Natalie is the recipe developer, photographer, and writer at Parsley and Icing. She started Parsley and Icing to share fresh, from scratch, and delicious dessert recipes. On the website, a visitor will discover a variety of delectable dessert recipes, from the fresh Lemon Lavender Blackberry Cake to the indulgent Dulce de Leche Chocolate Cake.
Natalie's culinary journey began in Northern New York State, where she grew up. However, she admits that her exposure to diverse foods was somewhat limited during her upbringing. After completing her university studies, Natalie taught English in Tunisia and Morocco. The daily sight of people in North Africa frequenting fruit and vegetable markets and baking fresh bread ignited her passion for baking and cooking.
Around the same time, she started experimenting with recipes from a family cookbook filled with her great-grandmother's culinary creations. Baking quickly became a therapeutic hobby, and she was particularly delighted by how it brought happiness to those who enjoyed her baked goods.
Natalie's culinary journey led her to take recreational baking and cooking classes at The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and at Ateliers et Saveurs in Quebec City. While she gained valuable knowledge from these experiences, she primarily considers herself a self-taught cook and baker. Her learning continued through cookbooks, cooking shows, and cooking with friends.
Professionally, she is a certified elementary school English teacher and taught elementary English in Boston before relocating to Ottawa, Canada in 2019. In Ottawa, she resides with her husband, Joe, and their charming Cardigan Corgi, Cardi.
Natalie's love for language, culture, and teaching, combined with her graduate school training, has led her to approach every recipe as if it were a well-crafted lesson plan. She has also developed a deep affection for food photography.
In addition to sharing classic dessert recipes like banana bread, Natalie enjoys creating innovative flavor combinations and desserts. Most of her recipes are made from scratch because she believes they taste fresher and are usually healthier. She strives to provide substitutes for less common ingredients and offers shortcuts for those with limited time to make everything from scratch. Natalie's aspiration for Parsley and Icing is to create a sense of excitement similar to the feeling one gets when entering a much-anticipated bakery. She hopes that her website becomes a go-to resource for dessert recipes.
She expresses her gratitude to her readers for visiting, as well as her joy in sharing her recipes and witnessing them come to life in kitchens around the world. Natalie also appreciates the opportunity to connect with fellow food bloggers and collaborate with beloved brands she uses in her baking endeavors.