Need some inspiration for healthy eats? Look no more, The Defined Dish is your ultimate resource for delicious Whole30 and Paleo recipes. As a native Texan, Alex Snodgrass never skimps on flavor. Her expertise in the kitchen began from a love for cooking that’s stuck with her from childhood, to college, and all the way to now. Not only is she a whiz with recipes but she’s also is a proud wife and mother of two little girls. Her impressive following and vibrant, mouthwatering feed caught our eye here at LMS, and we couldn’t help but want to learn more! Give @thedefineddish a follow on IG and read on for Alex’s responses to our juiciest (no pun intended) questions!
Tell us about yourself and your background!
I grew up in a small town (Celina,Texas), went to Texas Christian University, worked in Politics in Austin, TX for a while after college, got married, moved to Dallas where I now live with my hubby and 2 beautiful little girls, Winnie (2) and Sutton (4). I am a stay at home mom and the food blogger behind @thedefineddish!
How did you get interested in cooking and how did you transition that love into social media?
Growing up in a small town, we didn’t have many restaurants and the ones we had weren’t any good. I grew up around home cooked meals and I always enjoyed helping my mom out in the kitchen. When I went to college, I quickly became sick and tired of eating out all the time and started cooking on my own and that’s when my love for cooking really began. I loved cooking for my roommates and getting creative. My friends were always asking me to email them my recipes so, after becoming a stay-at-home mom, I decided it would be fun to start a food blog so that they would have access to my recipes. My blog and instagram have grown to much more than just my friends and family and I love sharing my love of cooking with whomever is interested!!
We love seeing your two adorable girls on your feed! How do you balance motherhood with creating recipes and content?
I am glad I have you guys fooled!! haha, but really! It isn’t all cute Instagram videos and pretty food over here. It’s quite the balancing act! It’s really all about time management and being flexible. But for the most part, I have gotten in a groove of when to create + photograph my recipes (during school for my oldest, and naptime for my youngest), and then I usually edit and type up the blog posts at night after their bedtime. I’ve done it this way for a couple years now, but now that I have finally gotten a larger audience and am making some more money blogging, I hired a part time nanny in August (yay!) which has been a huge help in creating content for my blog!
You share primarily Whole30 and Paleo meals – do you find it hard to stick within those diet requirements? Any tips for someone wanting to give them a go?
Yes, of course it is difficult at first but after you’ve completed a round of Whole30, you’ll realize how great you feel and that you want to continue to feel that great. I definitely try to keep it whole30/paleo in my kitchen, which is typically 5 nights a week, and although I try to eat this way when I am out, I love food A LOT so I eat pretty much anything I want if it’s worth it to me. I think that sort of balance I have created for myself makes me happy with my diet and lifestyle and that is why I love eating that way!
When it comes to brand collaborations, how do you choose who to work with? Any favorite partnerships you’ve had so far?
I always try to stay true to who I am and my brand. I choose based on this thought process: if my followers go out to buy this product, will they be disappointed? Because if they are, then that loses the trust they had in me. I’ve worked hard to get the followers I have. If they lose their trust in me they’d never buy anything I recommend again and probably unfollow me. If I love a product and don’t think it’s off topic, I am on board with that brand. But even if a big brand comes to me offering to pay me, if I think it will lose my followers’ trust I always say no. I trust that it will pay off in the long haul. As far as partnerships I’ve worked with in the past– I loved working the Whole30 Team and doing their @whole30recipes takeover. They have a huge audience so that was a big deal for me and I owe a lot of thanks to that for a lot of my growth as a blogger. I am also super excited about a party I am hosting this week with Rao’s Homemade Marinara (the best jarred marinara ever!) which just so happens to be put together by the lovely LMS team!! 🙂
What is your all-time favorite recipe? Why?
That’s like… the hardest question ever. But, I love my Whole30 Skillet Chicken Picatta. You’d never know it’s Whole30, it’s so comforting, and it’s easy to make!!
If you had to pick one dish to describe yourself, what would it be? Why?
Cacio e pepe pasta. It’s my favorite pasta dish. It’s a minimalist recipe that only calls for a few ingredients, but the technique you use to make it creates in the end a beautiful, delicious, and elegant dish! I like to feel that I can relate to that for some reason. Simple, yet extraordinary! 🙂
Lastly, we all get inspired (and hungry) from you – what influencers do YOU look to for good eats and ideas?
My husband laughs at me because I LOVE Teri from @nocrumbsleft so much (and we have become insta-friends) and I talk about how I want him to fly me to Chicago to meet her! Haha! So definitely her, she’s like the Ina Garten of Paleo to me. @whatsgabycookin is also on the top of my list, @shutthekaleup for mom-life and clean eating, @primal_gourmet for beautiful paleo food, and @thetoastedpinenut! Love them all!
Alex will be our featured influencer in the Inner Circle this week, so be sure to keep an eye out for some foodie posts and insights coming your way on Facebook. Not a member of the Inner Circle? If you’re an awesome influencer, we’d love to have you. Email lj@wearelms.com to find out about joining!
