Hi, I’m Tiffany!
I’m a certified holistic health coach, yoga teacher [mostly student], and am passionate about nutrition and cooking. I am from Indiana, but my family and I moved to Austin, TX in 2021 and we love it here! I love trying new cuisines and different foods and here I can sometimes experience them from a food truck! Austin is also just an amazing place to live where there is walkable city life as well as easily accessible nature, park space, and miles of trails that make you feel like you’re a lot further that a mile or two from any downtown. It’s HOT! But so far, we think it’s worth it!
I find a ton of joy and healing in cooking and sharing yummy, nourishing food with family and friends. I love to host and love everything about a get together whether it’s a casual backyard BBQ or a special occasion party for 40. Except for the cleanup. I do not love the cleanup. I’m animated, sometimes sarcastic, and try to keep things light. I really enjoy creating recipes, menu planning, prepping (chopping veggies is my therapy), and cooking a variety of food. Having someone ask for a recipe or my kids ask for seconds makes my day.
Let’s Rewind
In high school I was diagnosed with an eating disorder and have struggled with disordered eating habits and body image issues most of my life. While I got help from a therapist as an adult and the last few years have been an improvement, I still have hard days and weeks when it comes to nutrition. I know what works for me now though and have tools to help through tough times. For me, planning ahead is key, which may be why I love meal prep so much – we’ll talk about this soon!!
In 2017 I was sick, and after months of tests and being told I was crazy, the Dr. found cancer in my colon. I was extremely lucky that it was small, easy to remove with a quick surgery, and I was able to get back to normal life [whatever that is!] very quickly. After this experience though, I knew that I had to change the way I was treating my body and feeding my family.
My husband and I are born and raised in Indiana and we love comfort food. We live for smoked meats and grilling and never really considered excluding meat from our diet until my diagnosis gave us a reason to look at our habits. For that reason 2018 was a big shift and one that, after several months, my family completely embraced. We began eating a clean vegetarian diet and cut out as much junk and processed foods as possible. We saw changes in our bodies, moods, and energy levels! A bonus was that our kids went from being super picky eaters to being much more adventurous. These days they’re willing to try anything!
That time in my life made me finally remember how important it is to listen to our bodies, to be informed, and to advocate for ourselves. I was told by a specialist physician that I didn’t need his help, but instead that of a therapist. When I went for a second opinion, they found the small tumor causing the issues. I wasn’t imagining things. I wasn’t making it up. The doctor found the source causing the sickness, and it could be fixed. The diagnosis would be the catalyst to a new, healthier in more ways than one, way of life for me and my family.
This neuroendocrine tumor, in addition to my desire to end my lifelong addiction to torturing my body, made me want to learn as much as I could about nutrition, food, and how it affects our physical and mental bodies. I decided to take a certified holistic health coach certification course from IIN. For 6 months I studied hard and learned a ton in an effort to heal myself. I ended up falling in love with learning about food, nutrition, and how our bodies react to what we give it.
Today
While I’ve taken breaks from sharing food online and on social media through the years, I’ve never stopped learning. I took food photography classes [most of the 2018 photos are hilariously bad], learned how to make reels, continued to study nutrition, and most recently started a tiktok account. I became a certified yoga teacher, meditation guide, and began practicing reiki. Each of these things are a practice where I am much more the student than any kind of expert. I’m excited and grateful to be learning all the time!
My kitchen is busy, so I set intentions for the day during my morning routine. I practice mindfulness and try to remain present and experience the day moment to moment. I plan ahead so I can slow down and be purposeful in the kitchen. As a reflection, I have changed the name of the blog from My Busy Kitchen to Mindful in the Kitchen. I’m excited to be back (7/2022) with new clarity on what I want to share. I still hold the same passion for cooking; in fact that passion has grown! This space will continue to evolve and I want to hear from you too! I can’t wait to see where we go together! I hope you stop by often to see what’s cooking! – Tiffany xo
“Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.”
Julia Child
Here’s an oldie but goodie recipe for a perfect avocado sauce for everything from tacos to veggies! This watermelon arugula salad is perfect for a hot summer day. And this 5-ingredient pineapple mint salsa is a flavor bomb of a crowd pleaser!