Meet fellow Kirklander, incredible cook, world traveler, avid entertainer (pre-COVID), and now The Eating Enchanted Cookbook author, Marla Groves.  What better way to re-launch into your stay-at-home time than with some new recipes!  Especially healthy ones. Marla's philosophy is that people should give themselves the gift of healthy eating while recognizing that everyone's path is unique. All of her recipes are naturally gluten-free and focus on unprocessed ingredients that are both flavorful and nutritious. She says, "you should never feel restricted or locked down but work towards a balanced and sustainable healthy lifestyle. "

<--Khao Soi (Northern Thai Curry), which would hit the spot on a rainy day like today

Many of the recipes found in Marla's cookbook have a flair of flavors from Italy or Thailand, both places she has lived before, and that have continued to ignite her love of fresh seasonal and local ingredients.  In her cookbook, you'll find breakfast, soup, salad, fish/poultry/vegetarian modifications, snacks, cocktails, and desserts which are all dishes she shares from her own family's table. Some are simple 10-minute ideas to whip up, and others are more elaborate creations, but all have her voice woven in the stories behind the recipes and how they came to be.  There are great tips, photos, and -bonus- each lists out whether it has gluten, dairy, veg, lectins, low carb, vegan, pescatarian, or even if it is a 'healthy comfort food.' Marla grew up cooking with her mom and baking with her grandma and was clearly inspired from a young age.   Her career has spanned from the finance industry to trained pastry chef, but her discoveries around sustainable healthy eating and how it can make you feel have certainly been culminating for years.  The result is her Eating Enchanted cookbook that she's excited to share with you, her Kirkland community.  You can find it on Amazon now ($40 paperback or $9.99 Kindle version).