My name is Catie Duckworth. I am a home chef who is absolutely in love with food. I grew up in an Italian American family so I have been surrounded by amazing food my entire life. My earliest memories are jumping onto the step stool to help my grandma cook and bake delicious Italian treats.

As a young professional in DC who works long hours, I find it difficult to find the time and energy to cook. That saddens me because cooking brings me great joy, but so often I get sucked into habits of ordering meal after meal to deal with my stress and schedule. I know I feel better physically and have more energy when I cook my own food, and it is an awesome stress relief. I just have a hard time getting motivated to put forth that effort.

I have recently turned these habits around and am on a journey to better health and happiness. For me, that means making more time for my passion for food while also putting nutritious meals into my body. I am documenting this journey for anyone who wants tips on how to become a better home chef. You don’t need endless time or skill to cook yourself good meals.

I will be sharing different recipes I make and tips on how to make them more convenient, budget friendly, and much more. I am an avid lover of the Food Network. It is almost always on my TV when I am home. (I am currently watching Food Network Star). I will be sharing many recipes seen on Food Network with additional tips to show how you can cook amazing dishes without being a technically trained chef.