Here are some details about me: 

• I served as an Army Signal Officer – 2 tours in Iraq
• I’m married to my college sweetheart, who is still in the Army.  We have 5 children, 1 girl (11), and 4 boys (10, 8, 5, 3) 
• We have moved 12 times.  All over the world, from Germany, to California, to now NC.  
• I love to travel.  I have traveled all over Europe and North America.  One of the best ways to learn about food is through travel. 
• I have gained and lost pregnancy weight 5 times.  I am not talking about the recommended 25-35 lbs, but with my first couple of babies, I gained about 50lbs.  I know how hard it can be, and I often wondered if I would ever lose the baby weight and feel like my old self again, and at the same time embrace the person and body I have become. Life is not a sprint, but a journey, and raising a family, working, and taking care of yourself is hard.  
• I love to be active.  I was a gymnast growing up and even started an Explorer Post at my high school so I could do the cool backpacking, skiing, and mountaineering trips I saw my brother do with Boy Scouts.  Before I had kids, I trained for marathons and triathlons, I skied, hiked, and loved to do almost anything outside.  During kids?  Well that’s another story.  Kids seem to consume all your free time. . . So keeping up with one pregnancy after another and having so many non school-aged kids in the house was enough for me.  But now I am back at it:   running, lifting, biking and remembering who I am and what I love. 
• I know what it is like to have picky eaters. I have a child with autism and sensory processing issues.
• I  LOVE food!  The taste, texture, the way it can make you feel, and the memories created around it. I love everything from massaged kale salad to french pastries, oh and coffee… I can’t seem to go a day without it! 
• I have taken profession training courses to hone my skills for cooking, food, and wellness: 
  • International Culinary Center, Farm to Table 
  • Matthew Kenny Cuisine – Plant based 
  • Institute for Integrative Nutrition – Certified Health Coach 
  • Precision Nutrition – Level 1 Coach 

What I am not: 

• a nutritionist (I can help you find one if that’s what you need)
• a believer in wacko extremes or magic pills
• someone whose idea of a healthy living is restricting entire food groups
• a coach promising overnight results

What I believe in: 

• Lasting change takes time.  Baby steps add up to worthwhile changes.
• Being a role model for our kids 
• Healthy meals, from fresh ingredients don’t have to be hard, expensive, or impractical 
• Not being a short order cook– I can teach you to serve food for both yourself and your family that all will be able to eat.
• Eating dessert – I love cake, ice cream, french pastries.  You name it!  
• Learning to Cook – so you can make the process more enjoyable and less time consuming and overwhelming.   This includes the kids- they need to learn this life skill, as well.  It will make your life much easier. 
• Bringing people back to the dinner table, even if that’s just one night a week at first.  Create amazing memories around the table eating, drinking, talking, and reconnecting with who matters most to you. 

I would love to have you and your family join me on this journey.  One meal, and one, day at a time.  If you would like to try a recipe, check this one out. It is easy, simple, and kids usually enjoy it!

If you want to join my CREW, click here, and join my private Facebook group.  It’s the place to learn cooking tips, FB live demos, games, and even better, a group of like-minded peeps.