About ETL

CURIOUS TO KNOW MORE? OKAY, HERE’S THE LONGER VERSION OF THE STORY.

ETL started after I spent nearly a decade going to school and working in the media industry, including some of the top networks in the country, while braving it as an independent 20-something in New York City. It was fast and fun, but also exhausting and anxiety-inducing a lot of the time.

But I did learn a lot. In the end, my experiences there taught me how listen & see more, and thus to write better, how to fend for myself in a kitchen and beyond, and how important it is to seek balance and live for RIGHT NOW.

That’s what I’m here to share with all of you.

Mostly… I want to talk about food here. Let’s be clear. I’ve always loved food. I can thank my mom for that – from the moment I started eating baby foods and throughout my childhood I was exposed to a variety of ingredients and cuisines, and deliciously satisfying home cooked southern meals. I am forever grateful for this, it helped me develop a passion and a palate for eating that has carried me to where I am now.

I really fell in love with cooking in college. I moved from my hometown outside Dallas, Texas up to New York City when I started school at NYU in 2011. Let’s just say the culture shock, and the wallet shock, was real. Life was hard, I was broke, but my taste buds were spoiled. I realized quickly that if I wanted to keep eating the same delicious things I grew up on, I was going to have learn to make them…because I sure as hell couldn’t afford to eat out at the places on my wish list. So I called my mom (frequently) spent a lot of time on Pinterest (still do!) and taught myself how to cook. Somewhere along the way, I started to understand a the joy of creating things; the satisfaction of completing a project; the calm focus of learning something new — in ways that I never had before.

It’s only recently though that I’ve truly fallen in love with eating, with consciously nourishing my body and thinking more deeply about the foods I eat, where they come from, and what they mean.

Part of this stems from the serious health issues I’ve overcome in the last few years, which have forever changed the way I look at eating, wellness and self-care.

Another part of it stems from the the places I’ve been lucky enough to travel to around the world, exposing me to people, foods and ideas that have molded and reshaped how I see food, and the world and our both of our places in it.

It’s all a work in progress, and I’m still learning new things.

Which brings me here.

This space is about exploring eating, first and foremost. Eating healthily, wholesomely and mindfully. I want to share my favorite recipes, explore new cooking techniques, shed more light on the magic of herbal remedies and discuss food from global, social and even political perspectives.

But it’s not just essential to feed the body. You have to feed your mind as well. I used to work in news and am always reading, and I want to share interesting and thought-provoking articles and resources on this platform, about food and otherwise, with the hopes of opening up new dialogue and encouraging people to think in the moment.

Finally, this space is about simply living in the moment. Cliches aside, I’ve realized this is one of the most important lessons you can learn in life. The more we let ourselves worry about the past and the future, the more detached we become, and the faster life goes by. I know this firsthand as someone who is constantly learning to better manage her anxiety. Whether it is through travel, our skincare routine, our home, our relationships, there are so many ways we can infuse mindfulness into our lives, and learn to be more present.

This beautiful life presents chances for us to grow and love and learn every day if we open ourselves up to them. Thank you for coming along as we learn how to eat, think and live in the moment.