Nurturing our children with healthy foods and strong values are some of the most important jobs that we have as caretakers. Food and our relationship to it impacts our states of mind, as well as our health. Not only is there a direct link between healthy eating habits and disease reduction, but doctors are now certain that food also has psychological implications. I am influenced not only by Southern food, but Southern lifestyles as well.

My own cooking has Southern-born roots, influenced by both of my parents. They adopted their unique styles from their mothers, who each had distinctly different culinary approaches.

My Dad’s mom Muddie fried a lot of her food, while Grandmother Susie, my mother’s mom, was extremely health-conscious and broiled her meats. We also had a step-grandmother (whom we called Aunt Lena) who had  fruit trees  and a vegetable garden. She let my sisters and cousins and me help pick dinner  when we spent summers with her in Ossinning, N.Y. We were all lucky to have been greatly influenced by the love they showed us through food, which they spent a lot of time making.

But who really has time to cook like our grandmothers did? These days, most of us are too busy working to spend endless hours in the kitchen. As families have become busier or drifted apart, meal times have been sacrificed. We want to get our food on the table as quickly as possible, and we often take shortcuts or buy take-out instead of cooking. Preparing fresh food is time-consuming, and key to its success is creativity and organization.

My childhood experiences in the South also taught me about extended family. Whenever I spent time in Greensboro, N.C., there were cousins from everywhere to help with child care or to participate in our activities. Our elders called us “youngins” and corrected us if we showed disrespect, or listened to our concerns when we just needed someone to talk to. To hear  the term “you family” meant that no matter how distant the blood line, there was a welcoming connection of warmth to embrace us.    

Healthy Southern Comforts celebrates the mission of community – including family farms – and honors the meals of my parents and ancestors, but with a healthier edge. It also incorporates old-fashioned Southern values, which encourage family and spirit. This blog strives to use the best from both worlds - past and present – to create  simple, healthy versions of meals inspired by my Southern legacy.