My first blog ever (how exciting!)

Hello and welcome to my blog! 

As a subscriber to several food and recipe blogs I thought it would be fun to start one of my own.

The title "Anything But Pie" perfectly describes my baking style.  For reasons I am unable to figure out, I cannot make pie.  Cookies....absolutely, brownies....oh, yeah, cheesecake....sure.  But never pie.  My mother-in-law, Becky, makes the world's best apple pie EVER and try as I might, I can never get close.  In fact, two years ago my (then) 5 year old niece, Giana, and I were trying desperately, yet again to make apple pie for Thanksgiving.  I made extra crust and filling for her to make her own pie and honest to goodness, Giana's pie was better than mine!!  So, that is where the name comes from and I have resigned myself to the "it is what it is" philosophy and I bake anything but pie (pun intended). 

I do cook as well as bake and have been told that I am pretty good at both.  In fact a friend of mine's husband told her recently that if he weren't married to her that he would be married to me because I can make good food and treats.  I am flattered by that but in truth will admit I have had successes in the kitchen, but I have had failures as well.  This blog will be my way of celebrating and sharing my successes.

Disclaimer:  I am not one of those people who can develop recipes on my own.  My husband, Brian, can just "wing it" in the kitchen.  Things get thrown together and always come out good when he cooks.  But me, well, that doesn't work for me.  I have to have a basic recipe to start out with and then I can tweak it to my taste.  So, pretty much none of these recipes did I develop on my own.  So I will give credit where credit is due for each recipe I post.

Hope you enjoy the recipes!