AUTISM NEWS
UNIQUE SPICE BUSINESS
Inspires Jobs for People with Special Needs
L
ike many unique small businesses, the Zen of
Slow Cooking, which creates gourmet slow
cooker spice blends, began to solve a problem.
How does a busy mother of three juggle sched-
ules, commitments, and homework, yet still
serve a delicious, healthy dinner every night? Espe-
cially when one child has special needs and requires
extra TLC?
For Meg Barnhart of Lake Forest, Illinois, the answer
was surprisingly simple: start using a slow cooker, as
suggested by a friend. The impact on her family was
immediate:
“I would do my food prep while the kids were at
school, so I was free to spend time with them in the
afternoon. Afternoons were no longer chaotic. And
the house was filled with wonderful aromas that
calmed and grounded everyone, including me.”
As the recipes kept coming and her family continued
to benefit, Barnhart realized she was on to some-
thing. So in 2012, she partnered with Jane McKay, a
young mom with a background in food science and
recipe development. Then, the Zen of Slow Cooking
food blog was born, and what started as a recipe/
lifestyle blog quickly grew into a promising business.
Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 71 |
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