Kitchen Therapy with Jaree

04/01/2026

This week I’ve been hanging out with the youth at for their Spring Break camp! Kitchen Therapy has been on the menu to bring some mind body awareness with healthy snack creation to end the full days.

Today we made apple “nachos”—always a big hit! Full of fiber to keep us full, healthy fat and natural sugars for a texture and flavor explosion! It wouldn’t be kitchen therapy without some social emotional learning in the mix. Today’s theme was “I deserve good things!”
What good things do you deserve? Drop them in the comments!
🍎

03/30/2026

Today’s breakfast called for warmth & comfort after a chilly start and workout. Started the morning at and our question of the day was “what is your go to breakfast?” Jeanelle said grits so I knew what was calling me to the kitchen! Scrambled some eggs with leftover veggies in the fridge (spinach, sweet peppers, onion & tomato) and served with a warm bowl of grits. Comforting but not heavy. Nourishing to sustain me for the day. Outside of satisfaction, what do you need from your next meal?

03/23/2026

My insights about the therapeutic nature of cooking was included in a recent article from Self magazine. Take a read, enjoy and be inspired to make something good for yourself soon! Grateful to Michelle Beadle Holder for inviting me to share.

Reclaiming cooking requires separating the act from the obligation.

03/15/2026

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I’m honored to share that I’ve been selected as a finalist for the Visionary Social Worker Awards, founded by , in the Creative Arts category.

I’m proud to share my creativity through food, mental wellness and storytelling. I appreciate how many of you have taken this journey alongside me. We’ve got more coming for you!

Voting is open from March 1–15, 2026, and you can vote once per day during that time.

If you’d like to support, you can do so here:
samarastone.com/voting
Grateful to be part of a community that values meaningful, sustained impact.

02/24/2026

3 years ago on this date, I had the pleasure of hosting a self care night at for a special group of therapists and human service workers. We got to practice mindfulness, connect in real life and share a healthy recipe together. This was before was officially Kitchen Therapy with Jaree. All I knew was that cooking and connecting around food had the capacity to feel good and be good for us. Grateful for those who showed up in the name of self care.

We prepared some delicious Buddha bowls with a combination of raw and cooked ingredients with our own homemade dressing, all balanced for optimum gut health. Healthy gut=healthy mind. Looking forward to more healthy connections like this in the future!

02/10/2026

Had a great time doing this interview! Listen in!

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Episode 3 of our School of Thought podcast was just released, featuring part 1 of Meria Carastarphen’s conversation with of about nutrition in schools. Listen on Buzz Sprout or your podcast platform of choice: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2566613/episodes/18646908

02/10/2026

This is what today’s Kitchen Therapy looked like…

Warm.
Comforting.
Intentional.

A coconut miso broth with jasmine rice, baby bok choy, carrots, egg and pan seared turkey cutlets. Topped with chili oil, nori furkake and green onion.

One sip of the broth and I said “we needed this.”🙌🏾

I drove past many fast food places on the commute home but I knew there was something greater ahead for us. Stepping into the kitchen for yourself and your family is truly an act of self care. A meal made with love is priceless. What’s one way cooking can feel less like work and more like care this week?

02/06/2026

Repost from
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School of Thought Episode 3 featuring of drops next week with a fantastic conversation about nutrition in schools. You won’t want to miss it!

02/05/2026

Kitchen Therapy isn’t about perfect meals and social media ready photos. It’s about what happens while we’re cooking.

Nervous system regulation.
Trust.
Listening.
Memories.

Food is the language of care. I recently had the honor of leading a food demo for a group of pregnant and postpartum families. One family present didn’t speak English as their first language but still we understood each other. We smiled and ate together being reminded that food was our shared tongue. 🍽️

What has the kitchen been speaking to you lately? I’ll share my answer in the comments!
❤️

02/04/2026

One sip and core memory unlocked.

Suddenly I wasn’t having boba with my kids but I was the same age as them making strawberry milk in the kitchen with my siblings! Strawberry Nesquik was our jam!😂 nice to be reminded of simpler times.

Food can unlock what our bodies always remember. Grateful for this moment! Kitchen Therapy is all about listening to the stories as they unfold.

What’s one food or flavor that holds nostalgia for you? ❤️

02/01/2026

Found this photo in my memories from 4 years ago and reminded how much prepping meals is self care. It’s like a special gift for future you that says “no worries, I got you!”

No food anxiety, worries of what your next meal will be because it’s already done! As we kick off the week and the month, make something good for yourself with self care in mind. You and your nervous system deserve it! This is .

12/09/2025

Your kitchen can be a playground.

Healing does not always require slowness, silence, or deep emotional work.
Sometimes it begins with something softer:

Trying a new flavor.
Mixing colors on your cutting board.
Letting yourself create without pressure or perfection.

Food can be medicine…
But it can also be art.

Today, give yourself permission to explore, experiment, and enjoy.

🌶️🥬
Kitchen Therapy with Jaree
Where creativity meets nourishment.