Missed our series featuring our very favorite bloggers out there? Well, you're in luck because Featured Fridays are back!
Like many of our favorites, we ran across today's blogger when she shared her love of Gooseberry Patch cookbooks. A few clicks in and we knew we'd found something special. Say hello to...
Kim McCallie is the voice behind this new food-focused blog and, you wouldn't know it by reading, but this working mom has been blogging for less than a year! She shares delicious-looking recipes and step-by-step photos just like a pro and sprinkles in stories about her family and life in Georgia.
As Kim says, "Life is too short to waste any time eating bland food." We couldn't agree more and are so happy to feature this aspiring food and recipe-writer with you. We asked Kim to share a little bit about herself and her journey into blogging...
Tell us a little about yourself and your family.
I've been married to Eric for 14 years and have two funny and intelligent sons, ages five and seven. I love cooking and talking about food. I'm at my best when I'm preparing and organizing food for showers, parties, and other events. I tend to be shy and introverted in social situations, but my food makes me brave.
What originally inspired you to start blogging and following your dream of food writing?
A few months ago, my older son asked me what I dreamed of being when I grew up. My first thought was that I wanted to be a writer. A couple of weeks after that conversation, he asked, "What was that dream you had? The one that never came true?" It really made me stop and think about how I could inspire my children to follow their dreams when I had never followed mine. Around the same time, I read a food column in the local newspaper that discussed recipe writing and introduced readers to recipe writing reference materials. I knew I didn't have a novel in me but I knew that I could write about my favorite subject - food. Blogging seemed the best way to combine my writing, sense of humor, and photography.
As a mom of two little guys, how do you find time to write about and photograph new recipes?
Being a full-time working mom, it's hard for me to cook and photograph during the week unless it's a quick dish. I try to do all of the cooking for my blog on the weekends. After homework is done and the kids are settled down for the night, I'm able to steal away and write and plan, surrounding myself with cookbooks and cooking magazines. As much as my world centers around the kids, I love having "me" time and blogging about a subject I love.
How did you get your start in the kitchen?
My mom started working shift-work when I was a Senior in high school. That pretty much forced me to learn to cook a few simple dishes to feed my dad and brother. Later, when I was dating my husband, he enjoyed cooking for me. So, I started cooking with him and experimenting with new dishes. By the time we were married, my confidence in the kitchen had grown and I grew to love the creative process of cooking. I always tended to cook way too much for two people, but the food never went to waste. Does the "freshman 15" pertain to the first year of marriage as well?
Care to share a favorite recipe?
My Toffee Apple Dip recipe is a favorite with my family and friends and I think the one recipe that they associate with me.
Toffee Apple Dip
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
4 T. butter, softened
3 T. powdered sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1 t. vanilla extract
8 oz. pkg. toffee bits
Sliced apples
With the mixer on low, combine the cream cheese and butter until well blended. Add the powdered sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix until well blended. Reserve about 1/4 of the toffee chips, set aside. Pour the rest of the toffee chips until the mixture and fold in with a spoon. Refrigerate the dip until well chilled, preferably overnight. Right before serving, sprinkle the reserved toffee bits on top. Serve with apples.
Who's your favorite celebrity chef and why?
Paula Deen - I admire the way she picked herself up by the boot straps and made a life for herself and her sons. I can relate to her Southern cooking style. And, her recipes can be easily duplicated in the home kitchen.
Pie or cake? Cookies or fudge?
Definitely cake and covered with frosting.
And, cookies with lots of sprinkles.
Tell us something that no one would guess about you.
As much as I love to cook, I love to other see other people enjoy my food even more. To sit back and watch people eat my food and return for seconds and thirds makes me very happy!
We'd come back for seconds (or thirds!) of Kim's Chicken & Dumplings...her Mexican Beef looks worthy of a fiesta too!
Thanks so much for sharing with us, Kim. We can't wait to see where your blog takes you and we'll be reading all the way!
Be sure to add A Well-Seasoned Life to your favorite places to visit...Kim's always got something yummy coming up and we know you'll enjoy your time there.
Have a blog that you think we'd love? Drop us a note and point us in the right direction! Oh and don't worry - if you've been loving the Links We Love series, we'll continue to share these with you whenever we find good ones!
