Meet Kelly from Farm Foodie Fitness

06/02/2014

Meet Kelly Hughes Roberts of Farm Foodie Fitness, a one-stop source of information about organic gardening, food, nutrition, health and fitness. This health-minded blogger is passionate about knowing where her food comes from, enjoying meals that nurture the mind and body and finding time each day to add in beneficial movement. If you’re ever in the Ocean City, Maryland area, be sure and check out her studio’s Pilates on the Beach sessions!

As a certified holistic health coach, raw chef and master gardener, Kelly offers healthy living guidance including gardening classes to create home, school and community gardens. Her passion for growing healthy food is a natural complement for a personal motto of “what you put in, is what you get out.” This foodie has also published fall, winter and summer recipe guides to enjoying seasonal, homegrown food.

What inspired you to become a blogger?

I have always wanted to be a writer. It’s actually what I went to college to become. I’ve always been passionate about food, gardening, exercise and health, so I decided I would start blogging to put my knowledge out there for the world to see and to keep me writing as much as possible. I love it! It’s my mini therapy.

Favorite food to make:

I love to play in the kitchen! Anything from the garden or fresh from the farmers’ market is what inspires me most. I love to just throw different flavors together to make new recipes. But I also love to can and make my own sauces, salsas, preserves, etc.

Favorite trick of the trade when it comes to cooking/baking:

My favorite trick is to take a somewhat “unhealthy” recipe and spin it using different ingredients to make it healthy. So I like to substitute honey, coconut oil, olive oil, cacao powder, dates …

One piece of advice you would give to beginning bloggers and/or novice cooks:

My piece of advice … cook and write from the heart. Write about what you know and what you’re passionate about. People will always want to read what you have to say if they know you love it! And if you’re cooking, cook what you love to eat. Your dishes will be much tastier! 😉

What is the hobby you don’t get to do nearly enough?

Reading!!! I wish I could read more books, magazines and blogs. I have a huge stack of cookbooks, gardening books and magazines right on my bedside table. I see them every night before I go to sleep and when I wake up in the morning, and I think to myself every day, “I wish I could just sit down for a couple hours and dive into them.”

What’s your biggest food splurge?

My biggest food splurge is attending farm dinners or farm to table restaurants. I follow a lot of chefs out there, and I try to catch them in my area when they travel. Or if I’m in my favorite city, Charleston, South Carolina, I try to hit up Husk, The Groceryand Fig as often as possible.

Biggest food flop:

This makes no sense because I cook everything else pretty well, but I have the worst time making the perfect omelet! I think I just try to stuff too many goodies into it and it gets too full and falls apart.

The quote you live by:

I have two. I keep them both with me every day. One is on my bracelet I never take off.

“What excites us or moves us to tears, what makes the blood rush to our head, our hearts skip a beat, our knees shaky, and our souls sigh?” –Emily Dickinson

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” –E.E. Cummings

What’s the most common question you get from your readers?

Most questions I get usually refer to my recipes. But I get more comments about trying new recipes and how excited my readers get about them. I love hearing that people are excited to cook and eat well. I think there’s a misconception that eating healthy requires a lot more work and time. I want them to know cooking and eating is supposed to be fun, enjoyable and nurturing.