About Moonlight Kitchen
At Moonlight Kitchen, our mission is to nurture new mothers with warm, nutrient-dense food and soul-deep care. Through broths, stews, herbal infusions, and sweet rituals of the hearth, we help create space for healing, rest, and remembrance of what it means to be held in community.
I often think back to the first meal I ate after my daughter was born.
I had prepared so thoroughly for my home birth—altars lit, candles glowing, the perfect playlist cued, tubs filled, crystal bowls, sacred tools, and food. My mom lived five minutes away and was cooking around the clock to bring me food during my extended labor: chicken piccata, spinach enchiladas, mac n’ cheese. My sister brought three different kinds of cacao energy balls. The fridge was full of broths, soups, and a decadent chocolate cake.
But after 48 hours of labor, my midwife told me that we needed to transfer to the hospital. In the rush and heartbreak of leaving our nest, we didn’t think to bring any food. At the hospital, I labored another 24 hours without a bite—I was only allowed soda and water from the nurses to keep me going. When my daughter was finally born, sleeping on my chest, my mom walked in with a warm plate of chicken piccata and mac n’ cheese. I still remember the joy of that first bite—the tang of lemon, the butter, the warmth flowing back into my depleted body. That meal fed my soul.
In the days that followed, we were held by a meal train organized by a friend. Meals arrived on our doorstep like love letters: turmeric veggie soup, coconut curry, shepherd’s pie, lasagna. I can’t recall how many diapers we changed or how much the baby slept or napped, but I remember every bite of those meals and how they carried me through the haze.
Even with all my preparation, I realized I wanted food that was not just available, but freshly made with care and intention. I wanted to be in my body, not in my planning mind. I wanted food that allowed me to stay in that tender, sacred flow of new motherhood.
Moonlight Kitchen was born from this experience—from my deep desire to offer the same kind of nourishment, comfort, and ancestral care to other new mothers. Every meal I send out into the world carries that memory, that warmth, that love.
Hi, I’m Marissa!
I am a mother, postpartum doula, chef, sound healing practitioner, and Reiki Master-Teacher. My passion lies in creating a safe and nourishing space for women to integrate their birth experiences while resting and getting to know their babies—to honor the profound transition from maiden to mother. I believe postpartum healing and balance come through community and sisterhood, through nourishing food and plant medicines, through music, song, ceremony, and the sacred power of presence.
Food is both my passion and my love language. This form of care is gentle yet powerful. Through Moonlight Kitchen, I offer meals that hold mothers through the intensity and beauty of the postpartum time. I know that deeply nourishing, lovingly prepared food can change everything in those early days.
My work is rooted in compassion, reverence, and the belief that every mother deserves to be deeply nourished—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—and to be seen and supported in all ways as she steps into her new role, whether she’s welcoming her first baby or her fourth.
With the rhythmic sounds of bubbling broths and simmering stews, the rich scent of melting vanilla bean ghee and cinnamon fill the air and transform the home into a cocoon of comfort and nourishment. In these moments, the kitchen becomes a sacred space, a hearth where generations of care and wisdom can be felt—where mothers can simply breathe, rest, and receive. As I stir the soup pot or knead the dough, it feels as if my own grandmothers are there beside me, their presence woven into each movement, guiding my hands as I cook.
Kind words from past clients…
“Marissa’s postpartum congee is like nectar from the gods! Marissa pours her love and care into every dish she creates. Her postpartum dishes were truly so nourishing to me and my family and are a gift to the community!”
(Jess from Milwaukie, OR)
“All of Marissa’s food was SO delicious! It felt very luxurious to come home from the hospital to so many nourishing and delicious options. I felt really taken care of.”
(Erin from Portland, OR)
“The food was DELICIOUS! We loved it! It was so wonderful to have meals ready and such delicious ones too! You made my recovery the first few weeks so much better than any other time. You’re the best!”
(Katelynn from Hillsboro, OR)