From Scratch With Maria app for iPhone and iPad

Where the Midwest meets the West Coast...I love creating things and feeding people! Baking is my absolute favorite thing. I am self-taught… and mom-taught. My creative inspiration was stirred up at a young age by the most creative, organized, detail-oriented person… my mom. I grew up making crafts and cooking/baking EVERYTHING from scratch. We always had homemade pasta sauce, jelly, and baked goods on hand. Homemade things make me very happy!I became very health focused in college… I know it seems funny paired with baking, but it transitioned my thought process into what I am actually using when I am cooking/baking. The most important thing to me is REAL FOOD. Real ingredients that are not made in a lab. Organic and sustainable are key!Being active in any way, shape, or form is a huge part of my life. My favorite forms of exercise are yoga, Pilates, and hikes with my husband when the weather is nice here in Southern California.Beauty is 100% how you feel. I strive to make people’s lives more beautiful… it may be in hair and make-up (as part of my career), fitness, entertaining, or creating beautiful food.I started this blog as a creative outlet for all of the things I find interesting and continue to learn about. Mid West Coast sums up how I live my life. I like to merge the comfort and honesty of the Mid West with the bright and electrifying West Coast. Mid West Coast Living mean to create a beautiful life with your own two hands… It belongs to you and no one else… do the things you love… back to basics with things that are real.I am proud to say I was born and raised in the beautiful state of Pure Michigan. I graduated with a BA in Theatre from The Florida State University…Go Noles! After college, I moved to Los Angeles where I earned a certification in pilates and a license in cosmetology, while working as an actress.My parents always taught me to make the small things in life memorable and special. At my core, I believe that everything is better when it’s homemade, family is the most important thing, and you have the right to take amazing care of yourself.