Hi there! I’m Lucy C. Frakes, born and raised in Kansas City, now calling Portland, Oregon home, and I’m so happy you’re here at snazzyrecipes.com. I’m 42 years old, a self-taught cook with a stubborn curiosity, and someone who firmly believes that the kitchen is where real magic happens. Not the fancy, intimidating kind of magic, more like the kind that sneaks up on you when the house smells like roasted garlic and something bubbling on the stove. That kind of magic.

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I started cooking when I was twelve, mostly out of necessity. My mom worked double shifts, and my dad was more of a “microwave and pray” type. So, I started experimenting. At first, it was just grilled cheese and pancakes (some of which ended up in the trash-oops), but by high school, I was hosting little Sunday dinners for my friends, proudly serving things like chicken pot pie with a crust that didn’t quite behave. I fell in love with the process, the trial and error, and that amazing feeling when people take a bite, pause, and say, “Wait, you made this?”

I never went to culinary school. My education came from cookbooks with splattered pages, weekend cooking shows, and a whole lot of late-night Pinterest rabbit holes. I worked in a bookstore for years, then at a food co-op, and somewhere in between I realized I wanted to spend more time doing what I love: turning humble ingredients into something a little bit snazzy.

That’s how snazzyrecipes.com was born. It started as a place to document my favorite go-to meals and small kitchen experiments, the kind of recipes that get requested at potlucks or make your teenager pause their phone long enough to say, “This is really good.” Now, it’s grown into a space where I share the hits and the near-misses, because let’s be real, every home cook has had a burnt batch or a flat cake. I want to keep it honest, warm, and always fun.

My cooking style leans cozy and clever. I love comfort food with a twist, like buttermilk biscuits with jalapeño honey butter, or baked mac and cheese with roasted cauliflower tucked inside. I care a lot about flavor, but I care even more about making things accessible. You don’t need rare ingredients or fancy equipment to impress people. Just heart, a little patience, and maybe a good spatula.

I also believe food should reflect life, it’s sometimes messy, always evolving, and best when shared. So whether you’re a busy parent trying to get dinner on the table or someone just discovering the joy of a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, you’re welcome here. Let’s laugh at our flops, cheer for our wins, and keep experimenting together.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen. Grab a cup of coffee, or your favorite cozy drink, and stay awhile. There’s always something cooking.

Let’s Connect!

Have a question, a recipe request, or just want to say hello?

📧 Email me: [email protected]
🌐 Visit: https://www.snazzyrecipes.com

Thank you for stopping by-now let’s get cooking!