Each month we profile a different Canadian Food Blogger who is part of the FBC community. This month we meet Ashley, who shares plant-centric recipes influenced by the region she resides in, emphasizing the use of fresh, local, and seasonal produce.

Olive and Wisteria logo.

Name: Ashley Sinclair

Blog name: Olive + Wisteria 

Where were you born? Toronto, ON

Where are you living now? Thornbury, ON

Why did you start your blog? 

When I graduated from high school I made the decision to take a year off before pursuing post-secondary education. I wrote a list of things I wanted to do or accomplish during my gap year and creating my blog was one of them. I had a long-standing passion for cooking and photography, which is what inspired me to create my blog as a digital portfolio of sorts.

How did you decide on your blog name? 

The name for my blog was partially inspired by a book I read in high school, The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Because of this book I was inspired to look to the Victorian Language of Flowers for inspiration.

In the Victorian Language of Flowers, each flower has a different meaning associated with it. Olive flowers symbolize peace and wisteria flowers symbolize welcome. I thought the meanings of these two flowers best represented what I wanted to portray with my blog. My hobbies that I share here are what bring me the most peace in my life and I want this blog to be a welcoming place for all. From that, Olive + Wisteria was born.

What do you blog about?

My grandmother describes me as “multi-facetted” because of my many different hobbies. In light of this, you can expect to find a mix of my hobbies showcased on Olive + Wisteria, which includes, but is not limited to, accounts of past adventures and plant-focused recipes.

Is your blog your business, your hobby or something in between? 

Creating content for Olive + Wisteria is a hobby. I started my blog as a digital archive of my adventures, recipes, and ideas to share with friends and family and anyone else who’d like to come along for the ride. Someday it would be amazing for Olive + Wisteria to be my business, but for now it’s just a passion project.

What post on your blog most encapsulates you and why? 

Sheet pan sweet potato salad with lemony tahini sauce.

My Sheet Pan Sweet Potato Salad with Lemony Tahini Sauce encapsulates me the most because the recipe was the product of a clean-out the fridge dinner. When I first made this recipe I had no intention of sharing it on my blog. I threw this dish together with whatever groceries I had on hand and was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. This post encapsulates me the most because I feel like it embodies my creative process quite well. I find that my best work and recipes tend to come from processes (happy accidents) like the one used to develop this recipe. I’m typically a big planner, but sometimes the best things in life are the unexpected and the improvised. 

Which post do you wish received more love and why? 

Cucumber lemonade with jalapeno.

I would have loved to see my Cucumber Lemonade with Jalapeno receive more love because it’s a super fun and tasty recipe. I put a lot of thought into the creation of this recipe and post but received little engagement in return which can be disheartening. 

Which post’s success surprised you and why? 

Shawarma with onions and rice.

I’ve never been one to pay too much attention to the number of views each of my blog posts receives. The most important characteristic of my blog is that it is an enjoyable creative outlet for me. If people resonate with what I share, that’s an added bonus. But, for the sake of this question I did take a look at my blog insights and was surprised to see that my DIY at Home Shawarma (AKA Fake Lazeez) recipe is one of the most viewed posts on my blog and continues to be one of my most visited pages despite having been published in 2020. There’s no doubt this is a tasty recipe, but it surprised me that it is one people seem to continuously return to since I don’t reshare it on my social feeds as often as some of my other recipes.

What’s your biggest challenge as a blogger? 

I’d say the biggest challenge I’ve experienced as a blogger is Imposter Syndrome. When I first started Olive + Wisteria back in 2017 I did it solely for myself. It was a fun way for me to create an archive of my adventures and recipes to reflect on myself and share with family and friends. As more people outside of my inner circle have started to read my blog it’s made me more self conscious. Even now when people ask me about it I find myself blushing from time to time. 

Sometimes I catch myself comparing my blog to all the other amazing blogs out there and feeling like I am just sending things off into the void and no one really cares. Other times I can look at my work with much kinder eyes and I am grateful for this digital archive of the past seven years of my life. When I find myself in these less-kind ruts I feel unmotivated to be consistent with my blogging, which can be a real challenge.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a blogger? 

The biggest lesson I have learned - and am still learning - is that consistency is key when it comes to blogging. To build a community and foster engagement you have to be consistent.

What has been your biggest success as a blogger so far? 

I’d say the biggest success I’ve experienced as a blogger is when people tell me they liked a recipe I shared or that a post I made resonated with them. Getting this kind of feedback reminds me that people are interested in my work and appreciate the time and care that goes into creating content and recipes.

Share a couple of your favourite food blogs to read. Why do you like them? 

A couple of my all-time favourite food blogs are Green Kitchen Stories and The First Mess

When I first got into cooking in my early high school years, I discovered Green Kitchen Stories and have been a loyal fan ever since. Green Kitchen Stories focuses on delicious vegetarian recipes and couples them with stunning photography. Five of their six cookbooks can be found on my shelves at home.

I’ve also been a long time fan of The First Mess, a vegan recipe blog created by a fellow Canadian, Laura Wright. I love how accessible Laura’s recipes are - for vegans and meat eaters alike. The First Mess cookbook is another tried and true favourite for me - I’ve made nearly every recipe in the book!

What are you working on next for your blog? 

This year I would like to really focus on building more engagement and community around my blog. It’s been so easy to let that slide as I’ve been busy as a full-time university student, then transitioning into full-time work and other adult responsibilities that have caused my focus on my blog to ebb and flow. 

What else should we know about you that may or not be in your “About Me” page? 

I love spending time outdoors. Being outside in nature, whether I’m gardening, going for a run, or just sitting around, is so calming to me. In the warmer months of the year I can often be found puttering around in the garden and in the colder months of the year you’ll find me out hiking or bracing the cold for a winter run!

What makes your blog unique? 

As I’ve previously mentioned, my blog serves as a digital portfolio of my creative endeavors. Each post tells a story written in my writing style and supported by my photography, which makes it completely unique to me.

How do you cultivate a sense of community around your blog? 

By being authentic. It’s easy to get swept up in trends and to start comparing yourself to the millions of other personalities online, but at the end of the day the best way to build an authentic community around your work is to be authentic yourself.

I’ve recently started a monthly newsletter for my website subscribers as well. The newsletter focuses on a different topic each month and includes a section about what I’ve been reading and a monthly roundup of my favourite things. This has been a nice opportunity for me to share more of my personality through content that might not necessarily be found on my blog.

What part of the FBC site do you find most useful? 

The blogger resources section has been very helpful! I did the 31 Day Blog Cleanup at the beginning of the new year and it was a great refresh.

Follow Ashley on Social Media

Facebook - Pinterest - Instagram

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