Welcome to "A Pint-Sized Chef"

Hello...my name is Dakota.  I am 13 years old and love to cook and bake.  And, I love to eat.  I have Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) which is a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow all over the nerve endings in my body.  I have a large plexiform tumor growing on my left shoulder that hurts a alot, 3 brain tumors (including an inoperable brainstem glioma that is actively growing), and neurofibromas (non-cancerous tumors) growing all over my body.  Time in the kitchen helps to keep my mind off of the pain.  NF often affects height growth and people with NF are usually shorties.  That is how I came up with the name for this blog "A Pint-Sized Chef".


My mom said that when I little, it was all about the food for me.  I always wanted to know what was on the menu.  Often times I would ask, "What's for dinner?" before I had finished my lunch (and I still do that sometimes).  I also told others that I wanted to be a "cooker" when I grew up.  I have spent time in the kitchen learning about menu planning, food preparation, trying new recipes, table settings, plating food, and food safety.  In fact, I am always reminding others who enter to WASH YOUR HANDS before getting food (even to the point of annoying my family members).  Let's face it...it's important, right???!!!

More importantly, food is what brings us together.  It is a big part of gatherings, celebrations, culture and customs, traditions, and LIFE.  This blog is a way for me to share my adventures in the kitchen and to have a place to talk about one of my passions...FOOD.