I’m Mandy and this is my blog.
Hashbrowns, steak sauce, cake from a box, homemade pizza, cooking on the grill, marinated veggies and breakfast for dinner are among my favorites. I also eat a lot of buttered noodles. I’m not traditional, or trained, or even right. I just like to cook.
I was born and raised in the suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I attended college at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where I earned a degree in journalism and English, which, incase you don’t know, does not get you rich. Instead, creative. I spent five years as a professional journalist. First, at the largest newspaper in the state – the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – where I chased scanner calls and wrote about fires and homicides. Then, I spent three years as the education reporter at the Oshkosh Northwestern, where I was also the Food Page writer extraordinaire. Like most newspaper reporters of nowadays, I made the leap to the wonderful world of marketing and public relations somewhere along the way. I’ve marketed Broadway theater, health care, even myself that one time I got fired from that one job and now, I work for a university where I get to write about cool things like biodigesters, campus news and happenings and the inspiring should-have-not-made-it students.
I love what I do, spending time surrounded by my own written words. I spend my days writing, interacting, talking, brainstorming and communicating and I usually use my kitchen as a place to unwind.
I discovered my love for cooking in 2005 when I started this blog. My formal training ends there, with discovery. I’ve taken approximately one cooking class, which wasn’t even really a cooking class because it was a sushi making class. But that’s just it – we’re all experts in food. We know what we like, what tastes good and what doesn’t.
I live in a small condo on the Fox River with my true love (who is now my husband) and our naughty beagle, Jack. The three of us spend much of our time in our tiny kitchen. (The beagle is not technically allowed!)
I started A Serving in Life shortly after I graduated from college as a creative outlet and a place to call my own where I could write. I blog mostly for fun but was picked up as a Featured Publisher by Foodbuzz in 2008.
In the summer of 2009 I was featured in a “Julie and Julia” cooking challenge put on by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. I made a spinach souffle. Since, I have a tiny love affair with Julia Child, who I admittedly went into the challenge knowing nothing about.
I partnered with the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board on this project in early 2010 and again in 2011. In March 2010 I was asked to be a guest on Good Day Wisconsin, where I both cooked and talked about this blog. It was quite interesting to be on the other side of the interview; I’m used to asking the questions.
I’m not really a picky eater but ketchup, mayo and meat loaf make me nauseous. And the worst thing about saying you dislike meat loaf is everyone thinks they have a secret recipe for meat loaf and so they try to get you to try theirs. Hi, I do not like meat loaf. So, unless you’re pushing meat loaf on me, we’ll most likely be friends.
Thank you for stopping by. Please visit frequently. I welcome tips, suggestions and recipes. Oh, and invites to dinner at your house or favorite restaurant.
Contact me:
If you’d like to talk more food (I do product and restaurant reviews, too!), e-mail me at: aservingoflife@gmail.com
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mwgirl
Check out more photos on Flickr: www.flickr.com/awimmer