Introduction

I suppose I should start by telling everyone why I'm writing a food blog. My ultimate goal is to learn about my food. And from that knowledge I want to put the best nourishment possible into my body.

Let's not kid ourselves—food blogs have been done before. I might even go so far as to say "They're all the rage right now." So what can I add to the food blogosphere?

I grew up with pretty typical American eating habits. I rarely ate breakfast as a kid, and when I did it was usually Pop-Tarts or cereal. I bought my lunch at school. For dinner, there was a pretty even mix of family meals at home, eating out, and fending for myself. My family shopped at the regional chain grocery store, but every once in a while we'd go to the local farmer's market and get corn, fruit, jam, or baked goods. I didn't really like vegetables and it was rare for us to serve anything more exotic than broccoli.

I went to college at my state university, majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication and Psychology. I also earned minors in History and Chemistry and have a concentration area in Women's Studies. I just finished applying to graduate school to earn my Master's in Public Health and am waiting to hear back. I ate dorm food for the majority of my first two years; then after I moved into an apartment I got back into the old routine of alternating between cooking, eating out, and scrounging. Lately, however, I've been trying to cook more and get my husband to do the same—though somewhat unsuccessfully on both counts.

I work as a server at a chain family restaurant. On my days off, I usually go to my internship at a local non-profit that provides fresh, organic produce to low-income families.

For whatever reason, I have found myself continually drawn to food and healthy eating. It probably started in late high school, when I decided to give up meat for Lent. About halfway through Lent I decided, on a whim, to stop drinking soda and have kept it largely out of my diet ever since. I began to eat less fast food (McDonald's in particular), and cut out the Golden Arches for good after I saw "Super Size Me" in early college. I took a few photojournalism classes, and both of my major projects revolved around food. My favorite class, perhaps, was Women and Food, and it was the driving force behind my ideal lifestyle changes.

That's basically what got me to where I am now. I want to have a better relationship with my food, so that I can be healthier. I'm not fat or trying to lose weight. My cholesterol is a teeny tiny bit high, but not enough for medication or even enough for me to take it seriously. I'm not an expert, but I enjoy eating and cooking. That being said, I don't always make enough time for either. I enjoy eating overly-processed junk food—much less than when I was a kid, but more than I should. I want to force myself to try foods outside of my comfort zone. I want to know more about where my food comes from and what it does to my body.

So what will this blog be, you ask? More than likely my convoluted journey to food enlightenment. It will be a food journal of sorts: I will try to log what I'm eating (hopefully with some pictures!) and include the (mostly borrowed) recipes I'm using. I am a semi-avid food reader, so I'm sure I will post about books/articles/etc. that interest me. I'd also like to learn more about food in larger contexts such as food systems, fair trade, and the like, so I'm sure I'll post plenty about those things too. Probably more will come, but that's a good start anyway.