It all started with the idea to write a cook book with Val's recipes inside. After getting some positive feedback from a New England Publisher, I was bolstered. However, since I did not have a contract and therefore, a deadline hanging over my head, I lacked discipline. This along with the sad fact that I could only get a little writing in if I woke up at 4:00am to be creative before my little ones got out of bed and took over my whole day. My old friend and writing mentor, Ted told me to get a job at the new local paper where his sister was then working. I wrote to Craig Salters, the editor, who welcomed my idea and kindly gave me creative freedom. Unfortunately, as he put it, "The job doesn't pay anything and twice that on holidays."

Since it was my first writing "job", I jumped at the opportunity. The rest is history, as they say. I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor as much as I did thinking of the stories and the recipes or the other way around. Thank you to Ted for making me go for it and to Craig Salter for giving me the chance to write for a real live newspaper and to everyone else who has encouraged me along the way.