the obligatory first post

First posts tend to fall into one of several categories. Some are conversational, some are self-conscious (does the world really need another blog?), and some people avoid the problem altogether by skipping the introductions and diving right in.

So where does this post fit?

I suppose it's a hybrid - conversationally self-conscious. Aware that a myriad of food blogs already exist, I nonetheless decided to join the party. I love reading food bloggers, love being in the kitchen, and love to write. Or at least like to write. Given the choice between writing and baking brownies, the brownies win hands down, but given the choice between writing and, say, mopping the bathroom floor, I'd prefer my keyboard.

I started cooking alongside my mom pretty early on, and was baking on my own by the time I was 11. I'm a comfort food girl, I love to feed my family and I can't ever remember NOT loving to bake, though my skills could certainly use a lot of honing. That's my goal for 2009 - take a quarter-century plus (dear God...) of making chocolate chip cookies and chili and homemade mac and cheese, and work on improving my skill, techniques and repertoire. (But I'm still pretty much a comfort food girl - you can keep your escargot arugula cupcake, thankyouverymuch.)

I'm excited for the challenge, and am looking forward to joining the conversation in the food blogging community. Hey, it keeps me from having to mop the bathroom floor.