Hi, I’m Natalie! The recipe developer, photographer and writer here at Parsley and Icing. I started Parsley and Icing to share dessert recipes that are fresh tasting, from scratch and delicious!
I’m originally a certified elementary school English teacher by trade. I’m a lifelong food lover and became a full time food blogger in 2019!
Here you’ll find delicious dessert recipes ranging from this fresh tasting Lemon Lavender Blackberry Cake to this chocolatey Dulce de Leche Chocolate Cake!
BACKGROUND
Keep reading to learn more about me and my blog. If you are curious to learn how we can work together, click here.
I grew up in a small town along the Canadian border in Northern New York state. I loved growing up where I did, but I can’t say I was exposed to many different foods.
During a semester abroad studying French at La Sorbonne in Paris, I was amazed by the deliciousness of pain au chocolat. I also couldn’t figure out how the French made even a simple cheese sandwich taste like nothing I’d ever tasted.
After university, I taught English in Tunisia and Morocco. Seeing people in North Africa going to fruit and vegetable markets and baking bread on a daily basis sparked my love for baking and cooking!
At around the same time, I began baking recipes out of a family cookbook filled with my great grandmother’s recipes. Baking quickly became a relaxing hobby for me. I loved how happy baked goods made people as well!
I taught elementary English in Boston before moving to Ottawa, Canada in 2019.
EDUCATION
I have a Bachelor’s Degree in English from State University of New York at Potsdam and a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from SIT Graduate Institute.
I am primarily a self taught cook and baker. I learned so much from cookbooks, cooking shows and from baking and cooking with friends.
I took recreational baking and cooking classes at The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts in Cambridge, Massachusetts and at Ateliers et Saveurs in Quebec City.
I live in Ottawa with my husband, Joe, and our sweet and funny Cardigan Corgi, Cardi.
Luckily, being Lebanese, Joe loves food as much as I do. He has introduced me to so many interesting new foods. He’s my number one supporter and taste tester!
We live in Canada, but are only a one hour drive from my hometown in Northern New York.
BLOG STORY
I created an Instagram account in 2019 as a place to share my food pictures. Soon after that, I created my website so that I’d have a place to share my own original recipes.
My love of language, culture, and teaching and my training in graduate school taught me how to approach every recipe like a lesson plan. I’ve also fallen in love with food photography!
In addition to sharing classic dessert recipes such as my great-grandmother’s banana bread, I also love coming up with creative and different flavor combinations and desserts.
As much as possible, I incorporate fresh ingredients such as rosemary, olive oil and mascarpone cheese like in this Lemon Rosemary Olive Oil Cake and these Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Most of my recipes are from scratch. I think from scratch recipes taste fresher and are usually healthier. I try to include substitutes for less common ingredients. I also offer shortcuts in case you don’t have time to make everything from scratch.
My hope is that when you visit Parsley and Icing, you get that exciting feeling you get when you walk in a bakery you’ve been dying to check out! I also hope Parsley and Icing becomes a go-to website for you for dessert recipes.
Thank you for stopping by! I love sharing my recipes with you and seeing my recipes come alive in your kitchens. I’m also grateful to have the opportunity to meet and connect with fellow food bloggers and to be able to work with brands that I love and use in my own baking!