“Mom, we can’t keep eating this stuff.  It’s SO bad for us.”  My daughter was 14 years old when she took an online food and nutrition course. And then, as any self-respecting, passionate homeschooled teen would do, she proceeded to school me on the benefits of whole grains, vegetables and omega 3’s.  Or was it omega 6’s?  So I indulged her and the next thing I knew we were in it together.

Natalie is now a college sophomore majoring in agroecology and working in her university’s food and health lab.

 

 

 

 

She started a vegetable garden in a vacant lot across the street from our house and also convinced us to have backyard chickens. I’m taking care of the garden and the coop while she’s away at school.  Fresh chicken eggs are amazing.  You’ll probably hear a lot about that from me!

   

Her brother has been cooking with me since he was old enough to stand on a step stool next to the kitchen counter. Growing up, Eric would binge watch Food Network and held Iron Chef style competitions in our kitchen. He creates amazing sauces and experiments with meats and artistic plating.   He’s 17 and currently researching culinary schools.

  

My husband Steve and I have been married for 22 years.

 

Steve doesn’t cook very often, but when he does, he likes to take over the kitchen and go uber-gourmet. Fine by me!  He’ll pour through Bobby Flay and Jamie Oliver cookbooks looking for something unusual to prepare.  For my 34th birthday, when Natalie was only a couple weeks old, he made homemade saffron and lobster ravioli. Sixteen years ago we started a New Year’s Eve tradition of Fondue Night with the kids.

I learned about cooking from my mother.  She’s an excellent cook.

  

Growing up, there were very few dishes that I could say were standards in our house.  My mom was always trying new recipes. Everyone enjoys her meals, but she is most famous for her Christmas cookies. I learned to bake from her. Baking was my comfort zone in the kitchen until Natalie pushed me to get real with our main dishes.  The science of cooking is way more forgiving than the science of baking, and I’m having fun being a creative cook.

Outside of the kitchen, I’m a former teacher, turned homeschooling mom, turned amateur photographer, turned wannabe real food blogger.  Plus I work part-time at our local library.  Because books. And cookbooks!

All four of us love to cook. We enjoy cooking for each other.  And our garden and hens are daily reminders of how delicious real food tastes.  And the taste of real food reminds us how good our bodies feel when we eat fresh, nourishing meals. So cheers to good health, compliments of a real food lifestyle!