If you have a question that’s not answered below, feel free to get in touch. I’m always happy to help!
Do you run Oh My Veggies by yourself?
Yes and no! I write all the posts, develop the recipes, and take the photos, but I do hire help when needed. Here are the amazing, talented people that I work with:
Shay Bocks (Web Design)
One Starry Night (WordPress Help & Troubleshooting)
In Honor of Design (Graphic Design)
Kaitlin Kostus (Custom Artwork)
Carolyn from All Day I Dream About Food (Copywriting Marketing Materials)
Sheila from Living Smart Girl (Ad Sales)
I just stopped eating meat and I already want to throw in the towel. Do you have any advice?
Eat good food! Eat real food! Many new vegetarians focus on eating substitutes–fake chicken wings, imitation hot dogs, etc. And while these foods work for a lot of people, for others, they just don’t measure up to the real thing and then you say to yourself, “Well, I’m just going to eat the real thing! This is gross!” So instead of using icky faux foods, concentrate on eating things you do like–foods that aren’t trying to be something they’re not. Things like quinoa, lentils, and beans. Use vegetables, sauces, and seasonings you love. Experiment by making 2 or 3 new recipes each week. You can do this!
Can you tell me how many calories are in your recipes?
I’m sorry, I don’t include calorie counts in my posts. They can vary based on the brands of ingredients you use, modifications you make to the recipe, and weights of fruits and vegetables used. I recommend inputting ingredients into this website: About.com Calorie Count.
Can I publish your recipes on my website? I’ll link to you and then you’ll get traffic!
Well, if you’re taking my recipe, linking to me is the least you can do! But no, I’m sorry, I reserve all rights on my content and I don’t allow my work to be posted on other people’s blogs or websites (with the exception of a single photo with a link back to the post it’s from). If you’re publishing my entire recipe, why would anyone even bother to click on your link to me? (Answer: They won’t. No matter how much you encourage them to do so. I have never gotten traffic from people who copy my recipes. Ever. So really, please stop trying to convince me that you’ll be the first.)
I know a lot of people don’t understand this, so let me explain. I spend a lot of time developing my recipes. I test them 2-3 times before publishing them. Between the photo shoots and editing time, my photos can take a few hours too. And because my blog is my job, if I allowed my recipes and photos to be republished, I’d be losing money. It’s not fair that someone might be searching for a recipe I created and end up going to your blog instead of mine when the recipe was my idea and I’m the one who put the work into it. This is why a lot of full-time bloggers get cranky about their content being taken by other bloggers. Stealing content isn’t “showing love,” it’s not “promotion,” and it’s not helping me out in any way at all. It’s helping you out by giving you free content that you didn’t have to put an ounce of effort into.
If you go ahead and steal my stuff anyway, my legal department (AKA my husband) will find it and send a DMCA takedown notice to your host.
Yeah, I feel strongly about this.
Can I link to your recipes?
Of course! But, as I stated above, I don’t want my recipes to be republished. Just a link or a link and one photo is absolutely fine though. (If you plan on publishing more than one photo from Oh My Veggies, please contact me first.)
Can I pin your recipes?
YES! And thank you!
How can I start a food blog?
I’ve had a few people ask me this and I’m entirely unhelpful because I just don’t know where to start! There are so many things involved, more things than most people know. I highly suggest reading Kelly Senyei’s Food Blogging For Dummies
I don’t like corn. Can I use black beans instead?
I don’t buy soymilk. Can I use regular milk?
Would it be okay if I substituted applesauce for eggs in these muffins?
You can do whatever you like! But know that if you’re switching out ingredients, the outcome of the recipe might be different. And most of the time, I can’t tell you whether substitutions will work because I haven’t tested them myself.
Why do you use sugar/canola oil/soy/whatever in this recipe? You should use something sugar-free/healthier/non-soy/whatever instead!
My blog reflects how I cook in my home kitchen. I personally eat just about everything (except meat!) in moderation. I know that many people don’t agree with this and omit sugar, certain oils, soy, etc., altogether. If that’s how you eat, you can certainly substitute whatever you want into my recipes to make them suitable for your diet. However, please do not comment to lecture me about what ingredients I choose to use in my cooking.
What temperature do I cook this at?
I list temperatures, cook times, and all that good stuff in my recipes. If you don’t see it the first time, please look again–I promise you it’s there!
Why didn’t you publish my comment?
If you’re a first-time commenter, your comment will go into moderation. Sometimes it will go into moderation for other reasons too, like if you’re leaving a link. I do approvals at least once a day, so it should show up within 24 hours.
Can I guest post on your blog?
I’m sorry, I generally don’t accept guest posts. When I do need some, I ask bloggers I know for them. And if you’re asking me if you can guest post, I’m guessing you’re one of those SEO people who tries to trick unsuspecting bloggers into accepting guest posts that have links to your clients’ websites in them. No thanks.
Will you guest post on my blog?
My own blog keeps me so busy, I don’t have time to write guest posts for anyone else!
Why do your recipes always say “salt and pepper to taste”? Can you tell me how much salt to use?
Mostly because I over-salt my food. I have low blood pressure and I’m supposed to eat lots of salt. Because so many people have the opposite problem, I don’t feel good about telling people how much salt a recipe needs. And as for pepper, that’s a personal preference–10 years ago, I never put pepper on anything and now I love it!
