"I guess I fell into cooking." - Bobby Flay

I am basking in the after glow of the weekend.
I even have a bit of a sunkissed look which does not come from a bottle. I feel healthy, and alive after spending a fabulous weekend with friends and family.

So, I have to share my latest addiction: The Next Food Network Star.
Seriously, I can’t believe I have to wait a whole week for the next episode. I even have the kids hooked on it, they love it. I DVR’d last night’s episode so that my son could watch it tonight.

This was our conversation, yesterday morning:

T: “Why don’t you go on this show? You could do this.”
Me: “You think so? I don’t know if I cook that well…”
T: “Well, actually – don’t be sad, but - they might do better than you because they have all that great equipment. Look at their kitchen!”
Me: “Oh, no – the tv show gives them that kitchen to use”
T: “Oh, then you definitely should go on there! Can’t you go online and tell them you want to do it?”

Kids are the best.
Check him out, thinking his Mom stands a chance.
(For the record, I don’t have a bad kitchen --- but it’s by no means, the Iron Chef kind of kitchen, if you know what I mean. Clearly, my little guy has picked up on that….)

I ended up telling him that he and his sister are too young and I would never want to be away from them for any period of time to do something like that. Maybe when they’re older I’ll give it a shot.

Anyway - back to the show. I’m not really sure who will win. Nor is there anyone I really, really like at this point; there isn’t one of them that I actually would want to turn the television on and watch. The forerunner, Melissa – rather irritates me, and I’m not sure why. I love that she’s a Mom, and not in the industry – and she, like me – has all these “tried and true” types of tidbits from cooking in a home that one doesn’t typically get from a classically trained and unmarried kind of host. But yet... she doesn't do it for me. I think it might be that she reminds me too much of Rachel Ray....

I know what kind of a show I’d do if I could, but …. looks like I’ll have to wait before I give that a shot.

Besides, I’ve got a wine & gourmet food shop to open!