The new blog is up and running!

The new blog culminated out of my love (sometimes hate) for cooking and I think my loneliness here in State College. Sadly, I've only made about 2 friends so far (and that may be stretching it!) So I cook (bake and facebook!)
I've tried the whole mommy-group thing, but its just not for me. At the park, I have to chase around 2 demanding boys and cant sit and chat it up like the other moms. Actually, I'd rather be playing on the slide and swings than sitting at the park. So maybe I'm just looking for someone more like me and my mommy-ing style. In about 10 years, my boys wont want me to be their playmate anymore, I'll just be their maid and cook to them! Which brings my tangent back to the main topic, cooking!
I'm not sure if it was my mom or working in restaurants that got me interested in cooking. My mom was always cooking something growing up. Ask me to think of my mom (while growing up) and I picture her in the kitchen, at the chopping block, with a few pans on the stove behind her, the TV is on, tuned to ABC's "Wide world of sports" and we're either watching figure skating or bowling.
It seemed like my mom just opened up cans of this or that and threw it in a pot. Then peeled this and that, it went in to the pot, now a few shakes of this spice and that herb. Stir, taste, sprinkle a little of this or that and then let it simmer for hours. She never looked at a recipe book (unless baking something.) She has about half a dozen staples that she makes and they always taste the same. I used to wonder how she remembered what and how much to put in and when.
When I was a little older, I would experiment with different ingredients. I was trying to replicate my mom's recipe, but really I wanted to make something that tasted even better!
I still try new ideas. I like to use what I have on hand. I hate to find a great-sounding recipe only to find out that I'm missing 1 ingredient...so I improvise. Dave will ask me "What are doing for dinner." I tell him "I'm cooking something"...he askes what I'm making. When I tell him, "I dont know, its a concoction." He gets nervous. I'd say about 90% of the time things come out good!
Things always seem to come out FANTASTIC when I'm home alone and there's no one to share the stuff with. But the worst part about these concoctions is when I want to make it again and can't remember what I used to make it. Hopefully, this blog will rememdy that issue.
The day I decided to start this blog, I did just what I mention. I came up with a great dish totally by accident. I'd love to be able to replicate it, so it'll be a posting within the next week!