I have talked about starting a blog, ever since i’ve known what a blog was. I’ve been jotting down ideas in a notebook, and saving notes on my phone whenever ideas strike me. The running punchline in our house has been, “Oh that’s going on the blog!” Or when recipes have been unsuccessful, “that’s definetly NOT going on the blog!” In all honesty, I never thought it would actually happen. Yet here I am and here you are!
The first recipe I searched on the internet back in 2000 something was Giada deLaurentiis’ chicken florentine. I had never had anything that tasted so good come from my kitchen! That meal was the beginning of everything for me. From that moment on, I was on a mission to cook something new and amazing every night. I would watch an episode of Everyday Italian on the Food Network and choose a recipe I knew I had to try. My husband and I would walk to the supermarket behind our house and spend about 30.00 per meal nightly for just the two of us. Many of the items we needed were things I didn’t even know existed! What’s arugula to a 20 something anyways? Until that point, I didn’t know parmesan came any other way than in the little green shaker bottle. We ate lots of pastas and bread during those years as I continued to experiment with recipes that were mainly Italian. I followed recipes to a T and was not comfortable deviating from them.
Eventually, I ventured into other categories outside of Italian food. In retrospect, most of the meals we ate were heavy, comfort food type dishes. We enjoyed eating this way though. My DVR at the time was full of Giada DeLaurentiis Everyday Italian, Ina Garten The Barefoot Contessa, Nadia G’s Bitchin Kitchen, and Guy Fieri Guy’s Big Bite, just to name a few. I immersed myself in all things cooking whether it be Food Network or it’s companion The Cooking Channel.
Fastforward to 2013. Our first child was just starting to eat solids, and after all my obsessive online research, pinterest finds, and mama bear book reading, I started down the organic path. Our plates became more balanced, and incorporating all 4 food groups at each meal became the goal. I steamed and pureed kale before putting into ice cube trays to freeze so I could thaw and add to dishes when vegetables weren’t necessarily offered. I was known for traveling with all of Madison’s food and got a reputation amongst our family for the green oatmeal Madi ate daily. It was oatmeal, kale cubes and different fruit purees. Sometimes blueberries, sometimes apples, etc. It was at this time that we became more mindful of what we were eating, and the quality of our food. I’m sure it was a combination of wanting to serve our child the best foods we were able, and our previous years of eating heavy, comfort food style dishes that led us to want to change our eating habits.
I had a friend that introduced me to the world of bulletproof. I started off with bulletproof coffee, and a cookbook. This led me down a path where I strived to maintain ketosis, and introduced me to the world of intermittent fasting. From there I found whole 30 and paleo. I have never completed a Whole 30. I did eat 98% Whole 30 for about 6 months, but I never fully committed nor did I follow the reintroduction protocol. That doesn’t mean that I didn’t reap some benefits though. I tolerate some dairy, and as long as I don’t indulge too much, my seasonal allergies that are worsened by dairy do not flare up. Gluten is something that I eat only on occasion, and is something I try to avoid regularly. If there’s a GF option, or a wrap version, that’s usually my go to. This choice also helps my blood sugar. I was gestational with both of my pregnancies, so eating generally involves me watching what types of food might raise my blood sugar. Following a paleo lifestyle really helped me become more inventive with my recipes. I love the challenge of taking a dish that would normally be restricted due to dietary concerns, and creating a version of that recipe to comply with various dietary needs.
My love for cooking and recipe development has led me to create this blog. I want to share creations that are whole food based, and recipe adaptations for people who may need adjustments due to dietary restrictions. The food I post here is the food that I feed my family and loved ones, and I hope that you will enjoy them and share them with your loved ones too!
Bon Appetit! XOXO
-Janai