Victoria Stein Feltman and Natalya Murakhver are The Stick Of The Week! Victoria and Natalya are in the NOW as founders of Apple to Zucchini, a healthy eating resource for parents and families. Apple to Zucchini focuses on the basics: how to buy, prepare, and enjoy fresh, local, unprocessed foods. The Apple to Zucchini philosophy: Eat Naturally; Live Organically.
Victoria Stein Feltman
Victoria Stein Feltman RD, CDN is a nutritionist who specializes in childhood nutrition. Before going into private practice, Victoria worked at the New York Children's Health Project in the South Bronx, where she counseled kids and adults and taught nutrition education at schools, homeless shelters and community centers. From 2008-2010 Victoria was a frequent contributor to AOL Health and AOL Food, writing about the latest nutrition news and developing healthy meal plans and recipes. Victoria has a BA from Cornell University and a Masters of Science in Nutrition from NYU. Prior to becoming a registered dietitian, Victoria spent four years as a food editor at O, the Oprah magazine, and later worked as a restaurant publicist in New York and Los Angeles. Victoria is an active member of the Academy of Dietetics and Nutrition, Greater New York Dietetic Association, New York State Dietetic Association and New York City Nutrition Education Network.
Natalya Murakhver
Natalya Murakhver has written on food labeling and natural food for Kiwi Magazine, Organic Gardening and others. She served as the co-editor on "They Eat That," a cultural encyclopedia of weird and exotic food from around the world, which was published by Greenwood Press in January 2012. Natalya earned a Masters of Arts in Food Studies from NYU and has studied wine and spirits at the International Wine Center and the American Sommelier Association. Her primary focus for the past 29 months has been her daughter Violet, who inspired her to co-found Apple to Zucchini to help families and educators make natural and healthy food choices.
Tell us about your NOW (Noodle On the Wall)
Apple to Zucchini is a childhood nutrition and healthy eating resource that was inspired by questions and concerns voiced by parents on a first time moms’ listserve. We organize workshops and events for parents and kids on everything from how to be a savvy shopper (hidden ingredients, label reading, GMOs, etc) to why to buy organic milk, meat and dairy. Apple to Zucchini focuses on the basics: how to buy, prepare, and enjoy fresh, local, unprocessed foods.
Is your NOW simmering, al dente or fully cooked and why?
Definitely simmering! We’ve had such a fantastic response from parents--both locally and as far reaching as Ireland--that everything has happened pretty organically up until now. We have so many projects in the works though and a never ending list of ideas. So, it’s just a matter of finding the time to get everything done!
What recipes can you give other Creative Moms Taking On The Creative?
Starting a new business takes energy and time, two things most moms are short on. Here are a few things we’ve learned along the way:
1. Ask for help! Call on friends and family members to lend a hand.
2. Simplify, simplify, simplify. Repeat after us: you are not a short-order cook. Make one meal and encourage everyone to taste it. If your kids don’t like it, have something on hand to offer them in its place. (Leftovers from the night before, perhaps?)
3. Most importantly, make YOU a priority. As moms we often lose our sense of self while trying to take care of kids, pets, husbands and household tasks. Let that to-do list slide and spend an hour working on your business plan. At the same time, try not to spend 100% of your free time on work. Yes, we all need to send emails after our kids go to sleep, but make sure you carve out some time for other pursuits as well. Nothing relieves stress like a 45-minute kickboxing class or a glass of wine with your husband or best friend!
What motivated you to throw your noodle?
We are both moms who are passionate about food, health, sustainability and the interaction of all three. After discovering that our local Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf was serving milk with hormones, we both became incensed. We joined forces to try to make our voices heard and get the company to conform to the same standards as their West Coast locations. What we realized along the way was that there’s a lot of misinformation out there about where our food comes from and what we should be feeding our children. Moms and dads had tons of questions and we felt like A to Z could fill that void.
Apple to Zucchini is a childhood nutrition and healthy eating resource that was inspired by questions and concerns voiced by parents on a first time moms’ listserve. We organize workshops and events for parents and kids on everything from how to be a savvy shopper (hidden ingredients, label reading, GMOs, etc) to why to buy organic milk, meat and dairy. Apple to Zucchini focuses on the basics: how to buy, prepare, and enjoy fresh, local, unprocessed foods.
Is your NOW simmering, al dente or fully cooked and why?
Definitely simmering! We’ve had such a fantastic response from parents--both locally and as far reaching as Ireland--that everything has happened pretty organically up until now. We have so many projects in the works though and a never ending list of ideas. So, it’s just a matter of finding the time to get everything done!
What recipes can you give other Creative Moms Taking On The Creative?
Starting a new business takes energy and time, two things most moms are short on. Here are a few things we’ve learned along the way:
1. Ask for help! Call on friends and family members to lend a hand.
2. Simplify, simplify, simplify. Repeat after us: you are not a short-order cook. Make one meal and encourage everyone to taste it. If your kids don’t like it, have something on hand to offer them in its place. (Leftovers from the night before, perhaps?)
3. Most importantly, make YOU a priority. As moms we often lose our sense of self while trying to take care of kids, pets, husbands and household tasks. Let that to-do list slide and spend an hour working on your business plan. At the same time, try not to spend 100% of your free time on work. Yes, we all need to send emails after our kids go to sleep, but make sure you carve out some time for other pursuits as well. Nothing relieves stress like a 45-minute kickboxing class or a glass of wine with your husband or best friend!
What motivated you to throw your noodle?
We are both moms who are passionate about food, health, sustainability and the interaction of all three. After discovering that our local Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf was serving milk with hormones, we both became incensed. We joined forces to try to make our voices heard and get the company to conform to the same standards as their West Coast locations. What we realized along the way was that there’s a lot of misinformation out there about where our food comes from and what we should be feeding our children. Moms and dads had tons of questions and we felt like A to Z could fill that void.
Violet and George
What inspires you as a Mom and as a creative person?
Violet and George, our 29- and 18-month olds. Like most toddlers, they go through the day constantly discovering new things and sensations. When tapping into our creative sides, we try to think like our pint-size foodies in training.
How do you juggle Mamahood and your NOW?
Every mom we know is a master at multitasking, but one thing we’ve learned along the way is that you are better giving 100% to whatever task is at hand (whether it’s playing legos or returning a phone call) than trying to do five things at once. That said, like most moms, we’re still striving for balance!
Violet and George, our 29- and 18-month olds. Like most toddlers, they go through the day constantly discovering new things and sensations. When tapping into our creative sides, we try to think like our pint-size foodies in training.
How do you juggle Mamahood and your NOW?
Every mom we know is a master at multitasking, but one thing we’ve learned along the way is that you are better giving 100% to whatever task is at hand (whether it’s playing legos or returning a phone call) than trying to do five things at once. That said, like most moms, we’re still striving for balance!
Natalya with daughter, Violet and Victoria with son, George
What is your ultimate pasta dish?
Since we are a family eating resource, we’re going to answer this one literally. One dish both of our kids (and the two of us!) love is whole wheat spaghetti or rice noodles and homemade grass-fed meatballs with fresh tomato sauce.
Since we are a family eating resource, we’re going to answer this one literally. One dish both of our kids (and the two of us!) love is whole wheat spaghetti or rice noodles and homemade grass-fed meatballs with fresh tomato sauce.
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