The Anatomy of a Recipe Post

This little blog of mine is a lifestyle blog documenting Parker's and my journey through Navy life, but I always make sure to share a new recipe each week. I am pretty much the sole food provider in our house, so I love to mix it up and try out new recipes. This blog has been a good motivator for that. If I want to post a new recipe each week, I have to actually try out new recipes. This keeps me from getting into a rut with cooking, something I have definitely been guilty of in the past. I thought I would share with you all today what goes into deciding which recipes to post and how I like to showcase each one. In other words, here is the anatomy of the recipe post, Q&A style. 

Do you blog about every recipe you make?

Definitely not. I would say it's about 50/50. If I can't see myself making a recipe again, I don't share it. If Parker isn't a fan or wouldn't want to eat it again, I don't post it. I would love to say everything I make turns out delicious and perfect, but that's a big fat lie. I only share the good stuff!

Does taking pictures get in the way of cooking?

Not anymore, but it used to. When I started blogging, I was very diligent about taking pictures of the ingredients, process, and end result. That just takes a little too much time. Now, I make the meal and snap a couple of pictures with my DSLR camera right before I serve the plates. I am not going to make Parker wait 15 minutes and let the food get cold just so I can get the perfect picture. A man needs to eat!

How many meals do you cook per week?

This depends on Parker's schedule, but I would say 2-4. If I make something in the crockpot, I count that for two nights because I know we will have leftovers. Since there are only 2 of us, most everything I make yields leftovers. I'm not complaining one bit- that's a night I don't have to spend in the kitchen! I will also say that my inherently lazy side comes out when Parker is gone. I could eat cereal for days and gladly make myself a bowl if I happen to be solo for the evening.

How did you create pictures under the Recipes tab on your blog?

I've been asked this a few times, and it's super simple. I use www.picmonkey.com to create a collage with the picture and text of the recipe name. I then upload the picture to my Recipes tab and link it back to its respective post. I spend under 3 minutes per recipe and typically create the image when the recipe post goes live. 

Do you pin every recipe to Pinterest?

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. If you like to blog about recipes, Pinterest is your best friend. The highest amount of traffic I get each month is from the Crockpot Cocktail Weenies recipe I posted last Fall, and it's all because I pinned it to Pinterest. Pin your content, folks. 

Where do you find cooking inspiration? 

I usually browse Pinterest or my recipe books if I have the time. If not, I look at the ingredients I have in my refrigerator and try to make something around those. I'd be lying if I said Pinterest isn't my number one source for recipe inspiration though, because it definitely is. 

That's about it I think! I really do love cooking and sharing the recipes I love. I also love getting recipe inspiration from fellow bloggers. There are some great food blogs out there with a recipe for everyone. Step out of your comfort zone and try something new!