Hello. My name is Evie and I am the founder of Evie's Organic Edibles, NY's only private chef for infants, toddlers & kids. My husband, two children and I recently moved to CT after living in Manhattan for 13 years.
I started Evie's Organic Edibles just over 4 years ago when my son, who is now 5 years old, started eating "solid" food. But first, allow me to back up a few more years...I started eating organic food before the word "baby food" {or baby for that matter}, became a part of my life. It was the late 90's that we were beginning to read more about mad cow disease, contaminated foods and the potentially harmful affects pesticides had on our health. All this information made me begin to wonder why more people were being diagnosed with cancer, why more children had severe allergies and why we couldn't serve peanuts on airplanes anymore....yes, I was a flight attendant in my previous life. After all those years of serving that tiny little bag of nuts, suddenly, they were banned from ALL flights. Hummm....
Back to business. My son had an amazing pediatrician who was the one that suggested that I prepare his baby food fresh. He offered me some suggestions, one of which was bok choy. Bok what? I remember thinking. He loved it but it took a decent amount of time to shop, prep, prepare and freeze a few ice cube trays of fruits & vegetables (remember, we lived in Manhattan at the time). So, I had this great idea. I'll hire someone to cook his food so I can do other things. Simple solution, right?
Do you know in the city that never sleeps, there wasn't a soul who provided this type of service! I remember talking to my friends, amazed that someone hadn't started a service of this nature when organic was beginning to be the big buzz word. It was one of my AHA moments. I have to do this! Little did I know the journey it would be.
I started cooking for my friends and then talked to the pediatrician about opportunities. He thought it was a great idea and began telling his clients about my service. Business started with a few clients and grew by leaps & bounds within months. Moms were dying for freshly made organic food for their infants & toddlers but they didn't have the time to prepare it themselves and were riddled with guilt.
In the beginning, a list of menu items would be discussed, along with any allergies etc., and a date would be set. On that date, I would shop at a local market for all the ingredients needed for that days cooking appointment, show up at their home, prepare a months supply of food and freeze it in small kid size portions by using a vacuum seal machine ~ which I carried with me. This process would prevent freezer burn and it made reheating the food simple. Moms loved the convenience and the peace of mind knowing that their kids were getting homemade, healthy meals. The kids loved the food because it had flavor and texture....neither of which you can get from a jar of baby food.
After cooking in homes for a couple of years, my list of menu items grew and my talent for cooking did too. Often, clients would say "you should package this and offer it to stores". I took their advice quite literally and after months and months of research & development, I launched the first freshly prepared, organic food for infants & toddlers in January 05. Eight different meals were introduced in the line and stores like Whole Foods and Fairway carried it. Though it was a huge success, I got very frustrated with how complicated having a retail line could be. I wasn't able to introduce a new flavor without months of research, I couldn't experiment with blending different fruits & vegetables and the one thing parents needed most for their kids, were meals that contained REAL pieces of chicken and beef that tasted like chicken & beef. This was another AHA moment. I needed to do what I was most familiar and comfortable with...cook the meals that I had been cooking for all those years, on a smaller scale and packaged the same way. As we say in the south, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Which brings me to my current business on line. Every week, I spend a few days in the kitchen preparing organic & natural meals for infants, toddlers and kids. My menu options range from single pureed fruits & vegetables to blends to Shepherd's Pie (made with Lamb), Turkey Meatloaf and Chicken Stir Fry...just to name a few. I always have a few of the favorites available and offer new and exciting meals each week. Studies show that children who are introduced to a wide variety of foods from an early age are more likely to eat a wider variety of foods as they grow up. I can't say that my 5 year old is the BEST eater, but he's usually willing to try. I have a new case study. He was born 6 months ago and so far, LOVES my food and always wants whatever we're eating. So far, so good.
I'll keep you posted.
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