Celebrating 17 Years of Kalyn’s Kitchen!
Kalyn’s Kitchen is turning 17 years old, and I’m sharing some thoughts and expressing appreciation to readers who give me such kind feedback! And if you have time to leave a comment I’d love to know how you found my blog and how long you’ve been following me.
Every April I celebrate the day in 2005 when I typed out my first post, and Kalyn’s Kitchen was born. And every year I re-emphasize how glad I am that I started this site and how much it changed my life! And even though this type of anniversary post is old-fashioned in the high-tech, highly competitive world of food blogging 2022, I love having the chance to reflect on how blogging has changed and what changes might be ahead for me.
Mostly, just still so Grateful!
I always want to give a heart-felt thank you to the many readers who follow this site by e-mail, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Pinterest, and even a few of you on YouTube! Without your support, I would never have kept the site going for so long. And extra thanks to the people who leave thoughtful comments and ratings showing me how they have enjoyed a recipe! It makes me happy to know I’m helping people cook healthy meals that are also tasty.
How Blogging has Changed in 17 Years:
But, I am not going to lie, every year blogging gets more challenging. Not only are there more blogs competing for traffic, but search engines keep getting more demanding and social media sites are constantly changing and adding new requirements for blogs to conform to. And it’s discouraging to notice how the competition for search traffic has killed some of the creativity that made blogging so fun. How I miss the early days when bloggers used to support each other more and not compete against each other so much!
I’m Trying to Keep Up!
I’ve never been that technologically savvy, and each year I feel more overwhelmed by the need to make changes and learn new things. And I’m also old enough to be retired, so I don’t want to spend huge amounts of time learning obscure internet stuff. Currently I’m focused on systematically improving favorite recipes from the past by adding new photos and updating them to conform to what search engines now require. But almost daily I worry about things I’m not able to keep up with!
What’s Ahead for Kalyn’s Kitchen?
However, I do want to emphasize that as long as technology doesn’t change so much that it’s no longer operational, I have no plans to ever take the site down! (People ask me about that frequently.) And I am not planning to “retire” right away either, although I may start slowing down. I’m grateful to have a few family members who help me keep the site going, thankful to the generous readers who give me the incentive to keep at it, and thankful I still enjoy doing it after all these years!
Kalyn’s Kitchen Through the Years:
- Kalyn’s Kitchen Turns One
- Kalyn’s Kitchen Turns Two
- Kalyn’s Kitchen Turns Three
- Kalyn’s Kitchen Turns Four
- Kalyn’s Kitchen Turns Five
- Kalyn’s Kitchen Turns Six
- Kalyn’s Kitchen Turns Seven
- Kalyn’s Kitchen Turns Eight
- Kalyn’s Kitchen Turns Nine
- Kalyn’s Kitchen Turns Ten (!)
- Kalyn’s Kitchen Turns Eleven (!!)
- Kalyn’s Kitchen Turns Twelve (!!!)
- Kalyn’s Kitchen Turns Thirteen (!!!!)
- Kalyn’s Kitchen Turns Fourteen (!!!!!)
- Kalyn’s Kitchen Turns Fifteen (!!!!!!)
- Kalyn’s Kitchen Turns Sixteen (!!!!!!!)
111 Comments on “Celebrating 17 Years of Kalyn’s Kitchen!”
Happy blog anniversary.
I miss the lightheartedness of those days, like Sugar High Friday, IMBB or Weekend Herb Blogging. Glad you are still blogging. My blog is only 2 months younger than yours
Wow, we have both made it a long time haven’t we? I do miss all those fun blogging events, and also the connections with other bloggers like you. Those were kinder, gentler days of blogging for sure.
I started following you about 4 years ago. Love your recipes and the lack of carbs. My husband and I especially love your Unconstructed Pizza, we have it every time we are craving Pizza. I do leave out the mushrooms and add black olives and probably more cheese than recipes calls for but it is sooo good. Also, the fish and veggie recipes. Your recommended fish and chicken spice Szeged is great. Keep up the good work and happy anniversary.
Thanks Laurie! So glad you are enjoying the recipes!
Always have faith my “Kalyn” binder beside the microwave will bring success when offering a new dish for a potluck or friends-for-dinner occasion. So, so many wonderful healthy and eye appealing dishes over the years. So thankful I found you!
Thank you for that vote of confidence! So glad you have been enjoying the recipes.
Happy, happy, happy anniversary. I’m SO proud of you for all the hard work and all the amazing food you’ve shared with SO many. It’s been an honor to be along for the ride and I too am grateful. 17 years is something very few food blogs get to celebrate. Bravo. I’m truly in awe. HUGE love.
Thanks Rand! There is no doubt that your talents and skills have contributed a lot to the success of the site. I will always be grateful. Love to you too!
Happy Birthday!
I love this site, please don’t take it down! I have more recipes from you than anyone and my family and friends love everything I’ve made.
Keep up the good work!
Than you!
Thanks so much Nancy; definitely I have no plans to take it down! So glad you have been enjoying the recipes!
Thank you for your generosity with giving us this blog. I found you in 2017 when I had to have surgery and lose 100 lbs! and searched your blog for low carb recipes, and yours tasted so good then and now. Then again when I received an instant pot and searched your recipes for it! Thank you for your help. I know it takes time and care to put up recipes and thoughts for us, and we and I are so grateful Take care. Thank you!
Thanks Mary! It makes me happy to know the site has been helpful for you!
I’ve been reading you since the beginning, although I didn’t realize it was 17 years! Always a source of great recipes
Wow, thanks for sticking around for so long!
Congratulations on 17 years! I have been following for years. I think I may have gotten an email which led me to your site. We have enjoyed your recipes!
Thanks Calitini! So glad you have enjoyed the recipes. And I love your name too.
More than any other site, I turn to you. Congratulations on 17 years. May 20 be your next goal. Thank you.
Thank you so much Nancy! I confess I do keep thinking of 20 years as being kind of a goal. We’ll see how that goes!
Yours was the first keto/low carb site I ever found and it is likely over 10 years ago. I hope you stay with it – I do access other blogs when I search for particular recipes, but I don’t read any others but yours. THrough the years I know you have added the ads and links that I know are part of running a successful blog, but I think yours are less intrusive.
Keep it up, and many thanks for many recipes that I enjoy reading even if I don’t make them lol – it is just my husband and me, also partially retired!
Hi Lynn, thanks for following so long. Yes, those ads are a necessity, but I do work hard to make them not ruin the experience of visiting the site. It takes a lot of monitoring! Glad you are enjoying the recipes.
Thank you for your delicious and easy recipes. We have tried many of them and have never disliked a single recipe. Our favorite is either your pizza casserole or green chili rellleno casserole. We actually feel better when we eat Keto and because of your site we are never bored. My husband has lost over 125 lbs. and wants to keep the weight off. Because of your recipes we can eat what we love and not gain weight.
I found your site on Pinterest. What a great find!
Thanks Susie! So glad you are enjoying the recipes so much and that they are helpful for you.
Congratulations! So very happy that you are here. I have come to depend on your delicious, low-carb recipes to keep me on track for my diabetic diet. I continue to recommend your site. Thank you!
Thanks Toni, so glad the site is helpful for you! And I appreciate the recommendations very much.
Congratulations! I don’t remember when I first found your site – 8-10 years ago at least. My favorite recipe is how you cook chicken breasts on the grill and your Parmesan Chicken! Thank you for all of your hard work and delicious recipes. See you here next year!!
Thank you Dee! So glad you have been enjoying the recipes!
How did I get so lucky to find you when I retired in 2009 and I’ve been following you ever since! I love to cook and so do you and Kalyn’s Kitchen is the first thing I read when I open my email. Keep up the great work! Thank you!
I love that you found me the same year I retired from teaching and started blogging full time! Thanks for the kind words. So glad you’re enjoying the recipes.
Congratulations Kalyn! My recipe binder has many of your recipes and I think your blog has only improved through the years. Thank you and I am so glad you have no immediate plans to retire. I can’t tell you how long I have followed you but it has been at least 10 years.
Thanks for that kind feedback! I am definitely always trying to improve it, even if the technology changes sometimes make it hard. Thanks for following for so long!
I love your recipes and have been following you for almost 17 years. Thanks for all that you do! As a senior, I certainly appreciate how difficult it is to keep up with technology. I look forward to lots more delicious recipes!
Thanks Pam! The technology changes are a killer, but I am doing my best. More recipes to come for sure!
Kalyn, I’ve been following you since nearly the beginning of your blog. Always loved your sensible, yet interesting, recipes, and have made many of them through the years. I remember when they looked typewritten and saved so many that when I left one job I copied them onto a disc and took them to my next job – couldn’t leave them behind!
Thanks for your unending source of information. I love your writing and your recipes and am happy you have no plans to retire from this business!
I love the idea of you saving them that way. So glad you have enjoyed the recipes for so long!
Congratulations Kalyn’s Kitchen! I found your blog about four years ago.
My husband and I retired early (at 54 and 57) and our primary fitness goal was to remain active, healthy, and loose/maintain our weight. Your blog has been a great aide in supporting a healthy lifestyle and I appreciate having your blog as a reference for healthy eating.
Congratulations on those great retirement goals! So glad my blog is helpful for you.
Happy Birthday Kalyn, Your blog was one of the first Food Blogs I started following over 10 years ago. I was struggling to loss weight. With your blog and Pam Anderson’s book “The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great” I lost over 30 pounds and have kept the weight off. I still use many of your recipes. They just never fail! I made LOW-CARB TWICE-BAKED CAULIFLOWER for a family Sunday dinner in March and my grans said it rocked their world…..! Blessings
Thank you so much! I am just so glad to hear it has been useful for you and that you’re enjoying the recipes.
Thank you Kalyn for all that you do! I love your site and look forward to your recipes. You incorporate such great flavors. Some keto bloggers focus more on meeting macros but the flavors just aren’t there! I do miss your “what your thinking about tuesday” (I think I have that right) but I understand that you need some downtime. Also, IMHO you are one of the kinder bloggers out there, you never get defensive or dogmatic. You are always positive and I really appreciate that. Best wishes always. Vicki K
I was sure I replied to you earlier Vicki, but I don’t see it now. (Technology, right?) But thanks so much for those kind words. Glad to hear the site has been useful to you!