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.