Hey!

What's My story?

Honestly, while I don't come from a long line of chefs or restaurant owners, one of the main ways that my family often came together growing up was through food, music, and laughter which inspired me to create a space that both uplifts and feeds those who choose to visit my little corner of the web!

As a child, I grew up an extreme picky eater which lead to high levels of anxiety + depression around food and in general. As I got older, I began getting in the kitchen more and taught myself how to master simple dishes like pancakes, eggs, + bacon and cheesecake (the first dessert I nailed in High School while dating my hubby to impress him---Haha). Literally, cooking + baking became my "therapy" as I coped with emotional + verbal abuse within my household during my teenage years.

FAST FORWARD-----After having my own family, I began experimenting even more with cooking (and using very little to create "much") since we were going through major financial troubles as new parents and couldn't afford takeout or high-quality ingredients for a period of time. However, I eventually stumbled upon a real passion for food creation (and sharing my journey through the love of food) and thus Orchids + Sweet Tea® was born in 2016!

Shortly after the start of Orchids + Sweet Tea® (while on her Postpartum Journey), I realized that my body could no longer successfully digest or tolerate dairy + gluten in conjunction with everything else [Endo-type pain, etc]. Countless doctor visits resulted in no solution (or at least one that didn't require that I be committed to hormonal medication to regulate things) until I finally decided to use my Faith in Jesus, changes in my lifestyle, and diet as a way of healing.

THE PROCESS: A whole lot of prayer and a TON of research on self-care, therapy (for emotional healing), healthier eating options, + home remedies that helped my body on it's road to recovery and move things along in my Postpartum healing journey. We're talking things like going vegan (for a short period) then transitioning into substituting meat a few times a week, essential oils for skin, hair, and body; the right foods to eat + to eliminate (i.e. dairy, most sugars, etc.), herbal teas and supplements, incorporating exercise (no matter how small---and I mean SMALL. Haha), and a host of other things. Yes, it's still a journey, but a journey that she is learning to embrace, love + eat through; one plate and recipe at a time! Xx

Now, I'm walking the journey of being able to cook foods beyond what I could have ever fathomed----while helping others master their confidence + options in the kitchen.