Hi! My name is Lee-Ann Grace, it's great to meet you and welcome to my blog!
I love that moment when someone eats a dish you have created and asks...
"Can I have the recipe?"
I am the creator and photographer (still learning!) of this blog, Chef Not Required... - what I hope will be a life-changing venture adventure for me!
I live on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, Australia and my day job is front line customer service for the NSW State Government. By night (and late afternoon/evening and all weekend) I am a part-time food blogger, hoping to change the direction of my life and become a full-time food blogger.
**UPDATE** As of 08 March 2018 I am now a full-time food blogger! Not making any money at this stage...but LOVING it!
**FURTHER UPDATE** As of April 2019, I am now a paid food blogger! Yay! I have "monetized" the blog by displaying ads. In simple terms, when you the reader open up a page on the blog I get paid - albeit a fraction of a cent, per page "view".
This enables me to keep bringing you more recipes (at no cost to you), and for me to keep the lights on around here.
Thinking of subscribing? Not sure what to expect?
I create mostly savoury recipes for your dinner table, but some sweet as well. I usually post 1 -2 recipes a week. No weird exotic ingredients (I live too far from anywhere to buy them anyway) or recipes that require any fancy kitchen equipment that normal folks like us don't own!
My food blogging journey started in the middle of 2016, when I got a call from a prominent recipe magazine here in Australia, letting me know that I was one of four finalists in a recipe competition I had entered called "The Great Aussie Spag Bol Challenge 2016".
Well. After I stopped walking around in circles (I actually did) and saying "oh my gosh...oh my gosh...oh my gosh..." out loud to myself, I finally got it together, went to the cook-off, had a FABULOUS time and didn't win.
Although I didn't win, what I did get was validation, and the confidence I needed to start the food blog that had been in the back of my mind for the last few years. Quite frankly, I'm looking to getting more personal satisfaction from my work life, and what better way to do it than through cooking (which I love) and sharing what I love.
I read somewhere once..."Monday's aren't that bad, it's just your job that is"...or something pretty close to that! When I saw that phrase I had a light bulb moment. I know it sounds silly, but I knew I hated Mondays (and Sunday nights!) and it just hit me - I could be doing a job where Monday is a good day! How cool would that be?
So here I am, trying to make good Mondays for myself...and YES you sure can "have the recipe",
Lee-Ann ♥
PS: Just to let you know I am a complete computer novice - the only working computer in the house up until a year ago was a smart phone. I'm a bit of a self-confessed technophobe...so what did I do? Start a blog! I don't mind telling you it has been a VERY steep learning curve! If you see anything weird, feel free to let me know! Any advice will be greatly appreciated! x