About Us

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My name is Chef Marlene, I am a single mother of three healthy growing kids.. I was born in Los Angeles, California, moved to Arizona with my mother in grade school. I graduated high school in 2001 and worked straight out of high school. In 2008, I was enrolled at ASU, attempting to receive my Bachelors in Nutrition Science. We received the best news, we were expecting our baby boy! Quickly it became an obsession to provide my child with the best source of nutrition. I began buying organic fruits and vegetables from the local farmers markets. I began reading cookbooks and searching for any sort of nutrition education. I soon found myself making all his foods from scratch. A passion for nutrition developed naturally through the love of nurturing my son. After three beautiful years, my son began school, at Paradise Valley Christian Preparatory.  I found a job for a catering company, as a lunch attendant, which catered the hot lunch program to a private elementary school here in Arizona. That’s when my journey began; I grew closer to the children, especially the children who had food allergies. I worked alongside the school nurse and monitored the students during lunch time. I decided to return to school, but this time for dietetics. In 2020, I completed the culinary arts program at Arizona Culinary Institute, which was my favorite part. I learned how to cook & bake properly, how to properly store food and the importance of allergies. Money management, recipe development and the best part how to serve properly in Du Jour, the school's restaurant. 

As a culinary professional, registered dietetic and experienced mother of three, I teach my children how to handle food with care and prepare healthy meals and how to store food properly. I worked at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in the AYR department, which was the admitted youth residence in the hospital. I worked alongside the chefs, doctors and registered dietitians to provide the best source of nutrition for the sick children. Introducing healthy foods is a very important step in children's development and well-being, studies show that children who are fed nutritious, healthy diets grow into stronger adults and adjust better than those who are fed poor diets. We have an opportunity to teach our children how to make proper choices. 

Join me in raising a healthier generation of children.