About Me and the Blog

Hi everyone!  Thanks for stopping by!  Welcome to Mix it Up.

This is the page where you'll learn all about me, this blog, and probably some other stuff that is completely unrelated.  Let's get started, shall we?

So Who's Behind this Blog?

My mom and me!

This blog is actually a partnership between me, a teenager, and my mom, a supporting parent.  I was the one who wanted to start a blog in the first place, and over time, my mom joined in a bit helping me out with things I'm not quite old enough to understand/do.

I write the posts, take the pictures, dream up the recipes and, for the most part, bring my dreams to life in the kitchen.  My mom helps out whenever some more advanced cooking is needed, or when spending or making money is involved.  She also helps out a ton with social media stuff.

Who Am I?

Me?  I'm just your typical teenager.

I go to school, hang out with friends, play after school sports, and complain about having too much homework.  The only thing in me that you may not find in a friend of mine is a passion for health and cooking.  I think it's important to treat your body right, but at the same time make sure you're eating delicious food.

On this blog I try to share recipes that taste amazing, but are also way better for you than you might expect.  In case you can't tell, I specialize in desserts.  I have a real passion for baking... oh and it doesn't hurt that I love chocolate.

Check out my Double Decker Chocolate Cake; it's one of the recipes on my blog that I truly believe could pass for a dessert completely loaded with fat and sugar!


When Did I Decide I Wanted to Start Eating Healthy?

As clichéd as it may sound, I decided I wanted to change the way I ate because of my health class.  We were learning about nutrition, and what can I say?  I've always been a good student.  I soaked up all the information about eating right, portion size, and My Plate.  This led to a change in my eating.  I cut out a lot of the processed foods I had been eating and upped my vegetable and fruit intake tons.  Overall, I felt great.

There was just one problem.  I missed dessert.  Every dessert I knew of was unhealthy in my book, and in my new healthy eating mind, that just wouldn't do.  Luckily, soon after realizing something was missing from my diet, I discovered some food blogs that featured healthy desserts.  I started baking right away, and balance was restored.  I was finally eating healthy, and not feeling deprived at all!

My Fudgy Pumpkin Crownies.  A healthy dessert!
Why Did I Start This Blog?

After the discovery that healthy desserts do exist, I wanted to share everything I made with other people.  The blogs that featured the recipes inspired me, and I wanted to have a blog just like them, with mouth-watering photography, and delicious recipes.  And so my journey began.

I started Mix it Up (originally Mouth Watering Foods, hence the URL) in April of 2012 with a recipe for Pumpkin Squares.  Today, that recipe is one of the most popular on this blog.  I don't remember why I decided to make something with pumpkin in April, but I do have vague memories of carefully cutting each square, and trying to make everything perfect.  Then, I took pictures with my iPhone, and wanted to make them the best they possibly could be.  Surprisingly, a picture I took that day actually made it's way onto Foodgawker, a photography website I'm very proud to have over 80 photos accepted on.  But that was just the beginning.


Now I make up every recipe for this blog, have a fancy DSLR camera, and enjoy every single minute I spend on this blog.  It is awesome.

So, join me, as along with the help of my family, I discover what it really means to be healthy and happy!  I'm glad to have yo along for the ride!

For even more information, check out this post.
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40 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. You have no idea how much that made me smile!

      Thanks you SO much!

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  2. Your website is so "minty" and refreshing! Makes me want to cook and cook endlessly! Hurricane Sandy sure makes everyone hungry! Stay safe! Anna Maria

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    1. Haha, "minty". I like it! I'll have to post some more recipes with mint to match that.

      I totally agree with you that hurricane weather is definitely the time to cook. I've been baking a whole lot myself. Stay safe as well, and thanks so much for the compliment!

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  3. Your blog is great. Beautiful pictures and all look so yummy. I need to find someone to bake for me.

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    1. Oh, thanks! Don't we all wish someone would bake for us :)

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  4. You and your blog are inspiring, so I nominated you for an award! http://wp.me/p18CG9-FU (I love all of your sweet and healthy recipes; they make me drool every time!)

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    1. Thanks so much!

      I'll have to get writing that post!

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    2. I'm so glad you participated; I loved reading your random facts! I'm excited to see what new recipes you have in store... I'm still bookmarking many of your posts in my email subscription so I can eventually try them myself!

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    3. Yay! It always makes me happy when I know there are people out there who are trying what I make.

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  5. This is such a fun team blog!!! I love it!

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  6. Awesome blog . . . very down to earth! I can't wait to explore all the recipes!

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    1. Thanks so much, Mary. I appreciate you stopping by!

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  7. I have recently decided to explore living artificial sugar-free and stumbled onto your blog. This is amazing! And quite unique. Looking forward to experimenting with your recipes - keep up the great work!! :)

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    1. Good luck with your experiments! I'm glad my blog is helping you out. Make sure to tell me if you give any recipes a try.

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  8. Wonderful, wonderful blog! I love it =))

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  9. Greetings!

    CookieHound.com is a curator of blogger-submitted photos, solely devoted to cookies. Fun, right?

    We love your beautiful cookie photos and would be so thrilled if you submitted them to our site. They need to be 250x250 square pixels. Archived posts are welcome!

    Cheers and thank you!
    Amy
    http://www.cookiehound.com/

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    Replies
    1. I'll be sure to check it out, Amy. A website dedicated just to cookies sounds mighty fine to me!

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  10. Great job!! I am so glad I stumbled upon this site. A few people in my family are gluten intolerant and are diabetic. These recipes, I'm sure will come in very handy for all of our family get togethers!! Thank you so very much :)

    - Mom to 3 wonderful boys!!

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    Replies
    1. I'm really glad to hear that. My cousin is diabetic, so I know how hard it can be to find desserts they can enjoy. Hope some of these recipes work out!

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  11. Hey! I just discovered your blog and I have to say I'm a little in love! Your recipes look amazing and your pictures are beautiful (and mouthwatering!!) I found your blog via a pin on a VegNews interest board and I was so so excited to learn that you are a teen too! I can't wait to try out your recipes!! Have a wonderful day!

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    Replies
    1. Aww, thanks so much Lacey! I'm glad you found my blog and that you like it. That whole comment was just so sweet :)

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  12. I've been reading your blog for a few weeks now, and just thought I'd let you know that its by far my favourite food blog on the internet!! I love the ingredients you use, range of desserts you've made and the wonderful photography. Can't wait to start trying out some of your recipes after my exams have finished :) Thanks so much, keep up the good work!

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    1. Aw shucks, you're making me blush! Thank you SO much Ashley. I'm honored that you like my blog and I hope you continue to read and comment on it in the future. Tell me how you like the recipes you try, too!

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  13. Hello, Is there a way to subscribe to your posts? Do you have a RSS feed, a Facebook page or a newsletter?
    Thanks!

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  14. Love your blog. You have such great recipes that are simple and taste good. I can't wait to try the chocolate banana cookies. All of my favorite ingredients in one cookie! :)

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    1. Aww, thanks so much! Tell me what you think of the cookies if you try them :)

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  15. Hi, and congrats, you're being featured on upwave!

    I'm an editor at upwave (http://upwave.com/), a new website from Turner Broadcasting , and I'm working on a roundup of the best healthy Halloween treats from around the web. We'd love to include your peanut butter pumpkins recipe. Would you be willing to share an image to include in our post? We'll of course credit you, and we'll also link out to your recipe so our readers can get the details right from the source and also get to know your site better.

    Feel free to contact me with any questions!
    Thanks,
    Sara
    sara.cheshire@turner.com

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    Replies
    1. I'm totally fine with you using an image, as long as you give me credit. I'm honored that you would ask :)

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    2. Thank you very much! The article should be published next week.

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    3. Also, please email me with the name for the image credit, or if you'd prefer the name of the blog, let me know that as well. Thank you! sara.cheshire@turner.com

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  16. Hello!

    May I email you about a feature on www.organizedchaosonline.com? I wanted to check in regarding a post and ask for permission to use your recipe as a feature. In fact, if you send me an email, that's just as great (keeping your contact info private). tawsha (at) organizedchaosonline (dot) com. Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for your time. Have a great weekend!

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  17. I came across your blog searching for a marshmallow or corn syrup free peanut butter rice krispie squares. I made it tonight and they are so delicious! My family is excited to try many other recipes on your site. I especially like that you use pumpkin puree and very little sugar in your recipes. Keep up the great work!

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    1. I'm so happy to hear that! Please let me know what you think of any other recipe you try. I love hearing your feedback.

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  18. My first visit hope to find you again being 75 hope the ginger in your ginger bread relieves my body inflammation.

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  19. Hiya! Just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your pumpkin chocolate chip bars! Its one of the only recipes on the web that uses chickpea flour in a dessert so well :) You're very talented and I would love to see more recipes using this flour.

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