Meet the Divas

Stacey (2005-present)
I live in Palouse, WA--a picturesque farming community. I have been married for seven years and have two adorable kids-- Dane and River, both under five.  I love being a wife and mom!  My decorating style is nature meets farmhouse.  My hobbies are: getting together once a month with The Dining Divas, book club, gardening on our acreage, going to thrift stores and junking with my mom and sisters, trying out new recipes and cooking gourmet meals for my family, entertaining family and friends and traveling whenever the opportunity comes up.









Lovina (2005-present)
I grew up in a small town in Oregon where I lived in a trailer and yearned to know what existed outside of the realms of my family, church, and school friends. So I spread my wings and moved to Reno where I learned about booze, driving on freeways and restaurant life. I am a self-professed social butterfly…and what do social people love to do more than talk? EAT! I was born to be in a monthly cooking club! So how did I find this group of fabulous women? My career path led me to work on a master’s degree in Rangeland Ecology at UI. After torturing my psyche with the grueling rigors of school, I acquired a job doing outreach for the University. To add to all my adventures, I have become mother to Sienna and have spent the last five years cooking, laughing, and sharing with some of the most fantastic women I could surround myself with.



Ashley (2005-present)
I have always had a love of good food, which was quite abundant in my years growing up in NJ. I graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. in Equine Science. My husband, Fritz, and I moved to Moscow, ID in 2000 when Fritz accepted a teaching position at the University of Idaho. I teach riding lessons and train horses at our 10-acre Shady Grove Farm.  I am also working on a Masters in Sport Psychology. I am mom to Gretchen. Since moving to Idaho, I have learned how to preserve the bounty of our farm and I have been knitting since New Year's Day of 2006.

Erin (2005-Present)
I grew up with my mom in rural Idaho town, population 300, and my dad in various overseas capital cities—Seoul, Oslo, Manila. During this time, I experienced a wide variety of foods—from my fried SPAM to kimchi and bulgogi—and have always appreciated and looked forward to experiencing most of what the culinary world has to offer. I now live in Moscow with my husband, Greg, and daughter, Gracie. We boat, hike, read, travel and love being with friends and family. In addition to my work at a local non-profit, I continue to work towards my goal of writing a publishable children’s book. When approached about joining Divas, I thought that it would be a perfect opportunity to not only spend time with amazing women but also hone my cooking skills. I have been correct on both accounts.


Mariah (2005-Present)
I live in Riggins Idaho, a lovely little town neatly nestled in the Salmon River Canyon, with my husband Steven and beautiful son Gage Michael, who I am so excited to share my love for cooking with!  I enjoy running by the river, basking in the hot summer sun, teaching and practicing yoga, knitting and especially cooking!  Each evening my mini vacation is to pour a nice big glass of red wine and head for the kitchen to play!  For me cooking signifies the love I have for my family and friends; through the meals that I create I offer anyone who sits at my table a piece of my heart.  Being a part of the Dining Divas has helped me evolve as a cook and as a person, this truly is the most incredible group of women I have ever known!




Aven (2007-Present)
I've been living in Moscow for almost seven years and enjoy hiking and biking on the scenic Palouse and cooking and baking with local ingredients.  My husband Isaak and I are currently doing some major remodeling on the home we moved into two years ago.  It's really exciting to design your own kitchen!  I've cooked in a lot of different places from a tiny studio apartment with just a toaster oven and hot plate to a campstove in a Volkswagon van to the commercial kitchen and bakery at the Moscow Food Co-op.  I'm so glad to have the opportunity now to cook and bake often and share that food with great friends.







Colleen (2007-Present)
I love food. I love to talk about it, hear about it, prepare it, and most of all eat it! I moved to the Palouse in 2005 with my husband, Alex. About a year and a half after my arrival, I began to hear stories of the amazing food inspired adventures of the Divas. I thought to myself, "How do I get into that group!?!" When presented with the opportunity to become a second generation diva, I jumped. Who wouldn't want to spend one Sunday a month with great women who also adore fantastic food? In addition to food, I love dancing, singing karaoke, spending time outdoors (especially near water), and good company. I treat everything in life as an adventure. Summer is my favorite season.




Mary Ellen (2011-Present)
I have lived in Moscow for 4 years and love this community!  I grew up in South Dakota and have lived in Denmark, Scotland, Minneapolis and Japan before coming to Idaho. I love to bake, which stems from my adoration of all things sweet. I am really interested in tea and love everything about the ceremonies, the beautiful cups and teapots, the aroma of the tea and the warmth of it in your hands. I work at the University of Idaho in international student recruitment and enjoy my job a lot. My fantastic husband, Andrew, works at the University of Idaho as well and we have a beautiful daughter, Mabel, born in October 2010 who keeps us on our toes! 


Sara (2005-2011)
I am a self-proclaimed foodie who likes to try new things and cannot follow a recipe line for line to save the planet. While I have had many mishaps in the kitchen my technique has also derived many delicious accidents.  I have an MS in Rangeland Ecology and work as the restoration project manager for the Watersheds program at PCEI. My husband, Ellis, is a Landscape Architect, and our amazing daughter, Camas, keeps us busy. We have an eclectic home with our little girl and 4-leggers, Henna, Jaeger and G.G. When my niece, Olivia, comes to visit we always try to create something in the kitchen.


Tamara (2005-2011)
While I'm more of a baker (and I’m lucky enough to have a wonderful husband who is a fabulous cook) I've been fortunate enough to be a Dining Diva, try my hand at new recipes and challenge myself in the kitchen.  I'm originally from Philadelphia but prefer life on the west coast where I am Visiting Professor of Ecology at Pacific Lutheran University.  I've been married since 2002 to my Scottish husband, Jason, and I am Momma to the wonderfully cheeky Cai and scrumptious baby Zev.  I am a voracious reader and enjoy getting out in the garden.  I am sad I don't get to spend time with my ladies every month now that we live on the west side but I continue to update the blog and I'm thrilled that there is still a seat for me at the table whenever I can make the journey over the mountains.


Bonnie (2008-2010)






















Nicole (2005-2008)
As a founding part of the dining divas, I look forward to starting a new chapter in Vancouver. I grew up on the Palouse in a family of amazing cooks. I started finding my own love for cooking after marring my fabulous husband. Becoming a member of the Divas was exactly what I needed to further my love for cooking and make amazing life time friends! Although I have a degree in Elementary Ed. and taught third & fourth grade for three years, my true passion is my family. I am a full-time mom to my two amazing boys, Garret and Mason. My love to spending time with my family, cooking, camping, and traveling- especially to the ocean and boating/swimming at our family lake homes.





Michelle (2005-2007)
I lived in Moscow for 6 years where I enjoyed the friendly community and a great group of friends.  I recently moved with my boyfriend to Olympia, WA to be closer to my sister and nephews.  In Olympia I am taking classes for a nursing degree, working part-time and cooking and baking whenever I can.  I love gardening, picking fruit, canning, reading, knitting, hiking and biking.  Recently I've begun to brew my own wild-yeasted wine and mead and am looking forward to beer-making too.  And hopefully, someday soon I will start my own chapter of Dining Divas here in Olympia.









Tiffany (2005-2007)
I am one of the founding diva members back in 2005. I have a passion for where food is grown and teaching folks about it!  From a small hobby gardener to farmer and baker, I love food in every form. In 2007 my husband and I moved from Moscow to Santa Barbara and I missed the divas so much, I decided to attend culinary school at the Culinary School of the Rockies (Oct 2009) in Boulder, CO. As the CSA manager at Isabelle Farm and chef, I enjoy seasonal and local, organic produce to delight the palate. Come join me on the farm for great summer dinners! I join the divas (at least) once a year for a great meal and to catch up.  I have the best sous chef ever, Eric, my hubby, who helps preserve all the fruits of our labor at home and is a fabulous pizza maker!