Welcome! I’m Kayla, and I’m the artist, cook, and scientific mind behind To: You, From: Scratch.
You’ve probably guessed it by now – I enjoy making everything from scratch!
My journey here began in the creative, and sometimes painful, days of my childhood. With pencil in hand and drawing paper spread on my desk, I could often be found sketching my parakeets and creating stories. My cheerful art teacher, Ms. Cynthia, would gently make subtle suggestions, like contrasting a touch of red next to the blue—et voila—my drawings would finally pop. Learning at an early age how small degrees of change can make something beautiful and whole helped me through my own medical gastric challenge in early adolescence.
Despite having consulted five different medical specialists, every afternoon, I rolled on my living room floor clutching my stomach in pain. When I began seeing an integrative and preventive medical doctor, he asked questions no one else had: what was going on in my life at school and home, what I ate, my hobbies, my frustrations. Just like the red next to the blue, I began to see how many factors—from an amended diet to stress-reduction skills—could reintroduce vibrancy to my life.
At first, I felt deprived of the foods I love, but with time I realized how much better I felt. I overcame the challenge of starting fresh by creating new recipes, discovering new restaurants, and making my own products.
When I make things from scratch, I think of how our ancestors did this as part of their daily routine. Part of why this blog is called To: You, From: Scratch is because the pace of our society has sped up significantly in the last 100 years. Modern times have given the world TV dinners, microwave ovens, and pre-made crafts. At times, being lost along the way of these technological advancements are thoughtfulness and creating love. As my mom likes to say, “Our hands are an extension of our hearts.” My dairy and gluten intolerance kick started my journey into understanding what really goes into foods that society buys. What started off as terrible gastric pains actually led me on a journey to discovering the ways of the past that are now being lost like adapting and creating recipes, and continuing to make crafts from scratch.
I am extremely proud to share my creations with people who are interested in creating and respecting the ways of the past.
XOXO,
Scratch
Follow me on Instagram @toyou_fromscratch and @kay.arte