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Hello, I'm Judie! I fell in love with math in college but, somewhere along the way, food stole my heart. I still remember sitting in Calculus class trying to find the derivative to a function when I caught myself distracted albeit, excited on what to cook for dinner instead. That was the catalyst that allowed me to see that cooking was going to take over my life. Everyday, I endlessly yearned to expand my taste buds, and experiment with new foods, but there was one problem: I wanted to lose weight as well.

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Conflicted, I'd started revamping all of the foods I'd loved into healthier dishes to correspond with my fitness goals. 

After having gained weight steadily for the past 10 years, I am beyond excited to cooking some awesome healthy dishes along the way and still explore the curious cook in myself. Catch me on youtube.com/judiefoodie for daily vlogs, cooking videos and more.  

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More about me:

I am a 1.5 generation Hmong woman and the youngest of 4. From a young age, I felt like I was built for show business. At 3 years old, I would prop myself on the lap of an uncle or my grandpa and I would sing, tell scary stories or even dance. It wasn't until later that I started to retreat in shyness because my family was constantly moving. I'd attended 6 different elementary schools and that alone can make any girl insecure about who she was or whether or not she was worthy of love or attention. Kids can be so cruel and making friends took time and was hard.

 

Eventually, I set up roots in Northern California and have been enjoying the city of trees ever since. Even though food has captured my heart, my soul is forever ignited by dancing. I'd started out dancing to traditional Hmong music and garb in elementary school, which eventually evolved into a love of all dance. I've dabbled in modern dance to ballroom dancing but my ultimate soul freeing dance of choice will always be hip-hop. It makes me soar and it takes me very deeply outside of myself. Uncontrollably so.

At 12 years old, I was honored and offered to perform solo at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, CA and in high school, I was for a short time in my school's Elite dance team. Since then, I haven't done much in dance but my home is my dance studio. And it still makes me beam as it has from the beginning. I believe that's what matters most. Often, in this social media driven madness that is now the world, we feel like our art isn't legitimate unless it is validated by others. I say, if it excites you to no end, livens up your world and makes you happy in a way different than anything can, why does it matter if you are recognized publicly for it? As long as you get to do it, enough that is redeeming your existence, it in itself is truly a gift to behold.

As for food, it is an ongoing endless book, with page after page of intrigue, love and passion all combined into one. I love food because of its magnetic powers. It brings people together, possesses the power to woo people's hearts and can change people's lives. I am here not only because I want to look great in a pair of jeans, but I want to instill the belief in people that food shouldn't been seen as an enemy, but an ally instead. An ally that can not only change us physically but really alter the way we see ourselves and our worthiness mentally. 

I am Judie, I have loved wholeheartedly, I have lived recklessly and I have eaten without abandon. In this life, I can only hope to love more, live more and of course eat more. Thank you for reading this small piece of what is and was me.