When Katie McKinley went to Merriman Park Elementary in Lake Highlands, she was a picky eater. Mom, Ann, says she turned up her nose at anything but mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, plain cheese pizza and chicken nuggets. Today, she’s nominated for the CBS DFW Most Valuable Blogger Award for her fresh & healthy gourmet cooking blog, and she’s hoping votes from LH will put her over the top.

Katie started cooking during her last semester at Texas A&M. She was living in her first apartment and crazy busy with classes, her job search and her tasks as president of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. At first, she made pasta. Lots of pasta. The more she experimented with new foods, the more she appreciated healthy options and fresh organic ingredients.

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Katie now works as an event planner for Children’s Medical Center Foundation, where she founded The One Society, a young professionals’ group benefitting Children’s. She began writing her Kitchen With Kate blog last year as a way to pair her love of writing and her passion for cooking. She hopes to start teaching cooking classes, too.

“A home-cooked meal from Katie is my favorite gift,” Ann told me.

You can click here to vote for Katie’s blog by clicking on “Kate’s Cure for the Common Cuisine.” They’ll let you vote once per day until September 9th. We’ll let you know if she’s the winner. While you’re waiting, check out her Peach-Melba Pork Chops, Shrimp-Stuffed Avocado Salad and Watermelon Margaritas. Yum.