About Us

Carrian and Cade live atop a mountain with a stunning view in Utah with 2 side-kick daughters and ruler of the world and hearts little boy. Carrian spends her time eating up every ounce of those little people calling her, Mom or hiding in the closet to shovel in a snack (how do they always know?!) for just  5 MINUTES PEACE!!!! Because, balance, right? 😉 

Cade loves mountain biking and finding new recipes that remind him of the South where his mom still lives. Is there anything better than a perfect rack of smoked ribs and mac n cheese?!

Carrian was born and raised in Vancouver, Washington so grew up loving fresh produce from the garden, granola and all things green and lush. Together they are literally the best of both worlds. 

We’re here to dare to be different, to create happy homes like we all craved when we dreamed of growing up with a family of our own.

We write for the moms who are struggling to get dinner on the table, dealing with a whining toddler and feeling like she doesn’t have an identity anymore, by reminding her that she has her own amazing memories which are connected to food and now she gets to bring that to life for her own family. Real recipes, real families.

If you’re trying hard to eat at home and take better care of yourself and need simple, clean ideas to get dinner on the table without the stress of time and lack of knowledge, you’ve come to the right place.

We’re here for people who are so busy that they often don’t have the time, energy or heart to truly live anymore as they are ruled by errands, trials and life. We want to gently remind them to sit, to stay awhile and make memories and traditions with something delicious.

This blog is perfect for those who might feel and appear on paper to be the average American, making enough to get by, save and vacation when they can but are certainly not millionaires. Our tribe is creating truly rich lives by experiencing it all together with friends and family versus collecting more “things”.

You’re writing yours too. Food can be a fun, memory-making way of connecting, giving life and speaking love into families even when everything else is hard.

Everyone has a favorite recipe, a funny story or tender moment that goes with it, and we want that. We want the people, the faces, the hearts, and moments that come through sharing in a meal together. Life is too short, we’ve seen and endured too much to ever forget that it’s these moments together that create a real life. One lived and not just endured.

We’re all about families who want to be in the kitchen together, stirring the pot and licking the spoon.

And, not only do you get good recipes, but you’re taught why things are done as they are and frequently asked questions are answered, enabling you to become the best cook you can be.

We have three children who are our everything. You may have followed our journey and know already that Carrian suffers from Hyperemesis Gravidarum and it has been a great sacrifice for the everyone to bring each child into our family. You can click the link to read more about our journey. These three kiddos are involved very much in our recipe development. We believe families should be in the kitchen together and that it is essential to teach kids from the very beginning about food and let them help. Sometimes it can make things slower or messier but no matter what we know we are creating memories and teaching skills that they absolutely will need in life.

We try really hard to only wear the hat of parents when the kids are up and around as we don’t want to look back on their childhood with too many regrets about working instead of being a family. Once they are off to school or in bed we use our time wisely and get things done for this site. The weekend, though occasionally a time to experiment with recipes is generally only for the family. We turn off our devices and just hang out together.

We can’t wait to “meet” each of you. We love reading your comments and emails. Get in touch with us by commenting or writing through the contact tab. Feel free to ask questions, get advice for cooking/baking, and leave some love when you try a recipe. In fact, if you do, use the hashtag #ohsweetbasil and tag us @ohsweetbasil so we can see what you made!