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 made the linguine with sun dried tomatoes and spinach in cream sauce twice. Both times the cheese clumped up and did not make a cream sauce. It was still delicious. What am I doing wrong?
Kim, here are some troubleshooting tips about that recipe:
https://juliasalbum.com/linguine-with-spinach-and-sun-dried-tomato-cream-sauce/
➡️ 1) Make sure you shred Parmesan cheese as the very first step in making the recipe so that it comes to room temperature before you add it. (it should not be refrigerator cold) If the cheese is already shredded, take it out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes before making the recipe.
➡️ 2) Before adding cheese, make sure the skillet is hot and the cream is constantly simmering (lowest setting of boiling).
➡️ 3) Try using heavy cream next time instead of half-and-half if the sauce still clumps up.
I have really enjoyed your recipes. I find most of the new recipes I try on Pinterest. I'm happy to say when I see it's one of yours I know it will be good! Thanks for all the lusciousness!!
Suzanne, thank you for this thoughtful comment - it means so much to me to know my recipes are appreciated! 🙂 🙂
My family loves your recipes, but I was wondering if you have done any health issue specific recipes, like renal diet (for kidney failure) or diabetic? My father is in kidney failure and has to be on a strict diet. Being able to eat “normal” would make it much easier. Thanks!
Julia, I have made several of your recipes & have enjoyed all we have tried so far. If you ever start a email list of new recipes, PLEASE put me on that list!!
Carol, your comment truly made my day! 🙂 Glad you enjoy my recipes, and yes, setting up the e-mail list is a huge item on my to-do list right now.
Hello Julia. I love all your recipes and photos! I would like it very much if you had a shopping list of items for fridge and pantry. I never remember all the different ingredients you use! Thanks!
Sara, thank you for this encouraging comment! 🙂 It's actually a very good idea for me to come up with the pantry list because I just recently cleared my pantry of all unnecessary items and reorganized my kitchen stuff. I just added this to my (ever-growing) to-do list! 🙂
I stumbled onto your site and spent some time here. I appreciate your attention to using Bucatini and explaining the two main differences between it and spaghetti. Not many stores around me have Bucatini on their shelves, makes me wonder why. I hope to find a “sign-up” for emails for recipes from you. Thanks,
Grant, I love bucatini pasta. You're right - it can be hard to find and sometimes you can find bucatini only at specialty stores. Setting up the email list is a huge item on my to-do list. It should be done fairly soon.
This looks so delicious and I was so happy to see that you can freeze it! I am making this for a Friendsgiving and family Thanksgiving, can't wait to taste it! AND how do you stay so slim and trim with all the cooking you must do? You can share that secret too?
Jaime, enjoy the recipes! I am glad you like my food blog! 🙂
About staying slim -
➡️ I am very physically active - I regularly exercise (mostly outdoors - and I think exercising outdoors really helps with motivation).
➡️ I also eat a lot of protein + vegetables + some fruit, complex carbohydrates, and only occasionally do I eat refined carbs.
➡️ I am also not a huge fan of desserts. If you notice, I don't really have many dessert recipes on my blog. It's mostly savory stuff - dinners, soups, salads. I would eat a dessert but very occasionally.
➡️ I don't drink much alcohol (just taste it sometimes) because I am kind of allergic to it - it stuffs my nose. Otherwise, I would. 🙂
Would be nice if your site offered to share by email!!!!
Richard, yes - this will be setup really soon! It's ridiculous that I haven't set it up yet.
I’d also like to be in your email list! Add me when you do!
I’m making this forThanksgiving…it looks yummy! Are the cranberries cooked? Or are they they the craisins?
Sue, if I use cranberries in the recipe (I am not sure which exact recipe you're referring too), it's dried cranberries like craisins. Not cooked fresh cranberries.
Hi Julia ~ I just discovered you today through a friend's Facebook post on your Asiago Roasted Brussels Sprouts. What really caught my eye – besides the wonderful recipe (YUM!) – was the excellent photo! I can see you are passionate about cooking (baking?) AND photography, and I look forward to digging into your recipe book. Thank you for sharing your passions!
CMA
P.S. Hope you don't mind me sprinkling some freshly cooked and chopped bacon on the sprouts along with the asiago cheese... 🙂
P.P.S. I used to travel around the world for my work; let me know if you're looking for any destination ideas.
Charlie, I am so flattered by your comment - thank you! I am very passionate about cooking and photography - it really makes me really happy and fulfilled to do both.
Bacon over the Asiago Roasted Brussels Sprouts is a great idea!
I love to travel, too. I traveled extensively in 2016, 2017, and 2018, spending 3 months in Southeast Asia in 2016, 2 months in Italy in 2017, 2 months in France in 2018, and other places. In the last several 3 years, I am focusing on food mostly and enjoy not traveling as much. 🙂 But someday, I will resume travel.
I have been following you for years. Your recipes are great. I am going to go a little off topic. Looking at your recent picture, you are aging like a fine wine. Just saying...
Danny, thank you for the compliment. Aging is better than the alternative. 🙂
Julia, Do you have a cookbook published?? I hope so. I keep printing out so many recipes, I'd love to have them all, in book form....
You are amazing!
Linda, your comment truly made my day! 🙂 Thank you for your kind words - I really appreciate it. I don't have a cookbook - just this website.
Please add me to your mailing list.
How can I receive your recipe posts via email?
This feature is soon coming to the blog. I know, it's long overdue. 🙂
Can you include nutritional information with your recipes? They all look so amazing but my husband and I are watching our diet.
Thank you so much!!
Most of my recipes do have nutritional information. I might have missed that on some of them. If you have a particular recipe in mind, let me know in the comments here.
Dear Julia,
Can I use one cup of fresh cranberries instead of dried soaked cranberries in your Apple, Cranberry, and Pecan cake?
Thank you.
Yes, you can use fresh cranberries in that recipe. But do keep in mind, that fresh cranberries are obviously more tart than dried cranberries.
Even though this recipe is best with dried cranberries, you can use fresh cranberries with a few adjustments. The recipe calls for 1 cup of dried cranberries, I would use 1 1/4 cups of fresh cranberries (since there are a lot more dried cranberries in a cup than there are in a cup of fresh, so you have to compensate for that). Also, I would add extra sugar, such as using 2 cups of sugar vs 1 3/4 cups. Also, chop up fresh cranberries before adding them to the cake batter.
Enjoy and Happy Holidays! 🙂
Hi Julia,
Thank you for your blog and recipes using fresh, wholesome and healthy ingredients. I am looking forward to trying this butternut/brussel sprout recipe. However, I am wondering about the 508 kCal. Can you confirm that is correct?
Nadine, thank you for such a sweet comment! Regarding this recipe below, yes it's 508 calories per serving. Obviously, nuts, dried cranberries, and butternut squash are not low in calories. If you want to reduce the number of calories somewhat, I would use smaller quantities of pecans and dried cranberries.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels sprouts with Pecans and Cranberries
IDear Julia, I am checking out some of your recepies. I tell you that they look so wonderful and delicious. I will be trying some for sure, specially the Chicken, spinach Spaghetti. I am in California and it is now nearly 10:00 pm and yet I wish I was having a bowl of the Spaghetti.
I am glad you found my site! Please enjoy the recipes and be sure to comment if you like them (or if you don't 🙂 )! I welcome any feedback!