In conversation, I tend to ramble, get caught up in side notes to stories, and insist on explaining even the smallest detail for emphasis. The more excited I get, the more likely I am to include sound effects, impersonations and funny voices.   Eventually, my listener begs me to get to the point. While I abhor public speaking and hate the sound of my own voice, I have never been labeled “quiet”; in fact, my second grade teacher defined my demeanor on my relatively stellar report card when she added in the notes section, “Casey is a chatterbox.”

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Buying gifts can start to quickly add up, and it’s hard to not feel generous during the holidays. Though I try to set a budget for each person on my list, it can be really hard to stick to; I aspire to be one of the greatest gift givers in my family and sometimes overdo it. To help ease the pain on my wallet, while utilizing my knack for baking, I set out to churn dozens of sweets out of my own kitchen to give my favorite people on the planet presents that are homemade and edible.

I entered my culinary arena at 10 a.m. last Saturday and lost myself in batches upon batches of cookies, cakes and candies. When I finally came to, after a whirlwind day of stirring, mixing, and whisking, it was getting dark outside and I happily realized I spent the entire day in the kitchen. True, I was definitely proud of my accomplishments as I looked around my kitchen and admired my own work: freezer bags and Tupperware containers practically overflowing with holiday treats. But, I was also overcome with excitement as I imagined my confections wrapped in red and green paper, tied with ribbon. What was even more thrilling was the thought of them being eaten. Read More…

I’m not an expert on relationships, but if anyone were to ask me advice I would recommend lots of delicious, home cooked meals for a great partnership. Believe me, I’m not preaching the archaic “a woman’s place is in the kitchen” outlook on life (though it is my dream to be locked away in a fully stocked, state-of-the-art, industrial kitchen all day and coincidentally get paid for it). Simply put: the way to a man’s heart is, without a doubt, through his stomach.

Ever since the start of my relationship, I’ve been feeding Joe the best possible dishes I can think of. In the beginning, it was fun to discover what his favorite foods were. On the same token, I learned very quickly what he couldn’t stand; since 2007, my “Chicken Parm” has been “Parm-less”. Parties, birthdays and holidays have been marked with memorable recipes like pastor-style tacos, chocolate bread pudding and apple cider brined turkey. We have also made it through some kitchen disasters, like the Valentine’s Day 2009 homemade lobster ravioli that took us five continuous hours to make; by the time it was ready, we were uninterested.

Just as I win Joe’s affections through my meals, he never fails to tell me how great my food is and he constantly brags about my skills in the kitchen. Plus, his dishwashing skills are on point, even after a four-course meal. Now that we are engaged, I feel even more responsibility to produce amazing dishes and am making it a point to create recipes with his favorite ingredients.

On a regular basis, I catch him with a spoonful of peanut butter, straight from the jar. He could eat peanut butter and jelly every day and be perfectly happy, and all of the desserts he flocks to include the thick, salty spread. This recipe for peanut butter pie might be one of the reasons he asked me to marry him.  Read More…

When I asked Joe what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday, his response was less than ideal. Each year, I try to produce an over-the-top, inventive concoction to celebrate. Past cakes include double chocolate, chocolate/peanut-butter and even a chocolate/bacon pairing. I thought, for sure, he would want to keep with the chocolate theme this year. You can imagine how confused I was when he told me he wanted something healthier.

Both of us have been working hard to visit the gym, run more often and eat better. With the start of the summer season and the beautiful weather, it’s likely we’ll have to don a swimsuit and head to the beach at some point, and I personally want to make it as painless as possible for myself and everyone in my company when the moment arrives. Still, I can easily be convinced to forego a short run or gym session in favor of a cold beer or an impromptu slice or two of pizza. I’m no stranger to treating myself.

Birthdays, to me, are an even bigger reason to indulge; the one day a year to celebrate you should involve your favorite meal, lots of snacking and, at the very least, a perfectly delicious, beautifully decorated birthday cake. Even though the birthday boy had requested a healthier option in lieu of a birthday dessert, I knew I had to veto his wishes and find a spectacular recipe to commemorate his day. I needed something so delicious and immaculate that he couldn’t possibly be angry with me for going against his request.  Read More…