And dishesofjoy is my little corner of the internet!
I launched dishesofjoy in March 2018 while I was still working full‑time as a school cafeteria manager in Boise, Idaho. I’d been swapping recipes with my coworkers for years, but a sudden snowstorm that closed the school for a week gave me the time—and the motivation—to start documenting the dishes that kept my family smiling. The first post was a simple blueberry‑lemon pancake stack that my teenage son declared “the best breakfast ever.” Little did I know that a handful of friends sharing that post would turn a hobby into a community.
Fast‑forward to today, dishesofjoy reaches roughly 42 000 unique visitors each month and has a mailing list of 9 800 subscribers. In 2021 I introduced a weekly “5‑Ingredient Friday” series, which now averages 3 200 views per episode. The site also hosts a seasonal recipe ebook—“Spring Fresh”—that sold over 1 200 copies in its first month. I’ve been invited to demo my dishes on two local TV morning shows and I now collaborate with a small batch spice company to create a “Joy’s Kitchen” line that’s sold in three regional grocery chains.
I live in a modest ranch‑style home just outside Boise with my husband, Mark, and our two rescue dogs, Basil and Pepper. When I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll find me hiking the foothills of the Boise River or tending to my tiny herb garden on the back porch. My favorite things are fresh basil, the smell of coffee at sunrise, and the sound of a well‑timed timer ding.
One quirk you might not guess: I still keep a handwritten index card for every recipe I publish. I love the tactile feel of flipping through them while I’m cooking, and I’ve started a small “recipe card swap” club with a few readers who send me their own hand‑written gems. It’s a reminder that food, at its core, is about sharing stories—one plate at a time.