Fresh Start: A Deliciously Healthy Detox

by Jess | Jan 29, 2015 | Uncategorized

I’m thrilled to announce the release of my first cooking program on my new website, Gzel. It’s 4 weeks of delicious recipes, meal plans and everything you need to cook healthy every day. If you’ve never done a detox but always wanted to try one this program is perfect! The food is satisfying and you’re gonna feel amazing. Check it out!

My New Project: Live Your Best Life with Gzel

by Jess | Jan 6, 2015 | Uncategorized

Hi guys! 2015 is here and I’ve got an exciting announcement!

Remember when I said I really want to help you live the life you want, the good life?

When I said that I was planning something BIG?

Well it’s here! 

Podcast: La Domestique Detox Program on Dublin City FM The Learning Show

by Jess | Dec 23, 2014 | Uncategorized

I’ve got another podcast for you today! It’s perfect for if you’re in the kitchen doing a lot of cooking for Christmas or maybe sitting at your desk counting down the hours till you get off work. Laura Fitzsimons invited me back to The Learning Show on Dublin City FM to chat about my upcoming detox program, Fresh Start, and share tips for creating healthy habits for the New Year. I have so many friends who really want to make a positive change for 2015– whether it’s kick the sugar addiction or make the time to cook more meals at home. I highly recommend listening to the podcast if this sounds like you! Find it here.

Podcast: La Domestique Interview on Dublin City FM The Learning Show

by Jess | Dec 18, 2014 | Uncategorized

Hello there! I’m just popping in to let you know I was on The Learning Show for Dublin City FM this week and the podcast is up if you’d like to have a listen. For the first half I share my entrepreneurial journey and the surprising twists and turns that lead me to La Domestique. During the second half I give a few tips for eating healthy every day and talk a bit about my detox program to be released in January. Thanks to Laura Fitzsimons for having me in the studio, it was great fun!

Listen to the podcast by clicking on Dublin City FM icon 

Healthy Holiday Guide: What to Eat the Day After You Party

by Jess | Dec 15, 2014 | Uncategorized

Happy Monday– or maybe not?!

If the weekend was full of Christmas parties and you’re feeling a bit rough this morning, I’ve got just the thing for you!

Last week we chatted about finding balance during the season of indulgence and I shared my deliciously healthy menu What to Eat Before You Party. Today I want to help you get back on track after the holiday feast or office Christmas party. I find that excess can be a great reminder of how good it feels to return to my healthy lifestyle. My body lets me know “that was SO uncool” with headaches, nausea, sluggishness and a whole host of unpleasant symptoms. 

“Experiencing excess reminds you how good balance feels.”

What do you do to regain your balance after moments of excess? For me, getting back to a healthy routine first thing in the morning is my best chance of feeling (and looking!) better fast. My What to Eat the Day After You Party menu is designed to settle the stomach, detoxify the body and restore energy. I would love to hear your favourite (healthy!) hangover foods– let’s not talk about salty chips (fries) which I totally crave too!

Healthy Holiday Guide: What to Eat Before You Party

by Jess | Dec 10, 2014 | Uncategorized

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about balance. Don’t get me wrong– the holiday season is a time for INDULGENCE. I look forward to eating sweets with abandon and one too many glasses of bubbly on New Year’s just as much as anyone else. The moments of excess remind me why it feels so good to eat healthy daily.

“The key to keeping your balance is knowing when you’ve lost it.”

-Anonymous

I find my balance during the holidays by maintaining a healthy daily routine. If I’ve got a party coming up I make sure to eat nourishing meals on the big day so I’ll be at my best that night. No low blood sugar to keep me from dancing or arriving famished and binging on the buffet! I want to walk in the door looking fabulous and full of life, how about you?

I mentioned earlier this week that I really want to help you take action and eat healthy every day, so here’s a meal plan with recipes to get you through the day of the big party.

Got IBS? My Top 5 Foodie Tips for Surviving the Holidays

by Jess | Dec 8, 2014 | Uncategorized

OMG you guys! It’s just over 2 weeks till Christmas! The holiday party season is in full swing and I thought some of you might benefit from my top tips on surviving the holidays with IBS. It might surprise some of you to know that I’ve got Irritable Bowel Syndrome. How ironic– the foodie who can’t eat! I’ve struggled with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss and feeling just plain awful– like many of you with IBS. One thing I’ve learned is how important it is to take good care of myself. I can’t always control IBS, but there’s a lot I can do to prevent it from showing up and ruining my party. Here are a few tips that work for me. I hope some of them help you! 

Routine is Everything

Make eating healthy meals your routine and stick to it. Think of it like preparing for a marathon– you want to make it through the long run of Christmas parties, family gatherings and gift hunting in top shape. Making a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner your priority #1 gives you the best chance for preventing IBS flareups. No matter how busy life gets, set aside non negotiable time every Sunday for planning your weekly meals and grocery shopping. Save time by ordering your groceries online (you’d be surprised at how affordable it is). 

Winter is the Real Spring: Make the Life You Want

by Jess | Dec 1, 2014 | Winter

Happy first day of December to you! I can’t believe 2014 is almost over, can you? It seems like only yesterday I welcomed the New Year declaring the theme in the La Domestique kitchen,

“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” 

Hippocrates

My passion for helping you cook deliciously healthy meals has only grown since then. It’s fed by everyday conversations when you tell me over and over again, “I really want to eat healthy food at home but I just can’t seem to make a habit of it. I just don’t have enough time.”

I want you to know I’m listening and I really want to help. 

It’s been a bit quiet around here because I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I’m working on something big. Something that could really help you make a fresh start in 2015.  

As the cold, dark winter days draw in I feel a great sense of energy, like a seedling sprouting under the frozen ground. It made me think of the words of Irish author Edna O’Brien,

My Favourite Autumn Recipes

by Jess | Oct 27, 2014 | Fall, Recipes

After all that talk about how much I love fall in my most recent blog post I decided to round up my favourite autumn recipes and share them with you. Do you ever take a moment to flip through your recipe collection and reminisce? It’s like digging the box of your autumn wardrobe out of storage and discovering that favourite sweater you had forgotten about. 

I try to savour every moment in the kitchen this time of year, whether it’s thoughtfully stirring a pot of soup or the zen of kneading silken bread dough. Recipes that require more time and effort also offer a welcome moment of quiet solace and contemplation. I hope these recipes inspire you to slow down a bit and enjoy the season.

Pumpkin Soup

Pear, Cheddar and Caramelized Onion Tart

Irish Halloween Barmbrack

Pomegranate Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

Get Cozy with Yummy Supper Cookbook Giveaway!

by Jess | Oct 9, 2014 | Uncategorized

Hello friends! It’s been awhile…summer is gone and it’s officially time for autumn tarts, soups and stews. After a year and a half in Ireland I unexpectedly got the opportunity to go home to the United States for the entire month of September. I spent a lot of time giving piggy back rides to my niece and nephew, catching up with my sister over a 5:00am cuppa and savouring much needed hugs from Mom. That was my first visit home since moving abroad, and to be honest, leaving my family again felt even harder than the initial move. Now that I’ve gotten through the jet lag and settled into my favourite time of year (fall), it does feel good to be home in Ireland again. I love cooking in autumn. It’s all about comfort food and warmth. I love the earthy flavours of mushrooms and the heady aroma of woody herbs. I love rolling out pastry in a nice cool kitchen. I love stirring a big pot of simmering stew on the stovetop.