Update: Hello! A lot has changed since I wrote the original “About TheCookworm” but a lot of the below still holds true. Except, I’m now a 25-year-old grad student in Food Science & Human Nutrition and…

…okay so nothing else has really changed. Welcome! Let’s dive in!

Oh! And I created an insta @_the_cookworm      

Hi there, I’m the Cookworm! I’m a 21-year-old college student who loves food! Now, I know that that’s not particularly unique but I’ll get to the part that makes me “different”. Bear with me while I tell you a little bit about myself first. I’m a self-proclaimed nerd, introvert, queen of sass, and I overthink and try to perfect everything. When I’m around a lot of people, I don’t say much, which leads many to assume I’m either shy, or just very quiet. The aforementioned people however, have not seen me in my comfort zone, where I am myself – full of excitement, smiles, the occasional but necessary sarcasm, and plenty to say. But don’t worry, I don’t talk just anyone’s ear off. That privilege is reserved for the handful of people that put up with me on a daily basis ;). Since verbal communication seems to fail me every time I try to talk in public, I turn to a different form of expression: food. Food says a lot. It says I care, it says I love you, it says congrats, happy birthday, I’m sorry, and whatever else I need it to say. I suppose my interest in food spawned from the plethora of allergies I was born with. I could not eat dairy, eggs or any kind of nuts growing up. The food that my mom armed me with for birthday parties and school did all the talking for me and the peanut-free table in the elementary school cafeteria was an explanation in itself. I learned to read food labels before I could read anything else and I carry an Epi-Pen everywhere I go. My mom came up with lots of recipes to imitate typical 90’s kid foods and she allowed me to get as involved with the process as I wanted. I think it’s safe to say that feeling so different and needing to be in complete control of what I ate hugely impacted my love and appreciation for food. Based on familial preferences, I was a vegetarian too. Because why not throw in another layer of food restrictions?  And although my dairy and egg allergies are a thing of the past and I am no longer a vegan, I am still a vegetarian allergic to peanuts and tree nuts! If you are still reading this, you now know a bit about what to expect from this blog. You won’t come across peanut butter, Nutella, chicken or steak recipes here. You won’t find vegan or vegetarian activism either. If I still have your interest, stick with me and you’ll discover comfort food, baked goodness, everyday meals, quick meals, snack foods, and dishes that’ll make you look and feel like you’re a pro. I am not extraordinarily creative or fancy myself, and let’s face it, I’m in college, I have no time for complicated. Simple is the way to go in my opinion! I hope by now I have given you the impression that food is my life…because it is. But, it’s not ALL of my life. In addition to cooking and baking, I love watching movies and sports, playing guitar and singing and I study an unreasonable amount. But make no mistake, food is the one thing that is always on my mind (I am a food science major after all). On a Friday night you’d most likely find me curled up under a blanket watching Food Network or HGTV and claiming that I’m multitasking with food engineering homework. Yes, I am a grandma stuck in a 21 year-old’s body. No, I am not ashamed of it. Anyway, this blog will be my way to get my ideas out of my head and into one place; also a convenient way to share my recipes and tips with people who ask me for them :). So that’s me and this blog in a “soy”-nutshell ;). You now know more about me than do the majority of the people I know. Through this blog I will try to shed perfectionism, enjoy the world  for what it has to offer, and take more chances. And obviously cook, bake, and take tons of photos! I hope you’ll join me!