Welcome to Easy As Cookies!
I'm glad you've found me!
I'm Leona Konkel - a Midwesterner at heart, currently living in southern New Jersey, with my husband, daughter, and dog. A self-taught home cook and baker, I've enjoyed baking for as long as I can remember. My mother kept us stocked with flour and sugar because I always wanted to make cookies.
I love homemade sweets and baked goods. I craft most of my recipes to be made quickly, with minimal effort, or both. I use only real ingredients, not mixes. In addition to cookies and bread, I also share easy-to-make meals - so that I can spend the rest of my time baking, not making dinner. Even after several years, there's always more to learn and explore!
Why Start Easy As Cookies?
To get out of a cooking rut, I began this blog in 2010 to chronicle me trying 365 new recipes in that year. I succeeded at making and reviewing 367 new-to-me recipes. (No repeats!) You can see a list of what I made at this recipe archive from 2010.
I loved blogging about recipes. I've shifted away from reviewing recipes and now strive to perfect and share my favorite scratch recipes with you.
My recipes are all dishes that I've loved. I present only what I make for my family or am willing to share with my friends, who all look forward to seeing what homemade goodie I've made next.
What To Expect From My Recipes
I publish recipes that I've tested extensively in my home kitchen. My recipes should be clear, detailed, and easy-to-follow. If they're not, let me know, because I want to fix them if they're not!
To feed my friends, I have dabbled with vegan, gluten-free, and low-FODMAP recipes. Nothing I say should be construed as medical advice, but I link to other resources to back up what claims I make.
Although not a budget cook, I am budget-conscious, and my recipes reflect that. I shop generic brands when I can, and I'll only suggest name brands that I would personally buy.
A Bit of Personal Background
In my past, I studied Japanese language and literature. I've worked in university offices in central Illinois and at a medical fellowship program in St. Louis, Missouri. Although I've lived in New Jersey for over 10 years, I'm still a Midwesterner at heart.
I read voraciously, mainly fiction that is character-driven, not plot-driven. I've used that love of books to open a small, pop-up bookstore, Book Empress Used Books. When I'm not cooking or reading, I'm likely spending time playing classic Final Fantasy games or watching cozy, heart-warming anime with my family.
My Favorite Recipes
Here are some of my absolute favorite recipes on this site.
I hope you enjoy making my recipes as much as I do, and that you enjoy eating them as much as my family and friends do.