Dear Loves...

I really didn't have an idea how I will start this book for you, what I will say in it or how I will teach you about cooking, life and what you want to know...That is why I'm creating it as I go without agenda or plan for something big or extraordinary...I want you to have a place to go to when mama is not around to tell you how to cook dinner or make a breakfast for your love ones on a lazy Sunday morning... and also to give you some tips and tricks that I have learned from years of cooking the dishes I learned from my mom and I hope that will help you be the star of your own kitchen one day.

Here is my first one - Don't worry if the same dish won't come out the same way every time you cook it... I have never cooked a meal the exact same way twice... it depended on what I have put in it at that particular moment or if I improvised it when I didn't have all the required ingredients on hand... it is perfectly fine to change things a little bit and recipes around when is for a different people too, not everyone eats everything... you just need to know your people and their preferences, likes and allergies even. That comes handy in the long run, to make it as a habit - when you invite someone over for dinner, ask them in advance what they like and don't. I know is hard to please everyone but at least you will know in advance and that eliminates any unpleasant surprises at the last minute.

I want you to know this huge mistake I made. I know that you think that mom gets it right every time but sometime that is not the case. Believe it or not I did it not just ones but more than one time - I did cook meal when I was upset, mad and unhappy... and lets say - that didn't turned quite the way I have expected and wanted... That is why one of my all time advises is - never, ever cook when you angry or sad... meals and food in general needs lots of love and care to be put in them in order for them to become one of your own kitchen masterpieces that everyone will enjoy and ask to have more...

Today while I was driving with the kids on our way to Grandma's house, I was thinking about life and what we go through and experience daily and how our thoughts and and what we do is really important for the future we create for ourselves... and great analogy came to mind and I wanted to share it with you.

Life is like an ice cream, Loves !

It really is... and it comes down to you which one you will choose as a starting point, what toppings you will add to it later on or even what you will choose to not add on or take off at a certain moments. Are you want it to be sweet as it can be as a triple chocolate...or you will just go for the safe and settle for dull and boring plain vanilla or you will go higher and put all what you have and can and make it pretty festive and colorful with all of the rainbow colors mixed in it like a bid fancy birthday bash...or you will be adventurous and jump for the unknown and make it interesting when you choose the salty ones mixed with the sweetness of the caramel in it...I know ice cream is cold first and that cold can hit you pretty hard like a brain freeze if you are not careful and take too much of a first bite...no one wants cold life experience either but remember you can always get a good outcome even from the obstacles on your way... You just need to trust and let is stay for a little bit and after a while will start to warm up...and then comes the great part - the refreshing and yummy taste that always magically put smiles on people's faces ....did you ever seen anyone with an unhappy face when they eat an ice cream ? Probably not.

All comes down to you, my Loves ....and what choices you will be making at any given moment.. no one else, just solely you and what mood you are in and what is going on in your life.. It is up to you what will you will sprinkle on top of it too - you can make it pretty much whatever you want to be - happy as a rainbow sprinkles or salty as the walnuts in a white turtle ice cream ( btw - turtle ice cream rocks )... And remember you can't blame others when you put too much or less of something ....you just can't, because we all are the Creators of our own ice creams... and is always about the trial and error and the life lessons we get from every single failed or successful batch of that cold sweetness in a cone!

Now lets do this!

Love,

Mom xo