An introduction of sorts

I suppose that in starting this I should give some sort of of overview, non?

I'm a 31 year-old Social & Human Services/Chemical Dependency/General Counseling student in Seattle. I've lived here my entire life and I adore it. This city is full of some of the brightest, wittiest, most talented people I have ever known. I come from a rather varied family, full of different sets of parents and 7 younger siblings. After a decade of living with the same roommate, I am all by my lonesome in a quaint little apartment on the west side of the city. My neighborhood is filled with fabulous restaurants, bars and bakeries and everything I need is within a short walk or bus ride.

It's currently week three here by myself and it's been an adjustment, to say the least. Cooking for the family and the roommate has conditioned me to feed a herd rather than just one and I am struggling with this, folks. Upon moving in here, I found that I lived just a few doors away from someone I went to high school with. Being the kind soul that he is, he has offered to eat any surplus of whatever I make so that I don't have to feed it to the compost bin. Such the gentleman! Overall, I expect this blog to focus on cooking all manner of delicious things in quantities suited for one person (maybe with some leftovers for lunch or repurposing), with a smattering of things related to my favorite cosmetics, DIY projects and some photos here and there.

In general, I have a massive love affair with coffee, pie crust, potatoes, gnocchi, pasta, broccoli, apples, cheddar cheese and basil. Thyme, rosemary and tomatoes round out my list of must-haves and the entire list together comprises the dinner components most likely to be found in my kitchen any given night of the week.

I should also introduce some key players that will likely come up repeatedly.

This would be me. And a crab. he's very handsome, yes?

 

The tiny black, hairy one is Penelope. She is a 3 year-old mutt of unknown lineage that was a going-away gift from a former boss I had. She is obstinate, hilarious, too smart for her own good and serves as my shadow at all times. She currently sports a head-to-tail mohawk that suits her feisty little personality perfectly.

The handsome one in the hat is my boyfriend Nickolas. We met in 2006 when we began working in the same office together and began dating in late 2007. He is brilliant, witty, handsome, lovely, hopelessly enamored with Marvel superheroes and the best bedwarmer and kitchen cohort a girl could ever ask for. I love him like crazy and I'm pretty darn lucky that he loves me madly, too. The photo below sums up our pairing nicely:

 

We're ridiculous. We know.

This handsome gentleman is Peanut. He came to me as a feral kitten when I was 23 by way of jumping on my shoulder, burrowing under my hair and refusing to leave. He is grouchy and opinionated and talks back whenever spoken to, but he suffers the dog humorously and though he pretends he despises her, I catch him giving her headbumps and curling up with her at night. Due to his right front foot having an extra toe, he is affectionately referred to as Little Big Foot.

That being out of the way, I am currently embroiled in making some rosemary-sea salt focaccia and carrot-lentil soup, which I will post photos and recipes for tomorrow if my luck holds out and they don't taste like shoes. Which they shouldn't. Because I am fabulous.