Meet the Members of the Cooking Light Bloggers' Connection

Each of these bloggers brings a unique perspective, background, and style of cooking, making them valuable additions to the conversation around healthy eating. Check in with them daily, follow them through social media outlets, and join our conversation around the beautiful power of home-cooked food.

Name: Annie Garcia

Based in: Santa Monica, CA

WhatAnniesEating.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Mostly healthy, sometimes indulgent, always delicious.

Why do you love cooking? ​I have loved the kitchen, cooking, and all things food ever since I was a little girl. Cooking for myself, friends, and family is my happy place—it’s creative, sensory, nostalgic, mindful, and it’s the absolute best way to bring a group of people together.

Name: Faith Gorsky

Based in: West Seneca, NY

AnEdibleMosaic.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Unique recipe collection of updated American classics & international favorites; emphasis on seasonal dishes & tantalizing food photography

Why do you love cooking? I love cooking because of the way it nurtures and inspires creativity. One of my favorite things to do is head into my kitchen at dinnertime without a plan or agenda, peer pensively into the pantry and fridge, and see how dinner unfolds.

Name: Holley Grainger

Based in: Birmingham, AL

HolleyGrainger.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: At @holleygrainger, you can always count on doable, practical and delicious nutrition advice and recipes for the entire family.

What should readers know about you? I’m a registered dietitian, wife, mom, and business owner that does her best to keep it real and have fun with her family, readers, and clients all while balancing a sink of dirty dishes, a clingy toddler and a glass of red wine. 

Name: Alexandra Caspero

Based in: St. Louis, MO

DelishKnowledge.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Healthy, whole-food vegetarian recipes with a dash of nutrition tips.

Why do you love cooking? My love language is food. I love creating nourishing meals that I can share with people I love; sitting around the kitchen table is my favorite way to connect.

Name: Elizabeth Shaw

Based in: San Diego, CA

ShawSimpleSwaps.com

What should readers know about you? I am always up for a challenge and relish in shopping on a budget! I love to use ingredients most people have on hand in innovative ways to create meals in minutes. I love sharing my passion of food through writing and showing the public that healthy eating is possible through small changes over time. Simple swaps is my motto!

Why do you love cooking? Cooking for me is a way to bring my family and friends around one table to share and laugh together. I absolutely love it when I can sneak in a stealth health maneuver, like cottage cheese in the dark chocolate cake, to dispel the myth that healthy eating tastes like cardboard. I heard two of you ask for seconds, right?!

Name: Carrie Madormo

Based in: Milwaukee, WI

DietDeepDish.com

How would you describe your blog in a Tweet? Diet Deep Dish is where you will find simple, seasonal, healthier versions of your favorite Midwest comfort food.

What should readers know about you? While I love finding easy ways to lighten-up a recipe, I still splurge when it’s worth it!  I am always trying to balance my love of deep dish pizza, Portillo’s chocolate cake shakes and anything fried on a stick with a healthy, happy, active lifestyle.

Name: Joanne Bruno

Based in: New York City

joanne-eatswellwithothers.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: A mostly crazy, sometimes ridiculous, always delicious, vegetable and cupcake-laden account of life as an MD/PhD student in NYC

What should we know about you? I’m a vegetarian who occasionally eats sushi and I’m also an exercise nut. I’ve run two marathons with plans to run a third in November. I’m also snarky with a penchant for hyperbole...so take everything I say with a grain of salt.

Name: Lori Holtzman

Based in: Chicago, IL

glorioffood.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: A personal celebration of food: decadent/healthy, unique/classic, simple/complex…all things delicious #glorioffood

Why do you love cooking? Cooking is so rewarding because good food does so much more than just feed the body. It makes people happy, brings them together, and even becomes woven into life stories. My favorite recipes are those that remind me of a special time, person, or place in my life. Of course, I also just enjoy the process of putting different ingredients together and then seeing and tasting the final product.

Name: Kaitlin Lunny

Based in: Philadelphia, PA

ICanCookThat.org

Describe your blog in a Tweet: A twenty-something on her own for the first time trying to learn the ins and outs of cooking.

What should we know about you? I make mistakes, forget to add ingredients, and never let the butter completely soften. But I still end up with delicious meals, even if it’s not perfect. I also love using new ingredients, methods, and cooking techniques to continue to challenge myself.

Name: Rachael Hutchings

Based in: Southern California

LaFujiMama.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: La Fuji Mama is a website focused on bringing world flavors to the family dinner table.

When and why did you start blogging? I started my blog in February 2007 while living in Tokyo, Japan, to document my experiences living as a new mom and expat, and write about my love for Japanese food and culture. When we moved back to the US, my blog slowly morphed into a food blog.

Name: Kristy Still

Based in: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

mommyhatescooking.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: In a Cooking Rut? Check out how @MomHatesCooking went from burnt oven mitts to homemade meals with some of her tasty, easy recipes!

When and why did you start blogging? I started blogging in the summer of 2010 because we were in a cooking rut. I was not a fan of cooking and was making the same few recipes over and over. I decided that it was time to take extreme measures, so I started my blog to teach myself to cook and show those who were in the same situation that there is hope and you can cook!

Name: Josie Spain

Based in: Atlanta, GA

pink-parsley.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Family friendly, with an emphasis on seasonal and southern food.

Why do you love cooking? I love turning simple ingredients into something special—whether it’s a humble salad or a complicated and intricate dessert—the process and the end result are equally gratifying.

Name: Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen

Based in: San Diego, CA

RaiseHealthyEaters.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Raise Healthy Eaters gives parents peace of mind when it comes to feeding their family by simplifying nutrition, taking the struggle out of feeding and making nutritious meal preparation EASY.  

What’s a dish you make that family and friends always request? I make a mean salad with greens, candied pecans, apple slices, green onions, feta cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. Now I'm just expected to bring salads to family parties!

Name: Robin Gagnon

Based in: Rhode Island

MomFoodie.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: A food and lifestyle blog, with an emphasis on healthy eating.

Why do you love cooking? It is a wonderful and practical way to express creativity, in everyday life. Cooking is an accessible art readily shared with those you love.

What dish made you fall in love with cooking? It was more of an evolving thing, from 20 years working in restaurants, then finding myself a stay at home mom with plenty of time to experiment in the kitchen.

Name: Christiane Potts

Based in: Winston Salem, NC

TakingOnMagazines.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: I test out magazine recipes at home for accuracy, ease of home cooking, taste and clean-up. Then my family and I report the results to you.

What dish made you fall in love with cooking? The first pie I made (in high school) had a crust that was so hard that we couldn’t pound through it to get to the apples. I think when I finally learned to make a perfect piecrust, I felt the love bloom.

Name: Marina Delio

Based in: Santa Barbara, CA

yummymummykitchen.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Beautiful photographs of healthy mostly meatless recipes the whole family will love.

What should readers know about you? I’m proud to be a stay at home mommy with two sweet little girls. My style is a relaxed elegance that shows up in my recipes. I love learning about food and getting it from the source. Our family has 4 chickens and a small vegetable garden in our backyard. I would much rather eat the eggs than the chicken.

Name: Katrina P

Based in: Tuscaloosa, Alabama

katrina-runs.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Katrina Runs for Food combines running, clean eating, and food photography to show that healthy food can look and taste OUTSTANDING!

When and why did you start blogging? I started blogging in 2008 as a runner dealing with long-term injuries. While working on the physical fitness, I started documenting my transition to clean eating and general food interests.

Name: Jelena (JT) Meisel

Based in: Miami, FL

www.thefauxfoodiegirl.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Discovering a True Foodie Within Me One Bite at a Time & Other Pleasures of Life

What should readers know about you? I would like to consider myself a foodie [according to WIKIPEDIA - a foodie is someone who simply loves food for consumption, study, preparation, and news.[1]], the only problem is, I lack the part in interest in preparation of food. I prefer consumption ONLY, hence the blog name THE FAUX FOODIE GIRL. I may not be savvy around the kitchen, but I am very savvy with my cookbooks, foodie blogs and recipes. The key to good and healthy eating is good planning, and I am a very good planner!

Name: Joelen Tan

Based in: Chicago, IL

whatscookinchicago.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: What’s Cookin’ Chicago captures food adventures in and out of the kitchen as a former chef and private caterer.

What should readers know about you? I embrace food and culture and can find something to link in every cuisine.

Name: Betsy Haley

Based in: San Diego, CA

betsylife.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: A sunny perspective on cooking, baking, healthy living, and creating the life you crave.

Why do you love cooking? For me, cooking is instant gratification artwork. You start with nothing, and pretty soon you have created something! It’s art you can do every day. I find never-ending inspiration in ingredients, recipes, magazines, cookbooks, blogs, etc.

Name: Susan Schuman

Based in: St. Augustine, FL

OurFamilyEats.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Simple recipes, encouragement, and tips for getting healthy, family-friendly meals on the table in a hurry.

What should readers know about you? In early 2011 my daughter was diagnosed with ADHD. Instead of drugs I changed our diet to remove all artificial ingredients and her symptoms vanished. Now I’m passionate about sharing information on how dangerous artificial ingredients can be.

Name: Susan Napolitano

Based in: Monroe, CT

RealKidsEatSpinach.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Real Kids Eat Spinach serves up the dish on healthy family food: getting kids involved in the kitchen, eating together as a family, and thinking outside the inner aisles of the grocery store.

What should readers know about you? I’m a certified holistic health coach, single parent, and avid runner. None of my own recipes contain refined sugar or "white" products, and most are free of gluten and dairy as well.

Name: Kristina Sloggett

Based in: Portland, OR

Spabettie.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Spabettie recipes are accessible and uncomplicated, made with fresh, vibrant flavors and colors, always leaving room for indulgence.

What should readers know about you? I’m a mostly vegetarian who prefers to focus on fresh food more than labels. I live for summer evenings, wine country, one smart engineering guy, and dachshunds!

Name: Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD & Serena Ball, MS, RD

Based in: Deanna – Philadelphia; Serena – Chicago

teaspoonofspice.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Two dietitians & moms who love food as much as you do and blog about healthy, easy & tasty ways to feed yourself and your family.

What should readers know about you? Though we are dietitians, we are NOT the food police. We love fruits and vegetables but we also love bacon and donuts. We like to talk about the joy of food and how to prepare it instead just listing milligrams of calcium or grams of protein. We strive to cook healthy and delicious the majority of the time but guess what? Some nights, cereal is what’s for family dinner and we think that’s OK.

Name: Regan Jones, RD

Based in: Evans, GA

TheProfessionalPalate.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Where something delicious is always in the works; written by an RD/foodie, social media/photo junkie playing wife & mom in my free time.

What dish made you fall in love with cooking? My first cooking memories are of being in my grandmother’s kitchen making a homemade plum cake. I think I was barely out of diapers, but remember it fondly. It’s the first recipe I ever remember cooking, and I’ve never wanted to stop.

Name: Maria Lichty

Based in: Salt Lake City, UT

TwoPeasAndTheirPod.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: A fun place where husband and wife team up to create simple, fresh, family-friendly recipes.

When and why did you start blogging? (Summer of 2008) We started blogging shortly after we were married. We were spending a lot of time in the kitchen together and family and friends kept asking us for our recipes. Josh had a personal blog, so I started posting the recipes on his blog. Soon, strangers were visiting and we decided to transition the blog into a full-time food blog.

Name: Elizabeth Cowie

Based in: Saint Louis, MO

tasteandsprout.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Taste and Sprout features tasty, healthy, family-friendly recipes that are quick and easy to prepare.

When and why did you start blogging? I started blogging in 2011 as a way to share my joy of creating in the kitchen and my passion for helping others transition to healthy eating. My recipes are the same food I cook on a daily basis for friends and family. Join me on a journey of lifelong health and learn to prepare delicious, fresh, healthy meals your whole family will love (and won’t even know that it’s good for them!)

Name: Allison Strauss

Based in: Lansdale, PA

TypeAKitchen.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Healthy, easy, weeknight recipes from the heart and kitchen of a list-loving, multi-tasking, meal-planning maniac.

Why do you love cooking? I can control everything about it! The amount of time I spend, the degree of difficulty the recipe requires, the quality of the ingredients—I can control it all. And I find that the more I practice in the kitchen, the less I have to think about what I’m doing, which allows for a pretty stress-relieving dance party around the kitchen island.

Name: April Aceto

Based in: Milwaukee, WI

FoodnFocus.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Food n’ Focus is a fusion of healthy recipes and tasty treats.

What dish made you fall in love with cooking? My grandmother’s homemade meatballs and gnocchi. We would have a family dinner every Sunday growing up and this was my favorite.

Name: Rashmi Nigam

Based in: Los Angeles, CA

YumKid.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Yumkid.com (@yumkid) is about real kids, real food, real quick. It’s about raising children who will eat everything.

Why do you love cooking? Cooking is how I nourish my family and celebrate life with friends. A perfect evening for me is a full dinning table with delicious food, free flowing wine, and lots of laughter and conversation.

Name: Cricket Azima

Based in: New York, NY

www.thecreativekitchen.com/blog

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Appetites (big & small) agree The Creative Kitchen blog is THE place to find family-friendly recipes, product reviews, giveaways, and more!

What should readers know about you? In the classroom and at home, I’m a mom who believes that kids gain more when learning and retain more educational content when using all of their senses - and of course, when having fun!  Through the efforts of my company, The Creative Kitchen, I specialize in cooking for and with kids. In addition to learning how to make a delicious and healthful recipe, children learn lesson about math, science, geography, history, social studies, art, language, and reading skills. They are also exposed to and develop skills related to socialization, physical activity, and lifetime learning.

Name: Hilliary Wolfe

Based in: Minneapolis, MN

haw-happilyeverhealthy.blogspot.com/

Describe your blog in a Tweet: My blog is a collection of easy and healthy recipes, my adventures with running and my journey to living a Happily Ever Healthy.

When and why did you start blogging? I started blogging two years after I graduated from college. I needed a creative outlet, and a place where I could write about my personal journey to a happier and healthier life!

Name: Erin Sellin

Based in: Fort Collins, CO

DinnersDishesAndDesserts.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: A mix of sweet treats and every day food for the whole family.  Simple.  Fun.  Delicious.

What should readers know about you? I am a wife and a mom. I love cooking, and trying new ingredients and recipes. I never back down from a challenge, and will continue to work at something until I succeed.

Name: Jeanette Chen

Based in: New Canaan, CT

JeanettesHealthyLiving.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Healthy whole food recipes from around the world, all tried and true. Everything not only has to look good, it has to taste great!

When and why did you start blogging? I started blogging in June 2010 initially as a place to chronicle my experience cooking for friends with cancer. As time went on, I started including recipes I cook for my family of four boys. Most of my recipes are gluten-free or gluten-free adaptable.

Name: Amber Breeden

Based in: Washington, DC Metro Area

Mom-Machine.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: It’s mama potpourri—recipes, DIY, baby/kid gear, fashion, parenting info, design—everything a busy mom needs, all in one spot!

Why do you love cooking? So many reasons—I love making delicious, healthy things for my family, carrying on family traditions and recipes, creating new dishes, watching people enjoy the food I make (that last one’s a bit selfish, but I still love it!).

Name: Katie Sullivan Morford, MS, RD

Based in: San Francisco, CA

MomsKitchenHandbook.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: It makes me happy. I love the creativity and the end result of sitting down with friends and family over delicious food.

Why do you love cooking? So many reasons—I love making delicious, healthy things for my family, carrying on family traditions and recipes, creating new dishes, watching people enjoy the food I make (that last one’s a bit selfish, but I still love it!).

Name: Raven Cauthon

Based in: Somers, Connecticut

RavieNomNoms.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: You know that sound you make when something is really tasty? My food, recipes & photos are meant to capture just that. Simply, NomNoms.

What dish made you fall in love with cooking? Irish Soda Bread. I know this is a strange choice, but I remember making this for the first time and noticing how easy it was and how delicious it tasted. It wasn’t the first time I had eaten it, I come from a long line of Irish Soda Bread makers. However, it made me wonder how many other things were that easy to make and had such an amazing outcome.

Name: Jessica Goldman Foung

Based in: San Francisco, CA

www.SodiumGirl.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: From making bloody Mary’s to traveling abroad, Sodium Girl shows you how to eat deliciously and live a limitless low-sodium life.

When and why did you start blogging? As a twenty-one year-old with lupus-related kidney failure, I was forced to quickly learn how to live a limitless life on a strict low-sodium diet. After a few years, I started my blog to share my tasty tricks and treats with others who face similar restrictions and inspire them to find flavor beyond the shaker. And almost a decade later, I am releasing my first cookbook in Jan 2012 with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Name: Liz Della Croce

Based in: Grand Rapids, MI

www.TheLemonBowl.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: Delicious recipes that just so happen to be healthy. 

What dish made you fall in love with cooking? My Great Aunt Vieve’s traditional hummus with toasted pine nuts. She would always garnish the hummus platter as though it was a painting in a museum.  A lot of love went in to her food (as well as a lot of lemon and garlic!)

Name: Anjali Shah

Based in: San Francisco, CA

www.PickyEaterBlog.com/

Describe your blog in a Tweet: The Picky Eater is a healthy food blog with easy, delicious recipes, and bite-sized tips to help you transform your life. 

When and why did you start blogging? I started my blog in 2010 to chronicle my adventures in creating healthy meals that my “fast food-loving” husband would enjoy. I wanted to show that healthy food could actually be delicious and desirable!

Name: Natalie McLaury

Based in: St. Louis, MO

www.TheSweetsLife.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: The Sweets Life features real food—from healthy to indulgent—for the busy cook who still wants to eat well!

What should readers know about you? I always have a lot on my plate [in life, though usually when it comes to food too!], but I refuse to succumb to fast food or frozen meals. The recipes on my blog reflect my life—there isn’t always time to make a four-layer cake or spend three hours prepping dinner, but you can still eat well when cooking time is limited!

Name: Maeghan Lovejoy

Based in: Kennebunkport, Maine

www.TheWayToHisHeartBlog.com

Describe your blog in a Tweet: You'll find great tasting, easy meals that are beautiful enough to be made for company or for a weeknight @The Way to His Heart

What dish made you fall in love with cooking? My mom’s Sweet and Sour Pork. I remember a “World Cuisine” day at school in 4th grade where my mom and I prepared this dish. I helped my mom with all of the prep work. I loved watching all of the beautiful colors go into the dish and I loved the delicious end result!