Hi, I’m Natalie! The recipe developer, photographer and writer here at Parsley and Icing. I started Parsley and Icing to share both healthyish recipes as well as indulgent from scratch dessert recipes! After starting my blog, I realized that baking was my true passion, so baking and dessert recipes has become the main focus of Parsley and Icing.
Here you’ll find delicious dessert recipes ranging from this fresh, fruity White Chocolate Raspberry Loaf Cake, to this decadent, chocolatey Edible Brownie Batter.
Keep reading to learn more about me and my blog! If you are curious to learn how we can work together, click here!
Where’d My Interest in Food Come From?
I grew up in a small town along the Canadian border in Northern New York state. I have awesome memories from childhood, but can’t say I was exposed to many different flavors or foods. My mom is a good cook but sometimes refers to herself as a “microwave chef.” Interestingly, I think the lack of exposure to other foods and cultures made me hungry to find out what was “out there!”
During a semester abroad in Paris, I was amazed by pain au chocolat and could not figure out how the French made even a simple cheese sandwich taste like nothing I’d ever tasted.
After my semester in Paris, I decided to become an English teacher and went to teach in Tunisia and Morocco. Living in North Africa and seeing people going to markets and buying bags full of fresh vegetables to use to make lunch from scratch (and sometimes baking their own bread) on a daily basis totally inspired me! This way of cooking and eating seemed alive to me and from then on, I couldn’t get enough of it! Since then, when visiting other countries, I love noticing similarities and differences in the ways that people cook and eat.
A Little More About Me
Just about three years ago, I moved from Boston (where I was teaching elementary ESL) to Ottawa where I live with my husband, Joe! Luckily, being Lebanese, Joe loves food as much as I do. He has introduced me to so many interesting new foods and lots of excellent cooks who are kind enough to let me follow them around their kitchens as I learn more about Lebanese food!
Why Create a Food Blog?
With a phone full of food pictures and the urge to share them, recipe ideas constantly running through my head, and the fear of clogging up my friends’ social media feeds with food pictures, I created an Instagram account in February 2019 as a place to share my food pictures.
I quickly realized I wanted to go a step further and share my original recipes as well, so I decided to create a blog to give myself more space to share! It’s been exciting realizing how many recipes I have to share and I love the process of coming up with and photographing new recipes!
In addition to sharing my great-grandmother’s banana bread and putting a new spin on some classic dessert recipes here on Parsley and Icing, I also love to come up with creative and different flavor combinations and desserts.
You’ll find that most of my recipes are from scratch. I love baking from scratch because it often tastes fresher and is usually healthier. I try to include substitutes for some less common ingredients as well as shortcuts and substitutes in case you don’t have time to or don’t choose to make everything from scratch.
Whether you love and are obsessed with food or are simply looking for some easy, creative, and delicious treats to make, you’re in the right place! My hope is that Parsley and Icing becomes your go-to source for creative, delicious, and fun recipes!
One more thing… This blog uses affiliate links and curate sponsored content. Please note I only promote products that I actually use in my kitchen (read more in my affiliate disclaimer). If I talk about a a tool or brand that I love, it’s something I use and recommend from experience!