About Me – Maya’s Story in Every Spoonful

Welcome to 3to5Ingredients.com, where every recipe starts with less but gives you so much more. I’m Maya—and this isn’t just a food blog. It’s a gentle nudge, a deep breath, a reminder that what you already have is enough to cook something beautiful.

I didn’t grow up with fancy meals or endless pantry options. I grew up in a small, overworked kitchen in Oregon, where love showed up on the plate—sometimes as rice, an egg, and garlic. Simple things that turned into magic when we were hungry, tired, or needed comfort fast. That’s where my story begins, and that’s the heart of everything you’ll find here.

How It Started: Three Ingredients, One Warm Kitchen

The spark behind this site wasn’t a viral moment or a brand strategy. It was a rainy afternoon and three ingredients in my fridge—again. I’d just moved out on my own, worked long hours, and didn’t have time (or energy) to chase perfect recipes. But I still wanted meals that tasted like effort, without all the effort.

From childhood to adulthood, I kept returning to the same lesson: you don’t need much to make something meaningful. That belief shaped not just the way I cook, but the way I live—and eventually, the way I created 3to5Ingredients.com.

From Burnout to the Beginning of Something Real

After college, I was working full-time, juggling commutes, deadlines, bills. Nights were short, the fridge often empty, and my time stretched thin. But I still craved real food—comforting, filling, joyful. I’d open the fridge and see garlic, spinach, pasta. Sweet potatoes, lime, black beans. That’s it. And somehow… it was enough.

I started cooking without pressure. Just three to five ingredients, whatever I had. No measuring cups. No fancy gadgets. Just heart, hunger, and a little rhythm. And you know what? That food was good. Good enough to share. So I did.

That’s where 3to5Ingredients.com began—not with perfection, but with permission. Permission to make it simple. Permission to say: “This is enough.”

Why I Built This: Simplicity That Feels Like Home

3to5Ingredients.com was born out of the exact moments we all live: when your day is packed, your energy is low, but your body and your people still need something warm, something real. You want something you can cook without a second trip to the store. Something you can make while a toddler hangs on your leg. Something that makes you feel like you did enough, even if you had five minutes and four ingredients.

That’s what this space is for: real food, real life, real love—without the overwhelm.

This site is for the overworked, the beginners, the busy, the curious, and everyone in between who just wants a win in the kitchen without a mile-long list of ingredients.

My Mission, My Voice, My Why

This isn’t just a recipe site—it’s a mindset shift.

• My purpose is to show you that great meals can start with three ingredients and still feel like a feast.
• My mission is to bring back confidence in your kitchen, without the chaos.
• My vision is to create a welcoming space for parents, students, beginners, and food lovers who want less stress and more flavor.
• My values are simplicity, creativity, honesty, warmth, and quality.
• My voice is always friendly, always real—like a friend next to you on the counter saying, “You’ve got this.”

But Really—This Is About You

If you’ve ever stood in your kitchen and thought, “I only have four things—what now?”
If you’ve ever scrolled through endless ingredient lists and sighed…
If you’ve ever wished cooking felt doable, not just Pinterest-worthy—
Then this space is for you.

This isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters—with less.

Because sometimes the best meals aren’t the most impressive. They’re the ones that show up for you on your busiest days, with the fewest ingredients and the most comfort.

That’s the kind of cooking I believe in. And that’s what I hope you’ll find here, again and again.

My Favorite Reminders, From My Kitchen to Yours:

“Made with less, loved even more.” – Maya
“3 to 5 ingredients. Endless possibilities.” – Maya
“What you have is already enough. Let’s cook.” – Maya

💌 I’d love to know what brings you to this kitchen space. Was it a recipe? A craving? A busy night? Leave a comment, send a message, or simply bookmark the page for the next time life feels like too much—because cooking shouldn’t be.

And it won’t be. Not here.