About Me

Hi, I’m Erika! :) I am a 23 year old living and working in Portland, Oregon. I often indulge in copious amounts of almond butter, love anything active and outdoors, and sign my name with a smiley face :)

I created One Fell Spoon in September of 2012 in order to catalog my recipes and share my research into a healthier lifestyle. In the years prior to its creation I had slowly researched and modified the food that I was eating, attempting to attain healthier versions of my favorite foods. I have been an athlete in various sports from swimming to volleyball and everything else, but I had never paid attention to the types of food I was consuming until high school. During track season I noticed that if I didn't eat Cheetos before a workout, I would perform better. This sparked a Google research frenzy. I began to eat whole grains, prepare more meals from home, cut out chips and puffed corn snacks, and make vegetables a large portion of each plate. I was feeling better, and was now fully submerged in ‘healthy eating’ research.

A few problems persisted even though my eating habits had significantly improved: headaches/migraines/stomach pain. I would have headaches nearly every day and migraines once a week. Eventually I tried a cleanse program that was essentially a modified paleo diet for 24 days, and I didn't have a headache ONCE. It didn't really click what could have solved the issue, so I went back to eating the way I had prior to beginning the cleanse. The headaches returned and I was determined to do something about it, so I researched common foods associated with headaches, and gluten was a known cause in some people. I cut out gluten completely roughly four years ago and will never go back! I have not been tested for Celiac disease, but knowing that does not matter as long as I am feeling better :)

In the summer of 2012, my research into the most nutritious and beneficial diet for my body took a sharp turn when my father was diagnosed with Early Onset Familial Alzheimer’s. Now in charge of my father’s eating habits as well as my own, it was even more important to be consistently eating the best foods for both our bodies and brains. My father’s neurologists made sure to inform me exactly how important nutrition is in not only relieving Alzheimer’s symptoms, but in preventing them as well. I decided it was extremely important for me to do whatever I could to be healthy now, in order to perhaps prevent future ailments, which lead me to my current diet :)

Through all this research and alteration, I developed an immense adoration for baking and cooking. When I was a child, I was never taught how to bake and we rarely had home baked goods around the house or even at family gatherings. Everyone needs some delicious home baked goods in their life, so I decided to teach myself how to be a baker. I have always been interested in chemistry, and baking is a lovely extension of that division of science and demands experimentation :)  I think of all my endeavors in the kitchen as experiments or trials. Playing with different sources of fat, changing ratios, trying new flavor combinations, or altering recipes to make them healthy. The more I learned, the more my fervency grew and I think it is safe to say that I am a full blown addict.

The best part about being a baker? Sharing. I frequently bring my food to work and my boxing gym for everyone to enjoy and give me feedback on likes and dislikes of the item. With such a large polling audience I get an excellent idea of what works and what doesn't for most people. Plus I am a firm believer that food can elicit good feelings, and I love to make people feel good. There is just such a rewarding feeling knowing that the work you put in to create something brings others joy :)

Currently I am training to be a fighter :) I participate in Boxing, Kickboxing, MMA and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training and recently had my first jiu jitsu tournament where I placed 2nd in the no-gi division. Hopefully soon I will have my first striking competition and a few years down the road I will begin my journey in MMA competition. As an aspiring amateur and possibly pro athlete one day, it is important to be healthy and well nourished :)

Current Eating Habits:

I mainly eat what is considered a strict paleo diet. I.E NO legumes, grains, sugar (including honey or maple syrup), dairy, gluten, alcohol, or artificial anything. This is not what I follow 100% of the time, just the majority of my meals. When I go out to eat I usually follow as close to these standards as possible, but eating healthy isn't all about restriction. I enjoy food, and being healthy is about balance :)

Most of my baking is done to give and share with other people, and most of my recipes will include some type of sugar (organic unrefined, maple syrup, or honey). Recipes including natural sugars like maple syrup and honey are still considered paleo to some, but not to the hardcore paleo heads. Usually when I am cooking baked goods for myself, they are sugar free.

My favorite Paleo foods: Almond butter, chicken wings, spinach salad, paleo pancakes :)
My favorite NON-Paleo foods: Rice, Fro-yo, and dark liquor :)

Feel free to message me if you’d like to chat with me more about what I eat, or anything else really :)