About Me

Hi, I'm so glad you stopped by It All Begins with Dirt. 

A little background first: I have 2 other blogs besides this one. My first blog,The Howell Blessings, began many years ago as something interesting to do just for fun and has become a place where I share what is in my heart and what is going on in our home.  My second blog, Amid Life - A Journey, is a blog I created when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 to share with family and interested friends what I was going through and to provide updates on my health and many procedures during that year long battle with that nasty disease. It has since became a place of information and prayer request for others that have heard those same haunting words.... "you have cancer". But there have been many blessings from my ordeal with cancer. One is, that I'm learning to take care of me. I'm learning how to eat healthier and am sharing that with others. The other is, I am thankful for who God has given me and want to be around to enjoy them for as long as I can.

It All Begins with Dirt honestly started because the food recipes and Meatless Monday posts began to overtake The Howell Blessings! So I decided it was time those posts had their own home. Read this post, and this one to hear how this blog started.

As I am moving away from being a cancer patient to trying to live a new normal, healthy, cancer free life, I am learning much about nutrition and the way it affects our bodies. It All Begins With Dirt stems from my desire to get back to the basics.  From growing our own food to cooking with it, and how to make healthier choices, this blog is a place to share what I'm learning.  

My hope is that I can inspire others to start taking on a healthier approach to the food we eat.  Most of my recipes are plant strong, some would say vegan, but they are all certainly meatless.  I'm not trying to convert anyone.I strive to eat healthy, whole foods, organic, no chemicals, no processing and very low sugar. I eat for my health, but expect my food to be good, so you won't find any blah food on here. Most are recipes that I have created myself or renovated.  I love taking the old, extremely tasty, but not good for you recipes and make them into something we can enjoy AND feel good about. Occasionally I post a recipe that is so good just the way it is that I will link back to the owner and give full credit where credit is due. Why mess with a good thing? Either way, I hope you find something good to create in your own kitchen, good things that all began in dirt.

A little about me:

Well, you already know a LOT about me if you've read this far!  I am a Christian, a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and Zumba instructor. I am wife to an amazing man, proud mother of two who became four, and Nana to 7 beautiful grandchildren. I love my family fiercely and my God passionately. I grew up in Southwest Ohio the third of four children, where I learned how to garden, gather eggs and milk goats.  My parents moved us to another world called Texas when I was a teenager. I married my husband there and both our children were born in Dallas shortly thereafter. When our babies were barely past the toddling stage, we moved to the Chicago area and lived there for 20 years.  Then in late 2007 my honey's job moved us to Northeast Ohio where we currently reside.

Besides loving to create good tasting healthy food, I also enjoy growing the food we eat, writing, quilting, photography and making cards. I represent a few companies that I believe have products that help us to lead healthier, toxic free lives.

Companies I represent:
NYR Organics
Juice Plus

Legal Disclaimer:
It All Begins with Dirt is not meant to be a substitute for any professional advice, guidance, or counseling. Any information contained on this site reflect my own research and experience and is not intended to take the place of medical advice from a physician. Although I represent the companies listed above, I do not receive any funding for mentioning them and this site is not intended to be used as a marketing site for these companies. If you are interested in learning more about these companies, please contact me with information to connect with you.