Hi there! I’m Olivia Chen-Williams, a 54-year-old late-blooming cook, career coach, and the face behind Turn Around At 50 – a food blog that proves it’s never too late to start something new (even if your first attempt burns to a crisp!).
My Story: From Burnt Pizza to Second Chances
Four years ago, I set off my smoke alarm trying to bake a frozen pizza on my 50th birthday. As I waved a kitchen towel wildly at the detector, laughing at myself, I had a lightbulb moment: “What if I actually learned to cook? Properly?”
The next week, I walked into a community college cooking class – the oldest student by decades – and began documenting my messy (but joyful) journey. What started as a diary of kitchen disasters (“Week 3: Mistook salt for sugar in cupcakes”) slowly turned into a space for anyone who believes life’s second acts deserve celebration.
What You’ll Find Here
- #PinterestFailButProud Recipes: Flops and all – because perfection is overrated.
- Cross-Cultural Comfort Food: Think Irish soda bread with spicy Sichuan chili crisp, or “lazy dumplings” for tired weeknights.
- Real Talk for Midlife Beginners: From cooking with creaky knees to budget meals for empty nesters.
- Second Helpings Interviews: Stories of people who reinvented themselves after 50 (like the banker who became a sourdough guru).
Why I Do This
After 25 years as a school guidance counselor and now a career coach for women over 50, I’ve seen how fear holds us back. My kitchen became my classroom: If I could rescue curdled hollandaise, maybe I could learn Excel too.
This blog isn’t about glossy food photos. It’s about:
- Courage over competence
- Laughter over perfection
- Showing up, even when you’re the oldest one in the room
Join Me!
Whether you’re holding a spatula for the first time at 60 or just need a nudge to start your next chapter, you’re welcome here. Let’s turn life’s leftovers into something delicious.
P.S. My “Scrappy Stir-Fry” (a fridge clean-out special) comes with free life advice. And yes, I still keep emergency Spam in my pantry – some habits die hard!