Calling All Average Chefs!

Feeling uninspired in the kitchen?

Forever asking, “What should we have for dinner?” and, like me, receiving no response?

Past the Ramen noodle stage but not interested in gourmet feasts that require a million ingredients and hours of preparation?

I’ve got you!

Welcome to The Brass Spoon--Requested by you, inspired by you, and catered to what you want and need out of a food blog… a realistic one!

I’m Erin Vande Vegte, a high school English teacher by day and average yet passionate foodie in the kitchen by night and weekend. By popular request, I have created this blog as a way to offer you one recipe per week that will inspire you in your most unmotivated state to get something delicious on the table with commentary to help you along the way. Welcome to The Brass Spoon!

Why “The Brass Spoon”? My maiden name is “Brasser.” I was nicknamed “Brass” for a number of years, and when thinking about the atmosphere of this blog, I wanted it to have a come-as-you-are feel. The common phrase of eating from a silver spoon was not quite what I was going for. We are a small step below silver… on more of a brass level. And with a little help from a creative-minded friend… The Brass Spoon was born!

I am by no means a professional chef, or even someone who can consider themselves a “chef.” I possess average cooking skills, an average kitchen, the photo quality of an iPhone SE, and a mental repertoire of average but delectable meals that will please you, your family, and your budget. I am inspired by a little of everything: Old family recipes, restaurant copycats, Pinterest successes (and failures), cookbooks that have been gifted to me or purchased on a whim, and the free culinary education I’ve received from watching hours of Food Network and Tastemade on TV.

Years ago, I created my first blog to catalog training for my first marathon. I then branched out via a second blog to write posts about, well, life. To be honest, this past year has turned me off to wanting to write and share my opinion; the media has such an unwelcomed abundance of such content, and I feel like being outspoken has, in a way, lost its merit. One way that I’ve truly found myself in this time is to make my kitchen my sanctuary and use it as a creative outlet of sorts.

I think I’ve always loved cooking. In fact, there are embarrassing home videos in a box at my parents’ house somewhere portraying me pretending to be Rachel Ray, making classic delicacies like no-bake cookies. Fast forward to when I became a wife: Against my mom’s fears that she’d failed to teach me enough in the kitchen, I continued adding to my basic cooking skills that I now share with my husband who thankfully possesses an “I’ll-eat-anything-I-don’t-have-to-make” attitude.

If you’ve ever followed me on Instagram, been my friend on Snapchat, or been a guest in my home, you’ve seen and experienced some of my meals firsthand. These posts are almost always followed by replies of, “Can you send me that recipe?” or “I need some meal ideas… can you send me some?”

So, here’s the deal: Follow my posts on social media, subscribe to my weekly posts, and share these posts and this blog with any friends and family who might enjoy a little culinary motivation.

Special request? Message me on my homepage or DM me on my Instagram page!

Together, let’s take on this journey to being the best average chefs we can be, one meal at a time.