My Bumpy Journey
When my family was young, I just didn't know the truth about what I was feeding them.
I didn't know the difference small changes could make. Not just for their bodies, but for their behavior and their learning, for their long term health and even their future fertility. After years of feeding my family what I now call “crap food”, and listening to the “wisdom” of our doctors, I discovered the Weston Price Foundation in 2004 and was floored at what I was learning — what a bunch of LIES we'd all been told — one of the worst: they said butter was bad for us! Our lives changed radically as we switched to traditional, whole foods and natural methods of healing and wellness. We're now much healthier and rarely sick.
The process wasn't easy; there weren’t many websites out there in those days to help me through the transition and I had too many “food flops” to even count! So I began passionately researching, reading, and gathering a ton of information, and I kept trying to make real food recipes that tasted good. Finally in late 2007 I started my Kitchen Kop blog to share all I was learning with other busy moms (and some dads!), and began shining the light on the truth about food and health. Before that I was starving for clear information, and I hope to be that solid resource for you now.
My family and I live in a small town near Grand Rapids, Michigan where I’m a wife, a Mom of 4, a homeschooler, blogger, and author of Real Food for Rookies. I've got a crazy life like you do, yet we all want to feed our family meals that taste good and are good for us, but that won't take all our money or time to pull it off. Basically we want a healthy lifestyle without becoming a slave to it. I've researched a lot through the years and can’t wait to help you learn about the power of real food and natural living, all without feeling overwhelmed!
To start, if you haven't yet, be sure to sign up for email updates (and free stuff) so I can continue to help you along the way.
Next, beginners click here. 🙂
Quick Links Before Jumping to more of the Kitchen Kop Story Below…
- My book is available here: Real Food for Rookies
- Click here for Advertising requests, Reader questions, Guest post inquiries, or General contact information
The Power of Real Food
“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine, or the slowest form of poison.” – Dr. Ann Wigmore, ND
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates
The Kitchen Kop Community
I created the Kelly the Kitchen Kop blog to support your real food lifestyle — getting there, or getting out of a rut. You really can eat a clean diet that nourishes you the way food is meant to nourish. You can feel the way your body and mind were meant to feel. Any real foodie will tell you that this lifestyle can make all the difference in your life and in the lives of those you love! Whatever your experience level with traditional food choices, I'm excited to give you the support and resources you need. I can't wait to help you move along on your journey without pressure or judgment. Click here and see all that's available to help you when you sign up for Kitchen Kop emails — there you'll find a whole library of videos, free printables, and more.
More than a Blogger…
From my home near Grand Rapids, Michigan, where I live with my husband of 30 years, I'm a Mom to 4 great kids and besides blogging I also…
- Develop free resources so I can continue to help you be well! Such as free printable guides and an online class with videos and interviews with real food rockstars. The class has the same title as my book, Real Food for Rookies. Find all of that here.
- I also wrote my book, Real Food for Rookies, to help those of you who feel overwhelmed the way I used to!
- In the past I also served as a Weston A. Price co-chapter leader for our Grand Rapids, Michigan chapter.
More than a Foodie…
As if life wasn't crazy enough, I also homeschool our kids! 🙂
The source of greatest nourishment in my life is not food, but faith. I am a Catholic Christian—I love Jesus and try my best to follow Him daily. 
Check out my other blog, “Christianity 101”, to read my conversion story and for answers to basic questions about Christianity. There I explore aspects of faith that always confused me before I knew God better, things I was too embarrassed to ask because I thought “everyone” was supposed to already know. If there’s a topic I haven’t covered on Christianity 101 that you’ve always wondered about too, or just don’t “get,” contact me and I’ll try to include it. (Kelly@KellytheKitchenKop.com.) And don’t worry, we can keep it anonymous.
Kitchen Kop Goodies
- Don't miss any posts – follow the Kitchen Kop blog via email by clicking here and you'll also get access to loads of free bonuses. 🙂
More Places We Can Connect
- Follow me on Pinterest
- Like Kitchen Kop on Facebook
- Follow Kitchen Kop on Instagram
- Keep up with me on Google+
- See my videos on YouTube
- Follow Kitchen Kop on Twitter
- View my Flickr Page
- Connect with me on LinkedIn
- Find my column at CatholicMom.com
More
- Visit my shop page to find the products and resources I love.
- Read the Frequently Asked Questions about the blog. Maybe I’ve already answered yours!
- Learn what started it all: the story of my food conversion.
Media Appearances/Press
- Contributing author in an Amazon best-selling book called, Trust Your Intuition: 25 “Natural Medicine Confessions” From Influential Women Who Chose Healing Remedies for Their Families. (Does this make me a best-selling author? Yeah, I didn't think so. 🙂 My chapter was on how we got rid of lice naturally when it hit our home!)
- Contributing writer in The Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing Your Heart, Mind, Body, and Soul
- Mothers of the Real Food Blogosphere from DailyFinance.com by Jeanmarie Todd
- KPFK – a Los Angeles radio station where I shared a Thanksgiving recipe (also a great interview with Chris Kresser that you won't want to miss!)
What People are Saying about Kelly the Kitchen Kop
I love your blog — it’s like my encyclopedia for real food!!”
–Amanda from OhAmanda.com
If you have not seen the KellytheKitchenKop.com blog then you are missing out on one of the premiere bloggers on healthy cooking, traditional foods and really all things related to nutrition and health.”
—Jimmy Moore from the Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb
More from blog readers/commenters:
- “A little less than a year ago, your post saved my life. It was found by my boyfriend after much research and lead us to the answers to healing all of my health problems. I wanted to thank you and let you know how grateful I am to you for writing about Leaky Gut and it’s symptoms. Thank you for doing everything the doctors could not, for giving me answers, and hope. I am happy and healed and now spreading the word about Leaky Gut.”
- “Kelly, I've learned so much from you and I am grateful. I have eliminated all the bad oils from my diet and have gone as far to make my own bone broth and I even drink raw milk. My stomach is no longer in constant pain and the diarrhea is gone.”
- “I just wanted to thank you for the information you send out and post on your blog. I subscribe to MANY blogs, all traditional food and helpful ‘natural' blogs that I love. Something about your blog really stands out though. It's very smart, simple, and easy to relate to. It's not extreme like some and it's practical from a traditional food sense.”
- “You are – for so many reasons – one of my most trusted online sources. You tell it like it is, you keep it very real, you're not a drama queen or histrionic about stuff, you just put it out there. I have shared SO MANY of your articles and posts. I read a ton of blogs and I am here to tell you that you have somehow found the secret to be whatever it is to be very successful. I feel like I know you. 🙂 Thank you for all of your phenomenal effort.”
- “There is one blog I will not EVER unsubscribe from and that is Kelly the Kitchen Kop. When I recommend real food blogs, you are the one! I do find your site easy to navigate. But most of all I find you are a real person and it comes through your posts. I like that!!! Plus you are the first person who taught me about real food. It just so happened I found you on CatholicMom.com. Thanks for all you do for everyone. Thank you for helping our family see the truth. I like your rants because I, too, like to rant!”
- “I love all your posts & love being on the email list. Thank you for all you do! In a way, you are saving lives :)”
- “I just love this blog! You aren’t afraid to talk about the Good, the Bad or the Icky… Apparently!! LOL. And I love that you always seem to have a positive spin on things. (At least as much as possible! Some things just make me mad, too, and it’s hard to be positive about it all!)…I just want to say THANK YOU for doing what you do, the way you do it! Honesty and Positivity go a long way!! Keep up the GOOD WORK here!!!”
- “Thank you for sharing your life!”
- “Your site has been a fantastic inspiration to me. I started reading your site a few months before my daughter started eating solid food. She is almost 2 1/2 years old now and is super healthy with no health concerns. My journey has been very enriched and made easier with the information you have provided. Thanks so much!”
Just Got Here?
Scroll down through these post archives to find whatever might interest you: Kitchen Kop Archives.
My “official” bio:
Kelly had a “food transformation” in 2004 after a long-time love affair with convenience foods. She began passionately researching how to eat and live better, and in late 2007, the ‘politically incorrect' Kelly the Kitchen Kop blog was born. She now loves to help others with the knowledge she has gained from switching her own family over to Real Food. In addition to blogging, she teaches an online class called, Real Food for Rookies and also check out her book with the same name: Real Food for Rookies. Kelly lives in a small town near Grand Rapids, Michigan with her husband of 30 years and 4 kids. She's also a former Weston Price chapter leader. As if life wasn’t crazy enough, she also homeschools two of their children who are still in school. 🙂
Or this one:
My family and I live here in West Michigan where I’m a wife, homeschooling Mom of 4, blogger, and author of Real Food for Rookies. My goal is to empower you to nourish your family well and feel better naturally without going crazy. I've been helping busy moms learn the truth about health and nutrition since 2007. Back then I was starving for clear information and I hope to be that solid resource for you now. Check out my blog posts below or visit my shop page to find the products and resources I love. Please say hello over on social media as well! Read more about me here.
Shorter bio:
Kelly has passionately researched how to eat and live better since the day she was FLOORED with the truth over a decade ago about the food available to us today. She lives in a small town near Grand Rapids, Michigan and is a wife, a homeschooling Mom, a blogger at KellytheKitchenKop.com, author of Real Food for Rookies and she teaches an online class with the same name, Real Food for Rookies.
Hi Kelly, this is Nichole, Mary Eatons daughter. My family deeply values your insights into healthy, natural living and I was trying to see if you had any tips for recovery from a Pulmonary Embolism. I didn’t see anything among the illnesses listed but I thought I might have missed something. I just got back from hospital 3 days ago and I am not on oxygen but I am eager to get my strength back and return to a somewhat regular life. Any advice or any resources you think I should check into?
Hi Nichole, sorry to hear about the pulmonary embolism but good you’re home! Can you email me a reminder with this question, email is best for me & I’ll ask you more questions separate from the comments here.
Kelly@KellytheKitchenKop.com
Thanks!
Kelly
Mrs. Kitchen Kop,
My cookbook said nothing about an arm roast in it and as a Vegetarian who raises her family meat, I usually rely on my spouse to cook the meat but as it is raining buckets he has volunteered to do the Farm chores for the both of us, so I found you while looking up arm roast. Though I stay away from these devices I wanted to say hi from some Catholic hippi homeschooler farmers on the Olympic Penn. In Washington State.
Well hello back at you Arianna! It’s raining here in Michigan too so I’m curled up with my computer. Good luck with your arm roast, I make those a lot, and I’m sure yours will be delicious!
Kelly
I recieved the class as a gift for Christmas I got on it yesterday and all went well. But this morning when I clicked on the link about MSG I couldn’t get it to come up . It said I couldn’t acess it. I’m not too computer savy can you help me?
I’ll check it and email you back privately. 🙂
Kelly
Hi Suzanne,
Yes, I’m going to the conference and would love to meet you! I’ll be posting as it gets closer and will be planning a meet-up. Can’t wait!
By the way, I should probably tell everyone that sometimes for whatever reason I will reply to comments in an email instead of in the comments. I just didn’t want people to think I was ignoring anyone! 🙂
Kelly
Kelly,
I’m a member of Weston Price and we used Sally’s book as a text book in my holistic nutrition MS program so I don’t need to take your class. I’m just writing to tell you how cool I think it is that you are doing this. All people though, no matter what religion and economic strata they are they are in (referencing some of the comments above), need to learn to eat this way.
Will you be at the convention in November? It’s in my city and I’m so psyched. If so I’d love to say hi. Let me know. We should pick a place to meet.
Kelly,
I found out about your classes from the cheeseslave and the healthy home economist. My computer skills are not the best so I don’t know if this is where I comment in order to enter to win the class or not. I have started the journey to eating more healthy after reading Nourishing Traditions.,but am feeling a little overwhelmed. I would love to learn some short cuts and learn what priorities to make first. Your class sounds just what I need and have been looking for. I’ve started making butter from real milk and kefir. I am also making broths and kombucha. I still find myself running out of time and going to the fast food drive thrus. I am looking forward to learning to save time on the crock pot meals.
Kelly, I am so thankful I found your blog through wordvixen! I am a whole foods/organic when possible eater as well. I also love that you are a Christ lover! I think that eating a diet free from chemicals, additives, and preservatives is key to treating our bodies like a temple and being good stewards or that which we have been blessed with. In addition, it makes us look better, feel better, and makes us more productive. I pray daily that more Christian parents will understand how crucial getting rid of the crap truly is. It pains me that I have to worry about the snacks that my girls are being offered in our church nursery. I Corinthians 10: 23 – 33 is what I play in my head when I start to freak. I’ve got to trust that God will protect them and that this crap food is the exception, not the norm.
PS- Hi, Denise! Fancy seeing you here 😉
Hi Kate, I just checked out your site too, I love it! Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to hearing more from you. 🙂
Kelly
I have my first two real chickens in the fridge waiting…
I have some…hmmmm…chicken feet in the freezer…
I said no to the head! Something about eyeballs staring back at you in the pot messed with my city brain!
You have helped me to look at food in such a different way that I don’t think I can go back. I’m looking forward to the adventure but am somewhat overwhelmed at the moment. Thank you for your blog and all the info. Thank you for answering my questions!
Jan
Hello Kelly,
I found your blog through Nourished Kitchen and your guest post about the Food Pyramid. I was really surprised that you are near Grand Rapids! I’m in Holland. Small, small world. I have 7 kids, homeschool and am on a journey BACK to real foods after a very long “survival” hiatus. We did foster care and adopted some special needs children, so we grew from 2-7 in a very short time. I threw out the baby with the bath water when I just couldn’t quite get a handle on all the changes in my life and we went back to eating the Standard American Diet of processed foods.
I’m excited to have found your blog, looking forward to reading and learning!
Cheers,
Dana
Craziness! You don’t happen to live near me in Michigan do you?! 🙂
Nope… I’m in Portland, OR. 🙂
No wonder I like you. 🙂
In addition to be a lover of all things NT, I’m also a Catholic Christian, have four kiddos, and do in home daycare (although I can’t say they are better behaved than my children).
Kelly,
I’ve been blogging for a couple years, but just started food blogging 6 months ago. Our family also is a firm believer in whole, real foods & practices of the Nourishing Traditions book. Before we added our third child in January 2008, I was full swing with NT practices. Being very sick that pregnancy & not wanting to cook got me off track a bit. We are a far cry from where we were, but personality wise…I had also gotten pretty obsessive and strict with my eating. I remember being paralyzed staring at the menu one night when I was out to eat with girlfriends…def no grass fed meat on the menu, but nothing organic either! It took me 45 minutes to figure out what to eat that night 😉
Anyway…all that to say, now that I am back to cooking I have found a happy medium for our family. We strive for as much organic and local food as possible. We keep processed food out of the house. I grind my own organic grain with my WonderMill & 100% whole wheat & organic bread, muffins, pancakes etc. No white flour and sugar here. We try to eat mostly fruit, veggies, protein and healthy organic whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, etc). We definitely believe in the NT principles and healthy fats, but aren’t into the organ meats or fermented foods. I do believe they are so good for you, but it’s just not an area we can get into.
All that to say…I just followed you on twitter, hope to join in on Real Food Wednesdays as time permits, and wanted to thank you for all your hard work getting out the correct nutritional info!! I’m sure your blog is a big part of why I can tell over the last few years NT principles are starting to become more mainstream. Thanks again!!
Just found your blog through Real Food, My Way and just became a follower. This is such important information to get out there! I’m a naturopathic physician in Oregon and am passionate about real food. My friend Brett and I just started a blog, too.
Yours in health,
Crystal Hannan, ND
Jen,
How fun that your first comment is on my blog!
About your yogurt, it depends on if it smells “bad” or not. If it doesn’t smell right and you’re not sure, don’t use it. But a soured or fermented smell is good. 🙂
And yes, I do consultations, info is above. Thanks for asking and I hope to hear more comments from you in the future now that you’ve gotten your feet wet!
Kelly
Hi Kelly.,
Well Im impressed…I started a blog of my own a few months ago when I decided to start feeding my baby the homemade formula listed on the WEston Price website. I have a blog address but never really quite figured out how to get it out there, and as time went on and my schedule got busier I stopped it all together. I think its great what you do, I have always wanted to get the word out more about real food to neighbors, schools, moms group etc. Do you give free consultations with people., what a great way to make money if your able. Anyway I just thought I would say Hi, I dont normally respond back to blogs, this is actually my first time. You struck a cord, especially when you mentioned you are a Christian, I cant wait to read about your journey with Christ. I am a new believer, grew up in a Catholic school but as I got older became very interested in other religions. God has led me back to Him.. Maybe its a process , good food, brings you closer to The Truth…well just a thought anyway. “)
Thanks for the tips,
quick question…my raw yogurt smells like yeast…its a little old can I still use it straight or are there any other uses for it once its reached this age..?
Jen Albrittion is great isnt she…she has helped me so much with the formula making process!!!
Andy, sorry I didn’t get that email, I’ll email you. 🙂
Kelly
I e-mailed you yesterday and told you a little bit about myself. I too am a lover of christ and all of the good stuff out there,but like you I’m a mom w/little time on my hands. Thanks for all your hard work. I have peace of mind when I look for info. about this/that/and the other. I trust your judgement,thank you. Also,can you tell me more on your home daycare,and how you started. I have 2 children and have been curious about home daycare for a while.
Welcome to the blogging world! This is a great site! I will be browsing it when I am actually sitting down 🙂 If I haven’t already shared my blog with you check it out at
http://www.gaucks.blogspot.com
It doesn’t have any service provided like yours except for sharing my family happenings 🙂 Happy Holidays!
God Bless!
Heather