One of my favorite things to do is cook. I don't do meat, so all of these recipes are vegetarian.

Because I was raised in the midwest, I like my meals to have substance. I crave fake meat and potato kind of meals. If you are looking for a hummus recipe, this is not the place.

I would like to give credit to my mom for teaching me how to cook and for passing down some of these recipes (the bean salad, scalloped potatoes, and chicken tremendous) that I later adapted to be meat-free.

Where I take a step away from Midwestern cooking is I try to make all of my meals well-balanced and rounded. I like eating vegetables and I try to incorporate not only the standards of corn, green beans, and peas, but also yellow squash, sweet potatoes, and zucchini, as well as many others (but NOT carrots).

Also, I don't ever measure anything. I made up these measurements...Feel free to add what looks and tastes right to you. If I can make it without specific amounts, you can too, and it will taste good.

Enjoy!