Hi, I'm Julia! Welcome to my food blog JuliasAlbum.com which I founded in 2012 to share my favorite recipes in hopes that other people would also enjoy them. I live with my husband in a small town in beautiful Colorado where idyllic nature and dramatic mountains are my backdrop and my playground when I am not in the kitchen.
Me (Julia), Fall 2022.
What type of recipes can you expect to find on my website?
- Savory recipes. I don't have a big sweet tooth, so pretty much all my recipes are savory dishes. I do post an occasional dessert once in a while, but I'm definitely not a dessert person.
- Easy weeknight dinner recipes. The vast majority of my recipes are main courses, usually featuring some kind of protein (chicken, pork, lamb, beef, or seafood) together with vegetables (or fruits). I use spices and many other ingredients to make my dinner recipes flavorful and fun. My recipes are usually high in protein and rich in fiber.
- Pasta recipes. A lot of my dinner recipes are pasta dishes featuring a variety of pasta (spaghetti, fettuccine, orzo, gnocchi, ravioli, tortellini, etc) combined together with cooked veggies and protein (usually chicken, salmon, shrimp, or scallops). I usually make a yummy sauce to go with pasta (sometimes creamy, sometimes not).
- Salads. I make it a habit to eat a salad everyday, either as part of dinner, or for lunch. You'll find new salad recipes posted on my website on a regular basis. You can easily add your favorite protein (such as rotisserie chicken, leftover cooked chicken, salmon, shrimp, etc.) to most of my salads to turn them into a complete meal.
- 30-Minute One-Pan recipes. Most of my recipes are pretty simple and can be done in about 30 minutes using only one cooking pan. You can expect more and better simple 30-minute one-pan dishes from me going forward.
- Gluten-free recipes. A lot of my recipes are naturally gluten-free or can be easily adjusted to be gluten-free.
- Easily adjustable recipes. Most of my recipes can be adjusted to be dairy-free, meatless, or gluten-free. I started providing tips about these adjustments and will make it into a system going forward.
My recipes are inspired by the seasons
I use whole foods and seasonal ingredients and make sure that my meals are well-balanced, nutritious, delicious, and fun. Many of my recipes are inspired by seasons and use a wide variety of seasonal ingredients.
- Autumn-inspired recipes. In the Fall, I publish a lot of butternut squash, acorn squash, and spaghetti squash recipes. When apples are in season from July through December - I try to utilize them in my dinners or salads. During September, October, and November, I like to incorporate ingredients we often associate with Fall (such as pecans, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, pumpkin) into my recipes.
- In the Summer, I always make use of fresh tomatoes, homemade basil pesto, and fresh berries. I love the peach season that usually runs from July to September. I incorporate fresh corn into my dinners and salads from May to September. I love fresh cherries from June to August.
My food philosophy
The recipes that I publish on my website are real meals that I cook for myself, my family, and friends. They reflect the way I eat and my philosophy to use a wide variety of ingredients. I use whole foods and seasonal ingredients and make sure that my meals are well-balanced featuring protein, veggies, fiber, complex carbs, adequate amounts of fat.
- PROTEIN-RICH and FIBER-RICH RECIPES. I prefer to eat protein-rich dinners that usually feature one of my favorite proteins (chicken, beef, salmon, shrimp, scallops, lamb, etc) accompanied by cooked or fresh vegetables and fruits - prepared in a simple, delicious and flavorful way. I usually serve my dinners with complex carbohydrates that are packed with fiber, which includes a large variety of fiber-rich veggies (asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, leafy greens, Brussel sprouts, and many other - too many to list). Some of my most favorite complex carbs are sweet potatoes, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and fiber-rich fruits and veggies. I also love beans, wild rice, and quinoa.
- LOW-CARB AND MOSTLY GLUTEN-FREE. I prefer eating mostly low-carb and gluten-free foods. I do eat high-quality protein-based pasta about 3 times a week (see next point below).
- FLAVORFUL PASTA DISHES. I eat pasta dishes about 3 times a week. I always eat pasta with some kind of protein (usually chicken, steak, or seafood) and some kind of veggies. Often smothered in a delicious creamy or cheese-based sauce.
Fun facts about me
- I have an identical twin sister and she is a full-time food blogger, too! We grew up as best friends, always creating things as kids. We made clothes from scratch for our dolls (and for ourselves!). We even made our own dolls from scratch. As adults, now, we both have translated those skills into creating recipes from scratch.
- My educational background. Before food blogging, I finished my MBA (Master's Degree in Business Administration) with the specialization in Supply Chain Management, no less! 🙂 I could have been managing a warehouse or procuring equipment or spare parts for a manufacturing plant at this very moment. But here I am, food blogging instead!
- I love naturally orange foods and regularly eat naturally colored orange veggies and fruits, such as butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets (both orange and red), oranges, peaches, apricots, mango, persimmons, and papaya. There is something about the orange color in fruits and vegetables that makes them irresistable to me. My recipes reflect my love for orange foods.
- I traveled extensively between 2016 and 2019 and published a lot of useful international travel articles about places to visit, and things to do - if you love to travel, you might like them. I traveled through Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand), Europe (Italy, United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Monaco), the Caribbean (Barbados), the Middle East (United Arab Emirates), and Canada.
Connection with nature
One of the most important parts of my life is feeling connection with nature. I live in a very small town in Colorado, with the most picteresque mountains and groves of aspen trees and evergreens at my doorstep. I like hiking steep terrain in wilderness (usually alone, but sometimes with my husband and friends) as a way to keep myself in decent shape through regular (and challenging) physical activity. Being outdoors in nature keeps me both physically and mentally balanced, it energizes me and recharges my batteries. Food blogging can be a lonely jorney with a lot of time spent indoors, in the kitchen, or being glued to a computer screen. Getting outside and physically challenging myself while being nurtured by nature makes everything better: it improves my mood and sleep, lowers the stress, gives me energy and motivation, and simply makes me a happier person.
Featured On
- My recipes have been featured on major sites, such as Huffington Post, Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Parade, The Kitchn, Delish, Brit+Co, Food Network, BUZZFEED, PUREWOW, and Greatist.
- For a detailed list of some of my recipes featured on these sites + links to those features, check out my Press page.
Join me on Social Media!
Subscribe to my recipes by e-mail:
Subscribe to my e-mail list here and I will send you delicious recipes every week. You will also get an email every time I publish a new recipe. The subscription is 100% free and you can unsubscribe at any time!
The best way to contact me and get me to respond
- The best way to reach me (and get my response) is to comment on any recipe on this website or on this ABOUT page in the comments section below even if you'd like to communicate about something that doesn't have anything to do with a particular recipe. I always see your comments! And, if you indicate that your comment is private, I won't publish it. You can email me at inquiriesjulia { at } gmail { dot } com but my email gets cluttered and it's very very likely I might miss your message if you email me. See more at my contact page.
I am very happy that you landed on my website!
I love hearing your feedback about my recipes (both positive and negative - it helps me grow). I always see your comments and try to respond promptly. I just updated my homepage (as of October 2023) - it now provides a very good overview of my recipes - I highly encourage you to check out my homepage for helpful navigation! If you'd like to see my most recent food creations, you can find my latest recipes here.
I would love a shepherds pie recipe!!!
Dylan, I actually have that on my to-do list! Coincidentally, one of my relatives made the most amazing shepherds pie made with lamb this Thanksgiving!
Oh please do it soon!!
Dear Julia,
I enjoyed your recipe for yesterday's squash side, BUT, I have to say it was super super super annoying to constantly have to get through the ads and movement of the recipe page. I have multiple children and the distraction of your direction separate from the ingredient amounts almost made it impossible to create. Please revise how many ads you place ON the recipe itself. Thank you
Barb, I will revise my ad layout sometime this week to make it more user-friendly! I am happy to hear you're enjoying my recipes! ❤️❤️
Hi, I am trying your Roasted brussels sprouts and cinnamon butternut squash with pecans and cranberry recipe. A couple questions. Do I still soak the dried cranberries (as suggested in another recipe?) And would the balsamic glaze (from the brussel sprouts w/ bacon recipe) work on this? Or should I just stick with the maple syrup? Thanks so much!
Leasa, yes, I would soak the dried cranberries to freshen them up. Just quickly blanch them for 1 minute in hot water and drain.
The balsamic glaze would work great with this recipe! The only issue is that it might color the ingredients too dark. I this case, I recommend making the balsamic glaze using white balsamic vinegar. I personally prefer just a maple syrup, plus maybe 1 or 2 tablespoons of lime juice (freshly squeezed only!).
Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving! ❤️
Loved receiving the email with 30 Best Thanksgiving SALADS. They all look great, now I just have to make a decision on which one I want!
Paula, thank you so much for your feedback regarding the contents of my newsletter - glad you liked my latest newsletter issue! ❤️❤️
All I can say is wow about your site. You're food ideas are inspirational and exactly what we need to get back on track after the holiday's. I have shared some of your recipes with my sister's because they love good food as much as I do. We will all be looking forward to seeing your recipes and cooking tips as we try out these amazing recipe ideas.
Melissa, your comment really made my day! I am so glad you find my recipes useful and practical for everyday use! 🙂 I will do my best not to disappoint! 🙂
Hi Julia
I just saw your Christmas salad and I want to make it. I love to cook and I’m eager to learn new dishes always. You are my inspiration. I read your story.
Thank you for sharing.
Elsa, I am so happy to have you here! ❤️ Thank you for your thoughtful comment - it made my day! 🙂
Hi Julia,
I will be making you Mandarin Orange Salad with Balsamic Glaze for Thanksgiving. How do you think it would be if I added feta cheese? I have just recently, at 63 years old, become interested in cooking. Your recipes are the impetus to my new interest. Thank you for your inspiration!!
I think Feta would be a great addition to that salad! I am so glad you're enjoying my recipes and finding cooking inspiration on my site! ❤️
Hi Julia! I just wanted to tell you how much I love your recipes! I just recently discovered you through Facebook and have tried several of your fall recipes and every one of them has been a knockout. They have my husband and me both eating more veggies which is great!
I was wondering if you have published any recipe books? If so I would snap them up in a heartbeat !
Wendy, I am so happy to have you as a follower on Facebook! ❤️ Thank you for such a kind and thoughtfull comment. I do not have any published cookbooks, just this website. 🙂 (for now 🙂 ).
Will your recipes fit on a Mediterranean Diet?
Your food looks so nutritious and inviting!
Lisa, yes, many of my recipes fit into Mediterranean-style diet. I should categorize them better so that they can be easily found in one spot. You might also like this collection of recipes that have NO CREAM and NO CHEESE:
https://juliasalbum.com/recipe-collection-4/
Hi Julia,
My husband I also live in Colorado, in Pagosa Springs. We've lived there since 2009, when we moved to our dream home we built there, after I retired as an educator and administrator in California and Ohio. My retirement only lasted five months when I was hired by the school district, where I served as asst. superintendent for four years and superintendent for seven. Now that both my husband and I are retired, we split our time between CO and our place in AZ. My husband recently went on a low carb diet and I have been using many of your recipes, both salads and main dishes, with some modifications if they involve pasta. He has loved every dish and has become a big fan of salads. Thanks so much and keep up the great work!
Linda, thank you for your thoughtful comment! ❤️ Colorado is a great place to live, isn't it? I hope you get to enjoy everything Colorado has to offer now that you are retired. Glad both you and your husband enjoy my recipes. I recently started organizing recipes into collections by diet preferences, and since your husband enjoys low-carb recipes, you might find these helpful:
LOW-CARB, HIGH-PROTEIN Dinners
KETO, GLUTEN-FREE, HIGH-PROTEIN Dinners
Main Dishes with NO CREAM, NO CHEESE
Julia - love your recipes - I have a particular problem I'm wondering if you might have some thoughts on. My wife has recently become allergic to tomatoes. What might I use in place of tomatoes in recipes? Or does just leaving tomatoes out of a dish completely change the taste?
Les, thank you for stopping by! ❤️ I would recommend using pan-roasted sliced mini bell peppers (multi-colored small bell peppers sold in a bag). They have a much milder flavor than regular bell peppers, they are softer, cook much faster, and taste distinctively different from big bell pepper - I love using them in recipes! You can also try roasted red bell peppers in a glass jar.
I love your food and I look forward to reading the blog daily. I have commented when I have made some to the foods. I have never seen so much done with squash so you have opened up a new world for me. I usually have stuffed it with apples or spiced it with cinnamon.
Antoinette, your comment really made my day! ❤️ So glad you discovered new ways to prepare squash thanks to my recipes! 🙂
Hi Julia,
I have seen your recipes on Facebook and they look awesome and I am excited to try some. I gave my email address so I look forward to receiving new recipes from you. My daughter lives in Colorado Springs and I just traveled there from NY last week. My husband and I just love visiting different places in Colorado while visiting our daughter. I will be sharing your recipes with her.
Wonderful, I am happy to have you! ❤️ Colorado is a beautiful state - I am sure your daughter loves living here as much as I do! 🙂 I hope the recipes you try from my website will be a success! 🙂
Sorry but I just made one if your recipes. The picture looked great but it was tasteless, it was so hard to follow with so many adds coming up and it said 30mins one pot. Yet caramelising the onions alone was recommended to do for 30mins. I will now unfollow you and not use your site again. Sorry
Hello Julia, have you thought about publishing a cookbook in print? Your recipes are awesome!
The one I just did was woeful. So much misleading info about time
Brigitte, I do not have a cookbook planned in a the near future. 🙂 Just lots of new recipes to come on the website!