Hi everyone! My name is Rachel, and I am so excited to be a semi-frequent guest blogger for Girl by the Lake.

Being in the kitchen has always been a part of my life. My earliest memory is making applesauce with my mom at the age of 4, maybe 3. I have always enjoyed cooking for others as well as myself. I rarely make the same recipe (or version) more than once, unless I crave it.

My inspirations come form all sorts of places - food photos, restaurant menus, farmer’s market, grocery store specials, anything. I am also completely impulsive about taking on a food challenge (homemade english muffins, anyone?).  I love learning about new flavor combinations or techniques from food blogs and cookbooks and then trying to tweak them to my preferences. Recently, I have been trying to make regular recipes a bit healthier, more proper portion friendly, and generally less processed.

Like any single lady working hard in a city, I enjoy the challenge of demystifying restaurant prices. Why would I order a dried pasta dish in a restaurant for $30 when I can make homemade pasta for less than $3 at home? I am also a wholesome, minimalist cook. And by minimalist, I mean I have a teeny tiny studio apartment kitchen without a microwave (shocker I know for a 20-something). I strongly believe that a good set of knives and a cast iron skillet can be all you need.

So I hope that intrigues you enough to keep coming back to this blog (or maybe just add it to your Google Readers right now). I am excited to share some of my kitchen adventures with you!