Starrynews

about me

I love to look at recipes, so 'Zaar is one of my favorite websites! It is always my first go-to for new recipes, followed by Kraft Food & Family magazines. Favorite cooking shows include Iron Chef America, Take Home Chef, and Everyday Italian- I love Giada De Laurentiis.

I am a member of a cooking group, which has really challenged me to make and try out dishes and foods I wouldn't otherwise consider preparing. I've also been experimenting with how to make favorite restaurant dishes at home, thanks to the economy. And I entered my first few local cook-offs, placing 2nd and earning the "Most Original" title for Sweet & Spicy Chicken Chili in a Chili Cook-off and was in a tie for Best Overall in a Bake-off, where I also won 2nd place for Best Sweet Dish.

A big thank-you to everyone who tries the recipes I post! I hope you enjoy them as much as my family, friends, and I do. (I only post ones that we have tried and approved )

Warning: Tag games are addictive!






So are seasonal events... good thing these only come around at certain times during the year!

My themes: Soup's Up! & Awesome Asiago!


Thank you for adopting me, Southern Polar Bear!!

I love the Herb/Spice of the Month games-- go check them out in the Garden Forum! It is fun to get to know the variety of ways in which you can use the various herbs and spices.






















My ratings: I don't give anything under 3* when it comes to deciding on how "good" a recipe tastes, because I believe people have different tastes and preferences. What works for you simply may not work for me, and that's fine, especially since I think it is partially my responsibility to have a good enough understanding of the likes and dislikes of the people for whom I am cooking to properly select a recipe that there is a good chance they will enjoy. Regardless of star ratings, I always try to leave a helpful comment about what I did and what my experience with the recipe was for others, so they can get a better understanding of why I rated it how I did. How that works out then, is that 5* for me is an absolute keeper that I will make again and again. 4* is that we enjoyed it, but I am not sure how frequently we will be making it again in the future. It's probably just a once in awhile dish for us. 3* means that it just didn't work for us, but I really appreciate that you took the time to post it! A 2* or below would only happen if there is clearly something wrong with the recipe, and that it is not just a matter of opinion on tastiness.

Favorite Foods:

My most often requested dishes are baked Chicken Parmesan, Raspberry and Coconut Cream Cheese Spread, and Buckeyes/ Buckeye Bars. An invitation to others to come over is always met by, "Is the dip going to be there?", in reference to the Raspberry and Coconut Cream Cheese Spread. I just made it in the shape of a heart for Valentine's Day and a bloody hand for Halloween

My latest cooking interests are appetizers and soups. I really enjoy making a meal out of them! It has turned into an almost weekly experiment. So if you have any lovely appetizer or soup recipes to recommend, I would love to see them!

I absolutely love ice cream, gelato, yogurts and sorbets! I also enjoy Tex-Mex/Southwestern, Taiwanese, Italian, Greek, and fusion cuisines.

I don't eat beef or mustard, avoid adding salt to food, and watch intake of grain-based carbs, but I can and will cook dishes containing these for others.

http://community.webshots.com/album/179755648aKcQbK