Blog Tour

If you knew me growing up, you’re probably still perplexed about how I became a food blogger. It’s something I stumbled into with help from my friend Shelby, my brother-in-law Toly, my husband (Daddy Diva) and most of all my other brother-in-law Dave (my tech support). If I’d known how much fun it would be, I would have been doing this years ago! It’s given me something to pour my heart and soul into and along the way; I’ve made many wonderful connections and blogging friends. Today, I want to share them with you! So welcome to my blog tour!

To start, I want to thank Anita from Kitchen Getaway for asking me to participate in this fun blog tour! I follow Anita on Instagram because I love her beautiful photographs! Her grandmother is her cooking mentor and one of my favorite posts on her blog is Simply Italian Pantry Pasta featuring 4 mouthwatering and deliciously simple pasta recipes. In addition, Anita has chickens (you know how much I love chickens) and blogs about gardening and eating seasonally. Delicious site Anita!

On to my blog tour questions:

What am I working on?

I’m working on so many fun things but I think the most exciting thing is my 4-week family dinner meal planning eBook. I’m going to release it in July! The recipes are all kid approved, healthy and easy to follow!

How does my work differ than others of its genre?
My work is different from other food bloggers because I write recipes that are almost all kid-approved and are relatively easy to make. I am a locavore that is a big believer in clean, local eating and so I have a section dedicated to farmers markets and NJ foodie finds. Also, I have a Healthy Tips section where I feature tips and tricks to cook, exercise and eat healthy. In addition, I love blogging about wine and food pairings as well as craft beer finds. What can I say – it’s all about moderation and yummy bites of tasty bliss!

Why do I write what I do?
MealDiva started out as a blog to promote my meal planning business but it has turned out to be so much more! Not only do I love writing about what I’m cooking at home, I also love writing about delicious local finds and encouraging others to try them! Sometimes I feel overwhelmed because there aren’t enough hours in the day to blog about all of my “foodie” finds!

How does my writing process work?
My writing process isn’t complicated. As I cook, I write notes and photograph the food. Every recipe that you see on MealDiva has been served in my house. As a mother of 3 small children, I don’t plan much – I just go with the flow. Next, I come to my computer, write the recipe and say a little something about it. For the eat local section, I often visit the location or artisan food maker, do an interview and take some pictures. For the healthy tips section, I’m often inspired by a question that is sent to me by my followers. There is usually some research involved and those posts take the longest to write. BTW – I love questions and suggestions! So if you have any, shoot me an email at jen@mealdiva.com

I am truly thankful to be blogging and  so blessed to have had the support from my family, friends and online blogging companions who share my excitement for food!

Next up, are my featured blogging friends!

I had to feature Betsy of Desserts Required because, well, I LOVE her blog! I met Betsy through SundaySupper and after reading her bio; I knew I had to follow her! I am not a baker and I envy those who can! Betsy’s recipes are ultra delicious and her “non-stop love of desserts” is her driving passion behind her creations. I recently made her Chocolate Peanut Butter Explosion recipe and my family bowed at my feet. I encourage you to follow her blog because every recipe is ultra mouthwatering and delicious! Betsy’s favorite creation is her Raspberry Citrus Pistachio Tart ( so be sure to check out the recipe) and she can be followed on Facebook , Google +, Twitter and Pinterest.

Another fantastic blogger that I met through SundaySupper is Shaina of Take A Bite Boca. Shaina is from NJ but currently resides in Boca (I’m jealous). I think we are pretty similar and I love following her for a few reasons:

• She loves to check out restaurants, savor every bite and write about it. I may not live FL but I do like to read about fantastic eats!
• She likes to experiment in the kitchen and although she’s not a professional, she is very talented with her recipes and photographs!
• She is vegetarian and although I am not, my family eats vegetarian most nights of the week and I love her recipe suggestions!

Shaina recently posted a recipe for  Greek Quinoa Salad with Garlic-Arugula Pesto  that rocked! It was so seriously scrumptious that I shared it with my fellow CSA members and they started raving about it as well! If you’re looking for some yummy, easy vegetarian recipes, you definitely need to follow her blog! Shaina’s favorite creation is her Banana Cream Pie (so be sure to check out the recipe) and she can be followed on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and Pinterest.

The next blogger on my tour is Laura from Cook At Home Mom. I found Laura via. Instagram and, after reading her bio section, realized that we are very similar. We are both mom bloggers who live in the country and eat semi-vegetarian. I laughed when I read that she’s “either ultra dedicated or completely lazy about fitness” because I’m the exact same say. Like Laura, I’ve also tried every diet out there and realized that clean eating and moderation is key. In addition, she cooks real food like Cilantro-Almond Pesto, Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Pizza and tries to eat organic, local and unprocessed as much as possible. Maybe we were related in previous life? Either way, if your looking for some beautiful, fresh recipes, check out and follow her blog! It’s seriously fresh and delicious! Laura can be followed on Facebook , Instagram , Pinterest and Twitter 

Thank you for checking out my blog tour. I hope that you learned a little something interesting about MealDiva and most of all, I hope you found some other fabulous foodie bloggers to check out and follow. I truly enjoy being part of the food blogging world and I love all of the fantastic connections and friends that I’ve made along the way! Happy Cooking ( and eating)!