About

The Good Food Factory was created in 2007 when Amanda decided that someone needed to make healthy food fun for kids. Originally started as a TV show, The Good Food Factory has grown to include classes, lectures, parties and has plans for lots more. This site is all about us, but this page is about Amanda. Somewhere, she’s blushing.

Amanda was born and raised in Meadville, PA, a small town where kids were able to ride their bikes to school, set up lemonade stands and talk to strangers.  Her childhood was a happy blending of starting detective agencies, writing neighborhood newspapers, hosting science fairs and learning how to cook blueberry muffins.  Amanda enjoyed the outdoors and bought a video camera when she was twelve so she could start making short movies, with her first one entitled “My Backyard”.

She flourished in the community theatre, playing every role she could. At 17 Amanda was quoted in her hometown newspaper as stating her dream job was “to work on Sesame Street.” Amanda is a 1998 graduate of the College of Communications at Penn State.  Having a father who was a third grade teacher for over 30 years and a mother who has one of the most vivid imaginations imaginable, they shaped her love of kids and desire to bring them happy and healthy entertainment. In fact, nothing makes Amanda happier than being around kids (well, maybe surfing) and in 2007 she started thinking about what kids today needed, which led her to the Good Food Factory.

Amanda believes strongly that being healthy is the key to a great childhood and life, and making healthy food fun is something that adults need to do a better job promoting. It’s Amanda’s goal to make the Good Food Factory the cornerstone for making healthy food fun, and teaching kids how to cook.

As part of her healthy cooking initiatives, Amanda was blessed with the title of “Director” at The Center for a Healthy Lifestyle in Solana Beach, CA, an innovative gardening and cooking center that is part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito. It is here that Amanda gets to cook, think, and work on healthy cooking curriculum for after school programs, field trips, as well as for private classes and events that serve an entire community.

Amanda currently lives with her hunky partner, Nate, and their two black labs in Oceanside, CA, where kids still bike to school and have lemonade stands.