Name: Elizabeth Nyland
Blog Name: Guilty Kitchen
Where were you born? I was born in Victoria, BC. I moved to a small town called Campbell River when I was 4 and grew up there. When I was 19, I moved back to Victoria.
Where are you living now? Sidney, BC (Just outside of Victoria, BC)
Why did you start your blog?
I started my blog in the summer of 2009, about 6 months or so after my first child was born. I had previously been a professional cook and still held a passion for good food. I had always been a writer and artist and I had also started to dabble in photography. I bought my first dslr on a whim…(well, after my tiny tot put my old point and shoot in the washing machine…unbeknownst to me). I started my blog after my husband suggested it might be a fun activity for me to do during the long downtime of naps and breastfeeding. Having always been an active person, I really needed an outlet for my creativity. Changing diapers was just not stimulating my neurons enough…
How did you decide on your blog name?
This was something I probably should have spent more time on then I did, but in the end it worked out fairly well. I have always had trouble with my relationship with food (having been an extremely overweight teen and having battled numerous forms disordered eating) and decided that being up front about my guilty feelings for food would be the honest thing to do. I have since come to terms with food and no longer have any guilt, but as many bloggers know, changing your name once you are established is pretty much a death knell.
What do you blog about?
I tend to blog about everything. I am very open and honest in what I write about. I even shared a very difficult time in my marriage for everyone to see on my blog, which I think really helped us get through those tough times. I talk about my kids, my dogs, the gardens, our chickens, food, health, fitness. Life. I say I am a food blog, because there is usually a recipe to accompany the story, but sometimes I just write what I am feeling.
What post are you most proud of and why?
It might surprise some to know that I am most proud of a non-recipe post. A couple of years ago I spent a good amount of time in a newly torn down section of Victoria. It was to be built up into a new neighbourhood downtown complete with Public Market, restaurants, coffee shops, stores, salons, etc. It was dead and empty when I started going, but over the months of being there, I photographed a very real transformation of two different places. I wrote two very detailed posts about it. One for Smoken Bones Cookshack and one for 2% Jazz Coffee.
Which post do you wish received more love and why?
This very raw and emotional post that I wrote during a transition period of my life.
Which post’s success surprised you and why?
I wrote a recipe for whole wheat machine bread once and it is STILL my #1 searched for recipe. I had no idea so many people were looking for a 100% whole wheat bread recipe for their bread machines. Apparently there aren’t many, which is why I wrote it in the first place.
What is one (non-kitchen) gadget you can’t live without? My iPhone!
What is one kitchen gadget you can’t live without? A razor sharp chef’s knife.
Favourite food, care to share a recipe?
Roasted chicken breast with lots of coarse sea salt and crispy skin. I do have a recipe for whole roasted chicken.
What else should we know about you that may or not be in your “About Me” page?
I went to college for Legal Administration and I’ve never worked in a lawyer’s office.
What makes your blog unique?
My blog is unique because I write it in my own voice. I am not fake, I don’t try to sell you anything (most of the time) and I don’t try to sound like anyone else. Sometimes I’m sad, sometimes I’m excited, and I convey those emotions as much as I can through written words and visual details. I always try to tell a story for my audience through photos as best I can.
****Book Giveaway
Elizabeth is a brand new published cookbook author and we have a copy of her new book, Cooking With Coconut Oil, to give away. Hop on over to this post for all the details and to enter (Canadian residents only)
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G’day! What a great Pay It Forward blog post today, true!
I am now following Elizabeth and enjoyed learning more about her and her blog too! Thank you!
Cheers! Joanne