Story Behind the Story

Recipe for a Charmed Life

I grew up cooking in the kitchen with my grandmother, following recipes written in her loopy cursive on faded white lined recipe cards. I learned early on that if I followed the recipes carefully, I got a certain result. Mix flour, sugar, butter, salt and baking powder in the right measurements and order, and the happy outcome was fluffy biscuits hot from the oven. Delicious!

Unfortunately there is no recipe for life. We cannot simply measure, sift, mix and voila! The life we dreamed of. Nothing guarantees us that with the right ingredients, a lot of hard work, and a little luck, we will get exactly what we’re hoping for. Instead life often turns out in unexpected ways. Sometimes happily ever after doesn’t come as we imagined and looks different than we ever dreamed. And often that can be a very good thing, if we have the eyes to see it!

I’ve had a few surprises in my life. Suffering my first broken heart as I was picking out my wedding dress (didn’t see that one coming). Experiencing a major career failure when I was poised for a big success (big ouch). The list goes on… Yet looking back, I can see how each of these surprises led me toward the life I was meant to live. Now I feel so content and grateful for how things turned out. I am living with my family on a sweet little island in the Pacific Northwest, surrounded by evergreens and a few dozen seals and the occasional orca. And every day I get to do the thing I love - dream up delicious stories about food, family and second chances at love, all with a touch of magical realism.

I wish I had the recipe for a charmed life to share with you, but instead I wrote this story which I feel many of us can relate to. It’s about Georgia, a fiery determined woman searching for happiness, love and purpose after failure. It's also about how some of the unexpected setbacks and surprises she encounters lead her to a truly satisfying life, one full of forgiveness, meaning and joy. I set the story in Paris (swoon) and a charming Pacific Northwest island (sigh), two of my favorite places on earth. I so enjoyed writing about the messiness and beauty of family and forgiveness in such beautiful settings, and I loved dreaming up a grouchy oyster farmer love interest in orange rubber overalls…and lots of delicious food!

I hope you enjoy Georgia's story and close the last page feeling encouraged in your own identity, purpose in life and connection to those you love. I hope you are able to offer a little more grace to those around you, as well as to yourself. After all, I am convinced that these are the most important ingredients for a fulfilling life.

Bon Appetit!
Rachel