As the fall-time routine continues to settle in, we also welcome that familiar itch to change things up and try something new. If you’re staying busy with your container gardens, then, like us, you’re always on the lookout for the opportunity to put your fresh harvest to use in a new and creative way.
We are extremely pleased to be teaming up with the founder of The Savvy Spoon, Cayla Atha, to bring you an interactive, virtual Patio to Plate cooking experience that will help you put your fall harvest to good use. Cayla takes a simple, creative, and clean approach to food, well-being, and wellness, and we so look forward to sharing her philosophy with you. Join us for this event on Tuesday, October 27th – don’t miss out!
The Savvy Spoon’s Origins
Cayla Atha has been food blogging for about 10 years now, and it all started after she graduated from college and was seeking a creative outlet that combined her love of cooking with her love of writing. What soon developed into The Savvy Spoon began as an effort to create a resource that provided easy, non-intimidating, and inexpensive recipes for Cayla and her girlfriends.
“Sharing a set of recipes that don’t require a ton of ingredients,” says Atha, “that’s a huge part of the mantra; keeping it low-maintenance.”
Cayla originally started her journey with cooking when she was in college, even though her mom was always active in the kitchen when she was growing up. “My mom was desperate for me to help her in the kitchen,” Cayla shares, “I stayed out of the kitchen, and would chat from the living room, and that’s how we’d hang out.”
Now, Cayla is responsible for creating an entire community that runs on sharing with others the joy of cooking, striving towards a healthy physical lifestyle, and prioritizing finding joy in everything that you do.
Presently, Cayla acknowledges how the community has really grown through the pandemic; she says, “Especially during quarantine, it became a place where people feel like they’re a part of a community. It’s great that people want to get more into cooking because they’re spending more time at home; I loved that!”
Low Intimidation, Low Stakes
It can be very daunting to take on the task of deciding what you want to make, finding the right recipe, locating all of the ingredients, and then worrying about whether or not you can successfully recreate the recipe. The recipes that Cayla shares on The Savvy Spoon are designed to combat all of these fears, while also instilling the confidence that you can find success in the kitchen!
“I think the things keeping a lot of people out of the kitchen are the time it takes to cook and prepare a meal, the long list of ingredients, and the fear that they’re going to mess it up,” Cayla shares. “I try to create recipes that tackle those three intimidation barriers.”
One way to make your life even easier is by growing your own fresh produce. This way, you don’t have to worry about making constant runs to the grocery store, or wonder what has gone into growing your herbs and veggies. Additionally, growing your food is a fantastic way to find inspiration for what you’re going to make; if you have a specific food that you want to focus on, all you need to do is find a recipe to accommodate that ingredient!
Cayla’s Advice
When it comes to health and wellness, it’s important not to bite off more than you can chew. That is to say, give yourself grace and make small changes that are sustainable to your happiness and lifestyle. “We get so hung up on that quick fix,” Cayla acknowledges when talking about how everyone’s body is different, and requires different care when it comes to being healthy.
“I think happiness is such a clean component to health that we overlook.”
Cayla Atha
It’s also imperative to prioritize the prosperity of your whole self above the way your body only looks; in all reality, physicality is rarely a sign of the mind, body, and soul working in tandem to create a healthy being. “People think that having a ripped body is the key to health,” Atha states, “I think it’s more about having compassion for yourself, and focusing on what brings you joy.”
Join Us
Join us on Tuesday, October 27th, for our virtual Patio to Plate cooking workshop with Cayla to learn just how well The Savvy Spoon and Gardenuity go hand-in-hand!
If you’re interested in learning more about Cayla, and her endeavors in the health and wellness world, take a look at our interview with her here.
