Recipe Index

Alphabet Adventure

This was how the blog began. I had the idea to start cooking my way through the alphabet, gave myself a few rules, and voila! “Foods for the Soul” was born. Each week, I posted a new letter, and it became a game to see if anyone correctly predicted what the dish would be. Most of the foods were rather common, but sometimes I ventured out into other cultures to bring a little more spice to my life – and my kitchen!

[[ list of Alphabet Adventures ]]

Have a Heart

After I finished the Alphabet, I needed a new challenge. One that put me just outside of my comfort (food) zone and forced me to develop new skills and recipes. I had recently gotten fed up with cake recipes and fractions – how do you divide 3 eggs by 2 to halve a recipe? When I baked the moistest chocolate cake ever and noticed it was both eggless and dairyless (aka vegan), I thought I’d give vegan baking a try. But once I realized that I’d have to prevent a fridge and pantry full of unique ingredients from rotting and molding, I decided to go all the way. We’ll see what my month of veganism brings!

[[ list of Have a Heart vegan recipes ]]

Midweek Meals

I quickly realized that I thoroughly enjoyed both making and photographing food, and one post per week wouldn’t satisfy my craving for either. I began taking shots of just about every dish I created, and I spent many evenings going through the hundreds (now thousands!) of photos to pick out my favorites. It only took a little extra time to type up the recipes I invented, so I decided to share a few of those between every “Alphabet Adventure” post.

These recipes are, for the most part, my own creative dishes. Some are based on meals I’ve eaten in restaurants, some on recipes from cookbooks, and some are new twists on well-known favorites from around the world. The portions are small, normally for 1, because I find it frustrating that the majority of recipes are for 4-6 servings, and I’d rather make new dishes instead of eating leftovers every night of the week.

[[ list of Midweek Meals ]]

Baked Bliss and Delicious Desserts

Baking has always been my first love. I liked knowing that following directions would result in delicious treats, and when I was a little girl first starting out in the kitchen, baking was much more manageable. It required less ingenuity — and fewer dangers from open flames on the stove! (Mom always operated the oven for me so I wouldn’t burn myself.) As I’ve grown older, I broadened my horizons and began cooking creatively, but I still love the taste and smell of bread, muffins, cookies, pies, cakes…

I can’t take credit for the majority of these recipes, but I do make many slight adjustments, which I include as well. I’m a huge fan of spices, so most alterations revolve around adding more cinnamon or nutmeg. Hopefully, I’ll find the courage to start creating my own baking recipes sometime in the near future.

[[ list of Baked Bliss treats and Delicious Desserts ]]

Satisfying Sides and Starters

Many of my side dishes originate as vegetarian main dishes that I split amongst 2 or more plates, but some are entirely intended to be sides from the start. I crave veggies a little more than the average person, so the majority of my side dishes stem from the preparation of some sort of leafy green, but I’m working on branching out and incorporating more interesting sides into my menus.

[[ list of Satisfying Sides and Starters ]]