I’m Heather!

Hi, my name is Heather! I love to make things, often food, and always gluten-free!  

She made it. She might. And how it all began.

Creativity has been a part of my life since I can remember. Cleaning my childhood bedroom was more like an extreme home makeover event. If I were going to dust and vacuum, then every knickknack and piece of furniture should get a new spot. My ultimate reward then and still today? Climbing atop a freshly made bed to read as if I was on vacation in my new space.

During my teen years, inventing summer lunches and creative snacks for my younger brother, Ben, became my favorite pastime. At some point in the 80s, he awarded me my first and only food award, Best Macaroni and Cheese Ever! Therefore, I’d like to thank Land-O-Lakes for their processed American cheese loaf, butter, milk, and a very hungry 6-year-old as my original inspiration for recipe creation.

In the years to follow, my working mom paid me to plan and create dinners for our family. Without Pinterest and Google for resources, I dove into church cookbooks and my mom’s recipe box. My passion for the whole process, from search to creation, was ignited and became part of how I give and find joy to this day.

My education and experience.

I graduated from Bethel University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education. Next, I was lucky enough to take my first teaching job on a team with four experienced teachers, which immersed me in hands-on learning that influenced more of where I am today than they’ll ever know. This team of women taught me how to apply the education and research I loved about brains, learning, and development to actual humans raising hands in front of me. And coincidently, they also taught me to love wine, good food, and how not to take myself quite so seriously!

After teaching first graders for seven years, I transitioned from creating reading lessons and writing centers to designing dinner parties and cooking lessons.

They really are so similar! Now, as a personal chef and food writer, I enjoy:

  • Hosting parties and celebrations of all shapes and sizes. I especially love to sneak out the back door to support a client or friend!
  • Teaching cooking classes to individuals of any age.
  • Consulting and helping support individuals and families by planning, prepping, and preparing weekly meals as a personal chef.
  • Creating recipes and writing about foodspacesDIY, and entertaining.
  • Writing for others – skip to the bottom to see what else I’ve written on the world wide web.

She made it gluten-free.

Like many things in life, my story with food has evolved over the years. These three faces above have led the way for me. My older daughter’s health conditions as a toddler led me to see more clearly the ways I’d also been chronically suffering for years. Learning together how food makes us feel has been a life-altering journey for our whole family.

Because I have Celiac disease, we have to be conscientious about gluten and maintain a gluten-free kitchen at home. While no other foods are completely off-limits, we especially love celebrating the seasons, from vegetables to desserts, which we can always make gluten-free!

She made it. She might. And what about you?

Last but not least, for the curious collectors of food and recipes, sign up for my occasional newsletter where I will share the latest experiments SHE made and loved, what SHE might make, and the truth on what SHE won’t bother making twice. And because I learn so much from your stories, please share. I’d love to hear from you! And if you make a recipe, tag #shemadeit (insert your preferred pronoun) or mention @heatherbursch so I can admire your work!

Here’s to making the best kind of messes, which of course, are the ones you can eat.

~Heather

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