Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in town?
I’m a Midwesterner at heart. I was born in Madison, WI and grew up in Columbus, OH and attended college at UCLA and spent a year abroad in Taiwan. Our family moved to Mendham in 2012 and settled into our house right before Hurricane Sandy arrived – coincidentally exactly when our daughter Naomi was due! Luckily she waited a week before making her debut. Power was restored to our house the day we brought her home from the hospital.
Child(ren) and Age(s)?
Jack age 8 & Naomi age 6.
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
Pre-kids I completed in more than 50 triathlons including four Ironman triathlons. That’s a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a marathon.
Anyone special you’d like to thank for helping you through parenthood?
My mom! She was amazing. She was a hands on mom, crafty, kind, a people connector, Montessori teacher and lover of books. So much of how I parent my kids comes from her. She passed away from leukemia when Jack was a baby. She loved being a grandmother. I don’t always remember what she said but I’ll never forget the way she made me feel.
Favorite things to do with your kids?
Cooking! I love to get Jack & Naomi involved in the kitchen. I’ve got great tools for them to use – mini rolling pins for making pita clouds, kid friendly knives that they can make an entire salad with and dumpling presses for making my mom’s special pork & vegetable dumplings. I love teaching our children practical skills not to mention getting a little extra help with meal prep.
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!
Last year when both kids started full day school I launched an at home cooking school called Fit & Fed by Rachel. It was a way to start a side business & share our favorite family recipes that include pork & vegetable dumplings, scallion pancakes, beef curry buns, cinnamon raisin swirl bread, coconut cranberry granola and whole wheat pita clouds with hummus. It is also a way for me to continue my relationship with my mom through reliving childhood food memories and sharing my passion for cooking that she instilled.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
Mendham is a hidden gem of a community. I never envisioned myself living and raising a family in a small town but now that we’ve put down roots I wouldn’t have it any other way. There are so many dynamic, inspiring moms in our area. It seems like everyone I meet has a special talent!
Sign up for one of Rachel’s Cooking classes via her website and follow her and her journey on social medial
