An introduction: The younger sister

Hey all, no recipe tonight, I'm home alone and just had a grilled cheese. What? You want to know how? Come on people!
Slap some cheese between two slices of bread, slather with butter/margarine and grill in a pan until toasty brown outside and gooey inside.
There, satisfied?

Oh, BTW, this is Alessa, the youngest of the Two Sisters. The basics: I'm 26, happily single, work a 9-5 office job for a local grocery store (Harmon's), have lived in Utah all my life and hope to someday travel the world.

I would have to say my love of food and cooking is a family trait, mostly from my Grandpa Malone. James Thomas Malone was a Chief Petty Officer in the US Navy during WWII. He married my Grandmother, Royleta, and remained a cook for the rest of his life. Grandmother could barely make toast. Fortunately for us grand kids Mom took more after Grandpa in the kitchen.
We grew up cooking for ourselves much of the time. There wasn't a lot of eating out in our household and I am grateful for that. I am always amazed when I have friends who can't even make something as simple as a grilled cheese sandwich. As a kid I loved experimenting in the kitchen along with my siblings and was quite proficient at making my own meals by the age of 9 (this was a vital skill for a hungry latchkey kid.)
When I started venturing out on my own I quickly learned how culinary education was not that common for kids my age. Many of my college roommates and friends had rarely eaten meals made from scratch. Even making Kraft Macaroni and Cheese was a challenge for them. So I learned to appreciate my simple upbringing and was grateful for being forced to learn how to cook (and do my own laundry, thanks Mom!)
Now as an adult I find joy in the act of preparing a meal and get thrills from trying interesting new dishes. I love finding new ways of preparing foods or new pairings that seem unusual at first, but end up working great together (like curry powder and pineapple, no joke.)
I also enjoy coming up with new cocktails and mixed drinks and often end up playing amateur bartender at parties.
My love of food and drink has led to a bit of a weight issue that I have struggled with all my life. I hope that living with my sister Karin, a Weight Watchers instructor, that I will learn healthier habits and be forced to eat better(for me) foods.
I hope this blog serves as inspiration for all of you following it and I hope we can all cook together sometime!