Sayster

about me

I got married to my high school sweetheart in August 06 at the ripe old age of 21, and my husband Luke and I just moved to Birmingham, AL from Auburn. He's in his second year of dental school at UAB. I have a BFA in Graphic Design, and I'm a designer at Time Inc and doing freelance design work on the side. I'm planning to go to grad school for a Master's of Fine Arts in Book Arts some time or another. I had deferred because I think the timing will be better once Luke gets out of school and perhaps I might not need to commute the hour over there.

Getting married and getting HALF of a refrigerator instead of sharing one with seven other girls really ignited a cooking fire in me!

Lately I've been trying to cut out the sugar, which is hard, because Luke likes sugary pancakes and cereal, and because I like baking things. I need to quit baking! Trying to lose the newlywed nine so I can fit into my winter clothes.

Favorite Foods:

I LOVE salads, seafood, and fresh summer vegetables and fruit. I think I could grill out vegetables with s & p and eat them every day for the rest of my life. Also love seafood, and especially crab cakes, fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, and the southern basics. I LOVE the Stuffed Eggplant at the Red Bar in Grayton Beach, FL. Right now I've been making and mixing up a shrimp and corn salad, with jicama, tomatoes, roasted pumpkin seeds, scallions, lime juice, honey, cumin, s & p. I change it according to what I have, or according to our "newlywed/grad school" budget. It's still good with chicken and pine nuts instead of what it calls for. I also really love coconut and chocolate--like Hello Dollies!

Sometimes it's hard cooking for Luke because he is a plain old meat and potato eater and not as experimental as I am. I try to string him along on my cooking escapades and he's pretty good about eating what I make. Usually he likes it! It's just that he prefers meatballs while I prefer shrimp and asparagus. I guess meatballs are a comfort food. But I never really get sad and think, "Hm, a meatball would be very comforting right about now."

http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/209266/ny1.jpg