“Memorial Day, this day of remembrance, is also the unofficial kick-off of summer, and yet another reason to get cooking with family and friends.”

That’s a great way to wind down the busy month of May. And, in fact, I secretly was praying for a rainy day today. I needed it to get my house back together after all the graduation festivities.

Also this month, I’ve been busy finishing up my recipes for the July/August issue of Birmingham Home and Garden. Be sure to pick up a copy or subscribe at birminghamhomeandgarden.com. I’m focusing this issue on vegetables fresh from the garden—tomatoes, watermelon, corn, peaches, blueberries, jalapeños, and more. You don’t want to miss it.

But on this relaxing holiday, I thought I would share with you some of my true cooking confessions that I’ve never shared before.

Confessions of a Cookoholic

1. I really don’t like to bake sweets. When I’m entertaining, dessert is always the first course I will eagerly hand off to anyone who offers to bring something.
2. I rarely go out to lunch—probably six times a year. I have several quick and light lunch options that I grab on the go. Sometimes I never even sit down to eat them. It’s that quick!
3. The last time I took a nap was in 2013 when I had the flu. I have a list a mile long of all the things I want to do in my life. There is no time to nap.
4. I have 61,116 photos on my iPhone. My entire book, blog, and personal photos go back to 2006. I’m afraid to delete any of them. I might need them for something. I pay $2.99 a month to store them in the Cloud.

   

5. My favorite food is pizza. Pasta is a close second. One of the first recipes I made as a child was a double-decker pizza in a cast-iron skillet. My dad requested it!
6. I’ve tried to fry chicken only once. (I had an electric range at the time.) The second I dropped the brined chicken pieces into the hot grease, my power went out due to bad weather. As you can imagine, the sizzle ended and the cleanup began!
7. I enjoy going to the grocery store. I actually save it for after other chores as my reward.
8. Ten grocery store items I’m never without: 1) onions 2) celery 3) carrots 4) chicken broth 5) pasta 6) butter 7) olive oil 8) coffee 9) garlic 10) wine

   

   

   

   

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