I have always been a foodie. I grew up in the kitchen with my dad and my grandpa. Shaping loafs for homemade biscotti, rolling meatballs, and mixing. Oh, I loved mixing. Especially if we were making frosting and I could lick the spoon at the end. Food was an expression of love in our home. If you love someone, you cook for them.
I still find supreme joy in the kitchen. From the process of meal prepping, to grocery shopping (yes, I’m a weirdo and I love grocery shopping!), to the preparation of the meal. While my dad is full-on Italian and my mom is full-on French, our table was never restricted to the recipes of those two foodie cultures. My dad, who absolutely loves to cook, was always bringing home new flavors. We ate everything from haddock piccata to chicken tikki masala to African peanut stew.
I have carried that love of exploring new flavors and creating new things in the kitchen into adulthood. While my life doesn’t currently allow for a ton of time experimenting in the kitchen, I have filled that void by following some pretty awesome recipe blogs. Here are my favorite food blogs!
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Against All Grain - penned by Danielle Walker, AAG is a paleo-focused food blog. While you won’t see ingredients like butter, milk, or flour, you will be amazed at how well you can eat without those things. Her food is beautiful, clean, and simple. What I love about Danielle, is that her blog isn’t just a place for her to draw from when she write cookbooks. If you purchase her cookbooks, you will be getting content that is different from the blog. If you want to get into clean eating, this a a great place to start. If you’re trying a Whole30, her site is a must!
Recipe you need to try: Avocado Oil Mayo
My favorite cookbook: Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple *
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Little bits of: First off, Kelsey is absolutely one of the cutest humans on all time. And her husband is cute. And their baby is cute. And don’t even get me started on their doggo. If you want to follow one of the cutest families of all time, you’ll want to follow along with Little bits of. Like Danielle, Kelsey has a strong focus on paleo living but she posts the occassional non-paleo recipe, too.
Recipe you need to try: Sweet Potato Toast (an absolute favorite method of mine!)
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Oh She Glows: This totally planted based recipe blog is perfect if you’re looking to reduce your meat intake. Not only does Angela have tons of substitutes, like jackfruit tacos, but there also beautiful dishes celebrating the beauty of fresh veggies. If you want to sharpen your nutritional know-how, check out Oh She Glows. If the beauty of her photos doesn’t get your mouth watering, I don’t know what will.
Recipe you need to try: Vegan Cheese Sauce
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The Pioneer Woman: I’ve been reading this blog since 2008 when I moved into my first apartment and had to cook completely for myself for the first time ever. As a college student, I was looking for things that were easy to make in bulk, did well being frozen then subsequently reheated, and were budget-friend. The Pioneer Woman offers that and so much more. Most of her recipes are no longer in my regular rotation (because I’m focusing on cleaner, healthier meals as of late), but when I want comfort food - something a little naughty, I turn to Ree. You may have seen her and her incredible ranch on The Food Network but if you haven’t read her blog, you need to!
Recipe to try: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
My favorite cookbook: The Pioneer Woman Food from My Frontier*
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SkinnyTaste: Another healthy recipe blog…do you sense a theme here? I like what I like people. If the other healthy recipe blogs I’ve mentioned so far are too restrictive for you, SkinnyTaste might be your jam. Gina creates balanced, healthy meals that are incredibly accessible. No nutritional yeast or arrowroot power here. Whether you like a slow cookers meals, Instant Pot*recipes, or Weight Watchers inspiration, Gina has it all and presents it in approachable way. I can’t think of a single recipe of her’s that’s ever failed me. SkinnyTaste is a real gem.
Recipe you need to try: Blackened Fish Taco with Mango Slaw
My favorite cookbook: SkinnyTaste Fast and Slow*
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Smitten Kitchen: The food blog that started my obsession with food blogs. Smitten Kitchen is nothing short of a work of art. Deb, a brilliant home cook, writer, and photographer, has crafted one of the most beautiful recipe blogs on the web. If you love food for the art of it all, Smitten Kitchen will be the blog for you. Deb has elevated home cooking from canned mushroom soup casseroles to elegant masterpieces with ingredients from your local grocer. If you’re cooking to impress someone special, turn to Smitten Kitchen for everything from the appetizer to dessert. Everyone at your table will be in awe of your abilities.
Recipe you need to try: Cream of Tomato Soup
Thug Kitchen: My goodness, this blog is an trip. With a tag line like “Eat like you give a fuck,” you can’t help but be drawn into the silly, playful stylings of the foulmouthed duo, Matt and Michelle. They believe in eating real, nutritious food but they know it needs to taste good. They’ve accomplished just that. If 2019 is a new year, new you, try out a few of these clean eats. Or just read if you’re in need of a serious laugh. Thug Kitchen breathes a breath of fresh, salty AF air into the world of food blogging. Even if you’re not a Vegan, I bet you can find a recipe to love.
Recipe you need to try: Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tell me you’re favorite food blog in the comments below!
FTC: Some of the links in the post are affiliate links, denoted with *. If you shop using these links, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for supporting Laurel and Iron!
