The Woman Behind The Magic: An Interview with Alyssa from Mana in Our Foods

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

We are so excited to welcome a new local producer to our market - Mana in our Foods. We share a goal of making cooking healthy meals easy for everyone. Mana has become my go-to for lunch and has saved me from many 'hangry' afternoons!

"Mana" is the Hawaiian word that means the spirit and essence of something. It's the stuff that magic is made of. And there is truly “Mana" in every meal that owner Alyssa creates!

Like most of us these days, Alyssa wears many hats - small business owner, mom, wife, daughter, magic-maker - and she does it with a grace that inspires us all to put a little “Mana” in our daily life. Get to know this magic-maker...

G&G: What was the inspiration behind Mana?

Alyssa: My family inspired Mana. Between a farmer husband who was bringing home bushels of eggplant that I had to magically turn into dinner, a sister having a baby on another continent that I wanted to send dinners, and little hooligans who needed healthy and yummy food, Mana meal kits were born. I needed a blank slate for conjuring up fun dinners when I felt creative and a completely put-together dinner that I could just add veggies to (can anyone say eggplant??) when I was feeling the crazies of every day life.

G&G: What is it like to be a small business owner?

Alyssa: As small business owners, Dad and I do everything - invoicing, book keeping, creating the meal kits, running farmers markets, everything. It's challenging, but it also makes it very personal - we truly put our hearts into all aspects of our business. And we are also intimately aware that we couldn't run a small business without our village - part time employees, graphic designer, parents, in-laws, family, friends, customers - everyone pitches in to some aspect of our lives so that we can make our company work.

G&G: What’s the best part of your job?

Alyssa: Hmmmm... Can I have a few? I love cooking - if I had millions of dollars and could do anything in the entire world, I would still be cooking. What makes the business side of our little company so worthwhile is our customers - both Dad and I thrive on interacting with all our peeps at the farmers markets and online - we really feel like part of their families. And, finally (although this is the abbreviated version), I love that my whole family is involved in my job and my passions.

G&G: We love that whole family is involved too! Tell us more about how you family members contribute to Mana.

Alyssa: Family Business. My entire inspiration for this company is my family - our lifestyle fully dictates everything about what I do; the rhythm for the day is set by three very active kiddies which, in turn, creates the recipes that I'm inspired to attempt, which often become Mana meal kits.

My Wild Man (hubs): He supports and holds space for all my creative endeavors - even the ones that flop. He's constantly running errands, loading up my van, corralling our 2-legged creatures.

My Dad: I pulled my Dad out of retirement to run my company - he's so good at figuring out how to take all of my thoughts and filter them down into a cohesive business plan.

My Mom: She runs the Atlanta farmers markets with Dad - they're like two kids - they have crazy energy and so much heart!

My Kids: My 7-year old daughter can do everything - she's not afraid to jump into a recipe (or create her own), run a farmers market booth for me (the other day she gently nudged me out of the booth to do some shopping so she could "take care of things" - and she made two sales while I was gone!)

My In-laws: They watch my littlest ones while I'm working, they make me dinner when they know I'm running behind, they fill in all the gaps.

My Grandmother: My 92-year old grandmother insists on stamping our paper market bags with our logo.

G&G: What inspires your recipes?

Alyssa: Most of my recipes are inspired by the farmers market finds. I can't help but make something when I see the colors, and feel the textures, and smell the scents - it just bubbles up.

G&G: What can you not live without in the kitchen?

Alyssa: A sharp knife. And I've often wondered how far I would get if I had all day with no distractions - I go a little lala with all the kids and their friends underfoot, but I think their constant energy and vibrance gets infused into my cooking.

G&G: What advice would you give to a home cook?

Alyssa: I am a home cook! For me, I'm most inspired by good ingredients - so going to the farmers market, having a garden, finding good spices, those are all things that keep me excited about cooking.

G&G: What’s your favorite mana product & why?

Alyssa: I get asked this alot at markets. And I always have a different answer - all of my products were made for different moods and to highlight the season's best produce. So, today, my favorite Mana meal is Coconut Lentil Curry because I'm excited about going camping on the beach this summer. And last summer, the Curry was perfect for dinner with dressed greens and some chopped green onions and tomatoes and jalapenos. And the next morning for breakfast, it was wonderful with some sauteed greens and a fried egg. It's made in one pot - doesn't get any easier than that! And, yes, I'm that weirdo person who brings a cast iron skillet and small dutch oven camping - I can't help it - all that fresh air makes me want fresh food.

G&G: Why do you think its important for folks to cook at home?

Alyssa: Family and community. Whether you have a lot of hooligans who are driving you crazy and your best time for connecting is around the dinner table, or you're single and cooking means everyone is over at your place, or you are sitting down to a quiet dinner enjoying your own company as you say gratitude for all the life, work, and love that goes into your food - cooking at home can truly center and ground you in an otherwise hectic world. Cooking provides the opportunity to connect... on so many levels.