I was lucky to grow up eating a variety of foods- not the norm for a small town in the 80s! I don't ever remember being overly picky at any age. Baking with my mom is one of my earliest childhood memories and cooking has always been a passion of mine.
In June 2008 I had surgery on my jaws and was unable to eat solid foods for 4 weeks. My orthodontist made it seem like it would be a walk in the park (ha!) but I was miserable without food. Less than 1 week in I was sitting at the kitchen table over a cup of broth watching my husband and mother enjoy a simple tuna sandwich. I would have done ANYTHING to have one! I made a promise to myself to always remember this moment - to always savor the food I eat - to always remember how weak I felt without proper nutrition.
When I was able to eat normally again I decided not to eat fast food or drink pop any more. It's not like I was at McDonald's drinking an extra large Coke every day, but it just didn't seem like anything I wanted to put in my body any longer. Processed meats soon followed, and in February 2011 I added meat to the list as well. I had said for years that I only ate meat because my husband did until one day it hit me- Why am I doing something I don't want to do?! As it turns out, it's not a huge deal to incorporate some healthy (and ethically treated) animal protein on his plate while keeping my own meat-free.
It's empowering to fuel your body in a healthy way and feel energetic as a result.
This has all made me love cooking & baking even more :)
