Each month we profile a different Canadian Food Blogger who is part of the FBC community. This month, we meet Carmy, who loves spending time experimenting with recipes and enjoys going out to try new places.
Name: Carmy
Blog name: carmyy.com and onepotonly.com
Where were you born? Toronto
Why did you start your blog?
I got started in food blogging not long after university. I realized there were many people in the same position as myself where most of our meals came from eating out, eating at food trucks between classes, or just grabbing something from the dining hall that was struggling a bit with transitioning to meal planning around full-time work without the help of campus dining options (and cheap food trucks!).
I spent some time taking cooking classes at George Brown College and experimenting in the kitchen. Then I started sharing the quick and easy meal preps that I made for myself to hopefully help others figure out what to make on busy weeknights or what to pack to work.
How did you decide on your blog name?
For my first blog, it was simply my name, and when I started blogging, it had included personal stories! For One Pot Only, it was because all the recipes there I wanted to focus on only using one pot.
What do you blog about?
For my first blog, I focus on easy, healthy-ish recipes from meal preps, weeknight dinners, and lightened-up classics! My second blog is recipes that require only one pot to make!
Is your blog your business, your hobby or something in between?
My blog is my business.
What post on your blog most encapsulates you and why?
I feel like my How to Build a Charcuterie Board post encapsulates me the most on a personal level, as I love to host my friends, and my go-to for any party or movie night is a charcuterie board.
Which post do you wish received more love and why?
I wished my Kale Chips with Nutritional Yeast recipe received more love! I know kale has had its moment in the spotlight and isn’t as trendy anymore, but kale chips will have a special place in my heart. I can eat so much of it!
Which post’s success surprised you and why?
My Cheddar Cheese Buns! I don’t share many baking recipes, but this was one that I had tested a zillion times and thought that it was foolproof (it’s a very forgiving recipe and is great for beginners). I didn’t expect a lot of love for it since like I said, I don’t share a ton of baking recipes but my audience really enjoyed it and left me really lovely comments about it.
What’s your biggest challenge as a blogger?
A work-life balance. It can be very easy to work 24/7 on the blogs and nothing else. Last year, I took a step back, cut back my hours, and focused on my hobbies to avoid burning out.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a blogger?
Things can be unpredictable, and I just have to roll with it! Sometimes, you don’t know what will happen with an update from Google or a change in the algorithm on social platforms.
What has been your biggest success as a blogger so far?
Being able to call this my full-time job has been my biggest success.
Share a couple of your favourite food blogs to read. Why do you like them? (include URLs).
I used to love reading Molly Yeh’s blog. I loved how whimsical it was, and she made farm life seem fun!
Smitten Kitchen is also wonderful, and I love how she shares a little story with her recipes.
I also love reading (and watching!) The Viet Vegan. She’s such a joy to watch and chat with.
What are you working on next for your blog?
I’m working on building my mailing list.
What else should we know about you that may or not be in your “About Me” page?
I love reading. Last year, I read 202 books. I usually have anywhere from 2 to 4 books going at the same time and hop between them, depending on my mood.
What makes your blog unique?
While I share recipes that lean towards healthy, my blog isn’t about eating only healthy recipes. I believe in balance and am pretty anti-diet. While you can find a veggie-packed healthier shepard’s pie on my blog, you’ll also find an indulgent caramelized onion mashed potatoes.
How do you cultivate a sense of community around your blog?
My DMs and emails are always opened! I love chatting one-on-one with those who follow my blog and have gotten to know a lot of readers on a personal level. I also try to add a personal note to most of my newsletter to those who enjoy my recipes enough to sign up for my mailing list!
What part of the FBC site do you find most useful?
I love going through the food styling tips. I find that I can always do a little more whenever it comes to food styling.
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