Foodie Friday with Kendall

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Finally after months in the making, I introduce you to my new Foodie Friday segment where each week I will share some of my favorite food bloggers with you. I haven't decided if I will do one of these every Friday or not, but for now I hope you enjoy reading them as much I have, and I hope I'm able to provide you with a new blog that you'll love. That's the goal. So here we go to my very first feature, one of my favorites who I've mentioned on the blog before, Kendall from Keeping Up with the Joneses. Kendall's blog speaks for itself, so for now we'll get to my fun questions I've put together, but don't forget to stop by her blog and say hello!

Hometown (and where you currently call home): My hometown is North Little Rock, Arkansas and my current home is Memphis, Tennessee - Home of the Blues and Birthplace of Rock 'n Roll! 

Story behind your blog and what got you into cooking/baking: The cooking bug bit me one summer when I was home from college. I grew up with a family of great cooks, so it was inevitable that I would follow in those footsteps. I started my blog in 2008 right after getting married. My husband, Keith, and I moved to Memphis, leaving lots of friends and family in Arkansas. Keeping Up with the Joneses was started as a way to share the latest happenings in our lives with them. At the time, posting recipes hadn't even crossed my mind, yet I was trying new recipes almost every night and reading some cooking blogs. I started to add posts occasionally about food, and quickly realized that I had the most fun doing that. Cooking and talking about food are two things I love! Eventually, the recipe posts took over! I still believe that this blog is our journal, so I continue to post personal stories right in there with the food. I also love to entertain and drink wine, so you'll find bits of that sprinkled in, too.

Favorite recipe you have made to date: Okay y'all, this is so hard for me! I am a complete recipe addict and I have a new favorite dish every 5 seconds. But, this recipe for Honey Ginger Pork Tenderloin is hard to beat. I pretty much dream about it. 

Favorite go-to weeknight meal: I have a habit of not making the same thing twice, or at least I put a few months between my repeats. Again, I'm so addicted to recipes that I constantly want to try something new! But, it is summer right now and corn and tomatoes are at their peak. So, this Tomato Corn Pizza is a regular. It's so easy, quick, fresh and tasty, I hardly get tired of having it. My husband is a total meat lover, so sometimes we'll grill a chicken breast for him to have on the side :)

Favorite recipe to cook for guests/take to a party: I love cooking for parties! Planning a menu for entertaining is one of my favorite things to do. I dig out all of my recipe clippings, blog reads and Pinterest finds to plan a menu full of great flavors. I'm also the type of cook that will gladly risk trying something new with guests. If it's not that great, shake it off. True friends won't mind! Here's a recipe I risked for a party one time and it was a great decision. These Raspberry Tiramisu Bites look beautiful, taste so fantastic and could not be easier to make!

Favorite thing to bake or have baked for you: This Coco Lopez Cake from my grandmother is the most delicious bundt cake I've ever tasted. Even if you don't love coconut flavor, you'd probably still love this cake. It's one of those cakes that gets better and better a few days after you've made it. I get rave reviews every time I make it, but I still think it tastes best when it comes from my grandma. Give it a try; you won't regret it!

Kitchen gadget you could never live without: Aside from a good knife (which is just a necessity) I really love my immersion blender. I make a lot of salad dressings, so it's perfect for those small jobs. Otherwise, a blender or food processor are just too cumbersome. I have a Cuisinart one, and it came with some great attachments, too!

One of your daily foodie reads: How Sweet Eats - she's incredibly creative, wickedly funny and her photographs are great. I find myself wanting to taste and make just about every recipe she posts!

I hope you enjoyed getting to know a little more about Kendall. Happy Friday friends!