About Me
When not helping people plan their events and manage their meals, I’m a stay-at-home mom to diabolically adorable twins. As someone who has always found an excuse to throw a party or share a meal, having children has only given me more incentives to host friends and family. And managing our day-to-day has helped me hone my approach to entertaining by forcing me to streamline and perfect my tips and tricks. In fact, I’ve become a bit of a mad genius at timing an event properly so that I am stress-free while juggling a hectic household.
When I’m not planning my next event (or yours), I am constantly experimenting with and improving on my own recipes. You can follow those successes (and, let’s admit it, failures) on Instagram. If you want to learn more about all the food I cooked prior to having children, you can check out my old blog, ABroadCooking.com, which charts our time living in London.
My Entertaining Style and Philosophy
Growing up, my mother often said to me, “If it doesn’t make you happy, it’s not worth doing.” Now she was usually consoling me over some silly teenage boy drama, but I find the advice translates seamlessly to the kitchen. You should be cooking food you love and doing it on a schedule that brings you joy NOT stress.
My entertaining style is a balance between elegance and comfort. Often this looks like family style platters, served by candlelight with fresh flowers, or a kid-friendly brunch with make-ahead dishes, freshly baked gooey cinnamon rolls, and mimosas for the adults. No matter the occasion I strive for the appearance of grace as a hostess. While entertaining is not effortless by any means, my events reflect my enjoyment of the process.
My goal is to be relaxed and excited to welcome people into my home. I achieve this with advance planning, detailed organization, and a realistic menu. I have a drink in hand, am greeting my guests with a real smile, and am not running back and forth to the kitchen, scrambling to set out appetizers as the doorbell rings.
With A Confident Kitchen, I use my personal entertaining approach as a base point, but my goal is to be inspired by you and to help you best represent yourself in your event.