Hi, I’m Alaina. I’m a newlywed and head-over-heels in love with my husband…and with food.

In July 2015, I married Tom: a one-of-six-kids boy who was raised on the staples for feeding a big family–pasta, potatoes, and traditional American meals that can feed a busy crew in-between baseball practice and flute lessons. My family ate the same way…until my dad got diabetes when I was really young. For as long as I can remember, my family of four had our meals shaped by my dad’s dietary needs and my mom’s slight variations of protein/salad combinations that would keep his sugar levels stable.

Despite having summers’-worth of cooking lessons from my WWII-generation grandmother who taught me that you can make a meal out of anything that’s in your fridge, I struggled when Tom and I got married and we sat down to meal plan and create dishes that satisfied our opposite ideas of what should be for dinner. Tom wanted the food that everybody else eats for dinner–spaghetti, pot roast, and chicken with rice–but my family history and own pre-diabetes necessitated that we eat minimal carbohydrates and sugars.

I will pronounce here (and you’ll hear it again) that I wholeheartedly believe that there is no such thing as “bad” food and “good” food–it’s all about balance. Just like marriage, I approach our cooking with thoughtful compromise and the goal of both parties feeling satisfied after we’ve enjoyed a meal together.

For me, cooking is an act of love; one I love to share with others. So here’s our story of finding that balance and making meals that feed the heart and soul.