Crowded Kitchen – Beth Sinclair

We’re Beth and Lexi, a mother-daughter duo from southeast Michigan. Cooking has always been a family affair in our house. From the time Lexi and her siblings were born, we always prioritized fresh food and family-centered meals. As the kids got older, they often expressed an interest in learning how to cook, and they always expressed an interest in eating well. Like with most kids, there was a lot of boxed mac and cheese involved, but there were also early forays into homemade risotto, caramel making with Grandpa, and even crème brûlée.

(In retrospect, that last one may have just been an excuse for Lexi’s older brother, Travis, to use a culinary torch.) Our family has always done a fair amount of entertaining, from hosting most holidays, to throwing themed parties (sometimes for no reason at all!), to frequent dinner parties with friends. Everyone had a role—even if that just meant dish drying for the youngest (Bryce). So, yes, our kitchen has always been pretty crowded and often quite messy, but to us, a crowded kitchen is a happy one.

It’s also a place where we’ve created some of our most meaningful family memories. After all, what better way is there to connect with loved ones than through good food and drink? HOW WE STARTED CROWDED KITCHEN As a mother and daughter, the two of us have always shared a close connection that goes far beyond food. When Lexi was in high school, Beth took on a part-time job as the school’s cross-country and track coach.

With a family talent for long-distance running, it’s something special that we shared for years, and Lexi was determined to continue her running career in college. It was then that we first had to develop a working relationship that was a bit separate from home life. Beth was still “Mom” at cross country practice, but she was also “coach,” and it was important for us to figure out the line between those two roles. During those years, both of us also took our passion for cooking a step further.

We became particularly interested in nutrition, especially as it relates to fueling our long-distance runs. We started experimenting with creating and customizing all sorts of recipes from scratch, including our Berry-Coconut Breakfast Quinoa and Homemade “Gatorade” (you can find this on our website). Lexi headed off to Amherst College in the fall of 2012 and accomplished her goal of running in college while there. Beth continued coaching and learning more about nutrition, cooking, and how food fuels performance. At a very small school with fewer than 2,000 students, Lexi had to learn to navigate the minimal dining options.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: d9f6fa321cc991b3
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 158,100,225 bytes (150.776 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• Pages: 536
• Language: English (en)

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• Estimated Reading Time: 273.66 minutes
• Total Words: 54,732
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