My Online Meals Experts
Niki Hampton - Baking and Candy-Making
Niki started out writing poetry in her youth winning numerous small awards, now she is freelance writing producing web content and articles for print. She has been published in Winners Within Us magazine, her local newspaper and is currently working on her first novel. She also has a contract producing web content for eHow through the Writer’s Research Group.
She is a contributor on MyOnlineMeals.com as the resident baking and candy making expert. Niki has worked as a professional model in Las Vegas, Nevada and run her own Avon business. She lives in Oregon with her husband, Chris and their beautiful little boy, Tristan.
Mary Ann Sparks - Cooking for Two & Creative Cooking
My name is
Mary Ann and I love to try new things food wise. My friends and
family enjoy my creative cooking "experiments" using whatever I have
in the pantry and fridge. To me it's a challenge to come up with a
good meal from nothing.
I've got four children too so I was used to cooking for as many as
six people and it's not always been easy to downsize and cook for
one or two in the past ten years. Also, having hypertension forced
me to learn to cook without salt. I love good taste so I read and
taught myself to cook with herbs and spices.
Nowadays, I have a 24 year old grandson who I share my house with and he enjoys cooking too. I'm working on teaching him to use less butter, eat his veggies and to bake. These are good times for me and him, both learning from each other. To cook well isn't hard it just takes a bit of effort and patience. I hope you enjoy my monthly columns.
Renee Pottle - Vegetarian Lifestyle
Renee Pottle was a regular contributor to
Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Magazine from 1995 – 2000, developing
vegetarian and two-serving dishes. A cooking enthusiast
from a young age, she has been creating new recipes since she was ten
years old, although those early dishes were mostly rice and frankfurter
concoctions. Luckily her cooking repertoire expanded as
she pursued her loves of cooking and science.
These interests led her to earn degrees in both Medical Laboratory
Science and Home Economics/Business. While teaching Cooking, Food
Science, Nutrition, and Health courses at a small school in Maine, she
learned from her students which ingredients, in what combinations, were
kid-friendly! While meatloaf (for the boys) and chocolate cake (for the
girls) were the students’ favorites, Renee learned to sneak nutritious
items into recipes without their realization that they were cooking
something that was tasty and good for them too. She also developed the
curriculum for and taught an adult education class, Quick, Healthy,
Budget-Friendly Meals. The positive response from this class led
her first book I Want My Dinner Now! – Simple Meals for
Busy Cooks.
A family history of heart disease led to the launch of Wine
Barrel Gourmet, which offers healthy, delicious soup and pasta
mixes flavored with wine, herbs and spices instead of salt and fat.
Renee, who has been a vegetarian for 15 years, also keeps busy
teaching heart healthy and other nutrition classes, speaking to numerous
groups about eating healthy, offering individual coaching and consulting
nutrition services and writing and publishing new books.
She and her husband make their home in Kennewick Washington.
Nicole Rocke - Professional Chef & Culinary Expert
My name is Nicole Rocke and I am a Chef. That is a statement that says so little but means so much to me and the people who call themselves Chefs. To be a Chef is to have a huge passion for food, be it in raw form or in a complex dish to where every bite is meant to be savored. With that passion comes a thirst for knowledge and the excitement to share that knowledge; that one of the things that brought me to My Online Meals.
I have been working full time in the Food Service industry for 6 years. I have held almost every position that can be held in the industry. I have been a server, banquet chef, line cook, manager. I have worked in hotels, local restaurants, chain restaurants and in private residences.
I also have a Bachelors Degree in Culinary Nutrition where not only was I formally trained on how to cook; I learned what the food we eat can do to help and to harm our bodies.
With my work experience and education I am here to answer any questions about food or cooking that anyone may have. I hope to include as many interesting food facts, tips, tricks, or even funny stories that I come across in my quest to further my career. I look forward to hearing from everyone!
Sally Galloway - Natural Health Counselor and Healthy Lifestyle Coach
Sally Galloway, BA, MME, CPCC, is a Holistic Health Counselor, Certified Massage Therapist and Reiki Master, an Ayurvedic practitioner, Certified Professional Life Coach, and is completing a Team Leader program through Dr. Ray Strand’s Healthy for Life program. She is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is certified by the American Association of the Drugless Practitioners. Sally’s passion for education and empowerment is fed by helping people who are diabetic (Type II) and pre-diabetic reverse diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome using a clinically-proved integrated program of low-glycemic foods, cellular nutrition, and moderate exercise. Please visit http://www.centerforhealthandharmony.com for additional information.
