Dutch oven
The Porters' standby dutch oven recipe? Shredded beef shepherd's pie. "I went a little nutso this winter and made it, like, every weekend," Kristin said.
KitchenAid mixer
Ben bought Kristin this mixer for her birthday, during the baking stage that inspired her to start food blogging. Although the blog is full of posts about "Green Monster" smoothies and vibrant salads, the mixer still gets a decent amount of use. Ben's quick to point out that not all the sweet treats consumed in the Porter household get posted on the site.
Better Homes and Gardens recipe book
Kristin now works for Meredith Corporation, but she grew up watching her mom cook every night. "My mom has the original red plaid one she used when we were growing up," she said. Kristin loves the old favorites in her BHG cookbooks, but also finds inspiration for her table from blogs like "Kath Eats Real Food" (katheats.com) and "Eat, Live Run" (eatliverun.com). "The way I found the blogging community was searching for recipes," Kristin said.
Calphalon knives
"One or two good knives makes all the difference," said Kristin, whose dicing skills were honed by the help of a weighted knife. (They stocked up on Calphalon products at a discount through a friend who used to work for the company.) Ben chopped, too, but admitted he doesn't have to cook as much after their wedding.
TV
The Porters keep a small flat screen on their counter top. Kristin tunes in to "E! News," the "real" news, and "Jeopardy!" while she preps dinner.
About the blog "Iowa Girl Eats:"
Kristin Porter's site: iowagirleats.wordpress.com
What it's about: Porter fills her blog with recipes for healthful and tasty dishes, like lemon pepper chicken with artichoke salsa, and how-to posts (ever wonder how to cut a mango?). She introduces her readership to Iowa favorites, like Dutch letters, and the meals that are boosting her energy and keeping her full, with the occasional sweet treat thrown in. Porter was quick to point out that her blog isn't a meal-by-meal diet diary.
Popularity: Porter said she gets about 1,200 visitors to her blog each day, but can't track how many of them are unique. With a number that high, though, she's definitely blogging for more than her mom.
What inspires her recipes: "I look a lot for what's on sale at the grocery store and make meals around that," said Porter.
Porter's advice for people who are intimidated by cooking? "You don't always have to follow a recipe." It takes some practice, but the fun starts when cooks experiment with flavors and ingredients.
Food blogging tips: "Just start," said Porter, who jumped onto the scene last March. She likes when other blogs are consistent, so she tries to post twice a day during the week.
Giveaways: Now that her blog has taken off, she's been contacted by the people behind products like Real Simple magazine and has received samples after sending requests to companies like PURE bars. Hosting giveaways on her site helps her promote products she likes and give back to her readers.
If she got a cooking show, it would be called ____ : "I would definitely name it '80/20' because that's kind of my food philosophy. Eighty percent healthy, flavorful living, with 20 percent awesome splurges."
