Tracey is a former corporate businesswoman and then an elementary school teacher. She now spends most of her time outside the kitchen as a mom to an adorable 12-year-old daughter. She loves cooking, especially baking. She considers her kitchen her playground and is always trying and creating new recipes. She very rarely leaves recipes alone. She likes to tinker with them and explore what happens with the changes.
Tracey cooks for two reasons. First, cooking is, in all honesty, a way she shows that she cares about people. It gives her great pleasure to make something that someone enjoys! Second, she loves the quest for great ingredient combinations, for unexpected flavors, for those "wow" recipes, for the best version of a dish or baked good, and especially for that utterance of "oh my goodness" or "yum" from those for whom she cooks. She loves to know that she has brought the simple pleasure of good food to those she cares about. It makes her smile.
As a first and second-grade teacher, Tracey absolutely loved having the privilege of teaching little ones. Her students certainly warmed her heart every day, and now sweet Little Miss H. does the daily heartwarming. She especially loves to see kids' joy when they're out on the playground. So when it came time to pick a name for her blog, she immediately equated the joy she experiences when in the kitchen to the joy kids show every day playing.
This blog was created in February 2011, with the goal of sharing recipes with other home cooks looking to create tasty food for their families and friends. The focus is on foods, both savory and sweet, accessible and practical for the everyday home cook.