Hi, I'm Julia - Welcome to My Kitchen!
- I started JuliasAlbum.com in 2012 as a space to share the recipes I love and cook for my family and friends. Since 2016, this food blog is my full-time job.
- I live with my husband in a picturesque small town in Colorado, surrounded by stunning mountains that serve as my playground when I'm not in the kitchen.
- The recipes you see here? They're real meals that I cook and enjoy with my loved ones.
- My goal is to inspire home cooks with fresh, seasonal ideas for easy, delicious, well-balanced, and visually appealing meals-especially simple dinners and vibrant salads. I focus on recipes that are rich in protein and fiber, made with fresh ingredients, and quick enough for any night of the week. I'm here to help you create healthy, satisfying meals without spending hours in the kitchen.
- Before food blogging, I followed a pretty traditional path-earned a business degree, then an MBA in Supply Chain Management, and worked in various business roles. I tried to climb the corporate ladder, hoping for promotions... until I realized I wasn't exactly thriving in the world of office politics. That's when I knew I needed a new direction. Swapping spreadsheets for sauté pans turned out to be the best decision I ever made. I've been sharing recipes with millions ever since.
Join Me on Social Media:
- Facebook page (1,100,000 followers).
- Pinterest account (716,000 followers).
- Instagram account (139,000 followers).
Subscribe by Email:
- Subscribe to my e-mail list here to get new recipes and weekly meal plans from me. The subscription is 100% free and you can unsubscribe at any time!
The Recipes You Will Find Here:
- Savory Recipes: I focus heavily on savory recipes (complete dinners, salads, side dishes, etc). I do love a good dessert, but my my focus and heart lies in satisfying, protein-rich meals made from scratch.
- Easy Weeknight Dinners using Fresh Ingredients : My recipes are generally protein-forward meals using chicken, pork, beef, lamb, or seafood, often paired with vegetables or fruits for balanced, nutrient-rich dishes. I regularly post 30-minute one-pan meals designed for busy weeknights.
- Pasta Dishes: I love pasta (probably a bit too much)! You'll find recipes using spaghetti, fettuccine, orzo, gnocchi, ravioli, and more. I always combine it with proteins like chicken, salmon, shrimp, or scallops. Often tossed in creamy or flavorful sauces.
- Salads That Are Actually Satisfying: I eat salads daily, often as a full meal (usually with added protein). Most of my salads can easily be turned into a main dish with added protein like salmon, shrimp, or rotisserie chicken.
- Easily Adjustable: Many of my recipes are naturally gluten-free or include easy tips for dairy-free, meatless, or low-carb variations.
Inspired by Seasons:
I love cooking with whole foods and fresh, seasonal ingredients! My meals are all about balance: nutritious, full of flavor, and made to be truly enjoyable. The changing seasons are a huge source of inspiration for me, and you'll see that reflected in the ingredients I use and the recipes I create throughout the year.
🍁 In the Fall
When the air turns crisp, you'll find me cooking with cozy fall flavors and ingredients: butternut squash, acorn squash, and spaghetti squash on repeat. I also love adding fall favorites like pecans, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, and pumpkin into everything from salads to mains. And when apples are in season (hello, August through December!), they make their way into both savory and sweet dishes.
☀️ In the Summer
Summer cooking is all about color, freshness, and simplicity. I always make use of ripe tomatoes, fresh berries, and my homemade basil pesto-it's a season of vibrant flavors! I especially look forward to peach season (July through September) and try to work those juicy gems into as many recipes as I can. From May to September, fresh corn is another staple in my salads and dinners. And during cherry season (June through August), I make the most of those sweet beauties while they last!
My Food Philosophy
- Real Meals from My Kitchen: The recipes I share on my website are real meals that I cook for myself, my family, and friends. They reflect my eating habits and my philosophy of incorporating a wide variety of ingredients. I focus on using whole foods and seasonal ingredients, ensuring that my meals are well-balanced with protein, vegetables, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
- Protein-Rich and Fiber-Rich Recipes. I prioritize protein-rich dinners, typically featuring one of my favorite proteins such as chicken, beef, salmon, shrimp, scallops, or lamb, accompanied by cooked or fresh vegetables and fruits. My meals are simple, flavorful, and nutritious. I often serve these dinners with complex carbohydrates that are high in fiber, including a variety of vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, leafy greens, Brussels sprouts, and many others. Some of my favorite complex carbs include sweet potatoes, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, beans, wild rice, quinoa, and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables.
- Low-Carb and Mostly Gluten-Free. I prefer to eat mostly low-carb and gluten-free foods. However, I do enjoy high-quality, protein-based pasta around three times a week (see below).
- Flavorful Pasta Dishes. I include pasta dishes in my meals about three times a week. These dishes always feature a protein (such as chicken, steak, or seafood) and vegetables. Often smothered in a delicious creamy or cheese-based sauce.
👩🍳 A Little About Me - Beyond the Blog
- I am a twin! I have an identical twin sister who's also a full-time food blogger. We've been best friends since childhood, always creating things together. As kids, we made clothes from scratch for our dolls-and for ourselves! We even made our own dolls. As adults, we've both channeled that creativity into making recipes from scratch.
- MBA in Supply Chain Management. Before blogging, I got an MBA in Supply Chain Management-so technically, I was trained to manage warehouses and track down missing widgets. Yep, I could have been knee-deep in spreadsheets, managing warehouses, or hunting down obscure spare parts for a factory somewhere. But instead, here I am, handling the logistics for pasta and procurement for the best basil pesto!
- ✈️ Passport, Please! I love exploring new places-especially when Colorado's mud season rolls around and hiking's off the table. In particular,between 2016 and 2019, I ventured far and wide and shared destination guides and travel tips here on the blog. I've visited Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand), Europe (Italy, United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Monaco), the Caribbean (Barbados), the Middle East (United Arab Emirates), and Canada. My travels have been a huge source of inspiration in the kitchen.
- Living in Colorado gives me daily inspiration and balance. I love hiking in the mountains near my home-it's where I feel most energized and centered. Nature is how I stay active, clear my mind, and recharge from the screen-heavy world of food blogging. Whether it's a steep solo hike or a quiet walk through the aspen groves, the outdoors fuels my creativity.
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:
- My Facebook page has over 1,100,000 followers.
- My Pinterest account has 716,000 followers.
- My Instagram account has 139,000 followers.
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!
- How to UNSUBSCRIBE? At the bottom of all my e-mails is the Unsubscribe link - scroll all the way down to the bottom of an e-mail and click on it - you will be unsubscribed!
SAVE YOUR FAVORITE RECIPES (create a RECIPE BOX)
- Save your favorite recipes to your RECIPE BOX. Click on a HEART in the lower right corner of any recipe TO SAVE it, and it will appear here. Click on the TAG next to the heart icon to access your FAVORITES.
- Create an account to find your saved favorites by clicking on the saved tag next to the heart, or click the magnifying glass (search function).
How to Contact Me
- The most effective way to get in touch with me (and get my response) is to leave a comment on any recipe on this site, or on this ABOUT page in the comments section below, even if your message isn't related to a specific recipe. I always read your comments!
- If you prefer to keep your comment private, just let me know, and I won't publish it. Since my site is still pretty much a one-woman show, comments on this page (or any other recipe page on JuliasAlbum.com) are the only realistic way to reach me-I check and respond to them daily (or within 3 days at most).
I am very happy that you landed on my website!
I appreciate your feedback on my recipes, whether positive or negative, as it helps me improve. I always read your comments and strive to respond promptly. I encourage you to visit my homepage which now offers a comprehensive overview of my recipes for easier navigation and is updated regularly. If you would like to see my most recent food creations, you can find my latest recipes here. I also share weekly meal plans in my weekly newsletter, which also includes little snippets from my life. You can find all my recent newsletters here, and can subscribe to receive my weekly newsletter and other recipes by e-mail. Alternatively, you can visit my latest recipes page each week to catch my newest recipes!
Your comments mean the world to me!
- A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who engages with my content! Your comments and quick reviews are incredibly valuable-they're one of the best ways to support a little food blog like mine. Not only do they keep me encouraged and motivated, but they also help me feel like I'm not just chatting with myself (though I admit, that does happen, lol!).
- This food blog is my life, and when I see comments, it reassures me that I'm not just tossing recipes into the void. At least someone out there is paying attention-besides my husband, who's too busy chewing and mowing down my food to give me any real feedback!
- So, if you enjoy my recipes, and my photography, have questions, or if you've tried one of my recipes, please leave a comment or a review (preferably on the specific recipe page, but any page works if your comment isn't tied to a particular recipe!). Your feedback makes all the difference and ensures my recipes don't end up in a culinary black hole! I can't wait to hear what you think!
- Feedback loop: I love keeping this blog lively, interactive, and personal-it's not just me talking at you - your feedback, questions, and ideas help shape what I cook and share next. I read and reply to almost every comment (and try to do it quickly!), because this space is a two-way street. In a way, this blog is like a delicious feedback loop: I create recipes, you try them, tell me what you loved (or tweaked), and that inspires me all over again!
This is not to criticize your recipes b/c many of them are very appealing, but I often skip over them b/c whatever you spray(?) on them prior to shooting them is very shiny and, in my opinion, makes them look greasy and therefore unappealing to me. Can you tone down the shine to make the food look more appetizing (and less greasy?).
Great feedback, Margie! Sometimes, I rub extra olive oil over the chicken or the salmon (if the recipe calls for it) right before taking a photo to add some shine. My husband has given me similar feedback on this. 🙂 So, I will take that into account!
Hi Julia,
I love your recipes and have made several. I am old school and like to print out the recipes and save my favorites. May I suggest that you include your name on the printout version of your recipes. I like to give you credit and remember where the recipe came from. Currently, the printed recipes do not show the source.
Wow, Alan, what a great suggestion! I just did exactly that - added the credits for my site to the bottom of the printed version of each recipe. 🙂 Thank you for this!
Julia, I am enjoying your recipes very much but it does take me more than 30 minutes to prepare. What is your secret to prepare your delicious meals in 30 minutes? Sometimes it takes me 60 minutes to prepare. Help, I need it!!
Donna, I am so glad you're here and enjoying my recipes. 🙂 Some of my recipes do require laser focus and intense preparation skills to get them done in 30 minutes. 🙂 I tend to do a lot of things fast simply because I cook so much and so often.
Am enjoying reading your recipes and have tried a couple of them with some modifications due to ingredients on hand. Great ideas and combinations of ingredients! Am curious about which small CO town you live in only because we lived in Breckenridge for about 15 years after retirement. Had to relocate to a lower altitude for health reasons but we both grew up in CO (Denver) so have many ties to the area. Miss my mountains! One idea I have for some of your readers is that I keep skimmed evaporated milk on hand to substitute for milk, cream, heavy cream in recipes and it works well for me. I like it for soups and for pasta dishes. My husband is plant-based much of the time so we have many vegan or vegetarian meals. (lots of beans) I make a small portion of fish, seafood or chicken on the side for myself at times. Other times he will have what I am having for his protein source. Your recipes are easily adapted and because we always have many veggies on hand we eat flavorfully and well! Keep up the good work ..... I especially loved your personal photos this time! Good for your MIL. I am soon turning 79 ..... don't do horses or water but have hiked a lot and snowshoed especially when living in CO.
Sheri, thank you for your thoughtful comment, I enjoyed reading it! 🙂 I am definitely more of a mountain person myself. I've done a lot of hiking and ski regularly (nothing too challenging). I am trying to get myself more comfortable with the ocean and try some water related sports. 🙂 We'll see how that goes.
I am so glad you're able to easily adapt my recipes to your and your husband's diet preferences.
And, thank you for the suggestion about using evaporated milk. It's actually on my to-do list to try it as other have mentioned it, too.
Somehow my printer is now printing out pages and pages of your photos. If I've subscribed, I'd like to unsubscribe, but can't see how on your website.
If you don't see my email REDACTED, I was having some issues with my printer, and you may have it's address:
REDACTED
Thanks for your help!
Bill G
Bill, I have unsubscribed you!
But you can always do it yourself, directly from any of my e-mails - there is an UNSUBSCRIBE button at the bottom of all my emails!
I follow your recipe site and have noted you do your own photography. I have been a food blogger for the last 12 years and do follow a lot of food blogger sites. I want you to know that your recipes and photography are beyond amazing one of the best sites I have come across. Each one is carefully executed easy to follow and the photos make your dishes so appealing! Congratulations on a job well done!
Sue Ready
Sockfairies.blogspot.com
Thank you, Sue, you are so sweet! It's so great to get a compliment from a fellow food blogger! 🙂 I do all of my own photography because I truly love cooking + photography combined! The process of cooking and then capturing the end result with my camera really invigorates and excites me!
I have made a number of recipes since I joined. I find however that many recipes call for heavy cream. For many reasons, I cannot use this (calories, do not keep on hand, need to limit some lactose products). Any suggestions for lightening up those recipes?
Many of my recipes that call for cream can be made with dairy-free full-fat unsweetened coconut milk or even with lite coconut milk. Thicker dairy-free alternatives, such as cashew milk, should work, too.
You can alo try making bechamel sauce using a roux (butter or olive oil and flour) and milk. I have one recipe that uses this kind of sauce:
https://juliasalbum.com/easy-homemade-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe/
Hi Julia,
Thanks for the 7 day series of dishes. I made the Thai coconut salmon curry and it was fantastic. I also added mushrooms as I think mushrooms belong in almost everything (lol). I plan to try the Avocado Mango Salad tonight.
I do have a question. On the recipe where is states servings and then calories. I just want to make sure I'm reading this correctly. If it says Servings: 4 people and the calories: 354Kcal. Does this mean that the entire dish is 354kcal or each serving is 354kcal and there are 4 servings in this dish?
Joy, I am glad you liked my line-up of 7 dishes for this week! 🙂
About your question, the nutrition information (including the calories) is per 1 serving, not for the whole dish. Most of my recipes make 4 servings, so the calorie info is per each serving. 🙂
thanks. That is what I thought, but wanted to make sure.
Julia,
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes! I love receiving your recipes in my IN box and I love your style of cooking! Thank you for doing what you do!!!!
Tracey, your thoguthful comment makes me so happy - thank you, I really appreciate it. ❤️
Thank you for making life a little more simple with the wonderful recipes! Makes checking my email exciting.
Wow, Jessica, so glad you're enjoying my emails! 🙂
I absolutley LOVE your recipes! I have made many of them and an always inspired to be creative myself. I usually print them and put them in a sleeve to protect them - I'm kinda messy 🙂 Do you have a way to print them horizontally in two columns so I can see the ingredients and the directions at the same time? Thanks so very much!
Jody, thank you for appreciating my recipes and sharing such a positive comment!! ❤️❤️ My print format is dictated by the recipe formatting software I use, not sure if this software has an option of printing in 2 columns, but I will look into that!
Thank you Julia!!!
I’m so happy to have discovered you and your fabulous recipes! It’s always a struggle to figure out what to make for dinner, especially on workdays. Your recipes have changed that. I especially love your one pan, 20-30min meals on workdays. They are always easy and delicious. I must also say that I’m always excited to get your emails to see what else I can make! lol
Thank you again!
Trish, your comment really made my day! ❤️ I am so glad you look forward to my e-mails and my recipes. More to come! 🙂
Hi, Julia. Your recipes are my kind of meals! Do you have a cookbook? Would love it if you would consider writing one! Pleeease! 🙂
Nina, thank you for trusting and appreciating my recipes! 🙂 I'd love to do a printed cookbook at some point! 🙂
The recipes posted match my taste 99.9% of the time. I want to try all of them, although it will take me some time to accomplish that task. The recipe's are easy to follow.
Tina, I love hearing that! ❤️❤️ So glad my recipes match your tastes. Great minds think alike! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi Julia
What is the best thing to use in your lovely creamy recipes for someone who is lactose intolerant? Not my issue but a friend who I like to cook for.
Many thanks
Jean
Jean, I am sorry for my delayed response.
➡️ My number one dairy-free choice for cream would be unsweetened coconut milk.
➡️ You can also use thinner dairy-free milks, such as almond, oat, or cashew milk. If using thinner milks instead of cream, add half the amount first, and then add more, if needed.