How did you become an Eco-Ista & Organic cook?:
My earliest memories are of me in the garden with my grandmother picking rhubarb. From there, a lot of my life has been about the pursuit of good food. I left my career in the corporate travel industry over 20 years ago and haven't looked back. I became a mother and chose to stay home, but never sat still. With an interest in health and healthy eating, I became a certified Holistic Nutrition Educator through training with naturopathic physicians.

What are some of your milestones?:
While working as a volunteer alongside the Southwest's leading chefs, I created the ongoing American Heart Association's, Masterpiece Chef Series and Adventures in Cooking based on heart-healthy guidelines. During my six years associated with the American Heart Association, I co-authored the Kids' Love To Cook Book that is given to every Arizona 5th grade student who visits the Halle Heart Center on school field trips.  Then, while working with RoxSand Scocos, a James Beard Award-winning chef, I had the chance to meet my hero, Alice Waters, owner of the restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. I was so inspired that I became a trained master gardener and spent several years as a volunteer raising money for children's school gardens.

What have you been working on lately? :
My most current endeavor has been studies with a bio-molecular scientist and training in aromatherapy. I believe that what goes in the body should also go on the body.
What is an Eco-ista? — A person who cares where things come from and where they end up; a conscientious consumer living an organic lifestyle.

As eco-istas, we promote green living, sustainability and organic farming methods, making considered choices about the pure ingredients we put into and onto our bodies, the clothes we wear, the cars we drive and the products we use in our homes. We honor the past and embrace the future, ever mindful that our collective power shapes our children, our communities and the beautiful earth.

Do you have a question for Terri ?
Send us an email and we’ll ask Terri to answer some in upcoming weeks.