My Daddy loves to cook. He shows his love through cooking. We are not a lovey-dovey family with lots of hugs & kisses & "I love you"'s. He cooks, we eat & all is well. He is what I call a "feeder". He truly enjoys to see people eating. (Mind you, this is no longer simple since Sean & I have alternative diets. My Daddy is a southern cook who likes to use bacon grease--really, I should say, my Mother likes for him to cook with bacon grease. As usual, I digress.) I have discovered over the years that I have inherited this trait.

Sean & I went to help a friend, Bala Boyd, film a video for his production company, Gypsy House Productions, & we had to be there at the crack of dawn (actually at 8:00am, but dressed, ready & out the door that early is the crack of dawn for us!). I decided I would bring some homemade monkey bread using a great new whole wheat bread recipe that Bala's wife, Joni, had shared with me. I also made a salad to go with lunch. As I was loading all my yummalicious goodies in the car, I thought "I come bringing love.". I have really been pondering this ever since. When I cook for people it is out of love & the food is love. Whether it is for family & friends that come over for dinner, for clients, or just for me & Sean, it is done out of love.

Speaking of clients, I have been cooking like crazy! I recently cooked in a home in Destiny by the Sea that has been under construction for years (literally); the group that I cooked for were the first people to stay there & the last, from what they had heard, because a member of John Mayer's band bought the house. Pretty cool! It was enourmous & had a great kitchen! You would be amazed at some of the not-so-great kitchens I have cooked in; the smallest one so far was several weeks ago at Sandestin--great family, tiny kitchen. I normally cook for omnivores, but I had the pleasure of cooking for a group at Alys Beach, three of which were vegetarians; that was a lot of fun! Currently I have some clients in town that own a second home at WaterSound, I have been cooking for them for over a year, when they are in town; it is so nice to go into the home & "know the kitchen" & the family. All of this cooking is a form of love...not necessarily love for the client, because I usually don't know them; but love of the food & of the experience.

So as an end note, I am leaving you with a photo of a chocolate peanut butter pie that I make & my clients love.

Labels: Alys Beach, Bala Boyd, chocolate peanut butter pie, Destiny by the Sea, Gypsy House Productions, John Mayer, Joni Boyd, personal chef, Sandestin, vegan food, vegetarian, WaterSound