Briefly…
Just about every waking minute of the day, I think about food. I am not kidding. It’s how I fall asleep at night- and the first thing I think about in the morning. When I pick up my kids from school, my first question isn’t about what they studied, it’s “How was your lunch?” ; -)
I know that I’m not like most people. I hear from friends and family all the time how hard it is to figure out what to make. I get this. Trying to use up what’s in the fridge, serving up something delicious for family and friends, mixing up the flavors as to not get bored- all while keeping a generally balanced diet- it’s work!
The thing is, I LOVE it. It’s like a mystery I get to solve each day (I am, btw, a huge mystery book geek). But, I completely get that for many figuring out what to make is a total chore.
Key Lime Lexi is full of great ideas- mostly healthy, sometimes indulgent, fun and always full of zest! Follow my blog and let me do the work for you.
My approach…
I cook a little bit of everything, because I believe in all things in moderation. I’m just as likely to cook a doughnut, on the right occasion, as I am a quinoa and kale salad.
What I am going to provide to you- YOU who chooses to spend time with me and my blog, and for which I am SO appreciative- are seasonal recipes, made with love and a little added “zest” to amp up the flavor. Recipes that are approachable and fundamentally GOOD!
Join me on this journey and let’s together receive fulfillment and enjoyment out of one of life’s greatest pleasures… eating!
Find out more…
My deep love and appreciation for food, cooking and all things culinary began at an early age. My Mom says that as a baby, I would cry when she was making dinner until she would pick me up and put me on her hip (she had to cook one-handed!). Clearly I needed to be where the action was! What I remember most about my childhood is that we always had a home cooked dinner. My dad made it a priority to be home from work so that we could come together as a family and tell about our days, while enjoying my mother’s cooking. It wasn’t fancy or fussy food, but it was made with love and wholesome ingredients, and it nourished our bodies and souls. This ritual imparted in me the importance of family, togetherness, food, and health. These are timeless values as applicable today as they were then.
As soon as I could hold a spatula I began baking my own birthday cake- a tradition I continue to this day. I loved experimenting with ingredients and flavors, creating new twists on classic recipes. In college, I often would cook for my roommates, and even their families when they came to visit. While finishing up my degree, I took a job doing catering sales. My desk was feet from “the line,” which is where all of the food was prepared by the talented chefs. In between phone calls, I would dart over to watch the magic happen, testing a nibble, or learning a tip.
It didn’t take me long to realize that I would be trading spreadsheets for chef’s whites. I started a personal chef business, and within the year, I was featured in the Washingtonian Magazine as a top chef in the D.C. metro area. Since then, my culinary career has lead me through a ski-town bakery, owning a gourmet chocolate business, catering, writing, and traveling to places near and far to explore and study the intricacies of other cuisines. While my work has taken me all over the world and exposed me to many different food cultures, my roots will always be in Florida, where my love of food and cooking began.
Every chance I get, I am reading, researching, recipe testing, sampling new restaurants, and forever trying to keep current with the latest food trends and developments. The most important thing to me, though, is keeping it real. My philosophy is to honor the integrity of the ingredients, creating delicious, unfussy food that will nourish my family and my friends. I stand by my recipes, and hope that you will find value and delight in each one.
