Hi, I'm Rachel.

A few years ago I could barely boil water.

True story.

Determined to be a kick ass wife, I developed a love for football and learned to cook in my tiny Jersey City kitchen. I spend my days working in Manhattan, my nights and weekends chasing after a rambunctious toddler, and the hours in between cooking with my husband and feeding my TV habit...oh, and I blog about it all! 

Welcome to my world!

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Entries in The Avid Appetite (8)

Tuesday
Jan172012

Two Years Ago I Started a Blog

Two years ago, I started a blog.

I can't believe that it's been two whole years...and yet, I can't believe it's only been two years.

 

I started The Avid Appetite as a place to explore my love of food and to have an outlet for writing, a passion that I've had for as long as I can remember.

And at first, that was all that I wanted it to be.

It's grown and evolved so much over the last two years. I love telling you how just simply have to make a new recipe that I cooked up...but I also love telling you about things I love in my life, all about how Shaun and I celebrate our anniversary or spend the holidays, about the embarassing amount of television that I watch...and a whole lot more.

If you would have told me two years ago that I'd have created and/or adapted and written over 160 recipes, I would have fallen out of my chair with laughter. As I've always told you, a mere three years ago I couldn't cook to save my life. Simply cooking a chicken cutlet seemed like a major culinary accomplishment (and it still is!).

I've made a lot of fantastic blog friends and reader friends. I've received the sweetest comments and emails. These things have by far been the #1 best thing about blogging! Seriously, I know I don't respond to comments usually (only because my blogging host, Squarespace, doesn't have this function!), but I do read each and every single one and do a little happy dance when I see them in the morning.

The bottom line is that I've really loved blogging over the last two years! I hope that you've enjoyed reading The Avid Appetite as much as I've enjoyed writing it! Here's to another year ahead, with more food, more cupcakes, and more friends!

xo,

Rachel

Sunday
Jan012012

In 2012

I don't really 'do' resolutions. I either find them to be faulty, too difficult to keep, and a little cliche. Or could it be that I don't want to hold myself accountable to anything? It's really just too much pressure to have to lose 20 pounds, find a job that pays twice as much as what I make now, redecorate my entire apartment and institute world peace, all within the first 3 months of the year (because let's face it, who is still working on their new year's resolutions come April and beyond?).

I have no idea why January 1st makes me depressed.

But in all seriousness, I'm excited for 2012. I promise, I am. Of course I have high hopes for the new year. I would, in fact, love to lose 20 pounds. I'd love to make more money and install custom tiling in my bathrooms and built-in shelving in my living room. I'd really love to finally be the one responsible for world peace. Of course most of this list is highly unrealistic. And so, my dear friends and readers, I came up with a few small things/goals/resolutions that I'd love to work on this year. I think all of these would fall into the category of 'I'm-pushing-myself-but-these-are-probably-attainable' goals.

1. Keep blogging.

Sometimes...just sometimes...I feel highly unmotivated to blog. A few days go by where traffic is 'eh' and I receive no comments or Tweets or Facebook likes, and I think...why do I bother? I'm talking to myself! I've spoken about this many times. Sometimes I wonder why I do this at all and what do I get out of it? And the honest answer is that my blog brings me happiness every single day. Even on my 'I have nothing to say' days. Because one single comment is enough to turn my day around and make it wonderful. And even without comments, emails or communication, it makes me happy to write and to cook. And to eat...obviously. So I can't forget about that. And so thanks to all of YOU who read my blog! It makes me incredibly happy :)

2. Find some freelance writing assignments.

This falls under the category of extremely low self-confidence. I'm making a promise to me that I will push myself this year. I will put myself out there. And what's the worst that can happen? I'm not freelance writing now, so it can't really be all that disappointing.

3. Find a better balance of exercise, healthy eating and indulging.


I know. This is something that I feel like I'm always talking about, thinking about and mentioning on the blog. I think a lot of people do this. But I really want to make an effort to actually do this.

4. Smile more.


I like to think that I'm a fairly optimistic person (case in point: when Shaun and I bet each other on the Giants game, I always, always pick the Giants, with the spread and take the over...what can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic). I really do honestly try and find the silver lining in every situation that comes my way. I don't ever want things to be so bad that I can't find something to smile about. And so, I want to smile more. Because how bad can things be when you are smiling?!

5. Keep on keeping on with my 30 by 30 list.

Though I have accomplished a lot on my list, I'm approaching the half way point to my 30th birthday and thus must rededicate myself to the list! I got distracted by autumn and holiday fun and now I'm ready to get back on track.

None of these are earth shattering goals or resolutions, but they are all things that I hope for in 2012! I am also approaching a big milestone in January when The Avid Appetite turns 2! So a big, fat, giant hug to everyone who reads this blog! It would be nothing with you :)

Questions of the Day:

Are you setting goals or resolutions for 2012?

What are you looking forward to most this year?

psst...its a new year and we've got a new look over on The Peach & The Pit! Today I'm blogging about meal planning for the new year!

Saturday
Dec312011

Buh Bye 2011

I wasn't planning to do a 2011 year in review. I feel like the entire news and blog world is buzzing with reviews, roundups, best of's, and goodbyes to the year. These kinds of posts and articles simultaneously make me feel happy and sad, but such is life I suppose. Happy to think back on fun times, but sad to know that another year has come and gone.

But when I thought about all that has happened over the last year, I thought it was worth taking one more look back at it. It was a good year!

I ate delicious pancakes...

 

I did a lot (and I mean, a lot!) of cooking...

I made the ugliest cake ever...

Shaun and I went to Atlanta, where we ate amazing food, attended a Falcons-Packers playoff game and drank ourselves into a sugar coma at the Coke museum...

I made a lot of cupcakes...like this Banana Cupcake with Nutella Frosting...mmmm

and these Malted Chocolate Cupcakes

 

I ate a lot of whipped cream

I fell in love with smoothies...

...and made some delicious Irish eats...

I helped Lindsey make 350 chocolate truffles for her engagement party...

 

I told you all about how Shaun and I met and fell in love...

...and all the details of our dream destination wedding in Aruba

 

 I went crazy with this Chocolate Cookie Peepza Pie

We took a trip to Madrid...

..and Zurich & Zug

Kimberly graduated from law school...and passed the Bar!

I made some delish summery dishes

I made some amazing bar desserts...

like these pretzel crusted brownies with buttercream

pineapple coconut dream bars...

and layered Oreo cake bars

We celebrated our 3rd anniversary

took a trip to Aruba

I started a new blog with my sisters. If you haven't seen it yet, please check out The Peach & The Pit! Some big changes happening with that in the coming days...

We took a trip to New Mexico to celebrate my cousin's wedding...

Hosted a virtual cookie swap with some A-mazing bloggers!

and baked a whole lotta cookies and holiday goodies

had a wonderful Christmas with my family...

and overall a healthy and wonderful 2011! This year I posted 84 recipes on the blog...wowza! I just tallied it up and can't believe that number. My project for this weekend is to work on updating the recipe page for you!

I hope that you all have a wonderful and safe new year's eve tonight! Have a blast!

Cheers!

Rachel