In daily life, I am mom to a Type 1 diabetic…I’m also a writer and self-proclaimed kitchen addict. I have no formal food training, except for my forty plus years cooking & baking. I made my first batch of cookies at four, hosted my first dinner party at twenty, and am still practicing everyday.
I believe whole-heartedly in the power of food… its ability to nurture the body and soul giving quality to life. A kitchen’s magic lingers, we inhale the scents of our childhood and the promise of generations to follow. Thankfully, we all need to eat and doing so is one of life’s greatest pleasures, as well as, one of the most important ways to ensure good health.
When my daughter was diagnosed, for the first time in my life, I felt lost in the kitchen. The hospital had left me scared. Everything I thought I knew about nutrition and health were now not right. I struggled and failed to make my tried and true healthy, albeit carb-laden, recipes work for a Type 1 diabetic. Despite counting and portion control, I couldn’t escape the blood-sugar rollercoaster.
Slowly, I began to research, rework recipes, and test. I discovered low-carb nutrition and returned to the farm-to-table philosophy and culinary cuisine I cherished. Inspiration flowed in through my travels and local California farms and something beautiful began to form.
Knowing your way around a kitchen isn’t a skill everyone wants, add-in a restrictive diet and insulin dosing, and it quickly becomes distasteful – though at the same time, nothing beats a home-cooked meal shared with family and friends. I hope in For Good Measure I have found a balance. Every recipe presented has been measured, nutritionally calculated and tested on my Type 1 diabetic daughter, as well as, tasted by my family and friends.
So take a deep breath, enjoy the journey, and create something nourishing.