Hi! My name is Christina. I’m a food writer, philosophy lover, and mid-lifer who also happens to be a certified Death Doula. Welcome to my kitchen:
I started writing on Substack in March ‘24 because I was searching for a place where I could share my recipes without having to worry about algorithms, AI, or selling my soul to an ad company. My time here so far has surprised me - and changed the way I write. The quality of people and writing here has given me the freedom to share much more than my recipes.
So what will you find here? Delicious, well-tested recipes, of course. But also philosophy, personal stories, and sometimes life insights. What started as a way to simply share my recipes a la a “food blog,” has evolved into a personal project where I catalog my family’s favorite recipes and the stories around them. In other words, this Substack reflects my work collating an end-of-life cookbook.
What is an End of Life Cookbook?
Following an accident that nearly killed me several years ago, I developed a deep fascination with death. Not in a morbid way - death doesn’t scare me at all anymore - but more in a way that emphasizes the importance of small moments along the way to our final destination.
Then last year, I became a certified Death Doula. And while I’m not currently practicing, one of the end-of-life services offered by many doulas stuck with me: creating an end-of-life cookbook.
Did you know that many dying people want to compile their recipes to ensure their loved ones can still taste their food - which is how they showed affection - after they’re gone? It’s true. Since then I've been working on a family cookbook, even though I hope I have many years left.
As my writing evolved here on Substack, I realized that this project has begun bleeding into my newsletter. It started in June with my essay “Americans Don’t Know How to Enjoy Life,” and has become more pronounced, bit by bit, since then. I’ve been going back to old posts to edit them, then printing out my recipes, thoughts, and stories before adding them to a binder that is slowly becoming my family’s cookbook.
What Will You Find Here? Why Subscribe?
I used to have a lot of text here trying to convince you that my Substack was worth supporting financially. I’ve since deleted all that.
Would I be grateful for your patronage? Absolutely. Would it help me continue my work? No. Because this Substack is no longer about me selling something. It’s about making meaning.
If you want to join me in my family kitchen, here are your options:
Free Subscribers: Occasional Posts
Occasional Free Essays & Recipes: 99% of my posts are behind a paywall for all the reasons I listed in my “Why I’m On Substack” post. I don’t want AI or Google or search engines scraping my work. #sorrynotsorry
Paid Subscribers: 2 posts a week
Recipes: Get unlimited access to all my recipes. Every recipe has gone through at least two rounds of testing. Then is made again when I photograph and/or shoot a video of the recipe. Many have also been tested by my 14-year-old, who is my official recipe tester. You can see some of his work here.
Essays & Stories: Mostly about philosophy, navigating this wild experience we call life, and family gatherings that have inspired some of our most-loved recipes.
Life Insights: Although I sometimes manage to be the “cool mom,” I know my son is not ready to hear most of the things I’ve learned through hard knocks and plain ‘ol living. When it feels meaningful to do so, I sometimes include small bits of life experience - like in this “Recipe for Fighting Worry.” Maybe when he reads those posts one day he’ll find them to be helpful. (And hopefully, you’ll find some value in them too.)
🌲 I Like to Plant Trees
For every new paid subscription I plant a tree with One Tree Planted, which is a non-profit focused on global reforestation.
All of my photos, videos, and recipes are original content.
I don’t use stock photos or videos, ever. (I get this question a lot, which I guess is a compliment if folks think my content looks professional!)
Where Do Your Recipes Come From?
Many of my breakfast ideas were created for my family’s Sunday morning meetings. We started this tradition when my son was young, and have continued into his teen years. Each month we pick a book, then we gather around the breakfast table to dig into ideas and food together. Our favorite authors are Ryan Holiday and Eckhart Tolle. You can learn more about our book club in this interview on FoodStack.
My desserts were mostly developed for the teens who play Dungeons & Dragons at our house every month. I love making treats they can enjoy while slaying demons and battling beholders. I think of myself as the friendly medieval tavern owner who feeds wandering travelers. I’m a huge nerd myself and also love making fantasy-inspired recipes, like these lemon cakes from Game of Thrones / House of the Dragon.
I have a traditional blog, Sunny Side Suppers, where I share my dinner recipes on occasion. However, this Substack newsletter is my primary focus and I publish here about twice a week. :)
Why Sunny Side?
The name of this newsletter was inspired by one of my favorite songs, “The Sunny Side of the Street.” There are several versions, one by Frank Sinatra and another by Steve Tyrell being two of the best. However, my favorite is the one by Louis Armstrong:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Substack? Substack is a platform that allows writers to send newsletters to their audience and also offer a mix of free & paid content. This setup offers something unique - a space where writing and community come together without intrusive advertising.
Why do you have a regular blog and also a Substack? I wrote all about my decision to start publishing on Substack here.
How do I access paid content? If you’re new to Substack and would like to know how to access exclusive recipes, check out this brief tutorial that I made for you.
To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.
