In daily life, I am mom to a daughter living with Type 1 diabetes…I’m also a writer and home cook. 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 every day.
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 manage my daughter’s diabetes. Despite carb counting and portion control, we couldn’t escape the blood sugar rollercoaster.
Slowly, I began to research, rework recipes, and test. I embraced low-carb nutrition and coupled it with the farm to table philosophy and culinary cuisine I cherished. Inspiration flowed in through my travels and local California farms and something delicious began to form.
Knowing your way around a kitchen isn’t a skill everyone wants, add-in a restrictive diet 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 has been measured, nutritionally calculated, and enjoyed by not only my daughter, but also family and friends.
So take a deep breath, enjoy the journey, and create something nourishing.
What is the meaning behind For Good Measure?
Diabetes is a disease married to measurement. Carbs, insulin, time, and in the case of recipes, ingredients. Measurement helps keep blood sugar in range and bodies healthy – those are good things or “good measures”. Furthermore, the idiom “for good measure” means “in addition to”, and I hope through nutritious ingredients and specific nutrition information I’ve created a resource that not only features delicious food, but all the information required to help manage this chronic disease.
Why do you use only unrefined natural sweeteners?
To maintain a low-carb footprint, our recipes use sweeteners sparingly. Natural sugars present in dairy, fruit and certain vegetables are included frequently. However, when a recipe needs a little more, I turn to unrefined natural sweeteners including maple syrup and honey, as they have a better nutrient prolife than other options.
Do you have any recipes including beef or pork?
No, recipes focus on vegetarian and white meat proteins.
What is your favorite recipe?
Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread.
Where do you live?
San Diego, California
Where do you shop for ingredients?
I visit the Vegetable Shop at Chino Farm several times a week for fresh produce. My natural, local grocer is Jimbos, while Vons and Whole Foods fill any gaps. I’m a fan of my local boutique grocer, Baker & Olive, for olive oil, vinegar, and cheese, while Amazon is my go-to for hard to source items, namely specialty nut flours.
How do you calculate your nutrition information?
Every ingredient in every developed recipe is measured, and then re-measured. From those quantities, we use Spoonacular Food API to calculate nutrition data.
Who was For Good Measure’s recipe developer, stylist, and photographer?
All recipes were developed, styled, and photographed by me in my home kitchen.