Earlier this decade while working as lifestyles editor at the Atchison (Kan.) Globe, I was charged with starting a weekly food page.

I met many wonderful people in northeast Kansas and did a variety of fun food features ranging from a guy who cooked bugs and made rat jerky to a group of monks and nuns who had an elaborate cooking club.

But there are two events in my nearly two-year stint as food writer that stick out in my mind.

The first was the afternoon of Sept. 11, 2001. As you know, that morning terrorists crashed hijacked planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

That afternoon, while my co-workers hustled to write follow-up stories to the attacks, I continued my regular Tuesday routine - working on the next day's food page.

I felt so insignificant writing a story about a local Italian restaurant while the whole world was seemingly falling apart. Later, my boss told me that my role that day was to show our readers that despite great turmoil, life had to go on.

The second memorable event came a little more than a year later, Nov. 13, 2002. The day before, the Globe hosted its annual Thanksgiving potluck for area correspondents. I gathered the recipes and planned to print them for the next week's food page. Although I was eight months pregnant, I stood on a chair to take pictures of the spread.

The next morning I was in the hospital in labor - five weeks early. My son, Sage, was born at 2:08 p.m., a healthy 6 pounds 15 ounces.

While in the hospital, I talked a co-worker through the food page, as well as how to conduct a cooking contest being held in the office that week. I was told the contestants were impressed with the name Sage - very herbal, they said.

During my maternity leave, I also talked my co-worker through completing a cookbook that had solely been my project.

I left Kansas in June 2004 to come back home to Eastern Iowa. Since then, I have been a desk editor at The Gazette. Now, I enter my new role as a features writer, which will include food and community stories.

I have to admit, I don't consider myself a cook and am not really a foodie.

That's where you come in. I want to share your knowledge of cooking, baking and entertaining. I also want to learn along the way.

With the exception of seven years in Kansas, I have lived in Eastern Iowa my entire life. I grew up in Williamsburg, went to the University of Northern Iowa and now make my home in Vinton.

Please give me a call or e-mail me with story ideas. Check me out on Twitter at @gazettefood.