about me
Welcome! I’m Alex, the foodie behind The Defined Dish. I grew up in the small town of Celina, Texas and now live in Dallas where I have started a little family with my wonderful husband, Clayton. I am a momma of two little girls, Sutton and Winnie, who keep me super busy everyday and bring me more joy than words can say. When I am not chasing or cleaning up after them, I am in the kitchen cooking because seriously, I love food!
Since I can remember, food and cooking have always been a passion of mine. Growing up I was always the kid helping my mom in the kitchen, and then in college became the girl cooking and testing recipes for my roommates and friends. Now, I am a wife and mom making and testing delicious and nutritious meals for my family.
In 2015, I did my first round of Whole30 and became a huge advocate of the Whole30 program. It completely changed my relationship with food, and you’ll find most of my recipes are Whole30/Paleo compliant. But as you know, I am from Texas and us Texans like big bold flavors—so I never skimp on flavors with my healthy dishes. They’re hearty, healthy and freaking delicious! However, it’s also all about balance for me – so you’ll also find the occasional super indulgent dish.
I love food, the people and rich history behind it, and how we all share experiences through food. You’ll see a lot of my southern roots in my recipes, Tex-Mex inspired dishes that I grew up eating, and my Mom’s Italian heritage shine through. My recipes are also inspired everywhere I turn— whether it be through travel, dining out, reading magazines and browsing the web, television, books, or learning first-hand through friends and family. I am always inspired to cook new, unique recipes and adapt them in my kitchen. To me, the beautiful thing about cooking is how it is a process of shared experiences that show up on our plates. When I cook and develop recipes, they are a product of my loved experience with a specific food that may have been authentic at the time, but I have come home and modified it to fit my unique taste, my family palette, my dietary needs, and even what I could find at my local grocery store.
To me, food is more than just what fuels your body. Food brings joy in our lives because with food we make friends, we share special moments with our loved ones, and we count our blessings. Sharing my recipes and passion with others makes me happy, which is why I have this little blog. These recipes are made with love and I truly hope you enjoy cooking them in your kitchen.