A Farm Girl’s Dabbles
April 6, 2011 by Sara · Leave a Comment
Brenda Score is a Midwestern girl, not surprisingly raised on a farm and now living in the Twin Cities area. Preserving memories and family traditions is very importer to her. At her A Farm Girl’s Dabbles blog, she shares a collection of cherished recipes, favorite family photos, stories of life and her “artsy-fartsy” creative dabbles. In addition to being a blogger and creative soul, she is a wife and mother to two smart and silly girls. She enjoys the simple pleasures in life, like family, friends and fabulous food.
What was one of the first things you learned to bake successfully?
I learned to bake standing right beside Mom in the kitchen as a kid. And I probably accomplished my mom’s chocolate chip cookies first. She’s famous for them amongst my friends and cousins, and we always had a container of them in the freezer. Always!
Without taking into account nutritional needs, if you could eat one food everyday, what food would you choose and why?
A good fudgy brownie. It’s what I crave the most.
If you had $200 extra dollars right now, what kitchen- or cooking-related items that you don’t own would you purchase?
I really need to replace my stand mixer. Other than that, I’ve been eyeing an electronic kitchen scale. And a third set of measuring cups and spoons. Never enough of those!
What specifically drew you to blogging?
Blogging combines a number of my creative outlets – cooking/baking, scrapbooking/journaling, and photography. It was a place I could put it all together, to then share with my family and friends.
Bloggers often draw inspiration from each other. What other blogs do you enjoy reading? Who are your favorite local Twin Cities bloggers?
There are many local bloggers I like to keep a tab on. Here are just a few:
Stephanie of Fresh Tart
Amanda from I Am Baker
Shaina from Food For My Family
Kelli from I Had a Delicious Time
Kate from Kate in the Kitchen
Ria from Ria’s Collection
You are a transplant from South Dakota. What do you love the most about living here in the Twin Cities and why?
The variety! In less than 30 minutes by car, I can shop or eat however my heart desires.
What aspect of Spring in Minnesota are you most looking forward too?
Most of all, I can’t wait to open up the windows and get outside more! I also love gardening and the abundance of fresh produce, the increase in our grilling (pretty near daily), and eating al fresco.
Fresh Tart
February 15, 2011 by Sara · 2 Comments
Minneapolis resident Stephanie Meyer is the blogger behind Fresh Tart. Stephanie believes that cooking is not optional: In order to eat healthfully, affordably, and spend quality time with loved ones, people must cook their own food, not constantly eat prepackaged or fast foods. Through the Fresh Tart blog, she shares delicious, nutritious recipes and food philosophies that help readers learn to eat in a more healthful way. In addition to writing the Fresh Tart blog, she also posts Tuesday recipes at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine with a focus on local, seasonal ingredients.
If you had $200 extra dollars right now, what kitchen utility or luxury items that you don’t own would you purchase?
Not exactly a kitchen item, but certainly food blog relevant – I’d put it toward a Nikon D7000 camera. I don’t need it, but I sure would like it.
Without taking into account nutritional needs, if you could eat one food everyday, what food would you choose and why?
Bacon! Does everyone say that? It’s fabulous on its own, of course, but it elevates so many ordinary dishes to sublime for very little effort. I’m all about the magic of pork fat.
What specifically drew you to blogging?
I’d been thinking about how to turn my love of home cooking into something more than a hobby, and then happened to read the book Julie & Julia. I started a blog the day I finished the book, January 6, 2006.
What is the most rewarding aspect of maintaining the Fresh Tart blog?
Connecting with people. Having people cook the things I make up and then let me know how much they enjoyed the dish. Or what didn’t work for them. Or how they’d make it their own. I also love seeing the photographs I take visually paired with the recipe – it means a lot to me to see it all together. Sometimes I open my site and can’t believe it’s mine, despite all the work I have yet to do and all the things I’d like to improve. It’s an incredible thing, to put your food out for everyone to look at.
Bloggers often draw inspiration from each other. What other blogs do you enjoy reading? Who are your favorite local Twin Cities bloggers?
A group called the Minnesota Food Bloggers has a Facebook page and is getting together for the first time on February 7, 2011, at 128 Cafe in St. Paul. We’re all having so much fun finding each other and finally meeting up. I can’t begin to give you my list – there are more than 40 of us so far! I’ll say this – I hosted dinner this week for Amanda Rettke of I Am Baker, Shaina Olmanson of Food For My Family, Brenda Score of A Farm Girl’s Dabbles, Crystal Grove of Cafe Cyan, Kelli Abrahamian of I Had A Delicious Time, and Molly Snyder of The Snyder Five. I love those girls and their blogs. Overall, I’m most inspired by funny raves and/or gorgeous pics.
What do you love the most about living in the Twin Cities and why?
Hmm, that’s a tough question on a 5-degree day. Not winter. I do love the vibe, my neighborhood, the food scene, the schools, the ease of living. I love that Minnesotans aren’t jaded, that they appreciate and strive for beauty and goodness in the world. I love the bike paths and farmers’ markets. I love that people are sophisticated but not relentlessly materialistic.
i am mommy – i am baker
January 6, 2011 by Sara · 6 Comments
The blogger behind the i am mommy and i am baker blogs really has her hands full. Married with three children and a fourth on the way, Amanda still manages to find time to blog and bake – in vast quantities. Through her i am mommy blog, she shares stories from her life with husband Chad and children Colton, Parker and Audrey. At her i am baker blog, she indulges serious sugar lovers by sharing mouth-watering photos and calorie-laden recipes. She also sells cookies and cakes through the site, though her schedule is filling up fast. The two blogs together are a peek into one young family’s domestic life.
You maintain two blogs, i am baker and i am mommy. What specifically drew you to blogging?
I started my first blog with a newborn and a new outlook… I was a SAHM for the first time in my life and didn’t really know how to reach out. Blogging seemed like a great way to connect with other people that were in the same boat as me.
What was one of the first things you learned to cook?
Lasagna. Then Beef Stroganoff. And not too much since then! (I am a terrible cook!)
If you had $100 extra dollars right now, what kitchen- or cooking-related items that you don’t own would you purchase?
Well, I don’t have one of those nice stationary KitchenAid Mixers… I use a hand mixer for everything. It is pretty ridiculous, but I am used to it now. J
If you could eat a certain food everyday without repercussions, what food would you choose and why?
I love massive amounts of sugar. And carbs. Basically I could eat donuts and cake at every meal.
Bloggers often draw inspiration from each other. What other blogs do you enjoy reading? Who are your favorite local Twin Cities bloggers?
I love bakeat350.blogspot.com, tidymom.net, bakersroyale.com, confessionsofacookbookqueen.blogspot.com, and so many more! Locally I adore Shaina from FoodforMyFamily.com Stephanie from freshtart.net (who has just started a MN Food Bloggers group that is fabulous, find out more on twitter at #MNfoodbloggers) Crystal at cafecyan.blogspot.com Truly… I could go on and on, the twin cities have SO many fantastic bloggers!
What do you love the most about living in the Twin Cities / Minnesota and why?
I love the weather. Really! All four seasons. I also love being near family (mine is in Fargo, in laws are WI) so we are able to visit them both!
2011 is upon us. Have you made any big plans for your blog in the New Year?
If anything, I hope to slow down! I am pregnant with our fourth child (who is due is March) and am hoping to just relax and be mommy for awhile. Granted, being a mommy to me involves lots and lots of baking, so I still get to share all of that fun on my blogs!
Café Cyan
July 13, 2010 by Sara · 2 Comments
Crystal Grobe is a local food writer who truly enjoys making new dishes using fresh and local ingredients. She created Café Cyan in 2006 as a means by which to share recipes and inspire others to try new foods. Although she likes trying new restaurants for inspiration, the best dishes come from her own kitchen. She enjoys cooking with her husband, Ryan, and sharing not only new dishes they’ve tried, but their adventures with food. In early 2009, she created a second food blog at WCCO called Bite of Minnesota, which focuses on local food in Minnesota and the surrounding area. Although she is are not a vegetarian, healthy food is important to Crystal and she tends to experiment with many vegan and vegetarian recipes. Food is a passion and Crystal does her best to try to spread that passion around.
What inspired you to start the Café Cyan blog?
I started Café Cyan because I was inspired by other bloggers who were beautifully documenting their meals. For years I had been keeping track of dinners in my planner, but felt the visual of having it recorded in blog form would be such a better way to keep track of what we were eating and share it with others.
How has blogging changed your life?
Blogging has been a fantastic outlet to express my creativity and passion for food and has opened so many doors to new friendships, career paths, and ideas. I never imagined the name Café Cyan would be known by anyone outside of my family or that I’d be introducing myself as Café Cyan at social events (although I think Twitter is responsible for that one). I lost my corporate job over a year ago and because of blogging, my life never skipped a beat. I immersed myself in blogging at Café Cyan, WCCO, and Twin Cities Food Finds and I’m having a blast!
What was one of the first things you learned to cook?
The first thing I remember cooking is rice. As a kid we always had rice in the house and I would create different rice dishes using whatever we had in the pantry and fridge. A favorite of mine was rice with teeny tiny broccoli florets and lemon pepper spices. In college I moved onto spaghetti (from a box!). My dorm mates loved it.
Without taking into account nutritional needs, if you could eat one food everyday, what food would you choose and why?
Pizza! I love pizza and eat it way too much already, but there’s just something about cheese, tomato sauce and carbs that keep calling my name day after day. Plus, there are so many things you can do with pizza and if you put enough veggies on it, pizza can be somewhat healthy, right??
What other blogs do you enjoy reading and why? Who are your favorite local Twin Cities bloggers?
Nationally I read a couple of reality TV blogs: B-Side and Reality Blurred, but food related has to be 101 Cookbooks, Vegan Yum Yum, & Get Sconed.
Locally, I love reading Food Snob as Catherine is one of the bloggers who inspired me to start blogging. She’s honest, down to earth, and makes great food.
I also read Fork, Knife & Spoon. Kate is a friend of mine who does beautiful photography. She doesn’t blog as often as I’d like (hint hint), but I eat it up when she does.
Not to be confused with Food Snob, Food Snobbery is My Hobbery is another great blog. Liz does a lot of canning and preserving and has some great ideas.
For recipe inspiration and ideas, I also visit Swell, Rhymes with Vegan, and Green & Lean.
What do you love the most about the Twin Cities / Minnesota and why?
Oh my gosh, what’s not to love? For the longest time I tried to escape the Twin Cities, but kept finding myself back here. Blogging helped me embrace all that we have to offer and the Twin Cities offers a lot! We have gorgeous seasons, plentiful farmers markets, and innovative people and companies. It is a wonderful place to live.
What is your biggest blog-related goal for 2010?
I need to redesign my blog and add some neat widgets. I can’t seem to figure it out on my own, so I need to find outside help.
Two Girls Cooking
June 23, 2010 by Sara · 2 Comments
Bloggers Jodi and Patricia are known as the Two Girls Cooking. Jodi is a wonderful baker that has taken on increasing her cooking skills since starting this site. Cooking is Patricia’s passion, though she has been learning how to bake. The two of them crank out several blog posts a week, spreading their love of cooking and trying to inspire others to get into the kitchen. Jodi has two beagle puppies named Zelda and Gidget. Patricia has a yellow lab named Clyde, a Shih Tzu named Coco, and two young grandchildren. The pups and the kids have a grand time eating Jodi and Patricia’s successes, as well as their mistakes. For people looking for quick, easy, inexpensive and fun recipes to make meals and desserts, pay attention to these two. They aren’t afraid to try it all and will share their successes and failures with their readers.
What inspired the two of you to start the Two Girls Cooking blog?
We both love to cook and or bake. Jodi started watching a cooking program online and that gave us the incentive to do this on our own!
What are the biggest challenges the two of you face when creating new content for the blog?
Making sure that what we put on our site is going to bring people to visit us. Like the photos are good, the food is easy to make, and that others will want to try our recipes.
What do you hope readers take away from reading Two Girls Cooking?
The passion that we both have individually and together for cooking/baking. That it’s easy to prepare the food we make.
How has blogging changed your lives?
We got to meet some great people online and in person. It’s taken us to a newer level of what we can do with food.
What other blogs do you enjoy reading and why? Who are your favorite local Twin Cities bloggers?
We both like to read Brown Eyed Baker, My Baking Addiction, Bakerella, Pioneer Woman, Baking Bites, and Annie’s Eats. The Twin Cities blogs would be The Dutch Baker’s Daughter and Cafe Cyan.
What do you love the most about the Twin Cities / Minnesota? Why?
The twin cities is a beautiful place to live. Both of us grew up in MN and our families are here as well. We both love Spring/Summer; we can grow our own food in our gardens and make some great food!!
What are your biggest blog-related goals for 2010?
We both would like to improve the quality of our photos!! We had our site made over a few weeks ago and we are quite proud of it. There are some things that still need to be tweaked, but we love it!
Twin Cities Restaurant Blog
May 11, 2010 by Sara · Leave a Comment
Kristi Sauer is a teacher by profession, restaurant-diner by hobby. She is not a professional food critic, she is just a normal gal with a serious “Foodie” streak. She started the Twin Cities Restaurant Blog because she enjoys trying new restaurants and wanted to offer other diners a comprehensive peak into each place she visits. She provides readers with an honest, objective opinion and detailed information about the establishments she patronizes. In addition to critiquing the food, she reviews the restaurant’s Features, Atmosphere, Menu, Prices, Specials, Service, and Overall Impression. Her blog was started in early 2007 and though she has still only visited a small fraction of restaurants around the Greater Twin Cities, she is slowly but surely eating her way around the metro and loving every morsel of it.
How long did you think about it before you started the Twin Cities Restaurant blog and what was the catalyst for your first post?
I first started a personal blog in early 2005 and about a year later I started thinking about creating a blog solely based upon my dining experiences to share with others. At that time there were very few personal, independent restaurant bloggers. In fact I couldn’t find any others in the Twin Cities! I thought about the idea for at least six months before purchasing the domain name, twincitiesrestaurantblog.com. The very first post I wrote was in February 2007 after my 30th birthday dinner at Boca Chica Mexican Restaurante. At that time I did not have a template in mind for each of my reviews, so the review was very basic. The Twin Cities Restaurant Blog has come a long way in the three years since the site launched!
Blogging about restaurants and the food they serve has a unique set of challenges. One specifically comes to mind, and that is how do you decide which restaurants to try? Do you have a set “schedule” for eating out?
There are literally thousands of restaurants around the Twin Cities and it can be difficult sometimes deciding where to go. Many of the restaurants I have reviewed are in the Northeastern suburbs because that is the area in which I live. I do, however, have a list of restaurants around the Cities that I would like to try and I am steadily making my way down that list. My general rule of thumb is that if I am going to go out to eat, I am going to try a restaurant that I have not tried before. I have also tried several restaurants after being invited out by various people in the business (owners, managers, marketing/PR, etc)
What has been the response from restaurants you’ve critiqued on your blog? Without naming names, has a restaurant ever responded negatively to one of your reviews?
Actually, no. I think because my reviews are mostly informational (and honest!), most restaurants have been pleased to get the exposure. I actually have many restaurants who invite me to come out to their restaurant just to be featured on the blog.
Although I have never received a negative response from a restaurant, there are always disgruntled customers who leave negative comments on the TCRB about a particular restaurant. People love to tell everyone about their bad experience.
If you were to narrow it down to one, what’s your favorite local place to eat? What do you like about that restaurant?
This question isn’t fair to ask a Foodie!! I do have a handful of favorite restaurants though, mostly the ones in my geographical area that I have been to many, many times.
The Twin Cities has lost some high-profile and beloved restaurants in recent years. Is there one you think was a particular loss to the area? What made it so special?
My heart breaks just a little every time I hear of another restaurant closing, but none of them have personally affected me. I was sad however, when I heard that Fuddruckers started shutting down their doors locally. Great family restaurant, I have many fond memories of eating at the Roseville location as a kid.
What other blogs do you enjoy reading and why? Who are your favorite local bloggers?
I subscribe to probably two hundred blogs, so it would be nearly impossible to name them all, but some of the local blogs I enjoy reading are:
Michelle Sauer Photography – beautiful portrait photography
Heavy Table – Lots of eye-candy and info for a Foodie to look at!
What other blogs/websites do you maintain?
I have kept a personal blog for five years now, called Mi Vida Ocupada, which means “My Busy Life” in Spanish. I am a girl who always has a million things going on and this blog is the place where I tell stories, post photos, book reviews, and all sorts of other fun stuff.
Another project that I started in April 2009 is a site called Photo Hunt Challenges. I am really into photography and love a good challenge so I started a site devoted to Photography Challenges! On the first day of every-other-month I post a list of 20 items/techniques (open to interpretation) and participants have the entire month to take photos for each item on the list. Anyone and everyone is welcome to play along. Participants represent all skill levels and all types of cameras. On the first day of the following month each participant uploads their photos into an online gallery like Flickr or Picasa, then I go through ALL Participant Entries and pick my favorites for each item on the list. Throughout the month I then post all the favorites for each item together (in a separate blog post for each item on the list) with a poll for people to vote for their favorite. Voters are encouraged to vote for favorite photo rather than a particular person. I do not have any prizes to give out but the photographer of each winning photograph is given recognition on the site. Participants come from all over the world and I encourage anyone interested in Photography to check it out!
Kate in the Kitchen
April 27, 2010 by Sara · 2 Comments
Writing and food are two of Kate Selner’s most treasured passions. Her Kate in the Kitchen blog is a natural expression of that. Kate doesn’t just share recipes, critique products, and review restaurants. When she writes a blog post, she likes to take a simple meal, a recipe or an ingredient, and tell a story about it. She lovingly gives the food she writes about a voice, a personality, and a life. By profession, Kate is a self-employed personal chef and a certified wine professional. Additionally, she offers nutritional consulting and one-on-one cooking lessons for people who wish to expand their cooking knowledge and understanding. For the next six months, she will also be working the cold food station at the White Bear Yacht Club.
What inspired you to write your first blog post for Kate in the Kitchen?
I needed something to manage the creative output coming from my love for writing. Match that with a passion for food, telling stories and sharing food memories and it seemed logical to chronicle it all somewhere. I started in 2006, and food blogs were fairly sparse then.
What is your biggest challenge for developing new content for your blog?
I like to post ideas that are fresh and different. I’m not a trend follower, and I like foods that are simple and nutritious, and often with a unique twist to them. Sometimes I’ve done searches for a recipe I’d like to talk about, just to see if others bloggers have already worn out it’s welcome. I know for myself that I tend not to linger on sites where a recipe is repeated, so I feel like it’s important to capture one’s attention with something you won’t find on a hundred other sites.
What do you hope readers take away from reading Kate in the Kitchen?
Cooking should be fun, it should be simple and true to who you are. We cook to feed ourselves, but also to express who we are and what the foods mean to us. Food tells us stories, brings out memories and settles into us, becoming part of our days. I like to think that readers of my blog learn to think differently about the foods in their lives, not only how to create them, but how to use food as a means of grounding and guiding us.
What other blogs do you enjoy reading and why? Who are your favorite local Twin Cities bloggers?
Well, I confess that my blog reader is so chock full of amazing food blogs that I rarely get a chance to clear it out completely. I could list dozens, really but I recently have been enamored with Deliciously Organic with posts about fresh, delicious foods that are loaded with nutrition. Talk of Tomatoes is another favorite because she makes amazing foods that are so simple and pure. Other favorites right now are Bella Eats, The Simple Spatula, The Yummy Mummy and The Kitchen Sink Recipes and I love all of these due to how they weave life and food together in beautiful and delicious ways, not to mention gorgeous photos. I love Kitchen Bite for it’s simple sparse site and beautiful recipes and photos.
Local bloggers that have captured my food love are Cafe Cyan as she makes great vegetarian food, and Scate Bakes, Fork, Knife and Spoon, A Good Appetite and Fresh Tart as they all offer wonderful outlets for recipes, food talk and general food nerdery. I also just love how The Heavy Table highlights and showcases Minnesota food talents.
If you could narrow it down to one answer, what do you love the most about the Twin Cities / Minnesota? Why?
One answer. That’s hard. But I honestly love how the food community is changing and challenging people to look closer at their choices and what they eat, as well as where they eat. I love how there are so many local options, small entrepreneurs who are taking aspects of food and making sure people know how wonderful and flavorful they can be. And there is such a great sense of community and camaraderie because of that. People want to share this knowledge, and get others to understand how good it can be too. It’s not about keeping these gems secret anymore. We shout from the rooftops when something is terrific, and I love that.
What is your biggest blog-related or food-related goal for 2010?
I want to just keep doing what I do, to write about the food that graces my life and plate and hope that it keeps people’s interest. I want to keep exploring foods that nurture us, I want to help people understand the simplicity of well-prepared foods, to continue to share and learn about the local food scene and as always, stretch my own boundaries about food, the understanding of it and the means to which it feeds all aspects of our lives.
Unplanned Cooking
The writer of the Unplanned Cooking blog, Jennifer Jeanne Patterson, is the author of “52 Fights: A Newlywed’s Confession” (Penguin/Berkley Trade, June 2005). She was also a creative consultant on the book’s ABC/Touchstone Television pilot. But these days, that’s like another lifetime. Now she is a full-time mom to two boys and a little girl, all under the age of 5. Last August, she was shocked by a huge credit card bill – a bill not for purses or clothing or great shoes, but groceries. Yet even with the astronomical food bill, the cupboards and fridge were bare. So she made a vow to drastically reign in her food bill. This meant she had to change her perspective not only on grocery shopping, but on food itself.
After receiving a shocking credit card bill, you decided that you would spend no more than $100 per week on groceries, which really requires cutting out processed foods and learning how to truly cook. What made you decide to start blogging about it?
I’ve always loved to write, but with three kids find it hard to carve out time to do it. What I like about blogging is it’s immediate; it connects you to a community. And what I like blogging about food is that it forces me to stay disciplined and cook, plus become informed about food politics.
If you were to narrow it down to one answer, what is the most important thing you’ve learned about cooking that you would like readers to know?
Cooking teaches you what you’re putting in your body – and your kids’ bodies. Using real ingredients has changed how I look at food. Now I read labels. Did you know most syrup is just corn syrup? We use natural ingredients like butter on our pancakes now.
What is your biggest challenge for developing new content for your blog?
My challenge isn’t so much content but time. I find there is inspiration everywhere, whether I find it on other blogs or traditional media outlets. But time – that’s a hard one!
What do you hope readers take away from reading the Unplanned Cooking blog?
What’s at stake. As our children become more removed from their food sources, we need to teach them what real food is. And that’s difficult to do if you’re not cooking, or teaching them how to cook.
What other blogs do you enjoy reading and why? Who are your favorite local Twin Cities bloggers?
I love The Kitchen Pantry Scientist as her projects entertain my kids on rainy days. I also love Megan at Sprout.mn. She’s got a great writing voice, and her work connects me to the green community. And also Mom Culture helps me stay informed when I don’t have as much time to read as I’d like. I did have fun shooting a video with Meg from Sprout.mn and Lindsay DiLorenzo from RedStamp.com that was featured on Dr. Phil.
You’re an Ithica, New York, native living here in the Midwest. What do you love the most about living in the Twin Cities?
I love the people here and the schools. Really, there’s nothing I don’t like – except maybe the long winters, but we had those in upstate New York, too.
Related Posts: The Kitchen Pantry Scientist
The Kitchen Pantry Scientist
March 23, 2010 by Sara · 4 Comments
Liz Heinecke, the writer behind the Kitchen Pantry Scientist blog, has an interesting educational background, with a Masters in Bacteriology and an undergraduate degree in art. After doing medical research for ten years, she is now a stay at home mom with three kids, culturing more germs than ever! Through the Kitchen Pantry Scientist blog, Liz shows that science can be as easy as cooking. With nearly every post, she helps readers open up their kitchen pantry and stir up some fun experiments with their children using basic ingredients that most people already have on hand. Liz, and fellow Minnesota blogger Jennifer Jeanne Patterson, has even recently been featured in an “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” commercial, singing about hydrogenated oils. Of course, she turned the event into a biochemistry lesson on the different kinds of fat humans consume. Looking for a learning activity to do with the kids? Feed those hungry minds with an experiment from the Kitchen Pantry Scientist!
What inspired you to start the Kitchen Pantry Scientist?
I want to get kids interested in science and show parents that it doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive to do experiments at home. Most of the projects on my blog can be done using ingredients people already have in their kitchens.
I also try to do very safe science, so kids as young as two or three can participate alongside their older siblings. My four-year old, seven-year old and nine-year old will drop everything to do a science experiment.
Do you get a lot of feedback from people who have carried out the Kitchen Pantry experiments you suggest? Which experiment(s) have been the most popular so far?
I don’t get much feedback, but what I do get is positive. Tie-dye milk and cornstarch goo are two very popular experiments.
With the time commitment of discovering new experiments, carrying them out, writing about them, and three kids to raise, what is the most challenging aspect of maintaining this blog? How do you address it?
I’m lucky that my kids get to be involved with my blog. We end up spending more time together, at the kitchen table doing projects, than we would otherwise, and we all love it. Sometimes, they help me choose experiments they think might be fun. Finding time to write and network is the most challenging part of blogging for me. I try to get up early, before the kids, but sometimes I’m posting or Tweeting while they eat breakfast. I’m making an effort to stay away from the computer when they’re not at school.
What do you hope readers take away from their time spent at the Kitchen Pantry Scientist?
I want my readers to be inspired to open their kitchen cupboard and do an experiment with their kids. People do crafts and bake with their kids all the time. I hope my blog demonstrates that doing science can be as simple as mixing up chocolate chip cookies!
What other blogs do you enjoy reading and why? Who are your favorite local Twin Cities bloggers?
Sadly, I don’t have much time to read blogs, but the MomCulture blog is one of my favorites. She does great interviews with artists and musicians and gives me my cultural fix when I can’t get out. I also love the UnplannedCooking blog.
If you could narrow it down to one answer, what do you love the most about the Twin Cities / Minnesota? Why?
As a lover of arts and science, I love the museums and theaters here and how easy it is to see an exhibit, hear music, or go to a play. I feel lucky to live in the Twin Cities and raise our kids here. It’s a great place to get inspired!
Related Posts: Unplanned Cooking
