welcome, butternuts

Hi there! I’m so stoked that you're here and curious to know more about me and The Little Butternut. TLB was born out of my desire to create a space where I can share my thoughts and passions. A sort of digital diary, if you will. You'll quickly discover that I have a deep love for food, travel, and cultures (shocking, I know) however there will be the occasional rant on other topics such as life events, general opinions, and random hobbies I decide to undertake. My ultimate aim is to inspire joy and spark your curiosity about, well, everything!

who is the little butternut?

The Little Butternut at a pineapple farm on Sao Miguel Island in the Azores.

I little bit about Emilia

I’m a proud Canadian and my family is Italian & French.. mainly. We’re a melting pot.
I speak 4 and a half languages: Italian, French, English, Spanish and a bit of Portuguese
I’ve lived in Canada, Costa Rica, France, Thailand & Portugal.
I’m an only child to a single mom, who is the coolest woman I know
I live with my partner, Billy, who I spend almost all of my time with (yes, on purpose)
We own a house close to Montreal, one of our favorite cities in the world
I’ve had the privilege of visiting 30 countries and counting. The world is amazing!
My absolute favorite hobby is cooking (and eating, duh). Although I could do without having to do dishes. Billy usually does those so, yay me!
I’m a crazy dog lady. But I’m also a cat, bunny, bird, fish, etc. person so all animals are great in my book (except spiders, mosquitoes & jellyfish… NO THANKS).

The Little Butternut drinking a glass of wine at Libatio wine bar in Portugal.

Random facts nobody asked for but I’m telling you anyway

Some other favorite hobbies include but are not limited to gardening, watching movies, going on walks, hanging out with friends & browsing through grocery stores
Shocking fact: I didn’t learn to ride a bike until I was 28 (pause for audible gasp).
Not shocking fact: I don’t play nor do I enjoy playing sports (does walking to the restaurant count as a sport?)
I’ve never eaten a McDonald’s burger. I’ve eaten fries and a McFlurry maybe once in my life. Not trying to be pretentious, it’s just really not my vibe.
Pineapple on pizza is good, fight me.
Harry Potter over Lord of the Rings. Sorry not sorry.
I like to listen to very bad music and am totally ok with it.
Values: seeing the positive side, being kind to others and staying open-minded
Pet peeves: littering and people who suddenly stop in the middle of the sidewalk.

a bit more about me & TLB

Selfie of The Little Butternut in a farm field at sunset.

Hey, you’re still reading! I’m flattered. Let’s get into it then, shall we?

I'm a proud Canadian who was fortunate to grow up in a very internationally-influenced family (mainly Italian & French). I’m an only child of a single mom who is one of my favorite people. She is a loving, independent, and intelligent woman. My entire family is made up of strong women who have taught me everything I know and shown me that being stubborn and determined is not a flaw, but a strength… sometimes.

The travel bug bit me early in life. Although raised in a small country village, I was privileged to spend each summer in Italy with my family. Living in different places like Costa Rica, France, Thailand, and Portugal has allowed me to learn many languages and be immersed in different communities. Discovering new places, being curious, and staying open-minded to different cultures allows me to see the world in a beautiful light. It keeps me humble, grateful, and hopeful for the future.

The Little Butternut and her boyfriend in Slovenia

I live with my partner Billy, with whom I spend about 99% of my time (I’m not exaggerating). Somehow, he’s not sick of me even after almost a decade together. Shocking, I know! I guess you could say we're like two peas in a pod, peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper...you get the idea.

Billy and I met at work and just to calm the the HR police, we worked in different departments so it was all good in the books! We met during our lunch hour and spent the entire time talking about our love for food. I went home that night knowing I had made a friend for life and to my delight, Billy felt the same. And the rest is history folks!

We spend a LOT of our time together in the kitchen and we enjoy every moment of cooking together. We love brainstorming about our future meals, talking about the food we eat at restaurants, and how we could recreate it with our own twists. It’s no surprise to say that cooking and eating together is our main love language.

My favorite thing about cooking is the peace it brings me. As a fairly anxious person, and I know I’m not alone in this, I can easily get stuck in my own head sometimes and cooking slips me right out of that and to a place of fun and pure joy!