Meet the Kitchen House Team!

I am a native Texan, and have lived all my life in the Greater Austin area. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree and then completed my dietetic internship at the University of Houston. Professionally, my career as a registered dietitian, did not begin by teaching cooking classes, but it has always been kid-nutrition focused. I first began by educating parents of infants and preschoolers about the importance of nutrition in even the youngest. Through my work, I fostered good nutrition awareness in various communities in central Texas. My focus shifted to children of all ages, as my own children grew. I have 2 children, who now make their own lunches for school, and sometimes even breakfast and dinner for our family!

I developed Kids Kitchen in 2011 to encourage kids and their families to incorporate a variety of nutritious foods into their meals. Opening the doors of Kitchen House in 2016 allowed me to express my creativity in a different way by designing all of the details that go into our recipes, menus for events, tablescapes, crafts and decor!

I look forward to sharing our cooking class stories and recipes with you, as well as the recipes we try at home. Read our Recipe Blog.

 

As a young child, I wanted to be a chef when I grew up! I received a “Klutz Kids Cookbook” for Christmas one year. I remember pouring over the pages of the cookbook, planning what I would make, taking little notes in the margins. I spent hours with that little cookbook (I still have it!), making everything from brownies, to homemade applesauce, to lasagna. Food brings us together. It’s one of the things I love about it.

I have been blessed with 4 beautiful children and an Italian husband whom I get to cook for all the time, and I love it! It has been important to me to teach my family about healthy eating, being open minded, trying new things, while always honoring our long time family recipes. In my home, the kitchen is the heart.

I didn’t end up being a professional chef, instead I’m the wearer of many hats. In addition to managing the schedule at Kitchen House, I am studying American Sign Language and Deaf Studies, I’m working portrait photographer, I lead a troop of 16 awesome Girl Scouts, and of course, a mom of 4.

My favorite recipes to make and enjoy are meat marinara and homemade bread.

As an elementary school teacher I always enjoyed teaching my students about health and nutrition. I found that incorporating food and cooking into my lessons was a great way to engage students while teaching them a variety of concepts, from math to science to language. After a few years in teaching, I decided to pursue my second passion and went back to school to obtain my Masters degree in Nutrition. I then began working with individuals and families to educate them in developing healthy eating and lifestyle habits.

I am thrilled to work at Kitchen House, which allows me to combine my love for teaching with my passion for health and nutrition. I see cooking as a fun and effective way to teach children to make healthy food and lifestyle choices, which in turn has a positive impact on their long-term health. My favorite part about being an Instructor is seeing the excitement on my students’ faces when I tell them what recipe we are making each week, and I enjoy it even more when a student discovers a healthy dish that they love to eat!

My favorite recipes to prepare are zucchini bread and dahl, an Indian lentil curry.

In my family the kitchen is the heart of the house. At a very young age, I began helping my mom prepare meals for the family. Starting with simple tasks such as flipping tortillas and then with time, slowly graduating to making multiplexed recipes like tamales from scratch. My culinary school was life and my instructors were my parents, grandmother and other family members and friends. With the help of a cousin, a nutritionist, I learned the nutritional side of food and how to make healthy eating delicious.

As I worked as a nanny, my love for child care grew. I learned how to talk to children and not at them, as well as how to cultivate a practice-of- patience when teaching children something new.

When my nephew had his birthday at Kitchen House, I found an opportunity to combine my culinary knowledge with my affection of children. I am so grateful to be a part of the Kitchen House family! In my spare time I like to indulge in going to the movies, getting lost in a book, listening to live music, discovering new places to eat and sharing it all with loved ones.

My one favorite food to prepare is eggs, because of the many dishes they can become; to Migas and Deviled Eggs to Quiches and Eggs Benedict.

Growing up right here in Austin, my family always valued dinner time and for the most part, we enjoyed home cooked meals at the same time every day. I came to appreciate the art of preparing a great meal and having family time around the table and along with my husband, have tried to continue that with our 5 children. Given the busy nature of our society and the fast paced/fast food schedule so many families keep, educating our youth about good nutrition and making healthy food choices is more important than ever. I also have always had a passion for cooking, entertaining and working with kids. I have a degree in Education with an emphasis on Food and Nutrition from Texas Christian University and teach Culinary Arts, the most popular elective offered, at Anderson High School. I have the wonderful opportunity to teach hundreds of teenagers every year how to be effective and efficient in the kitchen while educating them on making healthy food choices. They may not change their habits immediately but we are building awareness and planting seeds about the long term effects of good nutrition that will hopefully stick with them for a lifetime.

I have always loved kids of all ages and so enjoy teaching classes, parties and events at Kitchen House. It is so wonderful that such a place exists and allows me to bring my love for cooking, creativity and kids all together in a festive warm environment! In my spare time, I like to run, read, shop, cook, or dine out and spend time with kids and grandkids.