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!

Hi Julia-
I have been following your blog for about a year and have made many of your recipes. Each one is absolutely delicious! Tonight. I made the Italian sausage and tortellini dinner with sweet potatoes and bell peppers and absolutely loved it. Keep up the good work!!!
I am so happy you've been enjoying my recipes for a year, Fran!! Thank you for your kinds words! 🙂
Love your creative recipes and the beautiful photos - always a delicious inspiration! Sometimes too high in salt and calories but lots to choose from and adjustable! Thanks for what you do - keep on inventing new ways to use wonderful ingredients!
Thank you, Dale, for your encouragement - it means so much to me! 🙂 🙂
I love all your recipes and especially the weekly menu emails. It would be great if you generated a weekly shipping list for the recipes too.
Hi Liz! So glad my weekly menus are helpful!! I should add the shopping list generation functionality - I will look into that!
You are amazing sharing all your wonderful recipes completely free! They are healthy tasty inspiring and colourful. Many thanks ! I am on a keto diet so I love your low carb ideas.
Your presentation is fabulous!
Thank you, Susan, so nice to hear that! 🙂 I love to make my recipes not only tasty but also visually appealing! 🙂
I ENJOY RECEIVING VARIOUS RECIPES VIA EMAIL FROM YOU.
Tina, I am so happy to hear that! 🙂
Hello,
I just found your page. Question: Do you adjust your cakes, cookies, etc for high altitude? I'm at 7700 ft and baking can be a bit of a challenge.
Hi Joyce! Welcome to my site—I’m so happy you found me! 🙂 While I consider Colorado my home base, I don’t actually live there full-time. I spend a good portion of the year at sea level—actually, I’m at sea level right now! First, I bake all my desserts at sea level and then remake some of them (usually the simpler ones) at high altitude. I don't bake anything complicated at altitude (that could get tricky). A simple baking recipe like this cherry chocolate cake works well at both elevations without any adjustments, though the baking time does vary. I talk more about that in the recipe notes of this particular recipe if you’re curious:
https://juliasalbum.com/chocolate-cherry-cake/#recipe
Hi Julia,
Glad to meet you and look forward to your recipes. Ran across your page, when looking for a certain recipe. I lived in Aspen for a decade, and opened Ajax Tavern as the GM/partner in 1994. It was owned by a group out of San Francisco, and has since been bought by Aspen Skico. I lived down valley in Basalt like many of us did. Glad you are doing this page, and glad you moved to Aspen!
Tom
Hi Thomas! It's lovely to meet you, too! 🙂 It sounds like you had an amazing 10 years in Aspen—it's a beautiful place to live. I actually live in another small high-altitude Colorado town, but it's not Aspen.
I made couple of your recipes this week and they were both outstanding! I made the sweet potato frittata(yum!), and tonight I made the shrimp and avocado salad and wow, was that good! I’m looking forward to making more of your recipes which i think will be good choices for me as i start on a wegovy prescription this week!
Oh wow, Jeanne, thank you for trusting my recipes! 🙂 I am glad you liked both recipes, and I hope you find many more to try! 🙂
Lovely recipes, thank you so much! As I am German I am not so familiar with the dimensions like ounces, pints, pounds etc . I think your European followers would be delighted if you could add the equivalent metric dimensions …
Hi Anke! I do have a conversion to the Metric system on most of my recipes! In the recipe card, under the ingredient list, there are 2 clickable links: US Customary - Metric. If you click on Metric, it should convert all ingredients to the Metric system! I hope you try many of my recipes and let me know in the comments how you liked them! 🙂
I am sincerely grateful for finding your fantastic blog, actually my partner found it and raved so much about it that I had too check it out. She has made one of your salmon dinners and it was one of the best things I ever tasted. Thank you from a former Coloradoan.
Bob, I am so flattered! 🙂 So glad both of you are enjoying my recipes! 🙂
Julia . . . I absolutely love your recipes. Have you thought of publishing a cookbook? I think it would be highly successful.
Thank you, Sue, for believing in my ability to have a successful cookbook. 🙂 I am not as confident about it as you are so I am holding off on this idea for now. 🙂
I recently went to a friends house for lunch. She made your shrimp with orzo, artichokes hearts and spinach, I think. It was delicious. I am older, so have been cooking a long time. She turned me on to your website, and I can’t wait to try some of your recipes. Just so you know, I am a good chef, and don’t follow many others. I do like Lidia and Jacques, but usually cook by taste and what’s fresh at the farmers market. So thank you in advance for your passion (I can feel it) and your good recipes. Best, Nan
Hi Nan, thank you for your kind and thoughtful comment—it truly means so much to me! I'm so happy you found my site through your friends, and I hope you find many recipes here that you like! 🙂
Julia I love your recipes and use them all the time. I have also referred your site to many of many friends. I have a special challenge that you perhaps can help me with. I require a dairy free recipe but also one that is tomato, onion, red meat, pan fried and spicy free. I am looking at chicken recipes but thought you might have a favourite with those restrictions. I appreciate any direction you can provide.
OMG, Laura, you just gave me a great recipe idea (see below)! You can also try this recipe and add fresh halved cherry tomatoes: https://juliasalbum.com/steak-orzo/
If you're thinking red meat, I would use flank steak or skirt steak and pan fry in a large high-sided skillet using this recipe as a base (skip the spices and just use salt): https://juliasalbum.com/steak-spinach-sauce/
In a separate pan, saute chopped onions and minced garlic seasoned with salt with olive oil until the onion is cooked, add halved cherry tomatoes and warm them up. Slice the cooked flank steak, top with this onion tomato mixture and then drizzle the balsamic vinegar all over.
You can also use my shrimp fajita recipe here and use flank steak instead, using the same steak cooking method as above. Again skip the spices and just use salt. Bell pepper release a lot of flavor as they cook down.
https://juliasalbum.com/shrimp-fajitas/
I've been trying to unsuscribe for a long time. Please assist me. I keep getting partial recipes printed on my printer and it's just a waste of paper. Thank you.
Hi Steve! If the email you provided me with by sharing this comment is accurate, then you are not on my email list as a subscriber (I just checked, and your email is not showing). So, you must've been able to successfully unsubscribe. You can easily unsubscribe from all my emails by hitting the "Unsubscribe" button within any of my emails!
FOR SOME ODD REASON I am having a hard time finding your page that breaks your recipes down to other categories besides Salads and Pasta. I'm missing something. Hope you can help me out.
TIA
Daria
Hi Daria! Here is my recipe index, I hope that's what you're looking for:
https://juliasalbum.com/recipe-index/