Hi there, I’m Emily Hartwell, and I suppose you could say my story is a little bit like cottage cheese itself—a little unexpected, a little old-fashioned, but oh so comforting once you get to know it.
I was born in a rainy little village just outside Bristol in the UK, but my family moved across the Atlantic when I was three. Wyoming has been home ever since. The wide skies, open fields, and long, quiet winters gave me a rhythm that finds its way into my cooking even now. I live just outside of Casper with my husband Mark, our two beautiful whirlwinds—Sophie (9) and Ben (6)—and a fridge that is almost always stocked with at least three kinds of cottage cheese.
Cooking, for me, didn’t come from fancy schools or TV shows. It came from necessity, curiosity, and a deep love of feeding people. I started with clumsy grilled cheese sandwiches in high school and slowly graduated to stews and bakes that could warm your bones. It wasn’t until my thirties, juggling motherhood and the desire to eat a little healthier, that I discovered the humble power of cottage cheese. High in protein, creamy without the guilt, and endlessly adaptable—it became the quiet hero of my kitchen.
I began experimenting. A spoonful in scrambled eggs for extra fluff. Blended into pancake batter. Swirled through pasta sauce. And oh, the desserts! Once I made a cottage cheese chocolate mousse that even fooled my kids into thinking it was indulgent. That was a small triumph I won’t soon forget.
My kitchen isn’t fancy. Most days it’s cluttered with lunchboxes, homework, and little sticky fingerprints. But it’s also the place where I feel most myself. I started my blog to share simple, cottage-cheese-forward recipes with other women who, like me, are navigating the beautiful chaos of family life while trying to put nourishing food on the table. If I can make it, you can too. Truly.
There have been flops, of course. Like the time I tried to make a cottage cheese souffle and ended up with a sad puddle in a ramekin. But every misstep has taught me something new—about patience, persistence, and the joy of imperfection.
So welcome to my kitchen. Let’s cook, laugh, and maybe even fall in love with cottage cheese together.