About

Welcome to my online kitchen!

My name is Monica, and this is where I share approachable, realistic recipes, mostly for dinner, made with fresh ingredients, and done in 30 minutes or less. Whether you are new or have been here awhile, I’m so happy you’re here. Come to the table!

I’ve been creating, photographing, and sharing recipes for more than 10 years, always with the busy family like my own in mind. I know how the days are, but I also know how good it feels to have dinner under control. I believe:

Dinner can be delicious without taking all day.
You can use “mostly ingredients” without losing your mind.
Pizza night is sacred.
Gathering family and friends around a shared table means everything!

As a self-taught home cook who knows the real-life struggles of making dinner happen each night, I’m fiercely committed to providing well-tested recipes and practical tips. When you see a recipe here, you can feel confident that I’ve tested and retested it in my own kitchen. Nothing artificial, ever, and I’ve photographed every recipe on this blog myself.

Some Of My Faves

Main Dish

Pulled BBQ Chicken Bowls

30 Minute Meals

Sesame Cashew Chicken

Fish & Seafood

Teriyaki Salmon

30 Minute Meals

Ultra Fast Pesto Ravioli

My Story

Nourish and Fete began as a personal blog in 2016. We were on a three-year assignment in Belgium, and I was a new mom working hard from home to complete an accelerated masters degree. I started a general blog as a creative outlet; I had no ambition or idea that it would grow into my full-time job.

However, I’d loved to bake since my college days, and taught myself to cook when I became first a step-Mom. Feeding these fantastic kids was the first thing I knew to offer—I definitely brought a big box of chocolate chip cookies to a soccer game in hopes of winning over my now step-kids the first time we met—and I learned there’s nothing quite like the joy of making something that someone you love, loves to eat.

I’m a devotee of family dinners and credit many old school food blogs with inspiring me in those early days, so it’s no surprise that my personal blog slowly began to focus on recipes. Fast forward 10+ years, and we’re not only laser-focused on food, but it’s replaced my 9-to-5 and keeps the lights on at home.

Expertise & Fun Facts

My photographs and recipes have been featured in Allrecipes, The Pioneer Woman, Cosmopolitan, CountryLiving, BuzzFeed, Brit&Co, Kitchn, Parade, and more.
My debut cookbook was published in 2025. The greatest compliment is when friends tell me: “this is the cookbook I actually use for real life.”
In a past life, I worked as a CIA counterterrorism analyst for more than a decade. I loved the mission and only left because I craved more flexibility for my family life. You might be surprised how relevant an analytical mindset can be for running your own food blog and small business!
I have a bachelor’s degree in International Politics from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in Organizational Psychology from William James College.

I am a fitness enthusiast, a NASM-certified personal trainer, and teach group fitness classes for fun a few times per week.
I earned a certificate in Nutrition Studies from Cornell University and am a Precision Nutrition-certified nutrition coach. I believe the food we consume is incredibly important to our overall wellness, but I don’t follow any single diet and make room for “all things in moderation.”
I was born in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and now live in northern Virginia with my husband, son, daughter, and dog.
My kids’ activities—soccer, swim, piano, and gymnastics—keep me busy and I’d have it no other way. I share 30-minute meals because that’s what we need, too, and yes, we really do schedule everything around family dinner!
Of all these jobs, without a doubt, being a Mom is the best one I have ever had.

Podcast Interviews

Eat Blog Talk (August 21, 2019) Episode 20: Overcoming Perfectionism with Monica Lensink
Amidst the Chaos (June 1, 2021) Episode 20: Developing Recipes the Entire Family Will Enjoy
Dishing Podcast (June 16, 2021) Episode: Monica Lensink – Nourish and Fete

I love chatting about all things food, fitness, business, motherhood, and the chaotic mix of them all. Please direct all podcast inquiries to me directly at monica [at] nourish and fete [dot] com.

Brand Collaborations

I have worked with brands such as Albertsons, ButcherBox, Mann’s, Target, Zoup!, and more. I am available for select freelance work in recipe development and photography.

Photo Use Policy

You are welcome to use one image from any post on nourish-and-fete.com in a recipe roundup or other promotional web content as long as you provide a link back to the original post and provide explicit photo credit to “Monica Lensink” or “Nourish and Fete” as the original content creator.

Other content use, including the republishing of full recipes, is not permitted without express written agreement. Please contact me for licensing requests or other inquiries.

All content is copyright Nourish and Fete.