As much as I hate to admit it, I’m not someone who can claim a lifelong love of food and cooking.

I took on much more realistic goals when I entered my teen years (thank God)—like being valedictorian or the next Paris Hilton. Shockingly, the latter didn’t really pan out, so I joined the physics team and managed to finagle a spot at Harvard. Four years, a sociology degree and a French citation later, I graduated in 2009 with absolutely no clue what I wanted to do or be. As my friends geared up for banking, consulting, and Teach For America jobs, I moved to Paris and enrolled in culinary school.

Given that I was an upsettingly picky eater until college, and my only culinary role model was my mother, a woman well versed in the fine art of burning things, it came as quite a shock to my family and friends when I announced my decision to attend Le Cordon Bleu. But I had a plan.

Ironically, said plan had zero to do with becoming a chef. I simply wanted to master some killer domestic skills, practice my French, and maybe find the perfect red lipstick—all while figuring out what the fuck to do with my life. I told myself that I’d spend three months completing the Basic Cuisine course at Le Cordon Bleu while writing in my free time (I’d always had a love-hate relationship with writing), and then I’d come home and get a real job. Since you’re now reading my food-centric blog, things obviously didn’t go according to the original plan.

My early cooking school days were mildly traumatic—which is unsurprising given that the only dish I’d successfully “cooked” up to that point was a burnt grilled cheese—but after a couple months, I had become a completely different person. I was gutting and filleting fish, deboning chickens, breaking down whole rabbits, and whipping up hollandaise sauce without breaking a sweat. The most insane part? I loved every second of it. Realizing that I’d found my (very unexpected) calling, I enthusiastically signed on to complete the full diploma program and never looked back.

Since graduating from LCB in 2011, I’ve worn a few different culinary hats—private chef, culinary instructor, freelance writer, recipe developer, nutritional spirit guide, cookbook author etc.—but blogging has easily been my most rewarding pursuit, both personally and professionally. (So trite, but so true.) I started this site on a whim while in Paris with no goal in mind other than to casually share some of my new culinary skillz with other domestically-challenged souls (i.e. my friends at home, who I assumed would be the only ones interested in reading it). There was a lot of pink, Julia Child quotes, and Blackberry photos on domesticatemoi.blogspot.com back in the day, but I had a clear vision: Help others get their shit together in the kitchen. And make it fun, dammit.

This site has come a long way since then (hallelujah!), and it’s grown and evolved with this weird blog lady. I now write about a range topics I’m passionate about outside of food—from beauty and fitness to mental health—but the vision hasn’t changed all that much. My forever mission is to make creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle realistic, accessible, and most importantly, FUN. Domesticate Me is full of straightforward, (mostly) nutritious recipes that are doable by even the most inexperienced and/or kitchen-averse peeps, as well as tons of general tips and tricks for living your best life.

So, without further ado, welcome! Take a look around. I’m thrilled that you’re here, and I hope you’ll find something (food-related or otherwise) that speaks to you. I’d start your search with a quinoa bake, The Dude Diet, a lil romance, some anxiety real talk, or my feelings on Gwyneth…

Love,