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    About me!

    Hello! My name is Gitta Grether-Sweeney, and I am so happy you are here visiting Gitta's Kitchen. I am a Registered Dietitian and am passionate about cooking delicious food that is not fussy. On this site, I will share simple and healthier (mostly) recipes that you can make quickly for your family-even on a weeknight. I love hearing from readers. If you want to contact me, you can reach me at [email protected]

    I Love to Cook!

    Blog author-Gitta in the kitchen holding a head of cabbage.

    The kitchen has been my happy place since I was in elementary school. I am lucky because my mother encouraged me to cook and never chased me out of the kitchen.  She is a great cook, and my passion for food and cooking came from her. My mother, who is now 90, still cooks excellent meals and loves to try new recipes.  

    What Led Me to My Career in Food

    During my freshman year in college, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and learned the importance of how food impacts chronic disease.  I quickly learned that different foods affected my blood sugar. This daily experience led me to the field of nutrition, and I became a Registered Dietitian. I strongly feel that it is important to prepare your meals (preferably from scratch) to control what you put into your body.

    I discovered I did not like working in hospitals early in my career. I had the opportunity to be a food service director at a school district and never looked back. It was wonderful to impact millions of children’s lives over my career by teaching them how to eat healthy meals through the breakfasts and lunches served in the school districts where I worked. In my last job (before retiring), we eliminated unwanted ingredients such as antibiotics from chicken and implemented a robust farm-to-school program.

    Family Meals are Important

    I worked full-time outside the home, but every evening the way I would unwind was to try new recipes for our family dinners.  For some people preparing dinner is stressful, but for me, it was and still is how I relax at the end of a busy day. 

    Family meals were a great time for my husband and me to connect with our two sons and spend time together after a long day.  The boys would help me prepare the meals, which helped them develop the skills to prepare their own meals when they went to college. Today, they are both great cooks and prepare their meals (from scratch).

    Goals for the Blog

    Through this blog, I will continue my passion for cooking healthy and delicious meals and share recipes that are easy to prepare and can be made on hectic weeknights for your family.

    When I cook, I look for ways to minimize ingredients and to make recipes “healthier” (less fat, less salt, less sugar). Of course, I will also share some “not so” healthy dishes because occasionally you should enjoy those too!

    My Kitchen Helpers and Walking Buddies

    My three Golden Retrievers love to join me in the kitchen when I am cooking because they love to eat! They are the best vacuum cleaners eating anything that drops on the floor.   Kepler, Lili, and Maisey are also my exercise buddies. We enjoy our daily walks so that we can stay healthy together.

    Three golden retrievers waiting for a treat
    Three Golden retrievers looking at cookies on the counter

    Hobbies

    I enjoy gardening, reading, hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, and traveling when I am not in the kitchen.

    Family photo in Vienna
    Family fun in Vienna
    Blog author and husband kayaking
    Kayaking on the lake
    Blog author, husband and two golden retrievers with the ocean behind them
    Hiking on the Oregon Coast

    Thank you for coming to Gitta's Kitchen! I hope the recipes I share will become some of your favorites!

    Happy Cooking!

    Contact

    If you have questions about the recipes or need to contact me, please email me at [email protected] I look forward to hearing from you!

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    Picture of Gitta

    Welcome to my food blog! My goal is to inspire you to prepare delicious meals for your family by sharing simple and healthier recipes. Step-by-step instructions are included to ensure that you are successful. Join me in my kitchen, and let's start cooking!

    More about me →

    Fresh Spring Recipes

    • Asparagus on white rectangle dish with fork next to it
      Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus Recipe 425°F
      Cook Time20-25 minutes
    • Greek pasta salad with farfalle pasta, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, parsley
      Simple and Healthy Greek-Style Pasta Salad without Black Olives
      ★★★★★
      Cook Time25 minutes
    • Arugula salad with red pepper flakes in a white bowl, lemon wedges on side and wooden salad tons next to the bowl
      Easy Baby Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
      Cook Time10 minutes

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