I was going to post something and then I decided I needed to first explain why.  Nothing bad, just to give you a brief background on why I am going to be post a few recipes every now and then.

Years ago growing up I always clipped recipes out of the Bakersfield Californian. I still clip recipes from everywhere today, mainly on the computer. I have always kept a scrap book of recipes and add to it whenever I find one to try out.  I just was not your normal teen, I would much rather cook, then hang out and go out.  I learned about cooking from my mom, grandmothers and 4-H.  I enjoy exploring new recipes.  I have always cooked around my family, even more once I got married and moved out of my parent’s home.  I use to cook with all my siblings and their spouses.  Those were the best of times around the kitchen with my all the nieces and nephews, just having a family dinner with everyone every week before we all went our separate ways.

Once I moved up to the Bay Area I started to cook with friends.  Several friends wanted me to open my own cafe.  I even went so far as to find a location and backers but I just never did it.  I loved to cook and enjoyed cooking for friends.  Several of my friends were single parents and just did not have the time to cook with work and school, so we all started to eat dinner together.  Nothing like cooking for 5 to 9 kids all the same ages and 5 or 6 adults.  It was always so much easier to cook for large groups then just my sons and myself.  I lived on a major road in the little town so my house became the central hub for us all.  It was great all the kids (boys) were all in the same classes for several years.  It was a norm for the kids to come over to my home after school and do their homework and then eat dinner and go their separate ways.  We all felt that the kids got a good sense of family with friends around. We all were single parents with the other parents not participating in our children’s lives.  The group of us all did stuff together all the time and we made it a point to all eat dinner together because we all benefited in having a family dinner table with friends like family.  I didn’t work so it worked out great for my home to be the hub.  Everyone would call to find out if they needed to bring anything home or stop by the store on their way home.  It worked out so perfectly until my life took a turn and I moved back to Bakersfield 10 years ago. 

When I moved back I decided to give up cooking (To long of story to explain – It was hard to cook for two very picky kids and myself. Plus I worked all the time and I was a single parent. Plus I usually worked at dinner time.) Ordering take out was so much easier or just going out to dinner.  For years many of my new friends around Bakersfield never knew I knew how to cook.  In fact if you had asked them they would tell you that I didn’t know how to boil water.  My idea of cleaning out the refrigerator was to throw away the 5 pizza boxes. I was the computer teacher that had lost my way to the kitchen.

My family knew better that I could cook.  The only cooking I really was at the family gatherings and the holidays. I still knew how to cook, I just didn’t enjoy it like I use to.  It was really that I did not make or take the time.  It was just quicker to drive thru or to order take out with Restaurant Runner.  Not that any of that is a bad thing but in moderation.

I stayed in contact with many of my friend in the Bay Area.  They would call asking for some recipe or how to cook something. In June 2006, my dearest friends died in a tragic fire. She was one of the driving forces behind me cooking for all my friends in the Bay Area.  She was bed ridden from an illness and she was unable to feed her two boys which were my sons best friends so I helped out with the simple thing of cooking for them.  She and I became the best of friends we shared so much but cooking just was not her strong point.  She had many other talents but cooking just was not one of them. After she got better I continued to cook for them. Over the years she tried to talk me into writing a cookbook.  I always thought about it, just never gave it too much thought.  She and several other friends told me over and over they all would buy the first copies.  I thought I would do it sometime, but I never knew that Carol would not be around to enjoy it. 

I started back cooking over a year ago and I found my way back into the kitchen. I try to help my parents out cooking for them occasionally, since it is still hard to just cook for my son and myself. In fact last week my son and I made 5 trays of enchiladas – 1 for us, 1 for our freezer, 1 for my parents, 1 for my parents’ freezer and 1 for a family friend.  After making all of the trays and sharing them we found out that other wanted them. We needed to make about 5 more trays then we did.  The great thing was once again I was asked for my recipe for the sauce.  So it got me thinking.

I decided to post several recipes that I know Carol would have wanted and many of my friends want or have asked for. Ignore them, try them, sharing them and/or do whatever you want with them.  Just know that they are from me, to share with you and what a better way to share them with you all then here.  You know the place where I started to clip recipes years earlier, it’s just computerized now.

My little brief explanation of why I am going to post recipes! Enjoy!