Cathy’s Bio
Cooking has always been a love of mine. Helping my Mom when I was a child, standing on my turtle stool, stirring, dropping dumplings, mixing…it was in my blood. As a teenager I was creating my own muffin recipes and dreamed of opening my own muffin shop someday called “Cathy’s Creations”. My whole family cooks, I learned from my Mom, Dad and Grandmothers.
As a young girl I remember going to my grandmothers farm…fruit trees, elderberries, mulberries, rhubarb, red currants and a vegetable garden. She canned all kinds of pickles and made my favorite jam, red currant. We would walk the property searching for things to cook and eat. I continue her cooking memories, baking her Easter bread, canning green tomato pickles, her desserts, the Polish/Czech dishes, etc.
Did I enter the cooking world at an early age? No, I worked in the fashion industry for over 10 years and the business sector for another 5. I was still cooking every night for my husband and me. My cooking technique is to look in the garden, fridge, freezer, and the cupboards and then come up with dinner. My husband suggested I write down my recipes so that I could recreate meals he liked. I finally jotting down a Shrimp Orzo Pasta dish and entered it in the Gilroy Garlic Festival. To my surprise, I was picked as a contestant and flown to Gilroy California to compete! Cooking in front of a crowd, talking about food, meeting other contestants-it was exhilarating! The Food Network was there, the camera inches from my pan, watching every move, it was so cool and we got to meet Sara Moulton, she is very nice. No, I didn’t win but it was an amazing experience.
I was hooked and continued to enter contests. I came in third for a Colavita Olive Oil contest and third for a Banana contest. My recipes have been published in Better Homes and Gardens, Southern Living, etc.
In 2001 my husband and I bought a 2 acre property with a fixer upper on it. O.K. a HUGE fixer upper! My dad said he never saw a house built backwards. We gutted everything, years later and lots of blood sweat and tears and lots of help from family and friends it’s finally complete. Well almost. Still working on the landscaping, enjoying the herb garden and a vegetable garden. We continue to work on the flower beds. We started with a blank canvas, well almost. Lots of weeds! We have bought a couple of trailer loads of plants and didn’t even put a dent in the property. I love walking the property searching for good things to cook and eat.
Meet my trusty sidekick, my shadow, following me wherever I go, our Golden Retriever.
He is always willing to pitch in a hand, or should I say “paw”, by holding down a tarp, fetching a glove or stealing a glove when it’s time to play. He makes sure we take breaks and don’t forget about play time. When I’m in the gardens, he will find a cool shady spot to watch over me. He avoids the sun; it’s funny, even in March he stays in the shade. He loves people, especially kids, and the camera!