The Trailer Diva

I spend a lot of time doing research on trends,and it seems like one of the fastest emerging hobbies is cooking. People are starting to turn away from boxed, “quick fix” meals and are swinging the other way towards great homemade food. Food is love - when made by our own hands it can nourish the soul as well as the body. People are wanting to spend more time with their families and friends in the kitchen.

As a Lifestylist(r), my job is to listen to what my customers want and help them customize their envirnoments to achieve that quality of life. Every day people are paying more attention to how their kitchens can function -not just look pretty, and asking for help in coming up with the perfect space for them.

There is a woman on the FoodNetwork named Sandra Lee who came up with a concept called Semi-homemade. Her show is about using store bought ingredients -usually from a can or box - and fooling your family and guests into thinking that it’s really homemade. Why even try to fool someone? It’s like lying - a lot of times it’s easier to just tell the truth than to make the effort to fool or deceive. Why not just do it right from the beginning?

I’m enjoying the new trend of Cooking with Kids - parents are seeing the value of good nutrition and that it makes a difference in how their kids act and feel. When the parents cook healthy for the kids they cook healthier for themselves. We have research today that we never had before about what chemicals and preservatives do to us so we have no excuse. Cooking healthy is usually less expensive and can be just as fast. And it can be a great creative expression for the kids as well. I have a nephew who loves Alton Brown (I do as well!) He makes cooking fun, and gives a lot of excellent information in a relaxed setting. Kids think he’s really cool and see how a lot of cooking is about science - how different ingredients interact can make all of the difference.

Last week I was at the Manufactured Housing Show in Hershey, PA and it was nice to see that kitchens and cooking are just as important and on trend in that industry. I saw homes with kitchens that could rival those in a $1,000,000 home - brick ovens, 2 dishwashers, refridgerator drawers - it was all there. It was rewarding to see that spending time in the kitchen will continue to be more important than ever.