The chicken or the egg?
We can all make toast and pb&j. The first real dish I learned to cook was scrambled eggs. I was about seven years old and I had seen it done a thousand times: crack the eggs into a bowl, maybe splash in some milk, scramble. Pour into a hot pan, add all the cheese your heart desires, stir.
It’s not hard, but success in scrambled eggs gives a young cook confidence. If she can cook eggs, maybe she can bake a loaf of bread, and if the bread turns out, maybe she’ll prove she’s not a chicken by roasting one.
I did roast a chicken, and I tried a lot of other things, too. Slowly I developed an appetite for recipes. And when I felt the inclination to share my creations, I started a little recipe blog.
So to answer the age old question, as only a cook could: the egg came first.
I’m Kelly, and I love to be in the kitchen.
I’m a home cook and amateur recipe developer, cooking in my apartment in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago. When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m recovering from my career in advertising, earning a living as a copywriter and strategist for a healthcare startup while working on my masters in psychology, volunteering in dog rescue, and serving up self-awareness as a Myers-Briggs practitioner.
Besides cooking and eating, I love tea, the so-bad-it’s-good movie genre, Europe, singing, the MBTI, and arguing with either a really good or a really bad opponent. I hate bananas and olives. They will never appear on this blog.
My style of cooking is influenced by a few things. The first motivating factor is that I love to eat great food, so I like to learn to make it for myself (my Food People page is an ever-expanding roster of foodie “mentors”). Health is another factor—both in the waistline sense and in the more nebulous ingredients sense—so I use unprocessed, natural, whole foods whenever I can. That said, I’ll never give up brown sugar or sweetened condensed milk. Don’t go there.
Kel Kel-
You blow me away!! This is doing to be a “go-to” place
for me to find new tasty treats!!! Jobs well done! Great copy, great photos, great recipes!!! “Who is in the Kitchen with kelly?” “No one!!” She doesn’t need any help~~~
Peggy
OMG, Kelly you are a ***** star chef! I am dying to start using your ideas. You are up there with the best and should be opening your own foodery.
You go girl! You are JUST like your Mom. xo, GBM
Thanks Peg!! I have a list of about 20 decadent dessert recipes that will make their way here over the next few months, so get ready!
And Gretchen, thank you!! Maybe someday I’ll be ready to strike out on my own in the food career world, we’ll see… :)
Oh, Kell! So proud of my little kitchen pal! Love the format…..this looks and feels like a very “well seasoned” cooking blog! I’ll be back!
KK’s not on “va-ca” anymore…she’s rockin’ the kitchen!
p.s. send your address, I’ve got some fresh Texas bay leaves for you. I too am an acolyte of this wonderful seasoning…soups, grains, anything in liquid pretty much…it ain’t done until you got the bay leaves bubblin’.
oh my gosh YUM!! thanks amy!!! I’ll email you.
Kelly, this rocks my socks. I am for sure telling my dad about his, he is also an aspiring chef, and could DEFINITELY use some recipes that are actually good, like yours! Love everything about this. Brava!
Loved the vegi pot pie with the addition of some shredded chicken! OUTSTANDING real pot pie flavors.
Hello. I enjoy your blog and have nominated you for an award!
Oh what a great surprise!! I have so much fun writing it, it’s nice to know people enjoy reading it too :)
Your blog is really pretty and with your pretty face in it too. Your smile brightens up the whole space. Twas nice stopping by!
Thanks so much!! I aim to please :)
You have an amazing blog! Can’t wait to see what you’ll be cooking up :)
Thanks :) Love yours too, great inspiration!
I love your recipes so much, I have nominated you for One Lovely Blog Award. Here is the link. http://awapara.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/one-lovely-blog-award-two-of-a-kind/
Thanks a lot!! It means so much to know my food love is appreciated :) Thank you!!
Congratulations! I have nominated you for the Sunshine Award :). Check it out here: http://inspireandindulge.wordpress.com/2012/09/15/humble-beginnings-my-1st-award/
Aww, the Sunshine Award, love it. Thanks so much!!
Hi, I bumped into you blog. I love your recipes. Way to go
i just nominated you for a sunshine award, even though you already have one! hope that’s ok!!! http://chefmimiblog.com/2012/11/29/sunshine-award/
Oh thank you so much!!! That means a lot to me :)
Kelly, just found this little gem of a blog! i love it and will subscribe to vicariously cook more often through you. You make our name look good :)
You’re too sweet!! I’m on the schedule for breakfast club this Friday – any requests? I wonder what I should bring….
Hi there! I’m Sue, and I’m from SlimKicker, a fitness/diet app and website. I saw your blog yesterday and it captured my interest!
I was wondering if we can do a giveaway for your blog readers?
Our website basically turns people’s fitness/diet goals into a level up game with challenges such as quitting soda for a week. We’re looking for new challenge ideas, so was thinking of holding a contest where your readers leave a comment on a health challenge idea + sign up on our site
We’ll pick our favorite challenge idea, use it on our site, and give the winner either a free digital health scale, slow cooker, or digital heart monitor. We’ve done many giveaways for bloggers in the past – you can google ‘SlimKicker giveaway’ to see. I also encourage you to sign up for our site to see what we’re about too :)
Let me know if you’re interested! You can email me back at sue.zheng (at) slimkicker (dot) com.
Best,
Sue
Hi Kelly: Belated thanks for stopping by! I’m so looking forward to following your blog!
Hello! I’ve nominated you for the ‘Versatile Blogger Award’ …I think you have more than earned it! To accept it, all you need to do is visit this post on my blog http://wp.me/p3EeAS-cd and follow the rules, which are easy enough. If you’re not into awards, that’s fine too! Congrats!
You hate bananas and olives? Noooooooo! I thought we could be friends but I was sadly mistaken (just kidding. You’re still absolutely positively awesome. I do have lots of banana recipes on my blog though, so I hope that doesn’t put you off!). This is my first visit to your blog but I’m already loving your fresh approach to writing and cooking. Gorgeous recipes. Following you from now on! xx
Thanks so much for stopping by! Maybe someday bananas and olives will grow on me, but we’ve spent the past 24 years as enemies, I’m not sure that’s a salvageable relationship….
Love your blog Kelly and the pictures look very appetizing.
Thank you for stopping by!
I just love being in the kitchen!
I’ve just found your blog, it looks great ☺️
Thank you! I like yours too – is there anything cuter than London at Christmas? Thanks for stopping by!
Oh no, nothing!! (Except maybe New York I guess..?) I just love London and when it’s been covered in glitter and sparkles it’s even more wonderful 🎅
Hi there! I nominated your blog for the Very Inspiring Blogger award. Well deserved Kelly! I just love your posts. Here’s the link to my post. Feel free to check it out and repost.
http://alygarlichands.wordpress.com/2014/02/16/very-inspiring-blogger-award/
Hi Kelly…..bring some sunshine your way tonight! :-) I nominated you for The Sunshine Award! Here is the link for you to follow if you accept and want to participate:
http://creatingbeautyinthekitchen.wordpress.com/2014/04/06/the-sunshine-award-take-2/
Congrats!
Love this! Thanks for the kind words and thoughts!
You are welcome Kelly!
Your profile picture is *beautiful*!!!!!!
Thanks, Maureen!! I admit it, it was a selfie….
Hi Kelly! I own a company in Chicago and we’re hiring … you came to mind right away. We met at PAWS back in January (played with Snavely/Mo for a while) and your energy and effervescence was unforgettable. I just wanted to see if you’d be willing to chat about the role!