Introducing Cooked & Loved

As you might have noticed, my website has changed its name to Cooked & Loved.

For many of you, this will not be a surprise as I have given my readers and followers a heads up about this change. But, if you have missed the announcement and wondering about what happened to IrenaMacri.com and what Cooked & Loved is all about, read on!

Cooked & Loved Homepage

The Reason For Change

As some of you might know, my website used to be called Eat Drink Paleo and I focused on that niche exclusively. A few years ago, I decided to move beyond Paleo and rebranded my whole website. I settled on my name as the domain name – irenamacri.com – which is what it is now.

At the time, it seemed like a good idea. I was finishing my Nutrition Diploma and wanted to do more one-on-one client work and build myself as a brand, or an expert in the field so to speak. 

Fast forward to today ➡️

Many things have changed in my life. I’ve become a mom, run a household, and try to keep up with my online business. There are lots of moving parts in my life and I have grown as a person.

My perspective on diet culture and the nutrition world has changed too and so have my priorities. I still care about health and well-being but I have relaxed and started following a more intuitive way of eating. 

This led me to cook more traditional dishes and use ingredients I have in the past restricted myself from.

And you know what happened? 

I realised that I missed having complete freedom in the kitchen. I’ve rediscovered the joy of cooking and enjoying food for what it is without the guilt and worries about what I put in it. 

I think food is so powerful.

 It brings people together, it allows us to share cultures and learn about the world, and while it should nurture our bodies, it is also a way to show you love and care for someone. Food has the magic to it!

But, I feel that some of that magic is lost when you put too many restrictions on what you can and can’t eat. 

While there is time and place to follow a specific diet for health reasons or weight loss goals, I feel that using a more intuitive approach and listening to your body is what’s working for me now and I want to reflect that in the way I cook and what I share on my website.

In addition, I’ve been feeling stuck creatively too.

There have been so many dishes that I’ve cooked and loved or that family and friends raved about but I didn’t feel right sharing them because they used X & Y ingredients or didn’t fall within the dietary box I’ve put myself and my website into.

I think I lost some passion for food blogging because I didn’t feel like I could be completely authentic and create what I want rather than what I thought I should. Does that make sense?

Someone made a good comment about this and said that we all need to do what moves us. That’s exactly it!


About Cooked & Loved

From old-time favourites to new dishes with a twist, I will be sharing recipes I’ve cooked & loved.

Think of a dish YOU cooked and loved, either recently or in the past, something you continue to make on a regular basis. It could be a recipe everyone asks about or the one you want to pass on to family and friends because you enjoyed it so much. I want to make a space for those kinds of recipes! 

I will always lean toward healthy cooking because of my nutrition background but I want to have the freedom to share all food that brings me joy.

As well as publishing my recipes, I will bring onboard exciting contributors to share their most cooked and loved dishes. And, I will be sharing my favourite ingredients and memorable recipes from cookbooks, travel destinations, and restaurant copycats. 


My Dietary Evolution

I have tried Paleo, low-carb and gluten-free diets, all of which can do wonders for people’s health.

My motto is still the same: keep it real, keep it varied and keep it as nourishing as possible.

However, I no longer associate myself with one dietary label, nor do I strictly avoid any specific foods. I believe there is a time and place for all the healthy stuff, and then there is cake.

I like the idea of an intuitive eating approach with a focus on real food and fresh ingredients whenever possible. This is what works for me today.


Going Forward

I appreciate your readership and support thus far and I understand that perhaps this new direction means that I won’t be able to serve you in the same way.

I know I can’t please everyone and I need to do what feels right and what I am passionate about, which is food and cooking in all their shapes and colours. 

Don’t worry! You will still find plenty of paleo, low-carb, gluten-free and Whole30-related recipes and articles – most of my old content will remain on the blog. All posts will automatically redirect to this site, so if you have anything bookmarked, you will still get to the right place. My free programs and meal plans will still be available to anyone who needs them.

But, you will also see pasta, burgers, dumplings or whatever else I really enjoy cooking. Whenever possible, I will provide healthy swaps and substitutions.

I welcome your feedback and suggestions and I ask for your patience while we’re transitioning from the old to the new. There will be errors and broken links and outdated content – all of which we are slowly fixing and updating. You can shoot me an email to [email protected].

I will be updating my social media profiles in due time and you will continue to receive my recipe updates in your inbox until you decide to unsubscribe.

Wish me luck & stay tuned for new recipes!

Irena xo

PS. If you’re looking for my low-carb recipes and the 30-day challenge, find them here. All paleo recipes and the paleo reset program sign-up can be accessed from here.

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