Before heading out of town for an engagement session I wanted to post a preview of a sweet wedding to come…..

Holly and Helios had such a wonderful day, absolutely filled to the brim with love. Many goodies to share soon. :)

Food is an important part of our every day. We typically cook three meals a day at home, and it’s a rare “treat” when we go out to eat somewhere. When I met Brett 13 years ago I was 19 years old, living on my own, and a normal dinner for me was Chef Boyrdee from a can. Brett was 23, had just finished doing some world traveling including living in the Middle East, soaking up the culture and cuisine of Egypt and Israel as well as all around Europe.  When I met him he was working at Barnes and Noble and a  “hobby” of his was gleaning interesting recipes from around the world throughout the cookbook section. While we were dating he cooked for me. Every. Single. Night. After gaining 10 lbs, I realized how different this guy was, and how amazing different foods can be.

Flash forward 13 yrs and 4 kids later.  They’ve been raised to eat anything and must try everything. It’s a rule around here. And guess what? My kids LOVE to eat. We literally have to control their intake, because even things like 4 bowls of salad can be a bit excessive.

We teach them about food. About the beauty in color, nutrition, in flavor, and about how different parts of the world use different ingredients and why. We try new recipes, and also have a nice beefy list of family staples that I dream of them enjoying with their own kids some day.  And all of this? It’s completely a gift from my husband. He’s a brilliant cook. He glances at a recipe and then lays it aside. He uses recipes more as a source of inspiration, because he ALWAYS has his own take on things. And waste? Oh no. Not around here. When the fridge is full and things need to get used, he whips up a concoction using turnips, celery, carrots, peanut butter, and egg- you name it. I kid you not, and it will taste DIVINE.

On any given day Brett may make something Indian, Thai, Nepali, Greek, French, Persian, Middle Eastern, or Italian.

So this post is sort of a stepping stone….Starting at the beginning of the year I decided I really needed to begin photographing his creations. With the chaos of our home, I’m not the best at having a camera handy so I’ve really been trying the last few months to remember to take photos. My food folder was getting rather big, so I chose a few dishes to show you. Down the road I hope to show more on the blog….perhaps share cooking and nutritional tips, recipes, and the cooking process. One thing I really want to do is help parents who feel weighed down with the burden of cooking healthy for their family, because frankly, I get it. I’m the same way. I’m just not wired to LOVE cooking.

Here are some things we’ve made around here the last few months:

Our take on Caprese (baguette, mozzarella, tomato, basil, balsamic and olive oil, salt and pepper)

Brett’s Pad Thai….

Typical weekend breakfast: feta omelet with rosemary potatoes, blueberry or banana cardamon pancakes.

Brett’s version of Moussaka, with a fun wine my sister gave me. I’m the middle of 3 sisters, but certainly not the mischievous one.

Kabob Chicken (that Brett roasted over our fire), with homemade Baba Ganoush, and all the fixins. And yes, Brett is wearing bead necklace that one of the kids made him. ;)

Pan steamed salmon, sauteed veggies, and ginger-chili pasta, YUM….ONE of my favorite recent dinners!

Poached eggs, grits, Ezekiel brand cinnamon raisin toast, bacon, and a Bloody Mary.

Quick dinner night…..taco salads!

Another one of my favorites: Persian stew with chicken and oranges….

After roasting and scraping an eggplant, here’s a common lunch staple for us of Baba Ganoush.

Another Brett lunch: boiled eggs, cheese, veggies and a slice of sprouted bread- with horseradish of course.

Skyline Chili is huge here in Cincy, and Brett makes his own that we love. Our nephew Zazi digging in below. :)

Cooking is therapy to this boy….he can spends hours and hours in the kitchen. Although I don’t feel the passion, I can fully respect it. I feel quite lucky to reap the benefits. For his birthday I bought him the above book. I wish I took a picture from the side because the book is HUGE and it’s no ordinary cookbook. It explains in great details all the steps to cooking and the proper way chefs prepare foods. From sauces, to pasta making, to preparing meats, to baking….I can’t wait until that book is worn out from use and I get to try everything. Honestly, I’ve always been an, “Eat to live” person and not a, “live to eat” type. I’m finding the older I get and the more my culinary pallet broadens, I am falling deeper and deeper in love with food. It’s also such a focal point for our family to grow, and learn. We look forward to sharing more of this journey here on the blog.

And did I mention we’re getting this boy a new kitchen soon!?