Apparently, people want to know stuff and things about us. Here you go…
What makes you so special?
Besides what our moms tell us? Nothing. But we are different. Unlike every other food blog you’ve been to, we’re not trying to track you or sell you junk. This is a hobby for us, so our short and snarky posts give you to the info you need to make great food and get on with your life. Win-win.
What inspires your recipes?
We’re trying to eat better foods and we’re also picky like children, so we experiment with stuff we like. If it works out, it ends up here. If not, lesson learned. Common preparation methods have been around for a long time and food has been around even longer. Adapted recipes are marked “adapted”, and verbatim recipes are directly credited and links back to original sources are provided for both. Annotated bibliography available upon request (no, it’s not).
Can I request recipes?
Sure. Maybe we’ll come up with something, maybe we won’t, but ask away. As the great Michael Scott [Wayne Gretzky] said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
Can I use your recipes/photos on my blog?
Sure. A link back to our original post would be cool, too. We’re not Internet Karens who think we invented boiling water or putting cheese on things (we’re Midwesterners, we put cheese on everything), so help yourself. Also, a lot of our photos suck, but have at it.
Your photos suck.
Yeah, we just said that. Here’s why: our photos (taken with our phones) are of our actual meals, on our actual plates, right before we shove them into our actual faces. When we said no frills or BS, we meant it. You shouldn’t have to scroll through 52 pictures to learn how to make toast. It’s our #1 food blog peeve. We’ve fixed it. You’re welcome.
What’s up with missing macros?
Due to overwhelming requests, we’re starting to cave on this. Look, no two nutrition calculators provide the same information, and we are not chemists. We run specified ingredients (and brands) through nutrition calculators to determine nutrition content for a full recipe, then divide it by the number of servings. This is the best we can do as a hobby blog and any nutrition information should be taken as an estimate. If nutrition and weight management are concerns, we urge you to seek the care of a qualified medical doctor and a certified nutritionist. We’re sure glad we did!
So, we can substitute things in your recipes?
Yes and no. Substitute at your own risk and know it will change nutrition content and recipe outcome. We include brands in our recipes because there are differences (especially with flours). We are partial to Anthony’s Goods flours because they deliver consistent quality and results. You can buy Anthony’s products directly from the company via our affiliate link above, in some stores, or on Amazon. We can’t always offer substitution advice.
I tried your recipe and it failed. Miserably.
Outside of substitutions, we don’t know why that may have happened, unfortunately. If you feel a recipe needs clarification, post in the recipe comments (along with any changes you made) and we’ll address it ASAP.
What do you do with the food you cook for the blog? Have you eaten literally every recipe on this blog?
The food we cook is for us. We just happen to blog about it. So, yes, we’ve literally eaten every last recipe. We make them a few times before posting, so we know they’re just right.
How do I start a food blog?
We’re still figuring that out.
What “diet” are you following?
We’re not on a fad diet of any kind. Under the care of qualified medical professionals, we embarked on an elimination protocol and have slowly added foods back into our diets. In general, we avoid processed foods, refined sugar, and most grains. We restrict dairy (limited cheese, and no milk) and starches, and have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Though we are omnivores, we continue to develop vegetarian and vegan recipes under the recommendation and guidance of our medical professionals. Every last one of our recipes is gluten-free because Celiac Disease is a drag. Most are low/no soy because of additional sensitivities. If you are considering going plant-based, you will require supplements of some kind, which can only be determined by your physician.
What’s your deal with salt?
Over salting is for processed foods that taste like cardboard. The farther you get from processed junk, the more you’ll taste real food. Salt becomes less of an issue. We like to cook with minimal added salt and let the individual season to taste when served. We use plain old table salt in our recipes because fundamental chemistry taught us that fancy salt is a rip-off (unless it is smoked or specially seasoned). Use what you want, but bear in mind that table salt is finer than the bougie grinder salt.
What’s your deal with product links?
We link to ingredients (some affiliate, some not) we use in our recipes as well as products we use in our kitchen to make said recipes. If you see a link to an item or ingredient, it is because we have purchased and enjoy using it. We don’t accept free samples, gifts, or products to review. If you purchase said item through our affiliate link, we make a couple bucks. It’s how we pay to keep this blog running. However, we always encourage supporting local businesses in your own community first. If you can find the same item locally, rock on.
Do you review products?
No. We don’t accept free products in exchange for reviews. We’re not here to peddle junk. If we recommend something, it’s because we actually use it and believe it was worth spending our money on. If the quality of a product or service changes and is no longer worth using, we’ll say so.
Eating well is expensive. How do you save money?
With far less effort than you might think. We use apps like Ratuken and Ibotta to rack up cash back and reward points, which we convert into gift cards. We go through weekly ads when making our grocery list and hit the sales. If you track pricing, you’ll quickly identify the sale cycles in your area. We buy protein in bulk and on sale, and have a freezer. All summer long, we stock up on produce at local farmers markets and farm stands. Most importantly, we plan ahead so we have a rough idea of what we will be making for the week.
Are you on Pinterest?
Yes we are. We know our images aren’t great. We celebrate the fact that we live in the real world where things are not picture perfect, and we hope you do, too. That’s why we cook real food real people can make and enjoy at home. If you want to pin the imperfect pictures of our imperfect food, that’s cool. We’ll even give you a button on every single recipe.
Why aren’t you on Facebook and/or Twitter?
Because Elon and Zuck.
What’s your comment policy?
Don’t be a dick. Seriously. We will block you.
Can you suggest wine/beer pairings for your recipes?
Nope. We don’t drink and are totally useless when it comes to booze.
What’s your kitchen like?
Quaint, cozy, and early 90’s vintage chic. In other words, small, dated and nothing fancy. If we can do this, so can you. Get cooking!