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A New Home for Meal Planning and Newsletters on Substack: The Emptier Nest
Many of you have been here since the early days of my little blog I started back in 2016 – and for that, I thank you! Over the years, you’ve followed my journey through culinary school, new recipes, local magazine features, and now my work as a board-certified functional nutritionist.…
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Embracing the New Year with Sustainable Changes
Let’s Rethink New Year’s Resolutions Every January, we’re bombarded with messages urging us to reinvent ourselves. The “New Year, New You” mentality dominates the conversation, promising quick fixes or dramatic lifestyle overhauls. But let’s be honest – how often do these promises lead to lasting change? More often than not,…
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Another Trip Around the Sun
Yesterday was my birthday! I turned 48 years old, though I’ll admit I was a bit bummed because I thought I was 48 this entire past year. I even argued with my husband, convinced I was turning 49 this year! I’d already started dreaming about an amazing trip for my…
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What is Functional Nutrition?
As defined, “Functional Nutrition is the advanced practice of applying a personalized nutrition care process with the goal of promoting optimal health and well-being and preventing diet and lifestyle-related disease using the principles and concepts of integrative and functional medicine.” It goes beyond the standard dietary advice. The Holistic Approach…
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Exploring Japan: Eating Balanced Breakfasts While Traveling
Our family is just home from the most wonderful trip to Japan. It was a rescheduled trip from November 2020, and we were so thankful to finally get there. The beauty of Japan and the kindness of the people are things I’ll never forget. We explored Tokyo, Hakone, and Kyoto,…
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Blending Nutrition and Culinary Arts: My Functional Nutrition Credential
Hi friends and family! I have some exciting news to share – I recently completed training in an integrative and functional nutrition program and am now a board-certified functional nutritionist! If you’ve been here awhile or know me personally, you’ll understand this nutrition credential is a natural next step that…
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Fueling Your Day Right: Balanced Breakfast Ideas To Curb Cravings
Many people want to eat healthy but don’t know where to start. People try pantry clean outs, fridge and freezer purges, diet books, 10 day detox and various other diets, but none of these are sustainable. We’ve all been there. Why not simplify and just start with breakfast? Your first…
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SFCS: Externship and Beyond
The ultimate goal of Restaurant Week, beyond showcasing our new skills and amazing food, was to get us ready for our externships and working in a restaurant for 2 months. After meeting with the founder of our school, Jodi Liano, we were carefully and thoughtfully placed in a restaurant…
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Cooking School: Weeks 14-16
With just days to go before we had to begin preparing for our big Restaurant Week finale, we enjoyed a few super fun days at school. Early December in San Francisco calls for Crab (and Octopus!) Day. It is one of our founder’s favorite foods and the mascot of our…
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Cooking School: Weeks 11-14
Weeks 11-14 of cooking school have come and gone, as they took place in November. Any parent knows that once the first holiday of the season hits- October 31- it’s full steam ahead! To say that the time between Halloween and just before Christmas was crazy busy is an understatement.…
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Cooking School, Weeks 9 & 10
It’s no surprise, but weeks 9 and 10 were full of many fun experiences and tasty dishes. There were at least two days that I declared, “this is my favorite dish we’ve made,” only to be trumped by a dish two days later- “ok you guys, I lied, THIS is…
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Weeks 7 & 8- Workshop Days!
Happy weekend, friends and family! I hope you all had a great week! I am so glad it’s the weekend because I’m not sure I had another 6-hr cooking day left in me. In the past 2 weeks, my San Francisco Cooking School’s Pro Culinary class had some pretty exciting…
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Cooking School- week 6
Hi Friends and Family! I hope you all had a good week. Aren’t Fridays the best? Leaving San Francisco this afternoon under the bright blue sky and the Blue Angels taking test flights overhead, I was feeling pretty alright with the world. Although I’m exhausted from the week, we’ve got a…
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Cooking School: Weeks 4 & 5
Happy Sunday, friends and family! I have never appreciated my weekends more… getting some rest and relaxation is not just wanted, but absolutely necessary. People always ask what cooking school is like. Depending on the day I’ve had I use different adjectives to describe it, but the ones I commonly…
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Cooking School- Week 3
Is it the weekend yet?!? I want to make brunch! Last week was Egg Week and I’m dying to put these new egg skills to good use. We had a full week of egg dishes, egg based sauces, sweet and savory custards and souffles — and so far it has…
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A Delicious Week 2
Last week at cooking school was a blast! We started the week with a super fun Taste Workshop by the fabulous Barb Stuckey. I read her book Taste What You’re Missing over the summer and had no idea our curriculum included a taste workshop with her. It was a fascinating…
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Cooking school, one week down!
Happy Labor Day, Friends and Family! I cannot think of a better placed 3-day weekend on the calendar than this one. Kids are back in school, weather is still nice here in CA, and it’s a great day to relax outside or a productive one inside getting ready for the…
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The Culinary Adventure Begins
A Milestone Year: From Home Cook to Culinary Student August holds a special place in my heart this year. It marks the anniversary of my journey into the world of professional culinary arts. Exactly a year ago, I began searching online for cooking classes to improve my skills. My goal…
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Once a Planner, Always a Planner: The Food Blog Journey Begins
Welcome to the “I don’t have time/talent/energy to write a food blog” blog. With that said, here it goes! From Classroom Organization to Kitchen Chaos Many years ago, before I had kids, I was an elementary school teacher. My days revolved around organizing my classroom and planning for the 20…