What I Learned: New Food Blog Tips After From Month One

---

1. I Started Because I want to Diversity

I’ve been cooking for years. Nearly every day. And for just as long, my friends have been asking me to write down my recipes down for them. So I finally listened. But there’s more: I also wanted to diversify how I make income. Blogging seemed like a natural fit. It blends creativity with the possibility of something more long-term. I have decided to see how far it can go.

2. I Don’t Want to Waste Your Time (Because I Don’t Like Mine Wasted)

You know those blog posts where you have to scroll through someone’s entire childhood before you reach the actual recipe? I didn’t want that. I believe in quick, useful content. If you’re standing in your kitchen wondering what to make for dinner, I want to help you get cooking, not keep you scrolling. Although I do get that the media companies want long form.. stay tuned for what happens.

3. Perfection Isn’t the Goal. Real Life Is

One surprise: I don’t need perfectly styled food photos. I’ve realized that the photos I’ve taken over the years, mid-meal, no props, just good food are more than enough. People don’t always want “Pinterest perfect.” They want something that good delicious and real. That’s what I want too.

4. I’m Still Learning, and That’s Okay

I’m still figuring out SEO, email lists, analytics, and all of it. I’ve been using Notion.so to write and organize my recipes, and I’m finding small systems that help me keep moving forward. I have learned about YouTubers, technologies and hosting platforms. I will make a list in a separate post.

5. What I’ve Actually Done So Far

In case you’re wondering what “starting a food blog” really looks like in the first month, here’s what I’ve done:

• Launched my website: The Fig Recipes, filled with simple, healthy recipes that I actually cook at home. I am not a developer but I used AI and lots of YouTube to help me build it.
• Focused only on recipes and Pinterest: After watching at least 40 YouTube videos, I learned 2 very simple things. Start simple and stay consistent. So I’m posting one recipe a month and 1 to 5 Pinterest posts a day.
• Learned that SEO is everywhere: The biggest surprise? SEO is not just a title and a meta description. It’s your alt text, your slugs, your headings, everything. Anywhere I can add a description, I do.
• Grew to 3,000 monthly views on Pinterest: With a 7.5% click-through rate, that’s brought around 625 people to my site from Pinterest. It’s early, but it’s working.

---

6. My Goals and What’s Next

I’m keeping it simple and strategic.
Here’s what I’m aiming for in the next 6 months:

• Grow to 50,000 monthly site views
• Continue 1 new blog post per month
• Stick with 1 to 5 Pinterest posts per day
• Try bumping it to 7 pins per day in Month 2 and analyze the growth

Right now, I’m building the foundation. I’ll adjust the strategy based on what works, but I’m committed to showing up and giving this a real shot.

---

7. The Crispy Cauliflower Recipe Lives Rent-Free in My Head

If I had to pick a favorite post so far, it would be this one. Cauliflower can be tricky. It’s got a strong flavor and weird texture if not cooked well. But when it’s right? Wow. This one’s magic.

8. It’s Not Too Late (Seriously)

I started this blog in 2025. Yep. This year. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment, I can tell you it doesn’t exist. You don’t need to be a chef or a photographer. If you’re consistent, curious, and committed, you can build something great. I’m living proof.

9. My Food Philosophy: Balanced, Not Complicated

What makes The Fig Recipes different? I keep things simple, healthy, organic, and real. I care about helping people build balanced meals they actually enjoy eating, without overthinking it. A lot of people struggle to understand what balanced eating really looks like. I want to be someone who helps with that.

10. I Spent Time on Brand, Not Money

Before I launched, I thought a lot about why I gravitate toward certain brands, the feel, the fonts, the vibe. I wanted my blog to feel like me.

So I used an AI tool to help me create brand guidelines: I chose my font, my colors (minimalist, clean, earthy tones), and started shaping the aesthetic of The Fig Recipes from there.

But my other big goal? Spend as little money as possible.

So far, I’ve only paid for:

• Bluehost: $28 for the year
• My domain name: $36 for 2 years

I do have to think about my time well. I am a newbie at blogging so let’s say my time is valued at $40/h – I have spent about 2 hours a day over the last 30 days working on this blog so that means.

• $40 x (2 (hours) x 30 (days)) =$2,400

So my goal is to make $2,400 a month to pay for my time starting in 6 months.

I’m tempted to invest in a course and a photo editor I found on Fiverr, but together those would cost about $1,900 for the year. I haven’t made the leap yet. Right now, I’m focused on putting in the time and trusting that with consistency and the quality I’m building, the right support (and audience) will come.

11. I Watched 40+ YouTube Videos to Learn What I Know

Seriously. I probably watched at least 10 to 12 hours of content over the past month. I even followed a 30-minute video to walk me through how to build my own website (I can post to my next post).

I built this blog by piecing together all the free advice I could find. If you’re curious about exactly which videos helped me the most, leave a comment or message me. I’d be happy to write a follow-up post and link every single one.

12. I Was (and Still Am) Nervous

I’d be lying if I said this whole thing has been easy or fearless. I’ve had so many “what ifs” floating through my mind.

What if nobody ever reads this?
What if it’s just bots clicking around?
What if I run out of inspiration?
What if I never make a dollar from it?
What if I fail?

There’s a lot of fear in starting something new—especially something that puts your creativity and ideas out there for the world to see. But the best part about where I am right now is this: I heard all that fear, I thanked my brain for trying to protect me, and then I chose to follow hope and optimism instead.

---

So here I am. Writing. Creating. Building something that matters to me.

Whether you’re here for recipes or inspiration, I’m so glad you’re reading. I’ll keep sharing as I learn, and I hope this gives you permission to start wherever you are, just like I did.

Let me know what questions you have from this blog and I will answer them in the next month’s reflection.