Amy Eriksen

Chief Creative at Seed & Saffron

I am Amy, nutritionist, gardener, yogini, mother and mountain-lover living in Ridgway, Colorado. 

I became impassioned with food sometime in my late childhood. My mom was a wonderful, nourishing cook, and my parents tended 2 robust vegetable gardens at home, complete with raspberry bushes, grape vines and crabapple trees. We ate together, played together and were very active with soccer, swimming, skiing and backpacking.

With a Bachelor’s degree in nutrition, I moved to the San Juan Mountains and have worked for over 25 years as a health and wellness educator, and lactation consultant. Physical and emotional nourishment have always been my calling. In college, I was convinced good nutrition would give me an edge as a collegiate swimmer. When I arrived in the mountains, it was about power-packed creations to fuel big adventures.

Along the journey, I experimented with quite a few dietary disciplines, but eventually found my way to true nourishment working with pregnant and postpartum women, becoming a mother myself and having 3 amazing daughters to grow and nourish.

Life and motherhood required an even greater dedication to my own self-care. I took every opportunity for continuing education and experimentation along the bumpy road of health maintenance and motherhood. These experiments were therapeutic and led to a collection of recipes from gluten free to paleo, Ayurvedic to vegan, a moment of Keto and back to including all foods pure, nourishing and delicious. 

Through the inspiration of Ayurveda, I attempt to integrate aromatic seeds, spices, garden herbs and edible flowers in my recipes. And of course, moderation!

Now that my kids are more self-sufficient, my desire for baking and creating beautiful sweets has been fulfilled baking for the local health food store, Lotus Root Kitchen, Kismet Cafe, and collaborating with local private chefs and caterers. While everything I make may not fit under the “healthy” category these days, they are nonetheless, made with mostly clean ingredients, a collaborative attitude, and a lot of love.