Meet Heather

 
Remember those incredible Carrot Cake Pancakes (pictured above) that everyone went crazy about when we had our Pancakes theme post? Today, you’ll get to know more about the woman behind that wicked, dastardly concoction. Meet Heather, known here at Tasty Kitchen as multiplydelicious.

Heather is a Georgia girl who now lives in Delray Beach, Florida. She’s mommy to twin girls, and if you can stand a double dose of adorable on a Monday morning, head over to her blog at Multiply Delicious and brace yourself for the cuteness overload. She’s also a wife (she refers to her husband as Superman), a daughter, a friend, a full-time working mom, and everything in between.

With all of that going on in her busy life, how does she manage to find time to cook all the wonderful goodies that we see in her recipe box, like these decadent Outrageous Dark Chocolate Cookies ?

 
 
 
Well, Heather says that, as crazy as it may sound, cooking is her form of therapy. But she admits that she didn’t always feel that way. She began her journey towards becoming a better cook after getting married in 2004. She had a head-start, though: good cooks run in her family. But that doesn’t mean everything came easy to her.

She started the way many people do: reading cookbooks, watching cooking shows, and making lots of mistakes along the way. Then one day, the realization struck her that she actually loved cooking. And she began discovering how much she enjoyed exploring her refrigerator, cabinets, pantry, and creating something she’s never made before that actually tasted good. I believe her, too. Just look at what she made by throwing stuff together and creating a wonderfully moist and healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bread.

 
 
 
Speaking of healthy, Heather reveals that “after the girls arrived in 2007, my cooking went into overdrive, as I attempted to not only make healthy meals for my husband and me, but also for two growing girls.” She does confess that, although she tries her best to make healthy meals, her sweet tooth sometimes takes over. Growing up, her mom and grandmother were always in the kitchen baking something. The Atlanta-born lady adds, “I grew up in the South, too, so we all know what that means: butter is your friend. I’m not a complete follower of that since I do try to eat healthy, but every now and then, a little butter won’t hurt.”

What are her favorite ingredients? Heather says that for baking, cinnamon is her favorite. So it’s not surprising to learn that, when she has to grab something to eat right away, her snack of choice is a warm and gooey cinnamon roll. But she also puts cinnamon to good use in her Gingerbread Cookie Sandwiches below.

 
 
 
For cooking, she loves using fresh herbs. Case in point: her healthy, mayonnaise-free, herb-rich and vegetable-filled Chicken Salad with Peas and Herb Mustard Vinaigrette.

 
 
So, now comes the fun part, where we get to ask Heather even more questions. Ready?

 
 
Q: What do you enjoy most about cooking?
A: I really enjoy looking through my cabinets to figure out what to make. It’s so fun to be in my kitchen and create, whether it’s a dinner recipe or a cupcake recipe. Cooking and baking calm me. If I’m stressed and need to relax, I cook. Okay, most of the time when I’m stressed, I usually bake more than cook.

 
Q: Any favorite chefs or food celebrities? Who inspires you?
A: I have to say my mom and grandmother have been a big influence in getting me in the kitchen. Growing up, they were always cooking and baking during the holidays. It was very common to see my mom looking through cookbook after cookbook for the next recipe. As far as celebrity chefs, I absolutely adore Paula Deen. After college, I headed out to California to start in the “real” world. California is a long way from Georgia. Watching Paula on TV made me feel a little closer to home. She reminds me of the many Southern women I had around me when I was growing up.

 
Q: What gives you the most trouble in the kitchen?
A: Homemade yeast breads. The rising and everything that goes into it … not my friend! I stay away.

 
Q: Most memorable kitchen flop ever?
A: Oh my, this is easy. As most new mommies know, the first few months after the baby (or babies) are born, sleep in non-existent. I attempted to make a chocolate cake, but realize I only had one of those cheap 9×13 pans since I loaned mine to a neighbor. I was living off maybe three hours of sleep and didn’t think to put the 9×13 pan filled with chocolate cake batter on a cookie sheet before putting it in my oven. When I opened the door and put the cake in, the batter poured out, all into a hot oven. Not good! Complete disaster! I had to get every window open in the house and take the babies outside. I spent the next week cleaning it all by hand. I learned my lesson!

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known. Other than making sure you put a cheap 9×13 pan filled with batter on a cookie sheet before putting it into your oven, that is.
A: That a substitute for buttermilk is milk with a little bit of lemon juice. I also bought buttermilk powder from King Arthur Flour recently, and all you have to do is add water. Works great!

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Thanks for being a sport and answering our questions, Heather! You’re a wonderful lady, and we think you’re the perfect Superwoman match for your Superman guy.

 
For more of Heather’s great recipes here at Tasty Kitchen, check out her recipe box. And head over to her blog, Multiply Delicious, where she shares not just more recipes, but also all that she’s learned about feeding toddlers, handling the busy and crazy life of multiples (her twins are the 4th set in her family!), and tips and activities for kids and mommies alike.