The Zen Mommy

A woman embracing and exploring a more balanced life.

June 03, 2021

Photography courtesy of Skyler Creative.

Have you ever met someone and had that instant connection? I met Jessica Gershman a few years ago and have loved everything she is doing with her life personally and professionally. She is one of those forces you need to know…I mean really need to know. She is that woman who you surround yourself with in order to make your life a little better.

We’ve teamed up with her to share some of her amazing content on our site and encourage you to take a breath and head over to her site JessicaNicole.love to learn about how she is trying to become your friend, someone who leads you to a clearer mind and how she works daily to be the Zen Mommy.

We caught up with her recently for a sit-down to find out just a little bit more about this wonder woman.

Edible Indy: Why did you started JessicaNicole.love and The Zen Mommy?

JG: I had a private yoga studio in my home since 2014 where I trained one on one clients (mostly women). When the world ended in 2020, I was no longer able to operate my in-home business. I wanted to put together all the skills that have helped me over the years achieve a life of happiness and fulfillment. It all started with yoga as the main prescription and everything else is generated under this idea of mindfulness. I love to teach cooking because it is something we all have to do but rarely enjoy. Food was such a big part of my life both in suffering (I had an eating disorder) and joy in nourishing myself and my family.

EI: What was your “Aha” moment that made you recognize you needed more?

JG: My “Aha” moment happened when I realized the women I saw in my studio for an hour -- t would often have that hour as their only “self care”. They would leave feeling amazing only to hit a wall in real life. We as women are constant nurturers and the job of “mom” never has any off hours.We tend to take a martyr stance when it comes to self care which isn’t enough. I want to give other women the tools to create a more joyful life anytime and anywhere.

EI: What do you think about daily with your lifestyle and family?

JG: My husband would say I neurotically think about food; planning, shopping for it and eating it; but all jokes aside feeding a family is a full time job. I love researching new recipes and trying out new spices and flavors. My kiddos have fairly well developed palates. Also, movement in life is key. I love moving my body every day; whether it is taking a yoga class, walking my doberman, or hitting the Peloton!

EI: Speaking of cooking…Do you have a favorite cookbook?

JG: My favorite cookbook is probably anything from Danielle Walker; she focuses on whole foods and nutritious easy to follow recipes. I also get inspiration from NYTimes cooking and love to re-create their recipes to adhere to our gluten and dairy free lifestyle.

EI: What is mindfulness to you?

JG: Mindfulness is really about being in the present moment, no matter what comes up. Yoga has taught me so much acceptance and self love which allowed me to work on being more present. So often we are stuck in the past or worried about something that hasn’t yet happened. With yoga and mindful breathing, we are invited to be here in body and mind. I really try to stay present and do the task at hand; when I cook, I cook. When I eat, I am present. This is much easier said than done but I have found simple breath techniques can help me break out of my anxiety or stress and be in that moment. I am much more resilient to the every day ups and downs as well as big moment stresses.

EI: You are a lover of wine. Tell us more about this part of your life and the clean wine you drink.

JG: I have been a wine collector for over a decade and it runs in the family (my dad is a level 2 sommelier). However, over the past year or two every time I would indulge in more than a glass of wine, I found myself literally wrecked for two days. I started doing some research and discovered conventional domestic wine is allowed to put so many chemical preservatives and additives that are literally making us sick. I have discovered a 100% clean crafted organic wine that I love so much I recently started selling it. Scout and Cellar make a clean commitment and works with boutique growers all over the globe to make incredibly clean and beautiful tasting wine.

EI: What are your summer recommendations for wine?

2020 Dove Hunt Dog Sauvignon Blanc is one of my favorites. We all need a crisp white for the warmer months -- this one is super light and not sweet --I think is a perfect palate for summer barbecues or laying out by the pool.

2020 Veinte Pinot Noir. Chile is really an undervalued region -- their growing conditions and terroir are similar to that of Napa and many or the major wine producers have land in Chile -- I absolutely love the wines coming out of this county! This is a great light red to go with burgers or anything you can put on the grill or a yummy charcuterie board that often replaces dinner on a warm summer night.

Check out Jessica’s tips on decanting wine in her this video.

EI: Do you have any favorite Recipes?

JG: In my blog, I mention I do not bake. The only thing I will bake is carrot cake (which I bake for all special occasions, birthdays and anniversaries) I was most proud in my ability to recreate a devine carrot cake recipe eliminating refined sugars and oil and increasing nutrition without sacrificing taste. It is still a birthday favorite and now I feel even better making it for the kids.

EI: Failures… we all have them in the kitchen- tell us one of yours!

JG:Yep, all the time. Cooking is like life and it doesn’t come without triumphs and epic fails. Short of actually setting the kitchen on fire I have ruined just about everything; overcooked, burned, over-salted, etc. The best story is on our anniversary and I was making paella and I poured myself a glass of wine and then proceeded to hand my husband his except I hit the glass on the bottom of the pendant light -- wine and glass shattered everywhere from our kitchen to the living room and beyond. My first instinct was to pull the paella out of the oven so I didn’t ruin it -- but after spending over an hour cleaning up the millions of pieces of glass shards and wiping the wine off the walls and ceiling -- our paella was just plain mushy and overcooked. We had a good laugh about that one and I realized how human we all are and how mindful I was in the moment.

You can check out her become a member, access her blog, recipes and wine at JessicaNicole.love and look for ongoing content on EdibleIndy.com. Follow her on social at @the_zen_mommy