I figured if I’m going to return to blogging more about work and life, I might as well start by writing about all of the hats that I wear. To give it some sort of order, I’ve decided to write them in a chronological order. Thus, out of all the roles I hold, the role of Chief Foodie and Recipe Creator at Think Tasty is the one I’ve had the longest.

If you’ve read the About page at Think Tasty, you know a bit of my history. If you haven’t, feel free to click the link. You also can just continue reading.

Basically some of my oldest memories revolve around food. From helping my mom make cookies (and not just to get dibs on a beater) to critiquing wedding cake as a seven year old, food has been a central part of my life. I’ve always enjoyed creating, cooking, and sharing.

The more time I’ve spent cooking and baking, the more I have developed a sense of confidence that allows me to be more creative. For me it isn’t just about the time in the kitchen, it’s also about the time spent imagining. I love to think about an ingredient, how I’ll prepare it, how I can make it shine. I enjoy considering ways to develop more flavor and highlight different textures.

I always have enjoyed sharing the food I created, but I’ve become more introspective of that as well. The reason I enjoy sharing food isn’t so much to hear praise from others, rather it’s my way of making other people happy. Whether I’ve made a dessert to celebrate an event, brought an appetizer to a gathering, or am hosting a dinner, I love seeing other people feel happy and satisfied with what they’re eating. It doesn’t hurt if I like the food as well.

So, twelve years into it, I’m still running Think Tasty. I dedicate at least one morning a week to recipe testing. That doesn’t include the time I spend deciding what dishes I’ll be making in the coming weeks, designing the actual recipe, or shopping for ingredients. No, it’s not a full-time gig, but it fills many hours in each week. I feel very fortunate to be able to spend part of my workweek focusing on this lifelong passion.