We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cheri Renee. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cheri below.
Cheri, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea
I was a second grade teacher and mom of four just looking for a hobby. I have always loved food and creating new recipes, so I decided to start a website where I could share my recipes and help others learn how to cook and prepare my recipe creations. It was actually my husband’s idea, and my dad helped create the actual website. So I couldn’t have done this without them.
In the beginning this was something I did just for fun on the weekends or during my summer break as a teacher. The more popular it got I realized I could turn this hobby into a business, like actually make very good money doing what I absolutely loved. I’ve always said the kitchen is my happy place.
After a few years of both teaching and working on my food blogging website I made the decision to leave the teaching profession to focus on recipe development and creating digital content full time. I have since started a second website and written two cookbooks.
It was a tough decision to leave teaching because I truly loved it. But I started making more money from my side hustle thanks to companies advertising on my website and working with food brands, so financially it wasn’t a concern. The deciding factor was that for once I could focus 100% on my kids, grandkids, and put my family first while continuing to create content and recipes working from home.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
There are a few different types of food bloggers. Some share restaurant or food experiences and create digital content around those outings. Some are more niche specific, such as vegan or gluten free lifestyles. Mine is all about cooking, sharing my own unique recipe creations, and some general cooking tips and tricks that I use. It’s both for people who love cooking, and those who just want quick and easy ideas to get dinner done with minimal effort.
At CooksWellWithOthers.com I share family friendly dinner recipes, appetizers and salads that you’d bring to a party or holiday celebration, simple side dish recipes, and a few easy desserts (because I am NOT a baker). Each week I typically share three easy weeknight meals, and something fun and snacky for the weekend, or a meal that’s a little more involved for when we have extra time.
I started IfYouGiveAGirlAGrill.com to share my love of outdoor cooking, so this website shares my recipes for the grill, griddle, smoker, and pellet grill. These recipes are SO much more than smoked pork and grilled chicken. You’ll find desserts on the smoker, grilled and smoked vegetables and salads, fun game day snacks and dips, and out-of-the-ordinary complete griddle meals.
Sooooo many people ask for tried and true recipes from an actual person and not “just one of those internet recipes”. Well, I am an actual person, and my recipes are not only my own creations, they are recipe tested and approved by my family. So many friends and family have asked for recipes I have made in the past, now I just direct them to my websites with step by step instructions and pictures of the recipe process from start to finish.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Almost two years ago I had an accident that left my right hand (which is my dominant hand!) pretty much unusable. I had severed nerves and tendons, and I couldn’t move my fingers and wrist at all. That’s a bit of a problem when your job is to cook the recipes you’ve developed, take pictures, and then type all about them on a computer!
I knew I had to find a way to make this work, I have always tried to see the positive in every situation and grow from challenging situations. My family definitely showed up and helped me with cooking and lifting, they took my bossy directions in the kitchen like a champ, and encouraged me. I couldn’t have gotten through this time without their support, plus we really had fun and laughed through lots of what could have been a frustrating time.
For the typing part of this, I got a left handed mouse and a voice to text microphone. Creating blog posts took a little extra time, but I kept with it. Just not creating quite as much content as before. I taught myself how to do most everything left handed, and once I could start using my right hand again, re-taught myself how to use that hand again with modifications.
I have since had surgery and regained some use of my hand, but it will never fully function and that’s okay! I have figured out how to do literally everything in the kitchen again, it just is a little different compared to before my accident.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I have always stayed true to myself and simply share recipes from one mom/ home cook/ working parent to another. No fancy ingredients or techniques, I share my successes in the kitchen as well as mistakes I have made along the way. I guess you could say I am relatable, at least that’s what my followers have told me on multiple occasions.
Since I am 100% self taught in the kitchen I have lots of real life experiences to share, and I’m not going to pretend I know it all or have never failed at a dish. But I will hopefully prevent you from making the same mistakes.
If there’s a shortcut, or a quality store bought ingredient that will save you from making something from scratch, or basically any tricks that will help save your sanity in the kitchen you better believe I’ll share it because I truly want my readers to learn to love cooking. Or at least not be intimidated or afraid to try it.
On social media I don’t really try to be perfect, it’s just me in my kitchen literally making dinner for my family. The only difference is I stop to take a pic or video with my iPhone once in awhile.
Contact Info:
- Website: cookswellwithothers.com and ifyougiveagirlagrill.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cooks_well_with_others/ and https://www.instagram.com/ifyougiveagirlagrill/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CooksWellWithOthers and https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082109325544
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/cookswellwithothers/_saved/ and https://www.pinterest.com/ifyougiveagirlagrill/_saved/ Link to my new cookbook: https://www.amazon.com/Hey-Can-Get-That-Recipe/dp/B0CPB5B6VT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1FFB7ETF3GU6C&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.bL4bQJ5sPznUw220-TCsF1L3ntv95fSqHRv_j6ru-AzJ6IOAcIpVzznGuBuSeTgdCFfUjD7ZUzGNTuatMtD844whVPTk3yExQ528On6qRlwSYw_j4IlY9WZhpN2P1FZKswKOB3a86bXULj-ziFeUe6xnpB0ryz12urY7-GFhIiTME-_BKPS1enl3lRwJmUydOKhm0RuPLE0zkK6LaJihr-KXsUxiHRaIJU0D5oomZbw.yfPoeM3xFJA9ckPd3xKZhVnP5hWKrC1P5Pp63Y3bqKg&dib_tag=se&keywords=hey+can+i+get+that+recipe&qid=1709924769&sprefix=hey+can+i+get+that+recipe%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-1
Image Credits
Photos of my family and me Samantha Noble, at S.Dawn Photography Food pics were taken by myself, Cheri Renee