More about Amy...

I was first exposed to cooking and baking when I was a small child in my grandmother's kitchen. I always wanted to help and get in on the action...especially when cookies were involved! After a while though I didn't cook a thing until my highschool foods class. At that point my interest in cooking was sparked again, and I would often cook meals at home for me and my Mom. I wasn't very adventurous in my cooking at that point however, merely following recipes. I graduated from Bethel University with a degree in studio art, but now my real passion is food. I have always been a creative person, but it wasn't until about 7 years ago my freshmen year at college that I began experimenting with cooking and venturing outside the box, creating my own recipes. I should have gone to culinary school, but I chose art instead, and even in my later art work in college you could tell what my true passion really was. For my senior art show, I did a series of artwork using cookie dough to create sculpture...that way I could get the best of both worlds through art and cooking which I feel go hand in hand anyhow. After I graduated college I continued with my job at a local natural foods store deli, where I am currently working today. I believe that good food is important, and organic and local food are always included in my menus. I have been a vegetarian for 10 years, and a raw vegan for 6 months. I enjoy desserts the most, where I can unleash my artistic side through decorating them, but my diet actually consists mainly of veggies with the occasional indulgence (despite this being a dessert blog, hey, in everything moderation, and you cannot deprive yourself). Although my journey into raw food is fairly recent, I feel I have learned a lot in the 6 months I have been on it.  I have felt better than ever, with more energy, better sleep and attitude.  I am enjoying sharing my experiments with the raw food with you all, hopefully I help you learn things as well.  I feel as if I still have a lot to learn about it, but I am enjoying every day!  One of the reasons why I believe that wholesome and organic foods are important is that I am a runner. I have been since high school, but my running career didn't take off until about the middle of college. 

I hold several age records for Minnesota in the 5k, 8k, and 10k from when I was in my late teens and early 20s, and used to compete in over 20 road and cross country races throughout the year. So, being an athlete, I need the right fuel to run!  I believe in using local organic fresh food whenever possible in order to create food that tastes the best as well as nourishes. Through this blog I am able to experiment with new healthy recipes for desserts (mostly) as well as a few savory things.  I believe that recipes are meant to be shared with others! This is why I have chosen to create a blog to share with you all, hopefully bringing some enjoyment to your experiences with healthy food!