I love to spend money (if I have it), and if there's a gadget that will make my time in the kitchen easier, or more fun, I'm on it like a bonnet!  I've been to Pampered Chef parties in the past, and I have picked up some of their supplies and pantry items from time to time.  I was debating about becoming a PC Independent Consultant before I left Chicago in 2008/9.  When I moved to San Diego, I figured there was no point since I didn't know anyone.  However, last month I was reintroduced to the Pampered Chef party.  I fell in love with it again, and now I've decided to go in whole-hog and become an Independent Consultant.  So, OF COURSE, I want to try every gadget and recipe and OF COURSE I want to sell the product along the way.  So, naturally, what better way to document my time, encourage my recipe/product skills, and learn to enjoy my kitchen than through this entire process of research, create, and blog?

I can't say that I'll be able to do this every day, or that every thing I try will be a success, but I will try to take some pictures, play with the products, and try to (maybe) encourage you to buy try more with me!  I'm in the process of getting my individual website to sell the products, but for now I will just be here, plugging and chugging away!  My goal is to try at least three new recipes a week, and to eventually acquire most of the gadgets so that whenever I get the kitchen of my dreams, it will be fully kitted out.  Oh, and I've already tried two this week, with a third to come this evening, so I'll try to take some pictures from here on out and post on a regular basis.  If I can't take the picture, I'll see if PC has a stock photo so you can pretend mine looked exactly like theirs.

Happy Cooking!