Name: Olena Osipov
Blog name: iFOODreal
Where were you born? Kiev, Ukraine
Where are you living now? Vancouver, BC
Why did you start your blog?
To be perfectly honest, I started my blog to make money so I could work from home and raise my kids. Having said that, at that time I had my 2nd child, gained and lost weight, and found a passion for fitness and healthy eating. So, my job is my passion. 2.5 years later I’m working with clients like Nature’s Path Organics, am connecting with like minded women (mostly) all over the world and am inspiring people to cook healthy delicious meals. I couldn’t ask for more.
How did you decide on your blog name?
My husband is an avid Apple fan, he suggested the name. Nowadays, it is hard to find a short .com domain, so we played with words a little bit and decided that ifoodreal.com would be the best description of what I’m blogging about - real food.
What do you blog about?
iFOODreal is a blog with delicious Clean Eating recipes. I also share my knowledge about organic food and GMOs. I really believe in healthy eating and that we are what we eat.
What post on your blog most encapsulates you?
Me?! Haha, probably the latest post about the “GMO OMG” film. This is so me. I got this film from Nature’s Path Organics and it changed my world. I would like people to know and learn where their food comes from because I think we are so detached from our food in 2015.
Which post do you wish received more love and why?
Easy Roasted Chicken. Like was I the only one who doesn’t know how to roast a chicken?! Is it the picture?! I honestly don’t know and it’s OK. Not all recipes will be popular. That chicken was amazing and super simple. I had a hard time to find a simple roasted chicken recipe online and my grandma is not here anymore to share hers. In Europe, cooking is so simple - fresh and few ingredients. Long ingredients lists drive me crazy, honestly.
Which post’s success surprised you and why?
This cauliflower pizza just blows my mind but I can’t tell you how much traffic it brings to iFOODreal. More than Rachel Ray’s similar recipe. It is tasty but a bit time consuming to make. But I guess it’s the trend right now to make cauliflower into pizza crust and spiralize anything you can. Some people make this pizza every weekend and I receive emails miles long with gratitude. Go figure…
What’s your biggest challenge as a blogger?
To be myself online. To find a balance between what I like to cook and eat and what will be popular among readers. Some recipes I know just won’t take off, no matter how nice the photo is and tasty the recipe. And at same time I don’t want to be a copycat recipe generating machine. That’s so boring, I wanna have fun. I feel like lately I relaxed way more and post what I feel like posting and now that I've built my readership it’s working for me. Also finding a balance at how much of my personal life I let out there in a blogosphere.
Share a couple of your favourite food blogs to read. Why do you like them?
Sigh. I don’t read other blogs. Does that make me a horrible person in a blogosphere world?!:) I used to and a constant feeling of competition used to drive me crazy. I wasn’t jealous, well a little bit, but had hard time to be happy with my work. He has better photos, her recipe is more popular, I’m so unsuccessful. Then I stopped…One fellow blogger taught me that trick at FBC2014. Honestly, life is so much easier now. I might peek at Oh She Glows, Oh My Veggies, The Kitchen Magpie, and The Rawtarian just to see what the girls are up to. Other than that, I just create what my busy life and healthy lifestyle inspire me to create. But there are so many great blogs out there! I also do not have really time to read much. When I do, I prefer an actual book or magazine. Love books!
Favourite food - care to share a recipe or a restaurant destination?
Sushi and sashimi. Vancouver has so many great places, like no other.
What are you working on next for your blog?
Just keep posting 3 recipes per week. I love recipe development, all aspects of it. I just want to cook and post, cook and post.:) Honestly, no huge plans for 2015. Just me in my happy little kitchen.:)
What else should we know about you that may or not be in your “About Me”page?
When I immigrated to Canada, we first came to Red Deer, AB. My first job was a cleaner at the casino. Next year I was enrolled in Business program at University of Calgary.
What makes your blog unique?
Definitely the Clean Eating aspect of recipes. Many of my recipes are also kind of a hybrid between North American and Ukrainian - Russian cuisines.
What’s your Favourite FBC Feature?
On board in 20. I love the name and I think it’s a brilliant idea! Lisa is so great!
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