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. I develop, test, and make all the recipes you see on my site in my kitchen and do all of the photography and writing. I do not hire any of that out. What you see on my site is the real food that I eat (together with my husband, other family, and friends).
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 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 every day, either as part of dinner or for lunch. You'll find new salad recipes posted on my website regularly. 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, and 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 which 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 my friends. They reflect the way I eat and my philosophy of using 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, and 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, Brussels sprouts, and many others - too many to list). Some of my 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 a 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 irresistible 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 a connection with nature. I live in a very small town in Colorado, with the most picturesque mountains and groves of aspen trees and evergreens at my doorstep. I like hiking steep terrain in the 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 journey 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 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!
- 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!
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.
Madeleine Migne'
How can I get on your mailing list?
Joyce Beebe
Put me on your mailing list, Joyce
Richie M
How do I join
Jacki Worden
Do you ever create recipes for living alone people? Most recipes are just too big. I don5 like eating something for a week. Leftovers once is enough. I’m 74, still like to cook, and would like to eat healthier. Could you refer me to a blogger who would have recipes that would fitt my situation. Thank you
mikes
Jacki - this is kind of close: https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/about-drdan/
Raymond H Rosenberg Sr.
Great recipes. Yes you should publish a book
Julia
Thank you! Enjoy the recipes!
Clifford Newell
Dear Julia,
Your trout with asparagus recipe looks so good and so easy that I want to make. If I can't get a rainbow trout filet, is there any other fish I could use? Thank you.
Julia
I am glad you found my site - WELCOME! If you don't have rainbow trout fillet, you can use regular trout or salmon fillet.
Nikki
Please make a cook book!!
Dee
Hi JULIA
I have taken note of your gluten-free crepes which sound amazing
Then I went onto other foodstuffs like pasta expecting them to be gluten-free
But there is NO mention of gluten-free does this mean that you are NOT gluten-free in all your recipes??
Julia
Many of my recipes are gluten-free, but not all of them.
About pasta recipes - the overwhelming majority of pasta recipes on my site are very gluten-free friendly. If you review the ingredients list of many of my pasta recipes, the only ingredient with the gluten would be the actual pasta. So, you can just use gluten-free pasta of your choice.
Garry White
I made your tart dough, how long will it last not cook.
Robert Swift
Hi Julia I am trying to find a duck recipe , I am told you boil it first and then roast it if you can assist me I would be grateful.
Julia
Here is a great recipe for a Roast Duck.
Valerie
Funny enough your roast duck recipe is the first that came up on Google and i think it is a manageable one for my first time making duck! Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Julia
Valerie, you are very welcome! I am glad you found my recipe!
Bob Anderson
Hi Julia from Ottawa, Canada! Recently discovered your website and have to let you know that we’re working our way through one tasty recipe after another. Great job! Our absolute favourite that family and friends keep asking for is the “Sundried Tomato and Mushroom Pasta with Garlic Basil Sauce”. Redefines decadent!
Thanks for sharing such wonderful recipes! Here’s to trying many more.
Julia
I am so glad you discovered my site and have been enjoying the recipes! Welcome! I am happy you are here and that you took the time to leave such a kind comment. I really appreciate it!
Gary
Hi Julia,
Your recipe for PESTO CHICKEN TORTELLINI AND VEGGIES is my families favorite. It has been the most requested meal for a while. It is on the menu this evening. Thanks for the great meal.
Gary Robertson
Julia
Gary, you are very welcome! I am so glad your family has been enjoying this recipe for a while. 🙂
Wendy Arnold
Hello Julia,
Just tried your recipe for Spaghetti Squash, Quinoa and Spinach Fritters; WOW! I added some cilantro and some onion powder and fried them a little longer. I am grateful for your blog and I will certainly be trying more of your recipes.
Julia
Hi Wendy! I am so glad you tried the recipe for fritters. It's one of my all-time favorites! Adding cilantro and onion powder sounds delicious! Welcome to the blog, and I am very happy you are here!
KEVIN
HI JULIA.I HAPPEN TO COME ACROSS YOUR BLOG SITE AND REALLY LIKE THE RECIPES THAT ARE AVAILABE LOOKING TO IMPRESS MY WIFE ON MY COOKING THANKS FOR THE INFORMATION.
Elaine
Need to know nutritional values
Iryna
Hi Julia!
You have a beautiful blog and your desserts look absolutely lovely! Keep up the good work!:)
Julia
Thank you, Iryna, you have a beautiful site as well! I will be back to check it out! 🙂
Iryna
Thanks;)