Meet Jennifer

Welcome to Take Two Tapas! I’m so glad you’re here!

I’m Jennifer, a Florida food lover who has been creating and sharing recipes on this site for over 10 years! After leaving my first career behind to raise our two boys, I turned my favorite hobbies—cooking and hosting parties—into a full-time adventure. Now I have over 1,000 recipes (across all three of my sites) designed to help you entertain like a boss with unique and fuss-free dishes!

While you’ll find all my recipes here on the site, you can also follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X.

My Culinary Roots

Everyone says they love food—you have to eat, right? But not everyone enjoys MAKING food. I can honestly say that the kitchen is my happy place (along with the tennis court), and my fondest memories are made there. My love of cooking comes from the incredible women in my family.

My “Ma” made the most amazing cakes and knew how to create fancy meals from practically nothing. She made and decorated hundreds of wedding cakes, including my own, and always loved seeing the joy on people’s faces when they took their first bite.

My mom somehow managed to put delicious, hearty meals on the table even after working long hours. And no one ever went hungry at our house—she cooked for an army, even if it was an army of one! This habit only intensified after my parents owned and operated an Italian restaurant when I was in elementary school.

This is where my love of pasta and feeding people comes from. While I don’t have Italian heritage, I am part Bahamian, and these flavors continue to inspire and shape many of my favorite dishes.

From Science Lab to Kitchen Lab

I didn’t consider a career in food until later in life. I originally went to college wanting to be a doctor but quickly changed paths after my first microbiology course. I love science and figuring things out—and cooking uses so much science! Anyone who’s tried baking knows this to be true.

After graduating, I worked in various labs from Mayo Clinic to Wells Center for Pediatric Medicine. I loved science and being in the lab, but after our second son was born, I knew I wanted to be home with them while they were little. This coincided with my husband changing jobs, traveling more (Monday-Friday for a while), and us moving to Waycross, GA—a small town with family very close by!

Just when the boys started school full-time, our church lost its head chef. The ministers knew I had experience feeding people and asked if I would be interested in the job.

I planned fresh, innovative menus, experimented with scratch techniques, and even started catering on the side once word about my recipes got out. Making friends with local restaurant owners gave me opportunities to meet new clients while helping them in the kitchen when they needed it. (The lunch rush can get hectic!)

After writing out the recipe for my mom’s chicken pot pie for the hundredth time, I discovered food blogs—and everything changed. The site became a way for me to try out all the recipe ideas in my head while still being available for those field trips with the boys and testing out kid-friendly recipes.

What You’ll Find on Take Two Tapas

Appetizers, party foods, finger foods, and cocktails that are delicious and easy to make. Think of this as your top resource for party menu planning.
Recipes that use easy-to-find ingredients—nothing too fancy and always budget-friendly.
Hosting and party planning tips and tricks to make entertaining easier and stress-free. Having a party should be fun, and you shouldn’t be stuck in the kitchen the whole time!
Recipes for every member of your family and all your friends. You’ll find vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo options, and more.

What You Won’t Find on Take Two Tapas

Because most of my recipes use bacon and cheese, you won’t find nutritional guidance or judgment here. I don’t eat to live, I live to eat!
Recipes that are too complicated to make or take 100 steps or 100 hours to yield just a bite or two.
Boring dishes! Being a nerd at heart, I love experimenting and testing recipes to make sure they turn out just right every time. I even have my tennis team over to eat when I’m trying out new recipes. They love not cooking, not doing dishes, and taking the leftovers home!

Why is it Called Take Two Tapas?

I love the concept of eating just appetizers. Getting to taste a variety of different dishes without stuffing myself is a dream come true. I don’t believe you need to go into a food coma when you eat, so I make delicious food with big flavors, but in smaller portions.

The “take two” part comes from my love of movies. Think of shooting a scene with multiple takes—hence, “take two!” When I originally started posting recipes, I was remaking Southern classics into new versions. Once I specialized in party food, it morphed into “take two pieces.” When serving small bites, you can always have more than one!

Now the name has taken on another meaning—one that doesn’t come without tears and heavy emotions.

In 2017, shortly after our move to Arizona, we lost our oldest son Braxton to suicide. Devastated, our family threw ourselves into working with local parents and legislators to bring about change, so no other family would have to deal with the aftermath of such a tragic loss. We have since moved to the Atlanta area of Georgia, where we continue to work with other families and young people to combat the epidemic of teen suicide that our country is facing.

So we’ve come full circle with the original meaning of “take two.” But this time, it’s a second take on life. After losing Braxton, I didn’t want to entertain or be around other people, much less feed them. But slowly, we’ve learned that Braxton wouldn’t have wanted us to grieve like this forever.

We’ve had to redefine what “living” means to us, and we’ve discovered that being around others, sharing our story of life and loss, and letting others know that it’s OK to entertain, enjoy life and hobbies, is the best way to honor our son’s light that was extinguished far too soon.

You never know what tomorrow brings, so live a full life, eat those extra finger foods, tell more jokes and laugh, and most importantly, tell those close to you how much you love and value them, and that the world is a brighter place with them in it.

Where You Can Find Me

If I’m not on the tennis court, you can find me in Alpharetta, just outside Atlanta. I’m the one in the kitchen, testing out new recipes, listening to audiobooks, true crime podcasts, or ’90s hip-hop music, and making a sink full of dishes for my husband, Brooks, to wash. He has to do a little work after getting to taste all the new recipes!

Jennifer, Braxton, and Connor in Seattle

Culinary Journey

Since the blog started in October 2013, I’ve been fortunate to participate in several fun food events, including:

Mediavine Publishers Conferences – I’ve attended each year since joining. A great place to network with other publishers, content creators, top brands, and great food!
Fish To Fork – A three-day festival of top chefs, challenges, and plated dinners.
West Palm Food Tours – Inspired me to make this Pan Con Tomate recipe.
Waycross Garden Club – Taught cooking class in 2015. Recipe → Gyoza.
First Baptist Church – Head chef for all the family night dinners from 2012-2017. (Cooked for roughly 120 people every Wednesday and handled private events including bridal/baby showers, teachers’ luncheons, senior citizens programs, and Holy Week services.)
Chub Cheeks – Small boutique catering from 2014-2015.
Everything Food Conference – A fun conference for networking with top brands and other content creators focused on great food!

Jennifer at a tennis match holding a glass

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Biology – Maryville College – Maryville, TN

Professional Career

1997 – Lab Technician, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
2002 – Lab Manager, Health Research Institute, Orlando, FL
2004 – 2005 – Lab Supervisor, Wells Center for Pediatric Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
2006 – 2008 – Chub Cheeks, Chief Creative Officer
2008 – 2012 – Head of Kitchen, First Baptist Church, Waycross
2013 – present – CEO (Chief Eating Officer) at TakeTwoTapas.com, LeftoversThenBreakfast.com (2020), BestCasseroleRecipes.com (2022)

Fun fact: When we moved to Waycross after Connor was born, I was a stay-at-home mom. But I don’t like to be idle, so I started a small company making hair bows. I sold them on eBay and to local high schools for cheerleading. Being the mom of two boys, I guess I needed some quality girl time, LOL!

Brand Partnerships

I’ve been fortunate enough to work alongside some of the best brands in the food industry!

Featured In

Not sure if our recipes are good? They’ve been featured in some well-known publications:

My Other Food Sites

Party foods and appetizers are basically my jam, but sometimes you need a full meal—especially during large family gatherings. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! I have so many recipes for traditional meals that I started two additional sites:

Check out Leftovers Then Breakfast for your favorite recipes, classic dishes from your childhood, and some of my favorite things to eat. I often eat leftovers for breakfast, so I thought it would be a fun name! Hop on over and check it out.

Our newest site, Best Casserole Recipes, is now live. Check it out for all the best casserole recipes you could ask for!

Happy Hosting,

Jennifer

As Seen In