Where I get my recipes from.... Ok, "Current Obessions"

So where do all my recipes come from?  ...my head?  Ha!  Well, maybe one day.

Like any good artist, or cook or chef or baker, inspiration comes from everywhere.  It may be vegetables that are in season make you want to try a new dish.  Or a certain spice can inspire a whole dessert.  Since I'm so new to cooking and still learning what flavors mesh together well, my main inspiration comes from other bloggers, magazine recipes, and a healthy dose of trial and error.  I always try to give credit where credit is due, but I decided to dedicate one post to tell you how I've found some of my favorite blogs.*

This experiment all started with one little innocent site called "Pinterest."  For those of you unfamiliar with the way it works - straight from their website:

"Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.  Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests."

Here's a straight out plug, but you can follow all my blog updates and/or future experiments on my Pinterest boards... Abby's Pinterest Boards.  I have found enough recipes to last me a lifetime, so lucky for you readers (and lucky for my tummy too).

The second site I just found that I have quickly fallen in love with is Gojee.  This site lets you put in a specific ingredient and finds recipes that use it (and links to those sites).  It also lets you customize your tastes, so say I put in Basil and it comes up with a Basil/Bacon recipe... I hate bacon so I just click that I don't like it and BAM, recipe gone and it should remember my tastes for the future. I seriously suggest signing up and checking it out at the very least if you're lacking creativity but craving a certain food.

Those are just two of my current obsessions, and lucky for me there are some great inspirations out there! A blanket thank you to those who know how to cook for putting your recipes out there for others to experiment and learn all about the wonders of healthy cooking.

*Check out the side panel to find the Sparknote version of my favorite bloggers w/their latest and greatest recipes.

** Bonus site: As everyone knows, healthy eating can get expensive.  For savings on good eats, and savings in general to make up for said good eats... Check out this site for COUPONS! (--yes, that is the magic word)  http://www.couponsherpa.com/