About Me

                       
          I’m Samantha, wife to a handsome, witty man named Eric, and mother to an inquisitive boy named Kyle; who I lovingly refer to as “The Monkey.” We’re a newly minted Navy family ready to embark on the greatest adventure of a lifetime. We currently reside in San Diego.
           I’m a whole lot of things: a wife, a mother, a baker, a lover, an OCD, type A control freak perfectionist at times. Ok…most of the time. Above all I am just your average girl with a supreme passion for food. Alright, maybe not so average...on top of balancing an increasingly active family life, I am also pursuing a career in the medical field. Despite my changing interests and hectic schedule, food has always been a big part of my life. I grew up in a house where, not only did my mother cook, my father did too. Everything our family ate in a restaurant or at other peoples’ homes, I could see my parents’ minds working…wondering what the ingredients were, wondering what they could do to make the dish even more pleasing on the palate. I have also inherited this trait which could be a blessing or a curse depending on which side of the plate you’re seated. On top of a love for food, I somewhat ashamedly admit I come from a family of food snobs. Heck, I didn’t even know cake came from a box until I went to my first successful sleepover when I was nine years old. My mother was the kind of woman who woke up a few minutes earlier on cold days to throw our clothes into the dryer to warm them up. She was the kind of mother who, despite a more than full schedule, always found time to make fresh blueberry muffins on school days. My father was no different; he was the dad who made Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes from scratch and always had an affinity for pork breakfast products. He still does, in fact.
When I was younger, I always told myself I was going to be “the perfect mother and wife.” I was going to be the wife who not only worked, but kept a clean house and always had dinner on the table in a timely manner. I was also going to be the most patient, creative PTA mom who always had great boredom buster ideas. I was going to cook every meal from scratch. I was going to be the best mother/wife that had ever lived.  Skip ahead many years…where I really am now a wife and mother. I am a PTA mom, but I’m not always the most patient. I have tons of creative ideas, but my son sometimes has different ones. Also, I’m still finishing up medical credentials in school. Initially, I had already felt like a failure. Nothing was turning out as I had envisioned and I couldn’t understand why. It’s taken acceptance that things don’t always go according to plan; and even when they don’t something wonderful could result. My family is as perfect as I had envisioned, even though some things in our life are far from perfection. Yet through it all three things have always been key: family, food, fitness.
My cooking and eating style have evolved over the years; along with my tastes and lifestyle changes.  I try to focus on using fresh, whole ingredients and cooking familiar foods with a slightly healthier spin, though dessert will always be decadent. I’m obsessed with fresh produce and whole grains.  My cupboards and produce drawers are always overflowing with plenty of goodies.  I love investing an entire day into lovingly prepared meals, but I also know that shortcuts in the kitchen can be a blessing.  While I love fresh, sometimes exotic, ingredients, I know that given budgetary requirements, it’s not always possible to indulge. My goal is to find a healthy balance between fancy and frugal. People on the street, and friends who are new parents, often ask me how I get my son to eat what we eat.  I’ve learned, through trial and error, to make food an adventure and create a willingness to try new things with an open mind. In our house, we enact the “try it once and if you don’t like it, you don’t have to try it again” rule.  The Monkey is still young and sometimes picky, but we’re all working on it daily. He is learning by example and that’s all we could ask for.  For the most part our family eats healthily and well. Knowing that my family is well nourished definitely makes me a happy wife and mom.
Food isn’t the only thing that interests me…living a healthy life in general is a priority in our family. I love all kinds of exercise: swimming, dancing, kick boxing, weight training and running are my favorites.  I’ve always tried to live an active life, but once I met Eric he awakened a sleeping giant. I swear I’m addicted to being fit now. There’s virtually never more than a day or two where we don’t end up in the gym. It’s a good thing that we love exercise and being as active because I don’t know if I would be able to always enjoy all the great food that I prepare if I didn’t! No matter where the Navy life might take us, or have in store, as long as I have my family, my health and my cooking I know I can handle anything....thank you for reading "The Navy Wife Nibble"

Warmest kitchens and hearts,
-Samantha