Next in our Spotlight series is a recent addition to the Austin Food Blogger Alliance, Jennifer Miller who writes Learn Act Live Love and is a health, wellness and business coach.
Tell us about yourself! Where are you from? Why do you blog? What is your focus?
Hey, hey! My name is Jennifer, but I go by JP!
I grew up just outside of Austin in Dripping Springs back when it had one stoplight. I moved to San Antonio for undergrad, did some world traveling during school, and I moved back to Austin as soon as possible for grad school. I love this city!
I blog as a way to introduce healthy food ideas and concepts to a wider audience than I can reach by word of mouth. It has been one of the few creative outlets I enjoy—getting my hands dirty in the kitchen and then telling the worldwide interwebs all about it!
I am an analytical type by day, but food blogging has been a way for me to share with others the non-CPA side of me (and help them take small steps towards health along the way). Since when do CPAs have spunk and an infectious laugh?
How did you start blogging?
I started blogging in 2012 as a hobby. I wanted a place to document all the recipes I was creating, and my junk drawer in my kitchen was overflowing with random pieces of paper with ingredient lists and measurements scribbled all over them. (And it might still look like that!)
Now, I want my blog to be a resource for people who are looking for direction, hope, and love around who they are, their connection to food, wellness, and personal growth. Big things ahead for 2013!
What items are always in your fridge or pantry?
Fridge: almond milk, fresh berries, organic eggs, leafy greens, and various beers 
Pantry: flax seeds, chia seeds, raw nuts & nut butters, unsweetened shredded coconut, dark chocolate, whole coffee beans, almond flour, coconut oil, and tons of fresh spices
If you could share dinner with anyone, who would you host and what would you eat?
Such a difficult question! For a light-hearted approach, I’d have dinner with friends and family and invite John Legend. He can serenade us with his soul singing and piano while I cook up a vegan balsamic roasted vegetable dish + red wine. What’s not to love?
What is your favorite AFBA memory?
As a new member, I really only have one experience thus far: the AFBA Cookbook Launch party at Freedmen’s! What a tremendous accomplishment and a beautiful book! I am thankful to be a part of this unique, talented, and fun network of Austinites.
What is your most popular post?
One of my most popular posts is such a simple snack, Frozen Peanut Butter Cacao Banana Bites, but I always get a lot of feedback when I post smoothie recipes such as Vitamin-C Boost Orange Carrot Juice Smoothie.
Lauren Walz writes Gourmet Veggie Mama and is featured in the Austin-based Cooking Planit App.
Tell us about yourself! Where are you from? Why do you blog? What is your focus?
Oh my … where to start? I grew up in Texas, and went to undergrad and law school at UT. From there, I moved to Northern California to work as a corporate lawyer in Silicon Valley. I let that suck the life out of my 20s, and eventually burned out, had a baby, and decided to stay at home with her. I started my blog, which is focused on vegetarian cooking, when Nora was about 8 months old and we were past the foggy infant stage and actually able to take the time to make creative meals again. I discovered that what I would do if I didn’t have to work for a living was write. Ding ding ding! So, I became a freelance writer. I still spend most of my time with my little one, who is now 2, and on creating recipes for my blog, but I write for publications like LiveMom and Edible Austin and I love it.
How did you start blogging?
While I was at home with my daughter and not working, I started feeling a creative itch. I have always liked to cook, and I like to be creative in coming up with meals based on the vegetables we get in our CSA box. And, being a little bit obsessive, I needed a place to track my recipes. I thought I’d go ahead and make it a public blog in case anyone else was interested, and, guess what? They were! The rest is history.
What items are always in your fridge or pantry?
Pasta, dried beans of several different varieties (black, garbanzo, cannelloni, anasazi), rice, other grains (farro, quinoa), cheese (cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella and goat cheese), eggs and lots and lots of veggies from my CSA.
If you could share dinner with anyone, who would you host and what would you eat?
I’d love to have dinner with Christopher Watkins, who hosts the Ridge Wine blog. He’s a cool guy with obviously great taste in wine, and, from attending many tastings at Ridge, I know he and I have similar taste in food. We would just do nibbles and wine. Lots and lots of fantastic wine.
What is your favorite AFBA memory?
The wine and cheese tasting with Jordan at Antonelli’s was amazing. I had so much fun with good friends who appreciate the same things I do, and tasted some amazing pairings. I still dream about Cowgirl Creamery’s Red Hook — need to get some of that!
What is your most popular post?
People always seem to come back to my post on Broccoli Cheddar Bites, which was a recipe I created for Nora when she was littler. They’re healthy, easy to freeze and reheat and kids love them. I need to make a batch of those again, now that I think about it!
Amy Kritzer writes What Jew Wanna Eat? and hosts cooking classes on Google+ Hangout.
Tell us about yourself! Where are you from? Why do you blog? What is your focus?
I’m originally from Connecticut, and lived in Atlanta and NYC before I landed in Texas. I moved to Austin for the warmer weather and friendly people, but stayed for the queso and cowboys. My blog, What Jew Wanna Eat, is your source for Jewish home cooking. Armed with my Bubbe’s (grandmother’s) recipes and lots of schmaltz, I am on a quest to try one recipe a week, with my own personal twist on each. I hope people of all religions enjoy my tasty creations!
How did you start blogging?
I was feeling uninspired at my corporate job, so I started reading food blogs for fun. It didn’t take me long to decide to start my own blog and the rest is history! I loved blogging so much, I quit my job to go to culinary school and now write and teach cooking classes fulltime.
What items are always in your fridge or pantry?
Schmaltz, Sriracha, Greek yogurt, and lots of veggies.
If you could share dinner with anyone, who would you host and what would you eat?
I am newly obsessed with Rachael Ray after meeting her this year at SXSW. She is just the most down-to-earth, happy person! I would love to have dinner with her and hear about her life. I’d cook something easy but delicious, like fish tacos with margaritas. And my famous chocolate hazelnut rugelach for dessert!
What is your favorite AFBA memory?
I was so excited to find out my photo was going to be on the cover of the AFBA cookbook! Being a part of the cookbook was already exciting, but this put it over the top.
What is your most popular post?
Definitely my Mexican Potato Latkes. What’s not to love about spicy fried potatoes covered with avocado sauce? I love using local flavors to inspire my recipes.
Almost exactly a year ago, the Austin Food Blogger Alliance announced that we were putting together a community cookbook.
We hosted a recipe writing class and gathered recipes, stories, vignettes and photos. We matched up bloggers to test one another’s recipes and hosted a potluck to taste the results and photograph some of the dishes.
Over the winter, we assembled all that wonderful content into a manuscript for The History Press and have been working quietly behind the scenes getting everything together so that we could finally announce that the Austin Food Blogger Alliance Cookbook is finally here!
I’ve had so much fun over the past year working on this book with members including Melissa Skorpil, who oversaw the photography in the book, lead copy editor Megan Myers, assistant project manager Lindsay Bailey, design consultant Shaun Martin, and editors Lee Stokes Hilton, Shefaly Ravula, Suzanna Cole and Meredith Bethune. Of course, they say it’s not really a book until you hate it at least once, which I admit happened a time or two over the course of the year, but all-in-all, this has been one of the most rewarding long-term projects I’ve ever had the pleasure of working on.
But the fun really starts now that the book has arrived!
On Tuesday, we’ll celebrate with cookbook contributors, AFBA members, pre-sale buyers and our cookbook sponsor, the Austin-based cooking app Cooking Planit, with a sold-out launch party at Freedmen’s, but mark your calendars for two upcoming events on April 24 and May 11.
At 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, AFBA will be hosting a cooking demonstration with member Elizabeth Van Huffel, who will show how to make her famous strawberry daiquiri, at the Sustainable Food Center Farmers’ Market at the Triangle, which will also be an opportunity to buy the book directly from us or pick up a copy if you have already purchased yours during the pre-sale campaign. (We’re also having a AFBA happy hour that night at the nearby Flying Saucer starting at 6 p.m.)
BookPeople has generously offered to host an official event for us there at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 11. At that event, I’ll be chatting with AFBA past president Natanya Anderson, member Chris Perez and cookbook volunteers Melissa Skorpil and Megan Myers about the process of putting together the book and why we felt so compelled to create a community cookbook in the first place.
Later this summer, we have plans to teach cooking classes and host other cookbook-related events, so stay tuned for details about those. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for the book at local retailers including Breed & Co., BookPeople, Whole Foods and Central Market, and feel free to leave a review of the book (or buy a few extra copies!) on our Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com pages. You can see the full list of recipes here.
Thanks to everyone for your generous support in these past 12 months! Community cookbooks couldn’t happen without a community that believes in working together to make it happen, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your enthusiasm and encouragement. Hope to see you at some of these upcoming events, and if you have any questions about the book (or pre-sale book pick-ups or anything else about the book) feel free to leave them in the comments or email me at broylesa AT gmail DOT com.
– Addie Broyles, cookbook editor
Chris Perez is a guru of digital media, writes Metropochris; and is a photographer and contributor for Apartment Therapy and The Kitchn. Chris is currently running a Kickstarter campaign for his latest endeavor: Citygram Magazine. The Austin-based, globally accessible magazine will present curated content emphasizing taste and useful information.
Tell us about yourself! Where are you from? Why do you blog? What is your focus?
Whew, where do I start? I suppose the first question
I was born in Plano, Texas, a large suburb about 30 minutes outside Dallas. When I was in high school the city gained notoriety for a heroine epidemic that got national attention from an MTV documentary. It was very real and pretty disturbing to see.
On brighter topics, I blog because of the way it can reach and help people. Casting out ideas, tips, recipes or advice wouldn’t be any fun if no one was reacting to it, benefiting from it, or gaining some kind of connection.
I have a wide range of interests … technology, design, food, cocktails, and entertaining … so my focus shifts in and out from those realms. The common thread between all those things – and what resonates the most with me – are the people: the chef, the designer, the artist.
I had the good fortune to spend time, and have conversations with, some very talented and inspiring people over the past year. I’d like to devote even more focus on them, because I think this city and community is unique and genuine in its willingness to help.
Hearing their stories is what ultimately led me to leave my full-time job as an electrical engineer to be a freelancer … and now founding editor for a digital magazine I’m starting called Citygram. It’s written by the same people who showed me that life is more than acquiring one thing after the next, it’s about creating, and giving yourself fully to the community.
How did you start blogging?
It actually all happened on a bit of a whim. I started a small blog, housepoint0.com, to more or less document the DIY’s and before/after updates my wife and I would do for our home. I shot photos in full automatic mode, and never really thought about going beyond that.
But then, in between projects at my engineering job, I saw a post for a tech writing position go up on Apartment Therapy. They were looking for another writer to talk about home tech and mobile apps. I’m a gadget guy. I knew a lot in that space, so I sent a resume their way. They called me up and then gave me the position the next week.
In that first year, I went from just writing about tech, to doing home tours, to writing about food on TheKitchn, and to developing my own blog MetropoChris that kind of serves as a catchall for the things I want to write about but can’t quite fit within the frame of the national blogs.
It’s been a fun journey.
What items are always in your fridge or pantry?
We don’t have a pantry but we have a well-stocked magnetic spice jar rack that hangs by the main counter. Having a lot of spices on hand allows my wife and I to try daring recipes without having to buy a long list of things from the grocery store.
The fridge always has some lactose-free milk in there for my morning coffee. Some eggs for omelets, some garlic for everything, and some kind of infused simple syrup for a cocktail.
If you could share dinner with anyone, who would you host and what would you eat?
If you asked me this question 6 years ago I would have said Michael Jordan, and perhaps a list of other notable big-name celebrities.
But now, after living in Austin and being a part of the culture and local community, I’d say Aaron Franklin, Bryce Gilmore, Paul Qui, Jodi Elliot, among others. Those are my celebrities now. They are the people I look up to. They’re real and they do great things.
We’d have some kind of gathering where we’d bake some desserts in the oven, throw some vegetables on the grill, and roast a goat in a La Caja China while sipping on beers and cocktails as it all came together. Then everyone else I’ve come to know from the community would drop in, too. We’d feast, laugh, and have good conversation around a fire pit until midnight.
What is your favorite AFBA memory?
I’m going to have to agree with Brittanie here, and say the AFBA potluck. This happened literally a week after I got accepted into AFBA and it was a thrill to see how big, talented, and friendly the community was. The light, the weather, and the setting (Springdale Farms) couldn’t have been more gorgeous; So perfect I eventually came back to do a proper home and kitchen tour with the owners of Springdale Farm, Glen and Paula Foore.
Apartment Therapy: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/glenn-and-paulas-new-life-farmhouse-house-tour-180559
The Kitchn: http://www.thekitchn.com/paulas-farmhouse-kitchen-kitchen-tour-180750
Metropochris: http://metropochris.com/2012/tuesday-tourismo-glenn-and-paulas-new-life-farmhouse/
What is your most popular post?
My most popular post was a How To: Upgrade a Wall Outlet to USB Functionality for Apartment Therapy. It was even plagiarized by another outlet some time later.
On my personal blog, I think it’s the Avocado Margarita recipe that is in the AFBA cookbook.
The Austin Food Blogger Alliance introduces a new blog series highlighting its current members. The AFBA wouldn’t be here without the support of its membership! Let’s get started with Meagan Warncke.
Meagan authors Sarafina’s Kitchen and contributes to the Cedar Park-Leander Statesman as a columnist for “Appetite For Life.”
Tell us about yourself, where are you from, what do you write about?
I’m originally from Beaumont, but have lived in the Austin area for over 20 years.
I write about food and the role it plays in memories of my life. The connections it makes, the comfort it brings.
How did you start blogging?
I started my blog as a way to share recipes with friends and family. It was also a way to force me to be brave in the kitchen and learn new skills.
What item is always in your fridge?
Cheese. Any and every kind. Laughing Cow, Ricotta, Cheddar, Blue, etc.
I think I was a mouse in another life.
If you could share dinner with anyone, who would it be and what would you eat?
My grandparents. I miss them so much. I’d love for them to see how they influenced my love of cooking. I’m sure I’d make a dish that I learned from each of them.
What was a memorable AFBA moment you experienced?
I haven’t been to many AFBA events, but just being a part of the group and seeing members at other events is so much fun. It’s good to know I’m not the only crazy food blogger out there.
- Heather Santos, Membership Chair
Brittanie Duncan writes Three Diets One Dinner, balancing a Paleo lifestyle with her family. Brittanie is also the busy new social chair for the Austin Food Blogger Alliance. 
Tell us about yourself! Where are you from? Why do you blog? What is your focus?
I was born and raised in Houston, went to New York for school, to Virginia for my husband’s law school and have finally settled here in Austin by choice. We had been married two years when we moved to Virginia, and I couldn’t boil an egg to save my life. I didn’t cook. About two weeks after moving to Virginia, my husband and I were craving Mexican food, but it was not available in any respectable capacity. He turned to me, steadfast and determined, and said, “Honey, this is as good a time as any to learn to cook.” From that day on, cooking became my challenge, my path to bettering myself and a new way of expressing love for my friends and family. When my diet took a turn towards paleo, so did my cooking.
How did you start blogging?
After a night of drinking, my friend, Chaz relentlessly insisted that I share the recipes, trials and tribulations behind the struggle of feeding three different diets with only one dinner. We drank a lot, and the nagging worked. The next morning, I had a congratulatory registration confirmation with blogger, “Dear Brittanie, Congratulations on your new blog, threedietsonedinner.”
As they say that a drunk man’s words are a sober man’s thoughts, I thought the same must be true regarding drunk registrations and sober intentions. So I went with it. And here we are, a year later, with a blog that has quite literally changed my life.
Through my blog, I have met so many new people who want to take control of their health, lovers of food and new friends. Without this blog, I would never have been a part of the Austin Food Blogger Alliance, PaleoFX or Paleo Pen Pals. I would not have written a cookbook (coming soon!). I would not have learned so much about paleo, food, photography, writing, social media, the blog community and myself. My blog audience has offered so many loving comments that have motivated me to love my family, friends and self better by encouraging nourishing, quality foods every day.
What items are always in your fridge or pantry?
Coconut milk, at least three dozen eggs, pork rinds, and LaCroix.
If you could share dinner with anyone, who would you host and what would you eat?
Honestly, my friends. I have lived in Houston, Austin, New York, Spain and Virginia. My friends are from all over the country, some across the world! If I could get all of them together in one spot, I could think of nothing better than to cook for them all at once.
I would cook dishes inspired by all the places I’ve lived.
- From New York, I would make something gastronomically thrilling, inspired by The Staunton Social, namely, the French onion dumplings.
- From Virginia, wine, because I worked at the local purveyor in Lexington and loved hosting tastings on Friday nights.
- From Texas, BBQ, duh!
- From Spain, a delicious tapas spread of spicy charcuterie, Spanish olives and marinated figs.
What is your favorite AFBA memory?
One of the most special experiences I’ve had with the AFBA was at our cookbook potluck at Springdale Farms. The idea was to test out each others’ recipes we submitted for the AFBA cookbook. I was assigned a spicy mango salsa from another blogger and a different blogger was assigned my coconut sriracha cauliflower rice. It was a moment of sharing and intermingling with fellow bloggers, with an opportunity to walk in each other’s shoes through food.
The setting was gorgeous – an urban farm with a rustic home. We set up the most eclectic mix of our bloggers’ dishes buffet-style on the wrap around porch. We sat at picnic tables and on tree stumps on a beautiful summer evening and sampled all kinds of delicious food. It was a foodie’s dream and I can’t wait to do it again!
What is your most popular post?
My most popular post is a close draw between Loaded Paleo Turkey Burgers and The Best Paleo Banana Bread Ever.
Babette Pepaj, founder of TECHmunch, brought more than 100 bloggers together for a full day conference that touched on every aspect of owning a blog. This year, many of the speakers were local Austin Food Blogger Alliance members. The sequence of presentations and panels took attendees through the evolutionary process of building and managing your blog.
The speaker lineup included Addie Broyles, Natanya Anderson, Jason Nunes, Serena Erlich, Stephanie Manley, Kelly Jaggers, Lizz Clements, Meghan Erwin, Melissa Skorpil and Melissa Joulwan.
With panelists Jake Maddux, Caroline Wallace, Holly Aker, Devon Broglie, Kate Gardiner, Jodi Bart, Ronnie Bincer, Adam Holz, Hilah Johnson, Sandi McKenna, Rick Griffin, Virginia Wood, Felecia Hatcher, Rachel Barbarotto, Lindsay Robinson, Clint Schaff and Jessica Randazza.
A quick-paced conference covered a myriad of topics, and each speaker was handpicked by Babette Pepaj for thier expertise in a selected facet of blogging. There was enough information presented to appeal to beginner and experienced bloggers. Some of the take-away ideas included having a focus for your blog, read and explore your peers’ blogs, get organized with an editorial calendar, don’t be afraid to edit and present your content in different formats on several social media platforms.
Look for the Tweets with the #Techmunch handle to see the points that piqued the audience’s interest.
Throughout the day there were snacking opportunities including Morning Chameleon Coffee, Driscoll berry smoothies and Jade Monk tea. Lunch was an adventure in Whole Foods Market, where each attendee was armed with a gift card and a map. The afternoon treats included The Sticky Toffee Pudding Co.’s new bars, Good Pops and cupcakes.
BakeSpace.com’s latest endeavor is a free eBook and iPad app designed as a DIY cookbook publisher platform. For more information visit the website.
Thank you to the 55 Austin Food Blogger Alliance (AFBA) members who contributed 78 posts (with 7-8 expected to be added this week) to the 2013 Austin City Guide, which launched today, just in time for SXSW.
The Austin City Guide (#atxcityguide on Twitter and Google+) was first created by a group of local food bloggers in 2010 as a resource for visitors in town for SXSW. Members of The Austin Food Blogger Alliance updated and expanded the guide in 2011, 2012, and 2013 to help out-of-towners and locals navigate the ever-changing Austin food and drink scene.
The Austin Food Blogger Alliance welcomed its newest members to meet up at Savory Spice Shop on 6th last weekend. We were warmly received by Karen Aboussie, Savory’s owner, to taste confections and savory bites hiding amongst the vast array of products in the store. There was a Black Onyx Zucchini Cake, Guacamole, Lavender Vanilla Strawberry Dip, Chai Tea, and Spicy Chicken among the nibbles prepared for members.
Karen loves to hear from bloggers who are working with her spices and encourages AFBA members to contact her if you develop a recipe—you might have a dish distributed to all Savory Spice Shops as recipe cards.
New members put faces to names as they met a few of the returning members, and we even had some old hats make their first appearance at a social event. Thanks to everyone who came out!
Thank you Savory Spice Shop for your hospitality. Everyone enjoyed the space and your expertise in choosing our next favorite seasoning to try at home.
Photos courtesy of Antonio Delgado of OhSpooning.
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