About Me
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I am a slave to cheese.
Especially artisanal raw milk cheeses. I could live on good whole grain sourdough bread and cheese. With lots of butter!
Okay, throw in some oysters on the half shell, sushi, and bacon. And ice cream. Let’s not forget about ice cream.
I’ve been eating butter and cheese and foie gras all my life. I don’t think I’ve ever bought a tub of margarine. (OK actually I did buy some Smart Balance once but I never opened it. Just could not bring myself to eat it.) Eggs Benedict has always been my favorite breakfast.
But it was only recently that I learned how healthy these foods are. Cholesterol is good for you!
This blog is about my obsession with food and everything connected to food: health, nutrition, raising a family, gardening, travel.
My name is Ann Marie and I’m a new mother to my first born girl, Kate. We live with daddy Seth and cat Rita in Los Angeles.
Shortly after I became a mother, I read the book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston Price and was profoundly affected by it. I want to do everything possible to provide my daughter with the best nutrition possible — to set a course for her lifelong good health.
I’m now co-chapter leader of the Weston A. Price Foundation in Los Angeles, and this blog is a reflection of that.
I also founded the first blog network dedicated to slow and traditional food: Real Food Media. The mission of Real Food Media is to help traditional food bloggers expand their audience, and to help sponsors we believe in reach their customers.
I am also doing what I can to reduce, reuse, recycle, shop local, and support small family farms and sustainable agriculture. I want to do everything I can to preserve the planet for my daughter and her children and her children’s children. Plus it’s more fun to shop at the farmer’s market and hang clothes on a line — you get to soak in the sun while you’re doing laundry.
Click here to browse the archives.
Click here to browse my recipes.
DISCLAIMER: Information found on this site is meant for educational and informational purposes only, and to motivate you to make your own health care and dietary decisions based upon your own research and in partnership with your health care provider. It should not be relied upon to determine dietary changes, a medical diagnosis or courses of treatment. Individual articles and information on other websites are based upon the opinions of the respective authors, who retain copyright as marked.
10/01/2009 at 10:15 pm Permalink
Hi, I just produced my first documentary, How and Why to Start and Organic School Lunch Program. It’s pretty frightening to think about the future of children on the governments high sugar, zero fat diet. Congratulations on your first baby and your site, if you’re interested in my doc, let me know, it also is about supporting local (organic) farms and cutting down on consumption of pesticides!
BTW, I was born in Paris! You have good taste, pun intended.
Vanessa
13/01/2009 at 5:49 pm Permalink
Hi Ann,
This is Suman from newwaphb group. I really love your site and the photos you have put up. Me and my husband are from India and we read NPD about 3 yrs back, and since then we have tried our best to follow his principles. We eat pastured eggs daily, consume raw milk, eat plenty of butter and ghee, coconut oil, CLO, stone-ground whole grain kamut flour, brown rice etc. And we are very happy. Just like you, we are keen to give our daughter the best possible start we can.
We also purchase organic fruits, vegetables, use only recycled paper, use natural clothing and shop at the farmer’s markets.
You have so many recipes, it’s amazing.
Happy blogging !
Suman.
13/01/2009 at 6:22 pm Permalink
Hi, Suman, I have appreciated getting to know you and reading your posts on newwaphb.
I plan to make a recipe archive on this site — so the recipes are easier to find!
Take care and keep me posted on your progress.
Ann Marie
16/01/2009 at 1:26 pm Permalink
Hi. I “know” you from the Discussing NT list. I’m in Chicagoland. Nice to read your water kefir info, as I’m demoing it soon for a noobie WAP group here in the suburbs. Thanks!
16/01/2009 at 2:22 pm Permalink
Hi, Nicole!
Nice to “see” you! Will you be going to the WAPF conference this year since it’s in Chicago? I will be going!
Ann Marie
08/02/2009 at 12:58 pm Permalink
Ann Marie! I found this site somehow, independently, and then I saw you on the Discussing Nourishing Traditions yahoo group also. I love your blog and what you contribute to the DiscussingNT group. Thanks.
08/02/2009 at 2:49 pm Permalink
Hi, Laura! Thank you for the compliment. I really appreciate it!
18/02/2009 at 12:14 pm Permalink
Hi Ann Marie,
I just found out your blog this afternoon and I think it is really awesome!! I’m glad to discover nice and healthy recipes and it’s a pleasure to read so much interesting news about (organic) food. You made me discover coconut flour, which is no very much used in Europe. Congrats for your blog!!
18/02/2009 at 8:29 pm Permalink
you are fab! will you marry us and pack our lunches?
30/04/2009 at 3:30 pm Permalink
I was wondering when you started giving your daughter raw oysters? My youngest son just turned 1 and I wanted him to start eating them! Thanks, Khristyna
07/05/2009 at 6:19 am Permalink
Khristyna,
I started letting her suck on the shells when she was just over a year.
We go almost every week to get them at the farmer’s market, so she always sees Mommy eating (and loving) raw oysters.
At first she did not want the oysters, but eventually she became interested in eating them. Now, at 2 years, she will easily put back 6 raw oysters at a sitting!
14/05/2009 at 5:50 am Permalink
Hi Ann,
I love cheese too! Unfortunately, my intestines have a much different opinion of it and I don’t eat dairy anymore. I’ve been a huge fan of WAPF for several years and it’s always exciting to find other bloggers who promote it’s philosophies. I’m happy I found your blog and look forward to reading more of it in the future.
14/05/2009 at 6:31 am Permalink
Hi, Vin,
Just subscribed to your blog — I checked it out and I love it! I added you as a friend on Facebook, too.
Have you ever tried raw dairy? Many people with lactose intolerance find that they can digest raw dairy products very easily.
If that doesn’t work for you, another thing you can try is a gut-healing protocol along the lines of the GAPS diet. Dr. Campbell-McBride says most dairy intolerance is reversable.
I did something similar when I was in my 20s and had developed a wheat intolerance. It took a couple of years to fully recover but after that I could eat anything with no symptoms.
28/05/2009 at 9:13 am Permalink
Hi, I am 20 years old and read weston price’s book recently and was so happy to stumble upon your blog. After being told at 17 that I had systemic candida, I am finally recovering and am blessed that even through the struggle it has opened my eyes and educated me in health and life. It is so great that you and many others put in the time to share recipes and information for all of us who love receiving it. It’s tremendous dedication, and I thank you. The few recipes I’ve tried so far and wonderful. It’s inspiring for me to know that even though I personally don’t know them, so many people have chosen this way of living.
Lauren
29/06/2009 at 3:50 pm Permalink
Hi Ann Marie.
I just found your site and am enjoying it very much! So great to find other sane voices in this crazy world. I read NT a few years back and was so relieved to find something that finally made sense! I’ve been working since that time to grow most of our own food or source it locally and met some great people in the process.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. i know I’ll be stopping by again soon.
Laurie
30/06/2009 at 9:50 am Permalink
Just saw your website. I’m a big Weston Price fan too. Keep up the good work!
03/07/2009 at 9:54 am Permalink
Do you have a post with all your Los Angeles Food resources? I live in LA, too, and would love to know where you purchase all your stuff, especially the frugal finds.
Thanks!
03/07/2009 at 11:24 am Permalink
Hi, AnnMarie,
I found your site while searching for coconut flour recipes. We eat mostly natural, real foods at our house and have been doing so for years. I am amazed at how many parents and people in general are still so ignorant about food, and appreciate sites like yours to help educate and inspire others. We have ducks and eat their eggs; try duck eggs if you can find them, they are so much better than chicken eggs! If you would like to see pictures of my daughter’s ducklings, there are some posted on my Facebook page. Cheryl Campbell
11/07/2009 at 10:50 am Permalink
Hi I am a hunter and a meat eater. But to read that you eat fois gras is absoutely
absurd and I would not be telling people that I eat that. The stuff is outlawed around the world you should be ashamed of yourself.
11/07/2009 at 1:09 pm Permalink
Hi, Mitch,
Thanks for sharing your opinion. If I believed that the foie gras production hurt the birds in any way, I would not eat it.
I’m sorry that you think I should be ashamed. I don’t wish that on anyone.
11/07/2009 at 1:17 pm Permalink
Jean, I just posted a Resources page:
http://www.cheeseslave.com/resources
There are some geo-targeted listings on that page, with more to come soon. What that means is you will see listings of local companies and farms — but only if you are looking at the page in that location.
15/07/2009 at 7:55 am Permalink
Great domain name, cool blog
but, no easily identifiable social media links 
17/07/2009 at 12:22 pm Permalink
Hi Ann Marie,
Great site. Will be back and looking forward, now, to perusing your recipes section. Started out the year on Atkins diet and then moved over to Fat Flush Plan. I’ve missed cheese so much that I’ve just HAD to have some. Still feel fine… and haven’t put the 35# back on… yippee!
Lisa
04/08/2009 at 11:31 pm Permalink
Hi Anne Marie,
I love your website.
I appreciate your time, enthusiasm and the effort involved in getting your message and ideas out there.
Always enjoy reading your material.
Photos too
I live down in New Zealand and have established here a Chapter for the Weston Price Foundation and like you value Real food and reliable infomation.
Many Thanks,
Best Always,
Kieran
15/08/2009 at 1:12 pm Permalink
Dear Ann Marie,
jI am so happy to have run across you. I live in LA too (Echo Park)!
My husband is a chiropractor and we are both Weston Price members. Is Becky still a chapter leader for Silverlake?
The last year I have worked very hard to get many of the Weston Price principles into our diet. (My husband did a course put on by the Price Pottenger Foundation years ago).
Do you hold any meetings? (Please e-mail me).
Debbie Gale
26/08/2009 at 11:56 am Permalink
Dear Ann,
I stumbled upon your website as I was trying to google on the benefits of raw egg yolks which I just started incorporating in my daughter’s raw milk. I had been reading a lot about Nourishing Traditions and am very interested in incorporating a MORE NATURAL WHOLE FOODS diet to my family esp my daughter who is is in the autism spectrum (very mild). I hope we are not too late in nourishing her the right way-she’s 8-and am stil excited in seeing progress even in baby steps.
Thanks,
Daisy
29/08/2009 at 7:11 am Permalink
Great web site.
I struggled for years with the health and nutrition commotion. the doctors vs the naturalist. An what is the real truth.
My mom was into Shaclee or how ever you spell it when I was a kid. Then she went on to other health food companies. On day she was telling me about some health issues and I was doing my best to not listen. The next day in my college chemistry class, the teacher started teaching the exact thing.
I learned a lot more chemistry and got a job in a vitamin manufacturing plant.
I learned the legally, they can put filler in capsules and say a 500 mg capsule of calcium, but really only have 250 mg of actual calcium.
The company I worked for insisted on customers going up one capsule size to get the full 500 of calcium as stated on the bottle.
Years past and I now run a lava rock mine. But I wanted to make a collection of nutritional products that I used for my family. So I started a web site http://www.healthshop101.com to keep a selection of products I needed.
I find that there is a lot of tricks and false advertising in health. the colloidal minerals , nano minerals and many new names that they create to trick people int thinking that their “new product is more advanced that the last one.
Now I can use that basic chemistry to dispel myths about health. I pass that info on to others @ healthshop101. No, I am not a doctor, but who says they know everything. Everything they know is contained on one CD. and when they leave you in their office, that is when they go to the computer to look up your symptoms any way.
I think that natural is best. We have a large garden in the back yard and try to eat as much as possible from it. Fresh always taste better any way.
Jason Brunson
Healthshop101
27/10/2009 at 1:54 pm Permalink
Hi. Your site looks great. I can’t wait to dive into it but I am leaving early morning for a vacation for a week! So I will get to it when I return.
I read through some of the comments here and noticed one about Foie gras. I didn’t know what that was so I googled it. I wanted to see what Mitch Green was talking about.
While I found Mitch’s comment rude to you in tone (as if you were 3 years old, and even then… well, I raised two boys into good men and I never once told them that they should feel “ashamed” of themselves), I did find some rather disturbing information on the subject of how foie gras is made. I find it incredibly cruel, as I find the process in raising veal cruel. I will included the link below.
I want to just say that I am not a vegetarian or animal rights activist. And, just because I don’t care for organ meats or oysters, etc., doesn’t mean I think there’s a thing wrong with others eating them. I am a live and let live person overall.
I am, however, not in favor of animal torture, for any reason. Some people should be tortured, yes… animals, no. (I’m only half-joking about the people).
So, please post this link about foie gras for others to be informed.
And to Mitch… perhaps she didn’t know about the process? I don’t know. But, I do love that you are seemingly a caring hunter… hunt for food but care about the animal’s treatment. I admire that. Thank you!
27/10/2009 at 1:57 pm Permalink
And here’s that link for foie gras:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foie_gras
05/11/2009 at 10:05 pm Permalink
Lisa Marie,
I just wanted to let you and everyone else know that foie gras is not produced in the way that has been outlawed in many countries. Please do your research on the subject! All I had to do was google it click on a link and read a story about someone who actually went to a farm in the US where they DO NOT torture their ducks. It is posted on villagevoice: http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-02-18/news/is-foie-gras-torture/1
Wikipedia can’t be used for everything!
Aside that, I just wanted to thank you Ann for your awesome website! I first found it looking up info about Kefir and now I’m reading everything on it! I totally agree with almost everything on the Weston A. Price website, and am now realizing all the good things about raw milk and butter, and FAT!
Keep it up!
06/11/2009 at 5:12 am Permalink
Thanks Lisa Marie & Janelle
I also posted this article recently: Chef Dan Barber Brings Sustainable, Humane Foie Gras to America
08/12/2009 at 10:26 pm Permalink
I love your site, I have been following WPF for about 8 years but I have not really practiced it…. it comes it goes, I do get raw milk and buy local beef and pork, all my meat I get locally raised, chicken too.
I feel like I just don’t have the time to figure it all out every week… I know planning ahead is crucial, this is why I just signed up for your 1 year menu….
I’m excited about it, all the thinking is done for me
Thanks,
Erin
09/12/2009 at 12:28 am Permalink
Hi, Erin!
I’m so excited to have you on the menu mail program. You’ll be getting the first batch or recipes this morning!
The menu mailer is a HUGE time saver. Well, not for me, LOL! But for subscribers.
I’m going to plan a trip to go wine tasting up in Oregon sometime soon — we should plan a get-together with all the local Oregonians! (Is that how you spell that?)
01/01/2010 at 11:39 pm Permalink
wow! I love you’re website. that is so cool you are into being healthy and stuff.
07/02/2010 at 2:20 am Permalink
Ann Marie,
Your site is really cool and my son, Matt Stone, at: 180degreehealth, was telling me tonight all about it. He is a big fan and I can see why, as you see eye to eye on many things. We just celebrated his birthday today in Colorado (Feb. 6th).
Just wanted to let you know how refreshing your material is and how stimulating too…
Keep up the good work and best of luck to you and your family. I know you’re on the right track, because I’m a living example of how healthy it is to eat real foods. I’m almost 66 and extremely healthy, blood pressure 110/60, blood chemistry is perfect, pulse rate 50, low cholesterol (even though I eat eggs and have half and half every day) and no medications, not even aspirin, strong and great endurance(work 12 hours days a lot), and everything works well, including my mind. I almost feel like I’m cheating the system – I don’t even have aches or pains, I mean none!
Best wishes and good luck,
Ron
07/02/2010 at 1:22 pm Permalink
Dear Ron,
Thank you so much for your kind words. How lucky you are to have a son like Matt. I’m looking forward to having him on my podcast show. Please tell him Happy Birthday!
And how lucky he is to have a father like you who is so open-minded. I just found out my mother was put on a statin drug last fall. Long sigh. I sent her a list of the dangers — hopefully she will get off of the thing.
Ann Marie
17/02/2010 at 2:12 pm Permalink
Hello -
Just want to congratulate on what you are doing….Our company http://www.utuscany.com is supporting local and traditional food and wine from my Italian region.
Also I will be a dad of a girl very soon…..your daughter is adorable!
Ciao!!!
Gianni
19/02/2010 at 4:58 pm Permalink
Just checking in, I know we follow each other on Twitter but I hadn’t stopped by your blog….didn’t realize you had one until Jimmy Moore posted your upcoming interview. Anyway looks like a lot of the kind of stuff I like to read so you’ll see me poking around here a bit this weekend I suspect! Best-
14/03/2010 at 1:47 am Permalink
Hello!
I’ve been browsing this blog for about a week now and I have to say you are awesome! I recently became an ex-vegan after browsing the Weston A Price website and doing a little research of my own. Despite my research, I was very skeptical about butter. In my mind dairy= bad, evil, fattening, etc. But this blog persuaded me to try butter (Kerrygold from Trader Joe’s, yum) and I am positively hooked! I’ve been using it for the past few days and I feel great. I actually feel full at meals and my previously dissipated appetite has at last returned. And best of all, I enjoy eating now. I’ve hated food all my life (gasp), but now I can’t wait to get in the kitchen and whip something up. So I just wanted to say thank you for your blog and keep up the great work!
Happy eating!
Susan
23/03/2010 at 3:56 pm Permalink
I thought I was reading about me! Love cheese, bacon, butter, and everything else you mentioned! I believe in Sustainable Gardening One Planter at a time, buying local, farmers market…Wow. Glad I stumbled upon your blog! Awesome!
28/04/2010 at 10:27 pm Permalink
Atkins Diet have helped me a lot to maintain a very good physique. My mom is also on an Atkins Diet. -
01/05/2010 at 6:28 am Permalink
Hi!
I am searching everywhere if there is a GAPS diet for babies… And what it is.
My breastfed baby has a leaky gut that is causing eczema and rashes from pretty much all food. She gets hives from dairy. So eventhough she’s 8 months old she still eats only breast milk, and I’m on a strict diet because she reacts to food I eat too.
Any help…. Advice would be greatly appreciated!!
Thank you!!!
27/06/2010 at 10:21 am Permalink
I am very new to eating natural. It is my 2nd day, i just moved to napa ca, and can easily find all of the food. I am shocked that my olive oil did not cloud up or become solid after being in the frig. over night……..being of italian decent my mother only cooked veggies from the produce market, meat from the meat market, and milk was delivered..in glass bottles..she never went into a super market….i don’t know if they were organic but we rarely got sick……and oh she also gave us a tablespoon of cod liver oil everyday…….she called it fishes in the brook……….I just turned 67 and want to start living young……i have stomach issues ……..and want to get back to the european diet i grew up on…….thank-you
24/07/2010 at 10:49 pm Permalink
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I stumbled across your site looking for real, homemade buttermilk ranch dressing, since i have been making my own butter. Who knew I’d find another successfully helpful tool in furthering my “self-taught education”…