At the center of my attitude toward food is my belief that food is inherently good and healing, even. There is no such thing as a bad food in this house. Chocolate and sugar? They are delicious and “good” for our bodies (and mental health) in moderation. No one thrives under restriction, and chocolate makes me happy. But so do Brussels sprout salads, veggie-heavy enchiladas, and slow-cooked meaty Bolognese, all of which you’ll find here. And this is the approach I am raising my girls with: balance.
Hi! My name is Elise, and I’m a former cookbook editor with a penchant for vegetarian and vegan recipes. I was born and raised in the Midwest on a fairly meat-centric diet and dabbled in vegetarian cooking from the age of sixteen. I met and married a wonderful Australian man in New York City, and we have two daughters.
It is very important to us that these mini foodies of ours grow up eating a variety of healthful and delicious foods. One of the few things we ask of our girls in relation to food is that they try new things—we don’t force or guilt them into trying it or finishing it if it’s not their thing. And at this stage (with a four-year-old and a one-year-old), it’s hard to say how much of our success (with the exception of a couple foods, they both eat anything put in front of them) is luck. Regardless, we hope that we are setting good foundations for a healthy relationship with food.
So that is what you will find here: nutritious and delicious mains and sides (and a healthy dose of baked goods), with crafts and other kid-related things sprinkled throughout—the things that bring our family together. And I hope they will bring yours together too!
xx Elise