Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you for all your questions via email, comments and social media!  I love interacting with my readers and sure appreciate you reaching out to me with anything you may want to know.  Below are some questions I frequently get asked so feel free to look through and see if your question can be answered OR feel free to email me using my contact form!

How did you start blogging?

I actually started blogging after being a fan of so many other food blogs myself!  I wanted to have a little space to share my favorite recipes with friends and family as well as keep myself accountable in striving to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  You can read more about how I got started here!

Is blogging your full-time job?

I actually get this question a lot and my answer may just surprise you!  While blogging is my full-time job, I am also a paralegal at a law firm in Virginia and have been building Eat Yourself Skinny for the past 13 years.  My dream is to write my own cookbook in the future, so hopefully I can update this question soon!

How do I start my own food blog?

I actually created a whole page where you can learn how to start your very own food blog here!

Can I use your photo or recipe on my website or blog?

I appreciate you asking!  So let me explain what you can and cannot do:

You may share my photo with a link back to my site for the recipe of course.  As bloggers, we work really hard on our food styling and photography so please give credit where credit is due – this goes for all recipes you share!

You may NOT republish entire recipes with the photos on your blog or website, especially cutting and pasting them word for word.  Why?  Well not only does this negatively affect how Eat Yourself Skinny gets displayed in search results, but this also creates a copyright issue.  If you have a specific inquiry about one of my recipes, feel free to email me!

Can I guest post for you?

No sorry, I currently do not accept any guest posts on Eat Yourself Skinny.  In addition, I do not contribute guest posts to other blogs or trade links for exposure.

How do I sign up for email updates to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Is the subscription free?

You can sign up for FREE email updates here to have new recipes delivered right to your inbox!

Do you have a cookbook?

No unfortunately right now I do not have a cookbook, but this is something I dream of writing in the future!  So stay tuned 😉

Do you work with brands or companies?

Yes I do!  I would love the opportunity to work with your company, please feel free to contact me or read this page for more information on ways we can work together.

I see you post recipes that are gluten-free, paleo, vegan, etc. — what is your particular diet?

So honestly I feel my absolute BEST when I’m eating completely organic, non-processed healthy foods!  I do my best to stick with an all clean lifestyle, but choose to live by the 80/20 rule.  What’s that you ask?  Well 80% of the time I eat clean while 20% of the time I allow myself to indulge (in moderation of course) on things that are not-so-healthy like pizza, take-out or cocktails.  Life is all about balance and this definitely curbs any cravings and helps me stay on track!

Why didn’t your recipe work for me?

I’m not sure, but I’m happy to help you figure it out!  Feel free to leave your questions in the comments section of the recipe so that others who may have similar questions can benefit and contribute to the conversation.  There honestly could be a number of reasons and factors as to why your recipe didn’t turn out right, but please feel free to leave a comment or email me so that I can help you clear anything up!

Can I substitute this for that?

All of my recipes are made using only the ingredients listed, but you are welcome to make substitutions to your liking or dietary needs.  Unfortunately I cannot guarantee how the recipe will turn out since you have modified the original dish.

How did you determine the nutritional information for each recipe?

Let me first and foremost note that I am not a registered dietitian or nutritionist.  I use My Fitness Pal’s free recipe calculator for all nutritional calculations and any facts given on health benefits of various food items are referenced from reputable sites, such as cdc.gov.  Please see my Full Disclosure Policy for more information.

I made one of your recipes! How can I share it with you?

Aww that’s great!  I would love for you to share your recipe with me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook and tag me (@eaturselfskinny) or if your profile is private you can use the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny!

What is the most important piece of advice you can give to a new blogger?

Create quality content and practice your photography!  People naturally eat with their eyes so showcasing your recipe with beautiful mouth-watering photos makes readers instantly attracted to your blog.  If you have great content to go along with those photos then chances are they’ll stay a while longer and hey, they may even come back!

Photography is definitely the key to a successful food blog though so I can’t stress enough to practice, practice, PRACTICE!  Pinterest is actually one of the top referral sites that bring traffic to my blog, so you can see how important your photos are.

Also be patient and have fun with it!

What kind of camera do you use?

Up until December 2015 I was shooting with a Nikon D3000 with a 50mm 1.4 lensbut recently upgraded and now use a Canon 5D Mark III with a 100mm macro lens that I LOVE!  My Nikon was the perfect starter camera for me at a great price point, but as I became more experienced in my photography I felt that I was ready for an upgrade.  I absolutely LOVE shooting with macro lenses for food photography and highly recommend them!

I always shoot in natural light and edit all my photos with Adobe Photoshop CS5 or Lightroom.  You can see what’s in my camera bag here!

Did you take any photography classes?

Actually I haven’t!  I am completely self-taught with tons of practice, research and have learned tons of incredible tips and tricks from other bloggers.  If I can give you one piece of advice, take the time to learn the manual mode on your camera!  It takes a lot of practice, but it is totally worth it in the end!

Where do all your food props come from?

I absolutely LOVE shopping for food props, it has literally become a bit of an addiction!  Most of the linens and dishes you see on Eat Yourself Skinny come from Anthropologie, but I also like to shop at Pier 1, Home Goods, and Crate & Barrel, just to name a few, and Etsy is a great a place to find vintage props like old baking sheets and milk jugs.  You can see my entire collection of props here!

Who designed your blog/logo?

Having a great blog design is super important to attract readers and keep them coming back.  I’m SO happy with the beautiful website Melissa Rose Design created for me and my blog’s logo (along with other custom calligraphy) was designed by the talented Juliet Grace!

Can I email you?

Absolutely, I’d love to hear from you!  Feel free to email me at cook.skinny (at) gmail.com.

Are you on SnapChat?

YES I sure am!  My username is eaturselfskinny (same as my Instagram and Twitter accounts) and I’m definitely trying to use it more showing different recipes from start to finish as well as updates on our new home build!  Stay tuned for a lot more action on SnapChat!