Dine and Dish

Food blog with family recipes

Have You Met My Adoptee?

Baked Apples from Apples and Butter
Baked Apples from Apples and Butter

Adopt-a-Blogger 2 is quickly approaching the end of its first month. I hope that all of you are enjoying the relationships you are building and are learning a lot from each other!

When this round of Adopt-a-Blogger started, I gave you all a brief introduction to my adoptee, but I think it is high time that Jessica from Apples and Butter gets a formal introduction from me. Jessica has a beautiful blog. She is a great writer and is a pro at food photography! I can’t believe how good her pictures are considering she has only been blogging for four months. I asked Jessica a few questions so that we could all get to know her better. At the end of the interview, I have a challenge for all of my readers, so please check it out and leave your feedback in the comments section on this post.

Without further ado, please welcome Jessica from Apples and Butter to the food blogging community!

If you had to describe your blog in one paragraph, how would you describe it?

Apples and Butter is about finding the balance between healthy cooking (an apple a day keeps the doctor away) and rich foods (butter). I’ve done both extremes of the spectrum – cooking all rich foods, or trying to be healthy all the time – and neither one left me very satisfied. So, here I am, trying to find balance. At the end of the day, I hope Apples and Butter is really just about good food and beautiful food photography.

When and why did you start blogging?

I started blogging in June of 2008. I have wanted to start a food blog for years and after taking some pictures in my garden one day and making food from some of the same things I had photographed, I thought – you know what? Today is the day. I’m starting a blog. It was planned for years, yet very spontaneous at the same time.

Is there anything about the blogging world that frustrates you?

Sometimes I get a bit frustrated with the technology side of it. While I consider myself pretty tech savvy, I’m a long way away from learning how to write html and work on the design of my site. In that sense, I’m still really limited.

Shrimp Stir Fry from Apples and Butter
Shrimp Stir Fry from Apples and Butter

What have you enjoyed best about blogging?

I have really enjoyed how consistently Apples and Butter has kept me cooking. I love nothing more than being in the kitchen, but with my busy life, sometimes a whole week would go by without my making much more than a quick weeknight meal. Apples and Butter has given me a reason to put in the extra effort and I have been so much happier as a result. I also have enjoyed getting to know some of the other food bloggers out there who are as obsessed with food as I am!

Do you have any other hobbies? If so, what are they?

Cooking is absolutely my main hobby. It’s what my friends know me for. It’s why I bring my own knives with me on vacation – so I can cook in the downtime. It’s why when my family gets together, the first question is always – what’s on the menu?

What are some of your favorite websites?

Smitten Kitchen

Dine and Dish

The Leftover Queen

Life Lightly Salted

If you knew someone who had been blogging for less time than you, what advice would you offer them?

Dive right on in! The food blogging community is a great place with a ton of people waiting to read your stuff and compare recipes. Just know that to get the love you have to give the love! Make sure and visit lots of sights to let people know what you think of their cooking.

What are three things you hope to get out of the Adopt a Blogger program?

Kristen has an amazing site with a beautiful design and clearly a large audience. I am really excited to hear some of her tips on growing Apples and Butter and making it look like a beautiful and professional site!

Kristen here again. Isn’t she great? I’m so excited to be her Adopt-a-Blogger mama! Now, this is where you all come in. Jessica has a ton of really great recipes on her site. I want you to go take a look at what she has to offer (and please leave her a comment to say hi!), and then come back here and in the comment section of this post choose what one recipe of hers should be the first one that I make? The recipe with the highest number of “votes” will be the first Apples and Butter recipe I feature on Dine & Dish.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Deborah says

    It all looks so good! I was going to go with the bbq salmon, but I keep going back to the butternut squash gnocchi. Probably because I’ve always wanted to try making gnocchi from scratch!

    Deborahs last blog post..Cookbook of the Month Recipe – Chow Mein Cookies

  2. Pam says

    Hi Kristen! I adore your blog. It keeps me procrastinating on grading the many essays that sit on my desk (I teach 9th grade English). Don’t worry…I’ll get to them some day! 🙂

    My vote is for the Philly Cheese Steak!

  3. Kate says

    My adoptee hasn’t posted anything new in almost six weeks- 🙁

    Jessica has a nice site for being so new at it.

    Kates last blog post..Pleasant and worthwhile melancholy

  7. Sandie says

    You lucky blog mom, you!

    Well, it was hard for me to choose just one recipe, so I’m going with two: Mediterranean Pot Pie or the Butternut Squash Gnocchi—both are perfect for fall and sound irresistible!

    Sandies last blog post..Growing Pains

  9. Hopie says

    I’ve been reading Apples and Butter for a little while now, but the interview was an great idea for us to get to know Jessica better! I’ve been drooling over her Lamb Kofta recipe, although I see a lot of votes for the Butternut Squash Gnocchi and that does look pretty special.

    Hopies last blog post..Spicy Roasted Butternut and Red Pepper Soup

  12. Jessica says

    Hi everyone! Kristen – thank you for posting this interview! So many of your wonderful readers have already been over to Apples and Butter. Thank you everyone for visiting and for leaving your comments. I’m looking forward to see what you end up making – my vote is for the apple tarte tatin – that is if I get a vote 🙂

    Jessicas last blog post..Triple Chocolate Cookies

  16. Michele says

    Jessica is a super gal! I fell in love with her photography the first time that I visited Apples and Butter. My favorite Apples and Butter recipe is the lemon and mint ravioli filling. This stuff is so fresh and fabulous!
    I’ve used this filling in several pasta dishes and everyone just loves it.

  17. Alexa says

    Apples and Butter is a great blog. I really enjoy Jessica’s clean look, great pictures and friendly approach.

    I think you should try the Tarte Tatin because it sounds lovely for the season and just the idea of seeing it on Dine and Dish makes my mouth water.:-)

  21. Mimi says

    Kristen! I’ve been away for a while and while I was gone (I know, I know, I was gone a long time), you have really transformed your blog! I am so impressed and inspired!

    I need a change, too, and I’m not sure where to go, but boy! have you inspired me!

    It all looks wonderful! I’m off to visit your adoptee . . .

    Mimi

    Mimis last blog post..Two Takes on Tarte Tatin: A Visit to Le Vinois

  22. Tricia says

    I love it when I learn something new by reading someone’s blog, which is quite often thanks to all the brilliant people out there. I’d not heard of Adopt a Blogger, but look forward to learning more, and I will absolutely check out Apples and Butter. Thanks so much.

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