About Us

I learned how to cook from my mom who grew up in the Midwest- she always dreamed up homemade meals and hosted delicious family dinners. She taught me simple cooking techniques like zesting a lemon or sectioning an orange and showed us that creating healthy, delicious food wasn’t difficult. We always had a colorful fresh fruit bowl on our kitchen counter and a variety of healthy vegetables in the fridge. 
Working as a nanny for a French family in Paris, I was able to draw on my own family experience to help provide meals for the children. I was surprised that children living in a Parisian suburb had never tried homemade quiche! 

I  introduced three young girls to the ease and fun of cooking!  
This interest in food continued and led in part to my college major studying nutrition- and becoming a registered and licensed dietitian. 
 As a dietitian and then mother, I worked to bring my love of food together with healthy eating. My husband and I and started showing our three boys how to create healthy, fresh dinners each night for our own family meals. 
Now with experience of many years as a dietitian, a mom and a teacher of simple cooking techniques, I can see that helping kids learn how to cook shows how easy and delicious healthy cooking can be! A "Garden Plate" helps to pass along these ideas to kids and families in our community.            

Mary
 

Taking cooking classes can open youngsters' eyes -- once they are invested in making a recipe, children of any age can become more interested in trying new foods -- thus making a huge difference in healthy eating habits. Online classes can be an easy way to add in a fun family activity while making dinner!

Also, cooking can be fun for special populations of kids such as those who have cancer, (check out Camp One Step!) those with special needs -- all kiddos love being in the kitchen!