Hello, I’m Stephanie!
Welcome to Wish Recipes, where simple ingredients and a little love turn into something magical.
My Kitchen Journey
I wasn’t born with a wooden spoon in my hand. Far from it! My cooking journey began in a tiny apartment kitchen with exactly three pots, one dull knife, and a smoke detector that seemed to think everything I made was a five-alarm fire. That smoke detector wasn’t entirely wrong.
My first dinner party? Let’s just say my friends still bring up “The Great Lasagna Flood of 2012” whenever we get together. There was sauce on the ceiling. Don’t ask how.
But something kept pulling me back to the kitchen. Maybe it was growing up watching my grandmother transform humble ingredients into dishes that brought our family together around the table. Or maybe it was discovering that first recipe where I thought, “Wait, I actually made that?” (It was banana bread, and yes, I took photos like I’d discovered a new planet).
Why I Started Wish Recipes
After years of experimenting, learning, and yes, occasionally still setting off that smoke detector, I realized something: cooking isn’t about perfection. It’s about connection. It’s about creating something with your hands that nurtures both body and soul.
I started this blog because I wanted to share that revelation. To show that you don’t need fancy equipment or exotic ingredients to make food that makes people happy. That sometimes the best meals come from what’s already in your pantry and a little bit of imagination.
My Food Philosophy
I believe in:
- Real food that recognizes both nutrition and joy
- Recipes that respect your time and budget
- Cooking as self-care, not a competition
- The power of a shared meal to build community
You won’t find complicated techniques or ingredients you can’t pronounce here. What you will find are recipes that actually work in a real person’s kitchen, on a weeknight, when you’ve had a long day and still want something delicious on the table.
When I’m Not in the Kitchen
I’m probably hiking with my rescue dog Charlie (who has very refined tastes for someone who once ate a sock), reading cookbooks like novels, or hunting for treasures at farmers’ markets.
I’m also slightly obsessed with 90s rom-coms, have a collection of ridiculous aprons, and believe that dance breaks while cooking are absolutely essential to the process.
Let’s Cook Together!
Whether you’re here because you can barely boil water or because you’re looking to add some new favorites to your repertoire, you’re in the right place.
Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t have to be perfect. And it definitely shouldn’t be about restriction or rigid rules.
My wish for Wish Recipes is that it becomes a place where you feel inspired to try something new, where you learn to trust your instincts in the kitchen, and where you discover the joy that comes from feeding yourself and the people you love well.
So roll up your sleeves, turn on some music, and let’s make something delicious together. Your kitchen wishes are about to come true.
With flour on my hands and joy in my heart,
Stephanie