Welcome to Monday and Meet the Neighbors! Today it is my extreme pleasure to introduce you to Melissa Radcliffe, the sweet lady who blogs over at My Wife Can Cook. I have enjoyed meeting everyone we have interviewed on this series, but for some reason Melissa sticks out as one of my very favorites. Not only is she an amazing cook and food stylist/photographer, but she is a down to earth, loyal, sweet person. *Cue the triumphant music.* I have a feeling if we lived closer she and I would be great friends– and it never hurts that both she and I adore Green Gables and can’t live without an IV drip of coffee. What can I say? It’s a Blog Friendship (Blogship? Frogship?) made in heaven. 😉 Melissa specializes in quick and easy recipes that she can make with and for her kiddos, as well as the occasional treat to keep the troops from revolting. 😉 I have loved everything about her cooking and writing style, and I know that you will, too!
You can find Melissa on her blog, as well as on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. What are we waiting for? Let’s meet her! 🙂
What is your name, and where are you located? (Hint: if you live in Hawaii, I am packing my bags as we speak 😉
Hi, I’m Melissa and I live in Maryland near the Chesapeake Bay.
Tell us a little bit about yourself– what is the name of your blog, and how did you get started?
My blog is My Wife Can Cook (my husband and I are both involved–he is more the tech/photo person, and I am the cooking/social media/content person). We began our blog back in 2009 when my husband told me that I should start a blog–I loved cooking and reading food blogs, and he was a web/photo/tech guy who could help me with it. We teamed up and put out a post every now and then, but full time working with 2, and then 3 kids made it difficult to keep on top of it and make it a priority (in other words years went by with no posts). Fast forward to early 2015 shortly after I had quit my job as an algologist to stay home and the kids were old enough to make hobbies a possibility again, and we re-launched the blog. We focus on family friendly, healthy-ish food and the occasional treats.
What is your favorite food? And what is your least favorite food?
I would have to say my favorite food is probably homemade pizza, topped with fresh herbs, pesto, and/or veggies from the garden. Least favorite might be anything with a black licorice flavor. Or once I made a corn chowder out of a fancy cookbook that took ages to make and had vanilla bean added to it. Neither my husband nor I could eat it; it was awful. Vanilla in baked goods, amazing. Vanilla with corn. No thanks!
What advice would you give someone who is just starting to cook?
Probably watch some videos. I used to learn a lot watching the Food Network, but now you can find amazing videos for everything. If there’s a dish you like at a restaurant, find a video somewhere and figure out how to make it at home and experiment with the ingredients once you are comfortable with it.
What keeps you going, every day? Who are your greatest cheerleaders/supporters?
I really enjoy cooking and connecting with people you wouldn’t necessarily connect with in the normal day to day. Plus, I think coming up with new recipes for the blog gives me a reason to try new things. Biggest cheerleaders/supporters are definitely my family. My husband and kids are amazing.
Feast your eyes on this delicious photo. Seriously. Amazing. Thankfully, this is one beautiful photo that you can turn into reality, at home! Melissa was kind enough to share with us her recipe for Cilantro Quinoa Taco Bowls. Melissa says:
“I think one of our favorite recipes is for our cilantro quinoa taco bowls. We are in the stage of life where we have young kids, so we are always looking for ways to batch prep food we can eat for several days while also creating something the whole family can customize and eat.”
If mine turns out half as beautifully as yours did, Melissa, I will be so happy! Thanks so much for spending some time with us here on Cookies for England. It truly was my pleasure meeting you, and I can’t wait to follow more of your delicious work! 🙂 Maybe someday we can visit Prince Edward Island together. 😉
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which just means that we get a few pennies if you purchase through our link. I never recommend products that I don't personally use and love. Thanks!
Aw, shucks. Thanks. Frogship. I love it.
Aye, Aye, Captain! 😉 Such a pleasure having you! 🙂