How To Optimize a Blog Post for Search Rankings: Part 2 – 4 Simple Steps to Optimizing a Blog Post
This is part 2 of a 2-part series. Read Part 1 here! Now that you've identified a post to optimize, and a keyword to optimize for, it's time to start (re)writing! Step 1: Rewrite your text for the primary keyword, and relevant related keywords The most important part of optimizing an old post for SEO is to make sure you're offering the kind of useful information that Google wants to see. The trend in blogging used to be that bloggers would share unrelated personal anecdotes, ... Read More about How To Optimize a Blog Post for Search Rankings: Part 2 – 4 Simple Steps to Optimizing a Blog Post
How To Optimize a Blog Post for Search Rankings: Part 1 – Identifying Posts for Optimization
After I was interviewed on the Food Blogger Pro podcast, and published this article, I got dozens of questions asking how I went about optimizing a post. After all, it is one of the most important contributions to my organic traffic more than doubling in 2018 vs 2017. I'm thrilled that so many of you are interested in using this technique to grow your rankings and your organic traffic, and I'm going to provide you a step-by-step guide that you can follow to optimize your ... Read More about How To Optimize a Blog Post for Search Rankings: Part 1 – Identifying Posts for Optimization
Paleo & Gluten Free Classic Banana Bread
A classic paleo and gluten free banana bread that is ultra-moist, rich, and sweet just like banana bread should be. This easy recipe is made from almond and coconut flour, for a healthy, grain free twist on the classic breakfast or snack. You can make it with chocolate chips or without - but who doesn't like a bit of chocolate in every bite! This is a recipe you'll make again and again! I don't think it is an overstatement to declare this the last banana bread recipe you'll ever need. A ... Read More about Paleo & Gluten Free Classic Banana Bread
SEO: Does the Jump To Recipe Button Really Matter?
The number one food-blogging-specific SEO question I hear among fellow bloggers and food-related clients at my day job is "do we need the Jump to Recipe button on our posts?". There is a ton of conflicting advice out there about the benefit or detriment to your site, your ad income, and your ranking potential associated with having a jump to recipe button on your site and as far as I can tell, most of it is at least a little true. So I decided to run a little experiment on my own ... Read More about SEO: Does the Jump To Recipe Button Really Matter?
Cast Iron Skillet Care: How To Season and Clean Cast Iron Cookware
Cast iron cookware is an absolutely essential tool in any home cook's arsenal. Cast iron is affordable, versatile, durable, and naturally nonstick. All you need to do is to care for your cast iron cookware properly, by cleaning it properly and keeping it well-seasoned, and you'll be able to keep these pieces for life. Both seasoning and cleaning cast iron are simple processes that are as easy to understand as they are to perform. Read on to learn how to care for your cast iron so that ... Read More about Cast Iron Skillet Care: How To Season and Clean Cast Iron Cookware
Apple Cider Vinaigrette (Gluten Free, Paleo, and Whole30 Salad Dressing)
There will be no reason not to make your own salad dressing once you see how easy this apple cider vinaigrette can be. Just pour all of the ingredients into a container and shake or stir. That's it! It's gluten free, paleo, and vegan, and easy to adapt to be sugar free and Whole30-compliant, too! This post was updated April 23, 2019. Please forgive the exceedingly boring nature of this recipe - at least on the surface, although the flavor would beg to differ - but after ... Read More about Apple Cider Vinaigrette (Gluten Free, Paleo, and Whole30 Salad Dressing)
Gluten Free and Paleo Pistachio White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
These soft and chewy cookies are bursting with crunchy pistachios and rich chunks of white chocolate. If you're looking for something a little different, these will hit the spot! Just in the knick of time, I have one more Easter-ish recipe for your dessert table. I made these pistachio white chocolate chunk cookies a couple of weeks ago and wasn't sure if they were appropriate for the holiday, but a highly-scientific survey (ok, an Instagram poll) informed me ... Read More about Gluten Free and Paleo Pistachio White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Paleo and Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake
Spring is here, so let's dig in to all the lemony treats! I've been tinkering with this lemon pound cake recipe for years, and I think it's finally perfect. Sturdy and tight-crumbed, yet delicate, this gluten free and paleo lemon pound cake is simple to make and full of all natural lemon flavor! It's perfect for Easter, or for brunch any time of year! This recipe was updated April 2019. I notoriously obsess over recipes. It took me 18 tries to get this cake right, about 25 ... Read More about Paleo and Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake
How to Write a Simple Business Plan for Your Blog (and Why It’s Critical for the Success of your Business!)
A few weeks ago, I was interviewed for a podcast and, at the end of the show, invited anyone who had any questions to send me an email or an Instagram message. I was completely overwhelmed by the response I received: dozens of emails and messages have been flooding in ever since with requests for more information about blogging, transitioning from a hobby to a business (read: making money), and SEO. Since you had so many great questions, and so many of you had similar questions, this mini-series ... Read More about How to Write a Simple Business Plan for Your Blog (and Why It’s Critical for the Success of your Business!)
Paleo & Gluten Free Banana Muffins
Classic paleo and gluten free banana muffins are so easy to pull together, and they boast a rich, warmly-spiced bakery-style flavor that you know and love. These muffins are pure nostalgia - minus the gluten, grains, and artificial ingredients! When it comes to changing your diet, and keeping your family on track, the hardest things to give up are the basics. You know, those classic flavors and familiar dishes, maybe from childhood, that are, all of a sudden, off the menu? That's why I ... Read More about Paleo & Gluten Free Banana Muffins
The Original Dessert Hummus (gluten free and vegan, with paleo adaptation)
Dessert hummus is all the rage these days! This chocolate brownie batter variety is one of the originals: a chocolate, chickpea-based dip that is a great party snack! My version offers a legume-free variation, too, in case you don't tolerate chickpeas. This creative dip is for everyone! This is an OG ACB recipe. That means it's been on my site since, basically, the dark ages, when I was still in the process of identifying the foods I don't tolerate. I had gone gluten free, but was still ... Read More about The Original Dessert Hummus (gluten free and vegan, with paleo adaptation)
How I Doubled My Blogging Traffic and Income with Half The Work
A few weeks ago, I was interviewed for a podcast and, at the end of the show, invited anyone who had any questions to send me an email or an Instagram message. I was completely overwhelmed by the response I received: dozens of emails and messages have been flooding in ever since with requests for more information about blogging and how I grew my site through focused, strategic work. Since you had so many great questions, and so many of you had similar questions, this mini-series of posts will ... Read More about How I Doubled My Blogging Traffic and Income with Half The Work
Paleo & Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread
Easy to make and impossible to stop at just one slice, this paleo and gluten free Irish soda bread isn't just for St. Patrick's Day. You'll love it all year round! Need to avoid nuts or eggs? Click here for a gluten, dairy, egg, and nut free Irish Soda Bread. When it comes to posting festive, seasonally appropriate recipes at precisely the right time for you to see them, bookmark them for the upcoming holiday, make them, the post them on Instagram, food bloggers are incredibly on the ... Read More about Paleo & Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread
Veggie Fritters (Gluten Free & Paleo)
Paleo gluten free vegetable fritters are a quick, easy, and flexible way to eat your veggies. Pan fried until crispy, these low carb fritters are so satisfying - and kids love them too! Each of these fritters packs a full 1/3 cup of shredded carrots, zucchini, and yellow squash, making it easier than ever to get your daily veggies! I have so many chocolate recipes in the can, that I was ready to share with you this week. But when I asked you on Instagram what you preferred to see ... Read More about Veggie Fritters (Gluten Free & Paleo)
20-Minute Curry Noodles (Gluten Free & Vegan)
In a dinner rut? Try these easy vegan and gluten free curry noodles with a serving of veggies in every bowl! This healthy meal comes together in one pan in just 20 minutes, is super adaptable to your preferences, and makes great leftovers, too! In the chaos of the last few weeks - various freak things breaking at our old house, just as it went under contract to sell, a polar vortex stampeding through the area, stomach flu, pneumonia, and then my car breaking down in the middle of a (mild) ... Read More about 20-Minute Curry Noodles (Gluten Free & Vegan)
High Protein Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Delicious, healthy, and high protein strawberry banana smoothie that kids and adults love! Make it with dairy or alternative yogurt and milk (for dairy free), and use your protein powder of choice. This unbelievably adaptable and easy recipe makes a perfect go-to healthy breakfast or snack! There are some flavors you like from the start, others that you grow up liking, and the rest that you kinda force yourself to like or, in my case, learn to like out of solidarity. I, a card ... Read More about High Protein Strawberry Banana Smoothie
10 Ways to Reduce Food Waste with Babies and Kids
This is a little bit outside of my normal wheelhouse of cooking and baking, but feeding kids a healthy diet is a natural offshoot of feeding adults a healthy diet, wouldn't you say? I originally wrote this for the Imperfect Produce blog, but figured I would share it here, too, in case it helps you! If you're not someone who is responsible for feeding babies and toddlers, feel free to skip this one. One of the hardest adjustments to life with kids - aside from the sleep deprivation - is ... Read More about 10 Ways to Reduce Food Waste with Babies and Kids
Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
Bolognese sauce is a hearty and filling topping for gluten free pasta or veggie noodles, and now it's easier than ever to make. This simplified recipe is made in the slow cooker, with just 10 minutes or do of hands-on time. Plus, it is naturally gluten free, paleo, and Whole30 compliant! It all started with a meatball. An ultra-moist, slow cooker meatball that I make in my house again and again, and that everyone else who has made them loves. Then someone asked a ... Read More about Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
Paleo vs Keto: What’s the Difference?
Hearing a lot about the keto diet these days? Probably. I know that it's hard to keep track of all these eating plans, so I have you covered. Read on for a concise explanation of the difference between paleo vs keto, what you can and cannot eat, which health benefits to expect from each diet, and how to decide whether keto or paleo is the better diet for you. With the turning of the new year, you're probably hearing a lot about the paleo diet, the keto diet, and lots of other ... Read More about Paleo vs Keto: What’s the Difference?
Keto and Paleo on a Budget: 10 Indispensable Tricks for Keeping Your Body AND your Wallet Healthy
One of the biggest myths about eating healthy - whether doing a Whole30, following the paleo lifestyle, or diving into the keto diet - is that you can't afford it. While there are certainly a lot of people and resources our there offering handy tricks for keeping your food budget in check, most of their tips rely extremely heavily on grains and legumes for the base of your meals. If you're following the paleo diet or focusing on a low carb/Keto diet, those tips are not very helpful - to say ... Read More about Keto and Paleo on a Budget: 10 Indispensable Tricks for Keeping Your Body AND your Wallet Healthy
Gluten Free and Paleo Beet Blueberry Muffins
These toddler-friendly muffins pack a (small) serving of vegetables, without differing in flavor or texture from a "normal" blueberry muffin. Made from wholesome ingredients and very lightly sweetened, this is a breakfast treat that will please kids and adults alike! I chuckle to myself a little when parents start feeding their babies purees and assume they lucked out and got the easiest kids who will eat anything. Juuuuust wait, I always say to myself. Wait for age ... Read More about Gluten Free and Paleo Beet Blueberry Muffins
How To Make Peanut Butter (or Any Other Nut or Seed Butter) At Home
Learning how to make peanut butter at home is one of the easiest ways to keep healthy staples on hand, and save your budget! Homemade peanut butter is quick and easy, you can control the flavors and nutrition, and all you need to make it, besides peanuts, is a food processor or a high speed blender. Plus, you can use this method to make any other homemade nut butter, like almond butter, tahini, or any other nut or seed butter you want! This peanut butter is naturally gluten free, vegan, and low ... Read More about How To Make Peanut Butter (or Any Other Nut or Seed Butter) At Home
10 Easy and Flexible Paleo Ground Beef Recipes
Healthy eating starts with delicious and easy recipes that are so enjoyable that you don't even notice they are healthy. Start building your repertoire with these 10 paleo ground beef recipes, many of which are meal prep friendly, low carb adaptable, and Whole30 compliant! I'll be the first to admit that I'm not that great at cooking with ground beef. It is one of the most versatile ingredients in my kitchen, and we get a monthly shipment of grass-fed ground beef from Butcherbox, ... Read More about 10 Easy and Flexible Paleo Ground Beef Recipes
Gluten free and Paleo Pecan Bars
Look no further for the perfect finishing touch to your holiday cookie platter! These gluten free and paleo pecan bars are full of flavor and texture, delicately sweet, and beautiful to look at. They're lightly sweetened with dates and molasses and topped with a generous helping of crunchy pecans. Plus, they're fun and easy to make, and a joy to eat! Happy December! What a month it has been, and we're not even halfway through! Typically, the last two months of the ... Read More about Gluten free and Paleo Pecan Bars