Tell us a little about yourself and your interests.
I’m a Southern gal from North Carolina, who is clinging on to my 20’s by the skin of my teeth. I live in Charlotte, NC with my husband, Brad and dog Rascal, the dachshund.
Cooking is by far my favorite past time and I have developed quite a collection of my own recipes over the past five years, three of which I have chronicled on my blog FoodieFresh.com. What first started out as a way to remember the recipes I make up has become my passion and a huge part of who I am.
While the foundations of my recipes are seasonal whole foods, I am inspired by my paternal grandparents who are amazing classic southern cooks. I will eat pretty much anything and believe that focusing on health is most important and splurging is a part of being healthy, especially when it involves my grandmother’s fluffy buttermilk biscuits.
Why did you decide to name your blog “Foodie Fresh” and what inspired you to start it?
I decided to start my blog for two reasons. I had been reading healthy living blogs for several months and found myself thinking “I could do this too!” I felt so inspired reading blogs and I wanted to be a part of the community.
My second reason was more practical. I cooked here and there from early childhood, but picked it up more when I began living in an apartment in college. Years later, when I started dating Brad, I began trying more complex recipes. Over time, I started adapting the recipes and making them my own and also came up with recipes from scratch based on the combined flavors I liked. Brad kept pushing me to write down my recipes. A lot of them were made up on the fly and I didn’t write down a thing. He told me I would never be able to recreate the dishes he loved, so starting a blog helped in this area as well. However, part of cooking for me is the excitement of creating something new so repeat recipes rarely happen.
Before starting a blog I thought really hard about what I wanted to call it. I wanted my name to explain who I was, but I also wanted it to be catchy and easy to remember. Some people shy away from the term “foodie”, but I can’t think of a better way to describe myself. Also, I try to eat the freshest foods possible, most of the time, which is typically the healthiest foods. Processed foods last practically forever, so when I say “fresh”, I mean whole foods. I guess I could have called myself “fresh foodie” but foodie fresh just has a better ring to it.
Maybe it’s the impending fall season, but this question immediately brings to mind soups. I adore creamy soups and love making them. My soups are creamy because I blend them, not because I add heavy cream. I love lentil, pumpkin black bean, split pea, and all my versions of sweet potato soup.
I also really love fish so finding new ways to cook it, especially salmon and tuna, is always fun. Homemade pizza is like a blank canvas for me and I believe it can be healthy if enjoyed in moderation with plenty of veggies. I also really like making healthy muffins. They seem like such a treat to be able to enjoy them for breakfast throughout the week.
Which exercises do you love? How often do you work out?
No matter how much I neglect running, we always find our way back to each other. Running gave me the confidence I needed to become athletic in my own way, so it’s my first exercise love. However, I like to mix it up a little. If I want to work out but I’ve ran two days in a row, I’ll go to the gym and hop on a cardio machine like the elliptical or stair machine. I don’t love weight training, but love what it does for me, so I try to incorporate it from time to time. I also really like group classes.
Honestly, I’m coming back from a bit of an exercise hiatus where I only worked out 2-3 times a week for several months, but I’m trying to build back up my endurance to 5-6 times a week, which used to be the norm for me.
Do you have any healthy snacks or small meals you love to make for when you’re on-the-go?
Yes! I love to talk about easy healthy snacks and meals. Accessible healthy meals are so important to eating healthy because cooking all the time is just too hard for most people. Plain Greek yogurt and berries is my favorite snack on the go because it’s so filling and yummy. I also really like cottage cheese and Wassa crackers for a snack or a banana or apple with a tablespoon of nut butter. For a quick meal, I’ll do an egg on a whole wheat english muffin or a slice of Ezekiel bread with avocado and a green salad or sliced veggies and hummus. I also love to whip up smoothies when I need to eat on the go.
For more from Kelly, visit her blog, http://foodiefresh.com/, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter @FoodieFresh!
