Anyone who knows me well will tell you that food is always a top priority. I love eating and I love cooking! I love it so much that I've tinkered with the idea of starting a food blog, but, let's face it -- I already have too much going on and there are like a gazillion food blogs out there! So, one of my New Year resolutions is a compromise! I'm going to start sharing recipes here, on Jonna Michelle Photography! 

Before I get to the recipes, I figured I'd share a little about my cooking style and food influences:

• I taught myself cook. My mom does the cooking in my family, but because she was very particular about her kitchen, she never took me under her dinner-making wing. Instead, she gave me the advice "if you can read, you can cook" and I just went with it. I started cooking for myself in college, but it wasn't until after I graduated that I really began exploring with different spices and flavors.

• I'm not fancy. As much as I like to pretend I'm a five-star chef running a swanky Las Vegas bistro, I'm not one to fool myself. I definitely fall into Chef Ramsey's "donkey" category. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that I love what I make (and I've been told by others it's not too bad). To be clear, those who are masters in the kitchen looking for a challenge aren't going to find much here. Rather, I'd like to think the recipes I share are great for beginners.

• Onion, garlic, olive oil & fire-roasted tomatoes are my BFFs. Seriously. Our family practically lives on these four items, primarily because nearly everything I make involves at least one of them. If you want to make any of the recipes I'll post here, get stocked up now. 

• I don't measure, I taste: This drives Cliff crazy! Rarely do I measure spices -- I cook by tasting my food as I go along. Obviously, that's a habit I'm going to have to break in order to meet this challenge. 

• V is for Vegetarian and that's good enough for me. Right around the time I started to cook for myself, I experimented with vegetarianism. I'm not full-on vegetarian at this time, but those influences -- healthy dishes with bold flavor -- definitely stuck around. Not every recipe I share will involve meat, but all will be incredibly flavorful!

• I tweak recipes. This is another habit that drives Cliff crazy. I don't always follow recipes as they come to me. I use recipes I find online and in books as a base, then tweak to my own tastes and preferences. Because I don't stick to original ingredients, I don't expect anyone else to, either. In fact, I encourage it! Readers, if you make something listed here, don't be afraid to put your own spin on it. And don't forget to share! I'd love to see the outcome!

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and that can only mean one thing -- love is in the air! I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the #Caturday before Valentine's Day than by sharing these images of my good friend and former bride, Bethany, with her beloved cat, Toby.

Bethany married her long-time sweetheart last summer, and when she first asked me to take bride and cat photos, I wasn't at all surprised -- she's a huge animal lover! I was, however, slightly concerned about pulling this off. After all, wedding days can be hectic and cats can be finicky. But with a little love, patience and some kibble (how could we forget the kibble?) Toby turned on his charm. If you're wondering -- yes, that's Toby giving his mama a high-five/high-paw on her wedding day! The cuteness is almost too much!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and you know what that means: Love is in the air! During the month of February, if you share some love via Facebook, you could win a FREE mini session*!

Here's how the contest works:

1. Like the Jonna Michelle Photography page on Facebook. If you're already a fan, great! Ask a friend to like the page, too!
   
   
2. Share any post published during the month of February and you'll automatically be entered to win! You must like the page AND share at least one post to be eligible.  The best part?? You can start by sharing this post! The contest will run February 1 - February 29, and the winner will be announced Tuesday, March 1.