Childhood Memories in the Kitchen

I grew up in a small town surrounded by a large extended family, where food was at the heart of everything we did. Our gatherings always centered around the kitchen table.

Childhood memories are stitched together with the aroma of beef stew simmering on the stove, the sweet tang of homemade plum jam, and the comforting warmth of banana bread fresh from the oven.

As cousins, we were always given jobs in the kitchen: shelling walnuts, snapping green beans, or stripping the kernels off corn cobs. Church potlucks were marked on our calendars like holidays, and every Sunday morning, Grandpa’s homemade biscuits and coffeecake were waiting for all, hot from the oven.

Carrying the Tradition Forward

Naturally, I carried this love of cooking into my own marriage. Preparing meals that brought my husband and kids back to the table again and again was something I treasured.

Food, to me, was connection. It was love.

Everything Changed in 2024

But everything changed in 2024 when my husband was diagnosed with kidney failure. Overnight, our diet had to change. More than that, I realized our mindset around food had to shift as well.

I adopted two mantras that carried us through those early days:

Food is fuel.
We are healing organs.

A New Way of Looking at Food

At first, it was easy to feel discouraged. Our favorite family meal, cheese enchiladas with grilled Tri Tip, was suddenly off the table. Not a single ingredient was acceptable. What once brought comfort now had to be replaced.

And yet, instead of focusing on what was missing, we chose to focus on what remained.

We began to see food in a new light, not just as something to enjoy, but as something that could help heal. The plates in front of us looked simpler, but they were filled with purpose.

From Limitation to Inspiration

That shift in thinking sparked an idea. With limited ingredients, I challenged myself to make meals that were still full of flavor. I began experimenting, crafting dishes we could not only eat, but look forward to.

And as we watched his energy improve and symptoms lessen, we found ourselves more thankful for the simple, wholesome foods that had become our new staples.

The Birth of a Cookbook

And that’s how the idea for my cookbook was born. Out of limitation came creativity. Out of necessity came new habits.

Changing Your Perspective on Food