Time for an installment of Weekend Things:
1. I got a blog makeover! I cannot tell you how thrilled I am about my site’s new look and the functionality.
One of the things I’m most excited about is that I now have visual recipe indexing. Meaning there’s a photo accompanying each recipe, and the recipes are categorized better and by type.
Go to the top right hand corner of the screen, where you’ll see Browse Recipes and a drop down menu, where you can click on the category you want.
For example, if you click on cookies, you’ll be brought to this page, where you can see every single cookie I’ve ever posted and click on what you want. How cool is that.
Not every single category is listed in the drop down menu in an effort to keep things more streamlined, but the major ones are there.
If you’d like to search for things a little more obscure, say, avocado, you can type avocado into the search bar.
Or, use the drop down menu again. The last item that says Recipe Index on the drop down brings you to the Recipe Index page, which looks like this. From there, you can browse by ingredient.
It’s not perfect because I have 4 years of recipes, and was horrible about tagging them. And in the past month, I’ve been working behind the scenes trying to tag and categorize my recipes.
As time goes by and I notice things that could be tagged better, or that I missed, I will continue to tag and categorize as best I can.
If you are looking for a recipe and can’t find it by using the drop down menu, the search bar, or the recipe index page, email me and I can help you find it. I just posted last week that I have 300+ recipes on Foodgawker alone, and even I can get lost. There are also old posts from when I was on Blogspot that don’t have accompanying images that show up, but cest la vie.
All photos now have a hoovering Pinterest button in the top left-hand corner of the image for easier pinning. I know I appreciate this on blogs I visit so that I can pin the image I want to, and for selfish reasons, so that I can pin the recipe as a reminder to myself that I want to make it.
The other thing that has changed is that there is no more loveveggiesandyoga anywhere in my html or in any of the post titles or links. Anything that exists on other sites and refers to me as LV&Y or links to my site using LV&Y, such as other blogs or Pinterest, is now forwarded to averiecooks.
Goodbye old site, you served me well, but I’ve moved on. When I first started blogging 4 years ago, I loved veggies and yoga, and I still do; I just don’t choose to write blog posts about them and haven’t for the past few years.
I have anxiously been awaiting this makeover and launch for nearly one year.
None of this would have been possible without the help of Lindsay Landis of Purr Design. She’s also the blogger behind Love and Olive Oil
And she’s written two books in the past 18 months, The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook and Breakfast for Dinner
If you are at all thinking of a blog makeover, Lindsay is amazing. She’s patient as a saint, creative, a visionary, and at times, a mind-reader. Her waiting list is on the longer side, but she’s well worth the wait. I cannot tell you how much I admire her work, and how thrilled I am with it.
Needless to say, my situation wasn’t just a straight makeover because of the URL changes. Every other designer I had previously worked with or interviewed, didn’t want to touch it with a 10-foot pole. Lindsay jumped right in, and handled it all like the true and extremely talented professional she is. Lindsay is your girl if you need a bigger time makeover.
2. I’m a contributing Blogger, Recipe Developer, and Photographer on Pillsbury, a “Pillsbury Maker”
I grew up in Minnesota, home of Pillsbury, before moving to San Diego and it’s quite an honor with a touch of nostalgia for me to be on the Pillsbury site.
I made Pretzel S’mores Chocolate Cookie Bars
3. They’re similar to the Salted Caramel Pretzel Blondies, which I made after the Smore’s Cookie Bars, because I was loving the pretzel and salty-and-sweet vibe so much.
Marshmallows and a chocolate cookie bar base were swapped for salted caramel and a blondie bar base.
4. San Francisco 500 Square Feet Apartment Tour – Dad, mom, and two small kids living in 500 square feet and tt’s amazing what they’ve done with it and how uncluttered and functional it is.
For anyone with kids, you know how kid stuff multiplies. And for anyone with a food blog, or who’s a cook, or just who’s lived life and isn’t 22 anymore living in your first apartment, you know that kitchen stuff multiplies; it’s bulky, and hogs space. Between kid and kitchen stuff, I could fill 500 square feet easily.
5. We live in a 1200 square feet urban condo and it feels extremely cramped at times; other times not as much.
No yard, no garage, no basement, and no attic like the houses I grew up with make San Diego much different than rural Minnesota.
6. 10 Ways to Make Better Brownies – Including some I had not heard, like the number 9, “Chill them before baking. After spreading the batter in a pan, refrigerate it for at least an hour or up to overnight. The end result will be brownies with extra-crisp edges and a moist, fudge-y center.”
I have two recipes for brownies, and swear by both of them. They’re both one-bowl, whisk-together recipes that are as fast a a boxed mix and produce consistently stellar, ultra-fudgy brownies.
Fudgy Nutella Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting – This brownie base uses melted chocolate and I like to swirl in Nutella but the brownies are fabulous with or without Nutella
And The Ultimate Fudgy Caramel Brownies
7. I went to Big Potluck a couple weeks ago and am still thinking about how much fun it was.
8. I was named one of the Top 10 Desserts and Sweets Bloggers on Pinterest– “…We compiled the list based on Cision’s proprietary research, with results limited to bloggers who dedicate significant coverage to sweets.”
I’ve been given quite a few honors and awards over the years, but being recognized as a ‘blogger who dedicates significant coverage to sweets’ makes all of my sweet teeth very happy.
9. Eating All Organic Food On a Food Stamp Budget – According to the author, yes, you can feed a family of three all-organic food for the month. The author stayed within her monthly food budget of $526. She offers tips and suggestions what she does.
10. Buttery Sweet Dough Emulsion – “Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor is extra-buttery, with hints of vanilla and citrus; add a few drops of this flavoring to your favorite sweet bread recipe, and your family and friends will be clamoring for the name of the bakery you visited.”
If it could make everything smell like Overnight Buttermilk Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls I would be in heaven.
11. I got a Mother’s Day Care package yesterday from Sur La Table. They’re an amazing source for everything you need for your kitchen, and for things you don’t even know you need. I’m in heaven when I wander into my local store. They sent me a Le Creuset Teakettle
And a Cuisinart 7-Cup Food Processor in Metallic Red
Needless to say, this kicked off my Mother’s Day Weekend in a fabulous way. I can’t wait to put the food processor to use with a batch of my favorite peanut butter, Honey Roasted Butterscotch White Chocolate Peanut Butter (GF)
What are your Weekend Things?
Could you live in a 500 square foot apartment with your spouse/partner and child? For all of you with kids, remember that baby stuff and kid stuff multiplies in the closet.
Could you eat organic (or do you care to) and feed your family on $500 a month? I know plenty of single, childless people who spend that on themselves in two weeks.
If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous recently, feel free to link it up in the comments.
Have a wonderful Mother’s Day Weekend and I hope all the moms have a special day that’s exactly the way you would choose.
Stay tuned for an amazing giveaway. You won’t want to miss it!
OMG Averie! It’s gorgeous!!!! LOVE your new site!
Great look to the new site! I love it and I love all the ways to search your recipes. I cna’t imagine the work, but it will pay off in spades, as I am sure you were constantly reminding yourself through all the headaches of doing it!
I’ve made a few things, yes. One a day for all of 2013, in fact. https://cookiesandcrafts.wordpress.com/i-made-this/
Congrats on EVERYTHING!! The Pilsbury thing, the Pinterest thing, the blog design…all of it!!
I am conflicted about that food stamp thing. I haven’t read it (just opened it in a new tab) but I have a feeling there will be a few major sticking points with me. I know that I spend near $300 a month on groceries and I’m very frugal for the most part and make a lot of things myself. Still though….I do buy quality over quantity for a lot of things that I am not willing to compromise on.
Thank you for the enthusiastic well wishes! :) And I can’t even quite begin to tell you how much work it was, but I think you already know. And yes, will pay off in spades.
And if for nothing else, maybe you will get this comment reply right in your inbox…finally!
And I know you are super frugal re groceries, making your own (we are the DIY queens) and yeah, very very easy to spend $75 a week on groceries for one’s self! Organic or not!
LOVE the new look. I find myself checking Purr’s site every once in a while just to see what new designs are added to their portfolio. Everything they do is amazing!
Your site looks lovely and so easy to navigate. Purr Designs does beautiful work – I admire it often! Congrats on the Pillsbury gig and the Pinterest rating. Your creations are amazing and I wish I had time to make them all!
1) LOVE the site re-desng Averie!! It’s SO clean, streamlined, and easy to navigate. Especially that recipe index! It’s beautiful. So many gorgeous pictures all together. And browsing by ingredient, I just love that! I love the popular posts at the bottom, too! And I’m still diggin’ all this pink. My favorite color. I bet Skylar loves it too! I can’t wait – mine is in July! :)
2) Happy Mother’s Day!!
3) Congrats on being a PIllsbury contributor! That is SO, so, so exciting. So happy for you. Congrats on the Pinterest ranking too. You deserve attention on there!
4) Love all of the new things happening for Averie Cooks!
Thank you my friend. I can’t even quite begin to tell you how HARD I worked the past 10 days or so on this…in addition to everything else :) But it’s so worth it and now hopefully I am set for a long! time! I know you did your vis recipe indexing after…like 1 yr of blogging. Very smart :) And so glad you love it. You’re going to love working with Lindsay – she’s a dream come true!!
The new site looks amazing, Averie! <3
Love the new design! Visual recipe indexing is SO much easier for finding recipes, I gotta see the pic first always! Looks really good Averie & congrats on the pillsbury feature!
Thanks Katy!
Your new site looks so pretty, Averie! It is so you! Love the recipe index! Have a fabulous weekend! Happy Mother’s Day!!
The blog looks great, Averie!! And I hear you about the behind the scenes work – I’m still working on it!! But totally worth it. And how cool to be named a top dessert pinner!
Girl. I know. When I read that blog post of yours I was in the THICK of my own little hell :) But it’s 95% indexed and done; shy of some savory recipes and some really old stuff that’s just not a priority to me, but the past 2 yrs and desserts – done! :)
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new site design! I love everything Lindsay designs, she is a graphical genius! I actually find myself following blogs simply because they’re designed by Purr lol.
Wow, that’s a huge testimonial for her right there! ( following blogs simply because they’re designed by Purr)
hooray congrats averie – the new site looks great!
Thanks for saying hi, Jennifer! Good to hear from you!
Love the fresh new look, and the visual index is fab!
Hi Averie – your new website redesign looks absolutely sensational! Congratulations on everything! And have a very Happy Mother’s Day! : )
I love everything about your new makeover! I’m going to keep Lindsey in mind and get on the list. Even though I just started my site, and have done it all by myself…I want my categories more organized with pics, etc. Thanks for the referral.
I often think how much I miss my other kitchen (sold my other home to my sis), it was much smaller than my kitchen now. I love all my space I have…but Averie, when I make a disaster…it takes me more time “walking” from one end to the other just to clean it all up! (=
Congrads with Pillsbury! I’m going to have to go over there!
You are just amazing…I really don’t know how you do it all! I look up to you all the time and I will usually find myself wondering…how would Averie do this…and how does she do this…I know, I’m crazy! lol
Hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend!
I do it by working 20 hrs a day and I am not exaggerating. It’s the only way I can fit all of my life & work into a 24 hr period. :) I work a whole other day at night but it’s okay! My life will be boring when I’m 80 and I can look back on these times then. lol
And you will love love love working with Lindsay!
Congrats on the new website…its beautiful! So excited to navigate all my fav recipes ina new way. Have a great weekend!!
Wow, congrats on the updated site. It looks amazing! I recently changed over from blogger to wordpress so I know what that’s like.
500 square feet of living? I’m sure I could manage, but it would be hard. The saying, “Everything is bigger in Texas” is definitely true, but as a native Texan I don’t know anything else. :) We have neighbors that moved to Texas from Cali and they were in shock with how big of house they could buy in Texas. Kind of spoils us…BUT you guys have the GORGEOUS scenery and ocean views that we don’t have here in Texas. :)
We lived in both NC and SC for a few yrs and also AZ – places where you can get SPACE for very, very cheap. In Cali, we can buy a 1200 ft condo and you can buy a 5000 sq foot house with 2 acres of land :) It’s just crazy. And yes, our first house in CA was close enough to our neighbor’s lot line that I could reach out from my kitchen window and touch my neighbor’s kitchen window (and hear their conversations at their dinner table when we had our windows open!