Hi, I’m Kathy,
First, nothing of great importance about me or my life although I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I married the boy across the street after high school and we have a wonderful son and grandson. We have been best friends for over 40 years and have always done everything together. My mother was an excellent cook but I wasn’t ever interested in cooking and she never taught me. I had a great friend early after marriage who loved to cook and she scoured magazines for recipes and then would give me the easy, great tasting recipes. John went to work for Eastern airlines in 1980 and I had my own business. When Eastern closed down he sent his resume out to all airlines and one day told me “Oh, by the way, I sent one to Saudi Arabian Airline” and I said “Yeah, right.” He was hired at United Airlines but after he went out to San Francisco to interview we decided it was just too expensive. Then he was hired at Northwest Airlines but we would have to live in Minneapolis/St Paul and I just could not do the cold. So one day the call came from Saudi Arabian Airlines and I said, WooHoo! Let the adventure begin! Our son was just going into the U.S. Air-force, so it was a good time for it. We went to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in January, 1990. We lived in a large compound with other Americans and British. The compound had a grocery market, pharmacy, dry cleaner etc. so it was nice that I could get daily whatever I needed in my red convertible! No, not a car, women can’t drive there, my bicycle with two baskets in the back and one in the front! I learned right away that living in Saudia City was a very social experience and it all revolved around food. Since I was now a “Domestic Goddess” I had all the time in the world to learn to cook and learn to do it well. We had lots of parties, both dinner and appetizer type, and a friend asked if I would make the food for her party and a catering business began, I called it "Snacks Fifth Ave." I catered parties from small dinner parties to the large 200+ people finger food at the American and British Consulates. We traveled a lot, Southeast Asia, most of the Middle East, some in the Mediterranean etc. and once a year we come home to Florida, mostly to the Keys for 3 weeks a year. I would watch as much Food Network as I could and would buy every cooking magazine I could get and haul back. In about 1999 we finally got the internet and I found Gail’s right away and was in love. I lurked for a while and then posted a few times. First as Kathy in KSA and then when we returned to the states in August 2001 as Kathy/Fl. John had a new job that required traveling most of the time and I had a hard first year of adjustments. I stopped going to Gail’s for a couple of years because I just wasn’t enjoying cooking and when I did go back they had just changed the format and I saw some pretty unhappy people. I found the link to Finer Kitchens and jumped right back in…As Orchid. Hey, I grow and love orchids, why not? It was a new beginning for me and a new name. Our life has just recently changed and it is uncertain where it is going. Who knows….a new adventure?
First, nothing of great importance about me or my life although I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I married the boy across the street after high school and we have a wonderful son and grandson. We have been best friends for over 40 years and have always done everything together. My mother was an excellent cook but I wasn’t ever interested in cooking and she never taught me. I had a great friend early after marriage who loved to cook and she scoured magazines for recipes and then would give me the easy, great tasting recipes. John went to work for Eastern airlines in 1980 and I had my own business. When Eastern closed down he sent his resume out to all airlines and one day told me “Oh, by the way, I sent one to Saudi Arabian Airline” and I said “Yeah, right.” He was hired at United Airlines but after he went out to San Francisco to interview we decided it was just too expensive. Then he was hired at Northwest Airlines but we would have to live in Minneapolis/St Paul and I just could not do the cold. So one day the call came from Saudi Arabian Airlines and I said, WooHoo! Let the adventure begin! Our son was just going into the U.S. Air-force, so it was a good time for it. We went to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in January, 1990. We lived in a large compound with other Americans and British. The compound had a grocery market, pharmacy, dry cleaner etc. so it was nice that I could get daily whatever I needed in my red convertible! No, not a car, women can’t drive there, my bicycle with two baskets in the back and one in the front! I learned right away that living in Saudia City was a very social experience and it all revolved around food. Since I was now a “Domestic Goddess” I had all the time in the world to learn to cook and learn to do it well. We had lots of parties, both dinner and appetizer type, and a friend asked if I would make the food for her party and a catering business began, I called it "Snacks Fifth Ave." I catered parties from small dinner parties to the large 200+ people finger food at the American and British Consulates. We traveled a lot, Southeast Asia, most of the Middle East, some in the Mediterranean etc. and once a year we come home to Florida, mostly to the Keys for 3 weeks a year. I would watch as much Food Network as I could and would buy every cooking magazine I could get and haul back. In about 1999 we finally got the internet and I found Gail’s right away and was in love. I lurked for a while and then posted a few times. First as Kathy in KSA and then when we returned to the states in August 2001 as Kathy/Fl. John had a new job that required traveling most of the time and I had a hard first year of adjustments. I stopped going to Gail’s for a couple of years because I just wasn’t enjoying cooking and when I did go back they had just changed the format and I saw some pretty unhappy people. I found the link to Finer Kitchens and jumped right back in…As Orchid. Hey, I grow and love orchids, why not? It was a new beginning for me and a new name. Our life has just recently changed and it is uncertain where it is going. Who knows….a new adventure?