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 (!!!!!!!)
115 Comments on “Celebrating 17 Years of Kalyn’s Kitchen!”
I had no idea! Keep those recipes coming! Thanks for all you do!
I found your blog around 16 years ago when I was living in Utah and changing to a healthier way of eating after struggling to lose weight after baby number two. I found it via internet search. I loved and was inspired by your own weight loss story. The recipes were delicious and I lost the weight. I have yet to try a recipe I haven’t liked. I like how real life your blog is and how relatable. I’ve continued to use your blog for recipes all of these years and I’ve referred a lot of people to it as well.
I found you when you were a part of the Weekend Herb Roundup. I was looking for more cooking content and stayed because it’s always interesting. Cheers on your Anniversary.
How fun to remember that event! Thanks for the good wishes.
Congratulations, Kalyn. What an accomplishment, and how much the blog (yours) and the blogging world have changed in those 17 years. You’ve learned to move with the flow and with lots of spin-offs to boot. Good for you!
Thanks Carolyn! It has been quite a ride for sure. I’m glad we got to meet!
I found your blog around 2009 right after I graduated college and wanted to learn how to cook for myself. I have PCOS so I needed relatively low carb meals. I’m much better at cooking on the fly from tips I’ve learned from your blog, and I’m a friggin master at making soups!
How fun Genelle. I am so happy I have been a part of you becoming a good cook!
I have been blogging since 2008 and you are one of the blogs I’ve followed. In fact, I’ve made a few of your delicious recipes. Like you, I’m a bit overwhelmed with how food blogging has changed. It’s definitely become so competitive– and I don’t know how to make those one-minute videos (it’s on my list of things I’d like to learn). I miss the sense of “family” I once had with so many fellow food bloggers. Nowadays, people do leave less comments. Sadly, some people troll and leave mean-spirited comments. Still, 14 years later, I’m still keeping up with my own food blog simply because it’s my creative outlet. I’m glad to know you have no immediate plans to quit. Your recipes and photos are top notch! Congratulations for sticking with it.
Thank you for those very kind thoughts. It is discouraging for sure, and I agree that I miss the fun collegial relationships I used to have with other bloggers. But I still enjoy so many parts of the process, and really don’t want to quit. Glad you are hanging in there too.
Congrats, Kalyn! I think I’ve been following you for almost all of those 17 years and have enjoyed many of your recipes over the years. Cheers!
Thanks for the support Julie!
17 years!! Well done, Kalyn. It certainly isn’t easy to keep up the momentum, is it?
I too am old enough to retire but haven’t given into stopping blogging yet. It was not long before March 2006 that I became aware of your wonderful series “Weekend Herb Blogging”, back in the heyday of blogging. All I do know is that 12 March 2006, for WHB#23, was the second time (of many) that I participated, featuring bay laurel and Old Bay Seasoning. What a great series WHB was, introducing so many of us to new people and new recipes!
Hi Elizabeth! How great to hear from you! Those really were fun times weren’t they (and we learned a lot too!) I miss the days when search engines didn’t control everything.
They were indeed great times. It makes me so happy to see you still blogging. Every time I see ginger mint popping up, I think of your beautiful raised beds garden. (Mint is just about to peek up here, but the chives have braved this cold cold spring and are very happily standing up high and waving in your direction.)
Yes, sadly I am selling that house right now and moving to a condo. But I have fond memories of those gardening days!
Container gardening, Kalyn. Container gardening! Herbs love growing in pots. I hope your new condo allows/encourages it. Happy packing up the house! (We always joke that we’re NEVER moving because it would mean packing.)
No container gardening for me, I don’t have a source of water on my patio. And I don’t want to be tied down to watering or have to water by hand either.
Kalyn, I LOVE your recipes! They are clean, healthy, often times low carb and simple to follow! Who doesn’t love a good casserole?! Your casseroles are not only delicious but they are healthy, not heavy and yet they still leave you thoroughly satisified! Thank you, thank you!!!
Best,
Heidi Steinike
Thanks for that nice feedback Heidi! So glad you are enjoying them!
I found your blog while searching for low carb recipes. I love your site because the recipes you offer are almost all relatively easy to make and they require ingredients that are easily obtained. So many are also comfort-food casseroles without the carby components. Win-win for me!! Please keep this blog up for many years to come, and congrats on sticking with it for so many years!!😘
Thanks for that kind feedback! Trust me when I say I am always aiming for easy + tasty! And I do plan to keep it up for a while longer for sure!
Congrats, Kalyn! I remember when you started this and were still teaching school. Time flies. I now have a granddaughter at WBE. I love your recipes and have made many and use them time and time again. Here’s to many more tasty recipes and years!
Thanks so much Melissa! And I love hearing about the grandaughter at WBE. I see the grandkids sometimes on Instagram, very fun!
Congratulations Kalyn. I miss the old days and the new ways we seem to have fallen into! I wish we had the chance to meet back then. Maybe sometimes. Always enjoyed reading your posts and your thoughts. All the best!
Srivalli, I agree. You are one of a few bloggers from back in the days I would have loved to meet in person. Best to you too!
Congratulations, Kalyn! You are an inspiration! Thank you for always being a supportive fellow blogger! Cheers to many more years of delicious recipes!
Anna, my pleasure. I try to support other bloggers as much as I can. I miss the days when everyone did that!
Congrats, Kalyn! I don’t remember when I started following your blog, but I would say maybe 15 of the 17 years? Because I started my blog 13 years ago and I used to read yours long before that
I intend to share some thoughts on blogging when my anniversary comes (June), but I can tell you that I admire those who blog with traffic and google-ranking in mind. I just cannot do it.
You are a pro at this and one of my sources of inspiration!
Sally, you were such a loyal follower and commenter from the beginning. Thank you for that. I having fun admiring your cookies; that is a talent I just don’t have!
The traffic and google nonsense is just such a headache these days. But it did allow me to retire from teaching and still have something interesting to occupy my time!
Congratulations on 17 years! I am so glad we were neighbors way back when. I will never forget your amazing garden:) Blogging has changed a lot but I am glad your site is still going strong. I hope all is well.
Thanks Maria! I do miss that garden sometimes. And I do miss the early days of blogging, but I am hanging in there. I check in on your blog sometimes to see how the kids are growing. I am well and hope you are too.
I think I started following you about 14 or 15 years ago. My husband and I started the SBD and I was searching for recipes. You quickly became my go to source for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have several recipes that have become family favorites and get requested frequently.
So happy to hear that. Thanks for all the support for so many years Irene!
Congratulations! You have been my go-to site for dinner inspiration since 2010.
And I have never been disappointed or unhappy with the results, thank you😊
Congrats Kalyn on 17 yrs. I discovered SB Diet 18 yrs ago.
Back then, I followed a SB message board, I think. Maybe that’s where I discovered you. Thanks for Kalyn’s Kitchen.
Congratulations! Such a big accomplishment in the interwebs world. I have been following you for years; I am not sure for how long. I don’t as faithfully follow the South Beach Diet as much as I used to, but I am always looking for healthy recipes for HTN and weight control (low sodium and cheese sometimes don’t work really well lol). My favourites are your twice baked cauliflower and grill basket veggies.
Thanks Anna! Glad you have found recipes here that worked for you!
I love your recipes and humor. I have been using your recipes for a couple of years now and I enjoy them a whole lot.
I am sure this recipe will be as great as all the rest I have saved and used!! No questions!
Jane Talley
Tucson, AZ
Thanks for the vote of confidence Jane! So glad you are enjoying the recipes!
Congratulations on the milestone. I found you on fb around the time in 2010 when I was diagnosed as type 2 diabetic and had to get serious about carbs. Not sure what the first recipe was, but I think it may have been a salad with green beans, tomatoes, and feta. Since then, so many of your recipes have become my favorites!
Thank you Pat! I know which green bean salad recipe you are referring to. So glad you have found some favorites!
I follow no other Bloggers than Kalyn!
I’ve never needed anything else! Happy 17th!! One Great Blogger is enough to keep Great Food showing up in my Inbox!
Thank you so much for that lovely endorsement. I really appreciate it!
Happy anniversary, and thanks for all the great recipes!
Thank you so much! I appreciate the support.
I have enjoyed your site for almost 10 years! I was looking to reform my cooking to be more diabetic friendly; your south beach approach fit well with my garden produce and my taste buds!
Thank you for your inspiration!
Pam, so glad that worked out for you. I miss the big garden I used to have, but still have some garden produce every summer!
Congratulations!
I joined a forum in May of ’08 that followed south beach, and we all “met” every morning to chat about life and our eating lifestyle, and most (all?) of us used your recipes. Fourteen years later, I still do and receive your emails daily! My favorite they introduced me to is your black bean and sweet potato soup and I’m constantly getting new favorites. And of course I evolve too since good carb is a little too much carb for me, so I’m grateful you have evolved as well!
Thank you for all the work you have put into your blog!
How fun! I am so happy that my recipes are a part of those good memories for you.
Congrats on 17 years! I’ve been a big fan since around 2011 – a friend recommended you when I started the SBD. I specifically remember her saying to try the Black Bean and Beef Chili, and to be sure not skip the step about puréing the beans! Several of your recipes are in my permanent rotation 😍
I love that, so glad you have enjoyed the recipes!
Congrats on 17 years!!! Can’t remember how I found your site but it’s my go to site & have shared your site with numerous friends & family. When you retire what happens to all these wonderful recipes? Give a long head start so I can start printing them 💞👍
Thanks for the kind thoughts Teresa. I am never planning to take the site down, so need to start printing yet. And if the web changes so much my site is no longer functional, I promise to give you plenty of warning.
I have been following your site for at least 15 years now! I love how your recipes are so creative and inspire me to try new flavors. If I stop cooking your recipes for a while, my husband is always so happy when I start cooking Kalyn’s recipes again. I can tell him that it’s a Kalyn recipe and he knows that it’s going to be delicious. Thanks for all your hardwork! I would be devastated if you ever took the site down, since so many of my favorites are there! Happy Cooking Birthday!
I love that the recipes are so appreciated by you and your husband; thanks for sharing that. And NO PLANS at all to take site down. If that ever does happen because the technology just becomes unmanageable, I will give you plenty of notice!
Kalyn, I am so grateful for your hard work snd that you share your recipes and knowledge so generously. Also, thanks to your family for lending their time and talents to help you pull off this successful site. My eating life has been erratic over the years, and I can’t even remember when I first found Kalyn’s Kitchen. Was it my SB days? My keto days? My low-carb days? Anyway, you have been there for me through All of that. Wherever I am on my journey, I know I can turn to your site for inspiration. Fresh ideas I have never thought about. The greatest thing is how well indexed your recipes are. I haven’t seen that anywhere else. Lots of love from Texas.
Thanks Erin! I love that the recipes have worked for you even though we both evolved our eating styles through the years!
Wow! I am so proud of you! 🙌
Happy 17th Anniversary to Kalyn’s Kitchen!
You are amazing Kalyn for what you have accomplished on the blog! So much hard work! You have been keeping us in delicious recipes all these years. Thanks!
I appreciate being able to work with you on the blog for some of these years.
To name a few qualities of many: you are a great cook, a terrific boss, a smart blogger and a fantastic sister!
Congratulations 🎊
♥️Love you
Val
Thanks so much for those kind words Val. I appreciate you so much too. Who ever imagined that the oldest and the youngest in a huge family would end up being such good support for each other. I appreciate you always being there for me (probably more than you would ever guess.) And of course appreciate your help with the blog too!
Congratulations on 17 years! And going strong! I first found your blog in about 2012 when I started lower carb eating. I make many of your tasty, healthy recipes and lost 48 pounds in 2016. Fast forward to now and I’ve lost 17 more and your recipes always give me fresh ideas! Thank you!
Oh wow, congratulations on that! It makes me so happy to know my recipes have been helpful for you!
Congratulations on 17 years! What a fantastic accomplishment. I have been following you and enjoying so many of your wonderful recipes since 2013. By following a low carb diet, and using so many of your recipes I was able to lose 30 pounds. Thank you for your delicious suggestions and recipes. Wishing you many more years of Kalyn’s Kitchen.💚 🥦🥬🥒🫑🫒🍏🥗❤️🍅🍓🍎🌶
That is wonderful Jeanie, and so glad you are enjoying the recipes as well as losing some weight!
I found you in 2006 and you’ve helped me so much along my own journey. I love your recipes and I want to say thank you! Congrats on 17 years!
Wow, thanks for following for so long Tasha! So glad the blog has been useful for you.
Kalyn’s Kitchen has been such a wonderful find. Her recipes have become family favorites and I delight in finding new things to try. Her white chicken chili has won me 2 cook off prizes! We just tried the green bean- Parmesan which was a winner at Easter. I love that Kalyn responds if you have a question or problem with a recipe. I’m sure like many I recommend this site to everyone!
Thanks for the kind words! Love hearing about the chili cook off wins; I will tell my sister-in-law about that. I appreciate the support and do try my best to respond!
I found your FB page way back when it seemed as if you only shared South Beach Diet recipes. I was on the SBD also and I was very excited to find someone who followed the same plan as I did. I liked how you would put the phase of the SBD the recipe would fit… it was helpful to me. Thank you very much.
Hi Sandy, so glad that was useful for you. I have struggled with how to adapt when the SBD was sold and morphed into a completely new plan. And obviously my blog is now focused in carb-conscious eating in general. But there is still a section after the actual recipe where I try to remember to say whether a recipe is suitable for original South Beach.
Happy Birthday Kalyn’s Kitchen! I think I started following your blog around 2007 or 08. I had lost 15 pounds using WW & needed to transition over to South Beach eating so I could have more than rabbit food to get the last 5 pounds off. And now, as you know, this is my go to place to find delicious & carb conscious meals. Thanks for all you do!
Hi Kimberly! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the supportive comments and just fun exchanging little parts of our lives (thanks to Facebook.) I truly hope some day we will manage to meet in person!
I met you years ago when I was working for your doctor. You told me about your blog and gave me a card with the info on it; I’ve been a follower ever since. We aren’t necessarily low-carb eaters but we have made and loved many of your recipes over the years—especially your salads/dressings. It’s made getting our veggie servings so much more enjoyable. Thanks for all you do!
Chelsea, how fun to hear that. I did edit your comment a little because you’re right, I am pretty private about my personal life. But I am doing great and thankful for all the doctors and nurses who have helped me stay healthy. And so glad to hear you are enjoying the blog all these years!
😘
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!