You’ve kid and baby-proofed your home, now we’d like to help you parent proof your life through food and drink.  Let’s raise the ABV on parenting, together.

Chronicling everyday moments in the kitchens of Kenny, an award-winning mixologist, and Colleen, a home cook-in-training, both parents-to-be.

Explore our recipes in the MOCKTAILS, COCKTAILS, and FOODTALES categories and learn a little more about us in “the other stuff.”

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Ken Kodys

A Boston native, transplanted to the Rocky Mountains, I found a home in Colorado which inspired a career in the hospitality and beverage industry. Cocktails, spirits and craft influences caught a hold of me over the years and the people of the industry began to show me their passions. I have chosen to be part of a community of producers who commit their lives to their work.

I’ve been mixing wild flavors since I was an adolescent, and that passion has remained.  I was lucky enough to grow up around lots of fresh fruits and herbs on our land and in our garden, resulting in crazy milkshakes and smoothie recipes.

My mother worked part-time as a bartender at our local VFW. and her brand of hospitality was conversation based.  Whether we were at a charity event a raffle, or some other gathering, she seemed to know everyone and that way of relating and connecting was a lasting gift to me.

Once I got behind the bar, I always tried to be part of my community and be a great hospitality professional.  Craft drinks came much later, and once I got into those flavor combinations I was sucked into exploring the possibilities.

With my new mocktail recipes, I’m looking at pregnancy differently. When my wife Noelle got pregnant, I started to think about healthy options to make beverages with and I was intrigued by all of the things I did not know about drinking while pregnant.  I researched the healthiest options and traditional fertility beverages.  It is a world that really has potential to enhance the most exciting time of a family’s life. I hope we can help bring a fresh perspective and fresh ingredients to an age-old experience.

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Colleen Cerkvenik

LOVE is at the center of my life, but food is a very close second.  Sharing a meal and a drink with a friend, my husband, – even a stranger, is probably my favorite thing to do. The relationships, conversation, and connection that stem from a shared meal is invaluable to me.

I grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, with my parents and three siblings.  My mom and dad grew up in a small town and have known each other since they were young, and their individual families have now become one huge, amazing and blended family.  If my aunt on my mom’s side of the family was hosting a dinner or holiday, my dad’s entire family was invited and vice versa.  This translated to a childhood full of memorable holiday gatherings, sometimes with karaoke, usually a card or board game, but always with obnoxious amounts of food and beverages.  Having an Italian grandmother, it’s easy to identify where my love of food and cooking originated.  In fact, my very first job had me prepping, baking, dicing and chopping at a family-owned produce market. 

In 2008 I moved to Denver, Colorado.  With my Jeep Liberty packed to the roof, I drove across the country intending to “do something different” for a year or two, and maybe even learn how to ski.  Some of those notions came to fruition and some didn’t.  I met my husband in 2010 (and I still hadn’t learned how to ski).  Thankfully, he was a patient teacher (except for that one time that we won’t mention).  He’s an easy man to fall in love with, and we did.  We run together most mornings, ski or camp on the weekends, and entertain our friends for Sunday football, summer barbeques, and holiday parties.  He is my perfect partner, my favorite person,  my best friend.

Brian and I were married in June of 2012 and that fall, we started trying to have a baby and discovered that we couldn’t physically have children.  I’ll spare you the details of the past five years (but you’ll get them in a later blog post).  We are now in the process of adopting a baby from The Marshall Islands, and we couldn’t be more proud and overjoyed. But like all major life changes, it’s caused me to look at how I spend my time.  I was an autism educator for 12 years, a career that I loved, but took most of my time, energy, and dedication.  With a baby on the way,  I knew a change was in order. 

I’ve spent the last year narrowing my focus to what I really love doing: cooking (and eating, and drinking, you get the picture)! As it turns out, there is a silver lining to infertility – I still get to enjoy cocktails and wine throughout my “pregnancy” – lol.  BUT, I want ALL of my pregnant friends and sisters to enjoy their pregnancies to the fullest. That’s why I can’t wait to wake up, spend the day in my kitchen, dive into flavor combinations, and share all of the delicious recipes and mocktail creations with this community!  Here’s to hoping you enjoy our documented adventures (and mishaps) in the kitchen!