Our Story. Inspiration. Family. Friends. Food. Love.
I am a mother of four sweet, beautiful children (Lilliana, Lucas, Julian and Benny) and a wife to a kind, loving husband, Michael. They are the inspiration behind everything that I do and the reason behind each day. They are the most beautiful gift in the whole word, besides my amazing parents who are truly the best people that I have ever known.
This blog and this business is dedicated to our sweet, baby Julian who was born on November 8, 2010 and left us nine weeks later. Julian suffered from SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy), a genetic illness. We love him and miss him every day and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about his soft skin and those big, beautiful eyes looking up at me! He was a gift.
I’ll be honest. Cooking has always been therapeutic to me. My family is made of truly amazing chefs and since I was a child, I was surrounded by delicious food and family. Being able to talk about food and share my passion for cooking helped me find a sense of direction after Julian died. I had the amazing opportunity to teach others, specifically kids, how to cook real, healthy food with love and passion and make it taste good. During our cooking camps, the kids eat family style. They enjoy all their hard work, they laugh, they talk to other kids and they eat and enjoy food they never thought they would enjoy. That warms my heart. We are helping shape their lives, their experience with food.
This blog is my opportunity to express my love and passion for food and life to all of you. Since starting this blog in the Summer of 2011, Food Jules has been blessed with so many opportunities from selling our homemade goodies at our local farmers market, to teaching cooking classes and hosting workshops at local, charitable events. Most of all, it has given me the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful adults and children and sharing Julian’s story. He has touched so many lives in so many different ways and for that I am thankful.
Inspiring children and their families to eat nutritious, delicious homemade meals with their families and friends is something that I can do and hopefully it will create lifelong health, wellness and happiness. I hope this blog will inspire many of you to enjoy life and food and live each day as a gift because it is truly a gift.
Feel free to leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you. Welcome!
foodjules.com 
I must also mention, this post touched my heart dearly. I adore children and love to hear about happy families participating with their children in family activities. Gardening with your kids sounds so wonderful, you sound like a great mommy. I also am sorry for your loss, no one should ever have to go through the loss of a child… You and your family are in my prays (excuse me if you are not religious, but remember its the thought that counts!) and I wish you and your family tons of happy times to come!
Hello! I am a close friend of Chantal Salomoni. I wanted to tell you how very sorry I am for the loss of your son and how much I am enjoying your blog. I am very inspired by your dedication to growing and eating healthy, organic foods for you and your family, and sharing your ideas and experiences with others!
thank you.
Am so sorry to hear your loss. hope your passion for cooking will find appreciation in this blogging world. We both share a passion for food. Your dedication to grow everything organic is inspiring!
Hello, Jules….
You can call me Nanna Bee….I am so touch by ur courage to share ur sufferrings with others….It takes a strong person and family to not hide the hurt and let the enemy turn it into shame…U r amazing. I so know ur pain, My family to has suffered loss and the pain of not being able to make things better for all. We had to just trust that there is a bigger plan than what we can see sometimes. We lost my mom 21/2 years ago and My son lost cusdidy of his children and my husband and I both lost our jobs due to health reasons.. But I know things r getting better….one day at a time with our family and friends to help and encourage us…I know God has a plan for u and me…..I hope all blessings and encouragement to u and ur s….
Hi again, Jules ….
I wanted to let u know that I too have read the book where is God when it hurts…Also another good book….The gift of pain by Dr. Paul Brand….It is amazing…I hope u can find it , Amazon has used books on their site…Blessings agian….High hopess!!!!!!Nanna Bee
Hey Jules
I was reading another blog, when I came across your words about losing your baby. I was born on 18 January, so losing your child a day later, many years later, touched my heart. I have known loss myself.
We lost my brother’s daughter aged 6 through a freak accident after the world literally came to a standstill to pray for her healing. I loved her as if she was my own. She had two brothers. There are not any words that can be said that can take away the pain and 5 years on we still mourn our loss. I had to start with Christianity 101 again. Here were some of my thoughts that I thought might be a blessing to you – the things that I do know and those that I don’t know after this tragedy. http://mustardseedtree.blogspot.com/2007/03/i-dont-understand.html. There are some more posts about the loss of Ilne as well. I read somewhere that there are words for children losing parents – orphans and words for spouse losing each other, widow(er), but it is such a terrible thing for a parent to lose a child that there is no word for it.
I also read Yancey’s books, but the only book that made some sense to me was “A grace disguised – How the soul grows through loss”. Jerry Sittser lost his wife, his daughter and his mom in one accident. He doesn’t try and give you answers, but he does give you perspective. It did not take my pain away, but it helped me understand it better.
With time, the aching becomes less and you can find the joy in the little things again, but what I’ve learnt is that people grieve differently and you will start feeling better when you do. There’s no timeframe to that. My brother that lost his little girl, basically said that one needs to give oneself enough time to become better, as it is emotionally what it would feel like if your arm got ripped off physically. If someone loses an arm we give them time to heal, rest and be rehabilitated. The same goes for emotional devastation. What I also know is that marriages suffers greatly afterwards as spouses handle grief differently.
I will say a prayer for you Jules. And for your children and your marriage. May God Himself wrap you up under His wings. May you experiences His pure love for you and your family and may you know that your little boy is safe, without pain with Jesus and you will see him again. Here is a video of a little boy that was in a coma and visited heaven. It gives me hope. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46wQ9tm-Ewo.
Shalom.
Thank you for your kinds words.
Hello Liz, love what you are doing. Your new baby is beautiful. hug and kisses to you all Susy
Thanks, Susy. Hope you guys are doing well too!