ABOUT — Flourishing Foodie

ABOUT ME

Hi, my name is Heather. I was born in a small town in Southern Ontario in Canada. My childhood was pretty low-key. I spent the weekends running around the forest and riding my bike with the neighbors. Quiet country life never seemed to suit me that well, so as soon as I could, I moved to the city. I've lived in many cities across Canada, eventually residing in the small sleepy city of Victoria, on Vancouver Island BC. I loved the island life, but after a few years of getting restless, me and my husband packed all of our belongings into storage and set off to travel the world. Once we decided to settle down and set some roots, we moved to Seattle, where we’ve been ever since. We now have a home in the Capitol Hill neighborhood and two children, which all keep us very busy. Some of my favorite activities include hiking, camping, skiing, rock climbing, and gardening. Some of my favorite foods include french fries, milk chocolate, salted caramel, prink grapefruit, super thick and crunchy peanut butter, and tacos. I could eat tacos everyday.

MY BACKGROUND

I have a degree in business from Humber College and an honors degree in Foods and Nutrition from The University of Western Ontario. I am a Registered Dietitian in both Canada and the USA. My nutrition background is in pediatrics and gastroenterology. I worked at the Victoria General Hospital prior to moving to the US, but now I develop recipes, photograph and style food, and run my blog.

ABOUT THE BLOG

I started my blog back in 2010. I was living in Seattle waiting for my green card and unable to work. It was a way for me to express myself creatively and keep busy. I have always taken a keen interest in photography, and photographing food was something new to me. Since then, this blog has grown into so much more. It has been a way for me to connect with people: other bloggers, readers, and nutrition professionals. I have made so many new friends, increased my cooking knowledge, photography and writing skills. It's pretty cool to be able to go back and look at the progress I've made over the years. You will find a variety of recipes on this blog from Salted Caramel Bundt Cake to Creamy Avocado Pasta. I try to stick to fresh local ingredients and try to cook things that require minimal effort because I love food in it's most natural form. Sometimes I get really inspired, and I will do something crazy like make homemade bagels, or corn tortillas from scratch. And on those days I feel like I can take on the world. But most days, I am just trying to share recipes that are delicious and easy to approach.

PRESS

My work has been featured on Williams-Sonoma, The Cooking Channel, Glamour Magazine, Cup of Jo, Mother Magazine, Food 52, Buzzfeed, Apartment 34, Food and Wine, The Kitchn, Camille Styles, The Huffington Post, Saveur, MADEWELL, Better Homes and Gardens, Fine Cooking, Martha Stewart Living, and Expedia. In 2014 the Flourishing Foodie was nominated by Saveur in their annual food blog awards for best original recipes and in 2015 Most Delicious Recipes.

FAQ

What photography equipment do you use?

I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark IV camera with a. I use a Manfrotto 055 PRO tripod with a Manfrotto 496RC2 Compact Ball Head. I primarily shoot with artificial light. I use an Einstein Flash Unit with a medium softbox. I communicate with my lights through a Cyber Commander, and two CyberSync Transceivers.

How do you edit your photos?

Lightroom

How does one become a Dietitian?

To become a Dietitian, you will need a credited university degree in nutrition, a completed internship, and then pass the national exam. Here are some good resources. Becoming a Dietitian in Canada. Becoming a Dietitian in the USA.

I am planning a trip to Seattle, do you have any recommendations?

I wrote an article for Expedia describing my favorite places to eat at the Pike Place Market. If you want some recommendations for other areas in Seattle, send me an email and I will get back to as soon as I can. I’m working on a blog post to be published late 2019.

What are a few of your favorite restaurants in Seattle?

Cafe Flora, Omega Ouzeri, La Cart de Oaxaca (Ballard location), Delancey, Spinasse, La Spiga, Lark, Odd Fellows Cafe and Bar, Red Mill Burgers (Phinney Ridge location), Marination Station, Ooink, In The Bowl, Molly Moon's Ice Cream and Mamnoon are a few of my favorites.