Cooking has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. As my mother cooked, I would perch myself nearby and watch, smelling, and tasting. I remember as a child the lovely fragrances filling our spotless kitchen. The smell of sauce in a pan, meatloaf in the oven, and the warm flavor of freshly baked cookies are all wonderful memories.

As I grew older, my mother would let me help with some dishes. I would roll out crackers for her moist and delicious meatloaf, as well as help her shape the loaf before baking. My mother’s love of cooking and nurturing her family inspired me.

I learned to cook because I love to eat well every day, and not just on weekends and special occasions. I believe so much of what it means to be a family happens in the kitchen. Mealtimes are an opportunity for family and friends to be together. Many people tell me they love to cook, but don’t have the time. Satisfying food does not have to be complex. Often the simpler it is, the better it tastes. My cooking is about clean flavors, enhancing my dishes with a few fresh ingredients that still taste like they are supposed to.

Having already worked in a career as an administrative assistant in the Chicago area, the passion for food took over and I enrolled in the College of Lake County’s Culinary Arts program in Grayslake, Illinois. This curriculum provided a great foundation for my cooking endeavors. The program covered such subjects as Stocks and Sauces, Baking and Pastry, Regional American Cooking, Nutrition, and Sanitation.

For the past sixteen years, Savor your Thyme has offered Lake, McHenry, and Kenosha Counties an opportunity to recapture the "family dinner hour" and get families back around the dinner table. My goal is to help people take better care of themselves with healthy, wholesome meals that the whole family can enjoy.