Hi! Welcome to Juicy Bites! My name is Rhonda and I live in San Clemente, CA with my husband and 2 boys. I started a food blog because I thought it would be a great way to record the recipes that I make for my family and friends as well as a way to share them with anyone who is interested! I love the idea of having an on line cook book with things that I love to cook. When I started Juicy Bites, I had NO idea how many food bloggers there were. I also had no idea that people blog for a living…and make good money doing it! I used to search Food Network whenever I needed a recipe idea, and while I still love the Food Network, I find that I look more and more to food blogs to find my cooking inspiration.
I love the idea that anyone, anywhere in the world, can share the food that they have created with a few clicks. I also love that food blogs are not just about food, but also tell you a little (or a lot) about the people who cook it. You get a glimpse into someones life, a story behind each recipe.
Juicy Bites is definitely a work in progress! I had no idea about how big the food blogosphere was, or how much time and effort it takes to photograph food, write up recipes, and get it all to look good on the web. I started taking pictures with my iPhone before getting a DSLR camera that I have yet to master. Making food look fabulous in a photo is not nearly as easy as I thought it would be (I cringe a little when I look at the photos in my first year of blogging). Thank goodness for all the seasoned food bloggers out there willing to take the time to share their tips and tricks to taking better photos and designing a blog. Food bloggers are a supportive, helpful and positive bunch!
Here are a few other random things about me…
- I love making cocktails. My friends love my margaritas. I think I was a bartender in a past life.
- I love pasta. Too much. And good bread. Way too much.
- I love the wine country. Santa Ynez Valley, Paso Robles, Sonoma, Napa…Love them all. A day in the wine country with family and friends, perfection!
- I love going out to eat. More than I love cooking.
- Sometimes when I’m cooking I pretend I’m on the Food Network on my own cooking show. My kids think I’m a weirdo when I do that.
- I’m half Mexican. My Grandma Garcia made the BEST tortillas and tamales. None will ever be as good as hers.
- I love a good cheese and charcuterie platter sooooo much. Especially when there is good wine to go with it (kind of required, IMO).
- I grew up in Santa Barbara, CA. It’s one of my favorite places.
