Photo courtesy of Anita McVey
For Anita McVey, inspiration starts with family. That’s how her adventures with food blogging began.
You see, what Anita really wanted was to capture her mother’s delicious recipes and preserve the fond memories of growing up on an Iowa farm. She wanted to tell the story of how she’d climb on the truck tailgate for a quick “harvest time” dinner… recall those memories snacking on warm apple fritters under the oak tree… and relive those happy times enjoying a fried chicken picnic lunch while fishing with her dad. Inspired by those (and many more), Anita decided she needed to create something to pass on to her own children.
So began Anita’s brainstorm. Someday, she thought.
Someday, she’d write down everything for her mom and grandmother to connect the food to the family stories…a memoir of sorts. She decided a food blog might be a good way. Her family thought it was an awesome idea.
But, life gets busy (don’t we know it), and Anita’s blog project was pushed aside for a few years. Then her two college-aged sons got involved, and inspiration struck again.
Sons are awesome champions
Anita recalls one particular conversation with her oldest son Nick, while he was home from college at Christmas break. “He asked what was holding me back from starting this blog. I told him I just couldn’t see how to physically get started. It was just such new technology to me.”
That was all Nick needed. In a matter of hours, he’d set up a WordPress site, had her choose a format, name, color scheme, type font, and headings. Just like that, www.picniclifefoodie.com was live. “You can always change it later,” he said. That was the end to any procrastination – Anita’s blog was real. As Nick tutored his mom on social media skills, Anita’s youngest son, Marcus (a talented graphic designer) designed her logo and helped Anita develop photography.
Anita gives her guys high praise
Lots of young guys home on break would be finding ways to pursue their own interests. But here were her boys, using their skills to help Mom launch her adventures in blogging. “My kids really got me going and have been great about teaching me,” she said. “Now they even get me photography props for Christmas stocking stuffers.”
Anita gives equal kudos to husband Marty. “Having a husband who not only supports, but encourages, the pursuit of a project that may or may not ever make a profit has been a true blessing,” she says.
Can we just say…What good guys! (And what an amazing mom.)
Writing began, Anita went back to her roots.
With a master’s degree in statistics, Anita wouldn’t have envisioned herself as a food blogger – at least not in the beginning. “But it comes in handy when digging into blog analytics,” she adds. “No education is ever wasted, just used differently than you originally expected.” Her early jobs in food service didn’t hurt either.
To generate ideas for blog posts, Anita draws on her experiences growing up on a farm, participating in 4-H, and cooking with her mom and grandma. “How ironic! I had originally rejoiced when I could finally get all those food references off my resume,” she laughs.
Funny how life so often brings us back to our roots.
Inspiring Adventures, Amazing Cooks
Perhaps that’s why we always enjoy our foodie conversations with Anita. She’s all-in with food trends and the farm-to-table movement, and:
- She ‘s a prolific gardener, recently quadrupling her 8’ x 20’ backyard plot to 32’ x 48’. “My mom thinks I’m out of my mind, but I wanted to experiment with heirloom seeds and such,” she says. “I’m not looking to stock a food cellar, but I do like to try new varieties. I mean why stick to red radishes when you can get black radishes, watermelon radishes and more?!”
- She frequents farmers’ markets, scouring for new fruits and veggies to try. “You never know what you’ll find, and I love the atmosphere and bounty of the markets.”
- She explores regional cuisine as she travels. “That’s the food adventure in me. It’s not just about eating at new places, but broadening your palate and being exposed to what a place is known for,” she says. For example, her recent trip to visit Miami relatives turned into a foodie’s dream – with stops at a Cuban bakery and ethnic grocery, recipes for authentic Cuban beef, and learning three ways the locals fix plantains.
What’s next on her menu?
Anita is full of ideas and hopes to someday create products of her own. Hmm…someday. That sounds familiar. Maybe inspiration will strike again this holiday season when conversations around her family table are abuzz. I guess we’ll have to wait and see!
Anita is one amazing woman we’re grateful to know.
Check out some of her appetizing blog posts on comfort food, cooking for holidays, and traditional favs on Picnic Life Foodie. You can follow along with her food adventures at Facebook and Instagram.
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