Lucy has just written a new cookbook called “Flavored Butters”. Her recipes are unique and perfect for families! Get a sneak peek into what you can expect from Lucy’s newest cookbook!

Tell us more about yourself, your site, and your family.

I’m obsessed with all things food. I love to eat and cook, and I collect cookbooks and cookware from around the world. When I’m not fooding, I’m writing and teaching about fooding…

Everything I do is about teaching cooks confidence in the kitchen. I develop recipes, write cookbooks, blog, and teach cooking classes with a focus on the fundamental cooking and baking techniques that all cooks need to know. In other words, I demystify chef techniques for everybody. I’m the author of Seared to Perfection: The Simple Art of Sealing in Flavor and Flavored Butters: How to Make Them, Shape Them, and Use Them as Spreads, Toppings, and Sauces, which I also styled and photographed myself. Currently I’m working on a cookbook all about marinades and teaching at Clark College Vancouver, WA and at Mount Hood Community College in Gresham, OR.

My blog, which recently broke 250 recipes, is another way for me to reach out to home cooks. The name “Hungry Cravings” comes from my desire when I was first learning to cook for a single comprehensive collection of recipes to satisfy all of my cravings. I especially love the blog because it’s a creative outlet and a way to share my cooking with my family, who live several states away.

You have a new cookbook, “Flavored Butters”! What should readers expect from the book?

My goal with this book was to show how flavored butters, which are effortless to whip up, can transform mundane meals into gourmet greatness. Clearly presented information on how to make compound butters, clarified butters, and brown butters, and fifty recipes for both sweet and savory flavors with suggestions for how to use them as spreads, toppings, and sauces will give readers lots of inspiration and the confidence to turn that inspiration into reality.

What did you enjoy about writing your cookbook?

My favorite thing about the book is that I actually use flavored butters all the time at home. So as I was writing it, I didn’t have to look very far for inspiration and I felt like I could really stay true to my culinary self. It was also a lot of fun to come up with all of the different variations.

Do you alter your cooking based on the different seasons?

Of course! My cooking is largely inspired by what’s in season. I love to go to the farmers market, pick up whatever looks best, and then figure out what I want to do with it. Other people may look forward to spring and summer, but I look forward to asparagus season, morel season, strawberry season, raspberry season, cherry season, apple season, chanterelle season…I could go on and on…

Why do you think home cooking is so important?

Well, that’s a big question! Mealtime is the single best opportunity we have to nourish ourselves and those we love both body and soul, so I believe it’s important to take the time to do it right. Cooking from scratch at home is the best way to ensure that the meals we eat are not only wholesome and nutritious but also delicious, deeply satisfying, and an opportunity to come together.

What are your favorite spices or foods to include in a recipe?

I’m not sure I have any specific favorite spices or foods to include in my recipes, I just like to use ingredients that are of the best possible quality. I’m a strong believer that one’s cooking can only be as good as the ingredients that go into it. But if you really press me, I do love to cook with chiles. And chocolate. And flavored butter of course!

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Your family will love these no-bake dessert recipes! Nags, who loves creating new recipes, shares her best desserts that are fun and easy! Get her recipes for Eggless No-Bake Mango Cheesecake and No-Bake Biscuit Brownies.  

Tell us more about yourself, your site, and your family.

I am from a lovely town called Kottayam in Kerala, the southern-most state of India. Although my family has been settled in Kerala for many generations now, we are originally from a different part of India and have our own language and style of cooking which has now blended with the Keralan cooking style making way for some interesting combinations. I currently live in Singapore with my husband and work full time at Google. Edible Garden is a hobby that takes up more energy and time than a hobby should but I really wouldn’t want it any other way.

Where do you find the inspiration for your recipes?

As with most people, my mom has influenced my interest in food and cooking a lot. I remember how she would experiment with baking cookies and cakes and puddings in a place where finding an oven in the store was difficult. She managed to source her ingredients, make her own butter, and make delicious goodies for all of us. My maternal grand mom was a great cook too, going with her gut rather than measurements or recipes. She used to make peanut butter in the traditional stone pestle and mortar at home. Those were the days when peanut butter was this amazing American thing that not many people had even tasted in Kerala. I do have more exposure to International cuisines than they did so I draw inspiration from everywhere around me – a magazine, a restaurant menu, other food blogs, and even grocery stores

The “Cookies and Brownies” section on your site has incredible recipes! What are your favorites?

I have an incredible sweet tooth and it’s hard to pick just one recipe so I’ll choose two. The Snowball Cookies were a regular back in my childhood when we used to get them from a popular bakery in Town. The Basic Brownie Recipe is my go-to recipe to bake any kind of brownies. I use this recipe as the base and add in nuts, dried fruits, candy bits, and pretty much anything else I feel like at the moment.

You also have many delicious “No-Bake Recipes”. What are a few you recommend?

The no-bake section became quite popular in the site so based on reader feedback, I added more recipes to it. My absolute favorite recipe is from a school friend of mine – the Eggless No-Bake Mango Cheesecake. The No-Bake Biscuit Brownies are another favorite and is incredibly easy to make, not to mention delicious.

Eggless No-Bake Mango Cheesecake

No-Bake Biscuit Brownies

Have you ever taken cooking classes? What are a few lessons you’ve learned from cooking?

I haven’t taken any formal lessons although I did attend one cooking class in Singapore with my team at work. It was fun to cook together.

Cooking, to me, goes beyond just putting some ingredients together and getting a meal on the table. It’s about connection, the satisfaction that comes with it, and one of the most interesting things is how food can bring people together irrespective of language or background. I learned how to make Aloo Paratha from my aunt’s help in Mumbai who speaks nothing but Marathi, a language I don’t know. I have made countless people in my family cook for me, often wielding my camera at their faces and trying to learn in the process. I have never been met with anything but enthusiasm during any of these adventures and unofficial cooking lessons. Turns out people love talking about food irrespective of whether they are obsessed about it like me or not.

Aloo Paratha

What would you want as a last meal?

That’s a very morbid question, but if I had to think about it now, I’d say rice, Kerala-style spiced buttermilk, yam fry, and Kerala fish fry. My mom has to be the one cooking all of this though.

Yam Fry

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Pamela gives us healthy eating advice and how she gets her family to eat well. She is a certified holistic health counselor and creates fresh, home-cooked recipes. Try her Raw Kale Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette and Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos!

Tell us more about yourself, your site, and your family.

First and foremost, my favorite job is being a mom to three great kids, ages 16, 14 and 9.  Although I have always loved to cook since I was a little girl, I didn’t become super interested in nutrition until I had other mouths to feed.  That’s when I started reading labels, books, studying everything I could get my hands on, and eventually going back to school to get certified as a holistic health counselor.  I think cooking from scratch is a huge part of supporting good health and I also think it’s fun and therapeutic to be in the kitchen.  That’s why I left the corporate world and turned my passion for cooking healthful foods into teaching and inspiring other parents to get back in the kitchen.  My website is just an extension of my cooking classes so I can share as well with people who don’t live near me, but are still interested in cooking nutritious foods for their families.  Everything I teach in my classes or feature on my website has been tested (many times!) on my husband and kids.  I have seen them all grow with me on this journey and I have watched them learn to try new things, develop a taste for whole, unprocessed foods, and more importantly, be conscious of how they feel when they eat this way.  That doesn’t mean I don’t have a picky eater or teenage girls with a sweet tooth.  But my job is to stay the course and provide a wide variety of foods for them every day balanced with the occasional treat.

Is there anyone in particular who influenced you to start cooking?

My mom’s sister (my aunt) is the most amazing cook and I always loved going to her house for a meal.  We all did!  I thought that was cool– the way her cooking could get us all excited.  My mom also had a subscription to Gourmet Magazine.  When I was a kid there was obviously no internet, and my mom had very few cookbooks, so I devoured that magazine when it arrived.  My aunt and I would always talk about it every month in great detail and she always inspired me to experiment in the kitchen.  Actually, she still does!

Do you have any funny memories from cooking in the kitchen with your kids?

I used to cook more with my kids when they were younger and we had so much fun together.  Now I have to allow my teenage daughters to play their music in order to get them to cook with me.  But once I start singing along and dancing, they’re like “This is so embarrassing.  We’re outta here.”

What advice can you give to someone who is hosting a large dinner party?

Be organized so that you feel relaxed and can enjoy your guests.  I’m a big fan of making lists and prepping in advance.  But no matter happens, you just have to roll with it.  There’s always a solution for any mishaps and your guests won’t care if everything doesn’t turn out perfectly, especially if you’re serving a great cocktail.

Do you have any signature dishes you can share with us?

One of my favorites is my Kale Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette which has converted kale fearers into kale lovers.  We eat that once/week.  I am also obsessed with my Quinoa with Spinach, Feta and Dill as well as the Brown Rice Bake with Kale and Mushrooms.  But if you ask my kids, they would eat Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos any night of the week.

Kale Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Quinoa with Spinach, Feta and Dill

Brown Rice Bake with Kale and Mushrooms

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

What would you want to eat as your last meal?

Oh gosh, I love to eat so I dread the thought of that!  But I had a meal in Italy once that wasn’t even a “meal,” but it was mind-blowing.  We had tomatoes (the best I’ve ever had in my life) and basil right out of the garden, next to hand-made mozzarella all drizzled with a locally-made olive oil.  We ate this with homemade bread that was grilled and rubbed with garlic.  It was insanely delicious.  I still dream about it.

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Sew your own produce bags, make a cake stand, or create a new sweater for your dog with these fun craft projects from Jody at “The Hobby Room”! 

Can you tell us more about yourself, your family, and The Hobby Room Diaries? What can readers expect to see on The Hobby Room Diaries? What motivated you to launch your site?

I have the best family in the world and I live in one of the most beautiful areas in the country.  My husband and I have two adorable boys and live in the Pacific Northwest where we’re just an hour away from both playing in the snow and wading in the ocean (you know, if you like getting wet in sub-zero degree water).  My guys are great because they are happy to play LEGOS and ride bikes waiting for me to finish my craft and cooking projects.  I started blogging to share ideas and to keep a record of the things I’m up to, from crafts and sewing to cooking and photography.  I like all kinds of hobbies, so you’ll see a huge range of projects on The Hobby Room Diaries.

There is a variety of tutorials (especially sewing tutorials!) featured on The Hobby Room Diaries. What are some tutorials you think our readers will enjoy?

Produce Bags

Here are few of my favorite tutorials that I think others will enjoy.

Sew your own produce bags to keep your fruit and veg fresher, longer.

Make your own cake stand with plates and candlesticks.

Take fun bokeh pictures with this easy tutorial.

Use your old favorite sweater to make a cute dog sweater.

Dog Sweater

Get your chocolate fix with this easy and delicious almond joy bark.

Almond Joy Bark

Which sewing project, featured on your site, was most challenging to make and what made that project challenging? Was this your favorite project, or is there another project that is your favorite?

I made a quilted mini-purse that had a zipper that was pretty challenging because of the zipper–that’s not a skill I have ever practiced so it was harder than most sewing projects I have undertaken.  This purse is a particular favorite, though, because I did it with grandma, who was a career seamstress and has taught me a lot about sewing over the years, and in this case, about zippers.

Speaking from experience, what are your top 5 craft/sewing tips?

1. Make sure you have everything before you get started.  There’s nothing worse than getting halfway through and not having what you need.

2. Go slow.  It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re rushing.

3. Have quality supplies, dull scissors and bad glue are just going to ruin your project.

4. You project won’t always turn out the way you thought it would, but keep an open mind, it might actually have turned out better.

5. Sometimes it’s going to get messy, be okay with that.

Other than sewing and other crafts, what other hobbies do you like to spend time on?

Since I started blogging, I got a “grown-up” DSLR camera that I enjoy using and developing my skills with.  Taking good photos of my projects is one thing I enjoy that blogging gives me the opportunity to do.  I also LOVE spending time in the kitchen, cooking and baking and feeding my family nutritious food.

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Refashion/upcycle old clothes into something fabulous with tutorials from Kami at “Sweet Charli”! 

Tell us more about yourself, your family, and “Sweet Charli”. From where did you get your blog’s name? What can readers find over at your site?

I am a stay-at-home mommy of two beautiful girls, Charli and Olivia.  My blog name, Sweet Charli, obviously comes from my first-born daughter.  I started my blog while she was a newborn and I would use her naptime to make accessories for her such as headbands and bracelets.  It eventually snowballed from there and I wanted to share my projects with family and friends so I posted them on my blog!  It’s been three years ago since then, and I have met so many amazing people because of my blog, and have had some awesome opportunities come my way that have helped fulfill some of my dreams.  Being able to contribute to a local lifestyle show, Studio 5, is one of them.  Ever since I was little, I have wanted to be on TV!

“Sweet Charli” features so many fun tutorials! Where do you get the inspiration for all your tutorials? Which tutorial featured on your site would you call your favorite?

I am inspired by so many things/people.  I must say, I am surrounded with family and friends who inspire me every day.  I know so many talented people.  But I also have a special place in my heart for anything bright and cheerful.  Pottery Barn catalogs, Ikea, and anything with a Country/Shabby Chic feel is what I hope my home will look like someday!  It’s hard to choose just one favorite tutorial my blog, but I’d have to say I love, love, love the paint stick projects. The reason I loved doing this post so much is because paint sticks are so cheap (or free) to get and you can make simple items that make a huge statement in your home!

What do you love most about crafts/DIY projects? What is your personal reason for making your own version of something rather than buying it from the store?

The thing I love most about DIY projects is that you can put your own personal signature style on it!  I mean, if everything from your home is store-bought, you may as well be living in someone else’s house.  Why not add your personal touches on it so that you can make an ordinary house into your own personal home?

What are some fashion-related tutorials featured on your site? What makes re-fashioning clothing so fun?

I have a few different tutorials on ways you can refashion things you already have.  Some of my favorites are the J.Crew heart sweater that I made for ¼ of the price of what you could buy it in the store for here.  Another awesome one is my lace t-shirt that requires only a minimal amount of sewing here.  I once took an adult sized sweater and turned it into a sweater dress for Charli and it was a lot easier than I thought.  The tutorial is here. Refashioning clothes is so awesome because not every ‘body’ is the same and everyone has different taste when it comes to fashion.  You can make any item of clothing into something you LOVE just by adding a few changes!

Do you have any advice on getting your kids involved with the creative process? How do you involve your own kids?

I so badly want my girls to be hands-on with their creativity!  I think that crafts are a great way to express the way they think and feel.  I once read a study in the New York Times that mentioned the color blue sparks creativity so when we moved into our house, I painted my playroom a sky-blue color.  I like to think that this will aid in my girls’ creativity as they are coloring, cutting, and gluing.  Anytime I am working on a project, I get out the crayons and paper, etc. so that we can create together.

How do you manage your time between taking care of your family and working on crafts?

Oh man!  This question is still a work in progress actually!  I’d like to say that I am one of those bloggers who has it all together and all figured out.  To be quite honest with you, I struggle with managing my time with blogging and family.  It is so hard to balance the two and some days I fail, majorly!  I try to do things while my girls are playing or napping, but there are some days (like today) when I will be crafting or on the computer and my youngest is tugging on my pant legs begging for my attention!  It’s moments like this when I have to stop, re-evaluate, and prioritize the things I am doing as a mother.  You will notice that sometimes my blog will go into temporary hibernation mode and the reason for this is that my family always comes first!

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