About - Simply Made Eats

Hi there! Welcome to Simply Made Eats. I'm Tara, the recipe developer, writer, food photographer, content creator and all the other things behind this recipe website.

Here you will find lots of quick and easy recipes, designed for busy moms, who want big flavor in little time. I'm a mom of two girls, and I understand the time and energy struggle. Luckily, we've found each other and I'm here to help!

Whether it's a 5 minute breakfast idea you're searching for, like this Strawberry Ricotta Toast, to a one pot Chicken and Chorizo pasta for an easy dinner, I've got you covered from breakfast to dessert!

A Little Background About Me:

tara holding a cookie sheet full of bacon and cheese turnovers.

Hi Again!

I grew up with a love for creating with my hands. My aunt is an artist and I spent a lot of time at her kitchen table, painting, drawing, and eating crackers smothered in port wine cheese. I've always been creative, and I'm left handed, so I think it's expected.

One thing I didn't grow up doing a lot of was cooking. It took until my husband and I, boyfriend at the time, moved in together, around age 20. We started getting interested in it because we were poor and needed to save money. About 2 years later, I became a young mom, and cooking became a necessity. Over the past decade and a half, my love for cooking grew and it is now a serious passion of mine.

Simply Made Eats was born in 2021, during Covid, after I had worked in a mortgage job that brought me no joy. Don't even say the work refi to me. My husband told me about these short videos, called Instagram reels. I started doing stupid mom videos that everyone was doing, but I wanted something more original and all those ideas were food focused. Now we're here, and I'm a full time food creator!

There's a song called "Wild as her" by Corey Kent, which says, her hearts like a feather in the Tulsa Wind. That's me, but my husband & kids keep me somewhat grounded. This food blog allows me the freedom to explore in the kitchen. I'm also in love with sourcing ingredients, whether it's visiting farmer's markets, picking from the actual farm, or catching the ingredients from the ocean, like I was able to do while clamming in Ocracoke.

What You'll Find on Simply Made Eats:

Approachable Recipes. If you're a beginner cook or you've been in the kitchen for a while, my recipes are designed to walk you through each step of the process.
Recipes designed for Busy People. Short on time? Me too. That's why I create recipes that cut out unnecessary steps and keep dishes to a minimum.
A Wide Variety of Recipes. I like to cook what I want to cook, so you'll find a large index of recipes. From Healthy recipes, to comfort food, and seasonal dishes..it's all here.
The Newsletter. The Simply Made Eats Newsletter is where I share recipes and sometimes random thoughts or experiences. It allows me even more freedom as a creator, so make sure you're on the list!

More About Simply Made Eats:

Do you have any recipes that are great for beginner cooks?

Yes! There are so many great beginner recipes on the blog. My favorites are the easy ones that still look really elegant like this Baked Brie with Fig Jam or Sausage Spinach Gnocchi. If you are a beginner cook, I highly encourage you to watch my youtube channel, where I walk you through every step on video.

What is the one food you couldn't live without?

This is way too easy..PASTA! I love it all. Whether it's pasta in pink sauce to traditional lasagna, it has my name all over it! Pasta dishes are also my favorite to cook.

How long have you been cooking?

I've been taking cooking pretty serious in the home cook department since back in 2010. Goodness, time flies!

My Work:

I've been privileged to have my recipes and photography featured by Feed Feed.

If you're interested in working together, please visit my contact page. I have a Master's Degree in Integrated Marketing Communication and would love to chat more about creating content that aligns with your marketing campaign.

Why food is so important to me:

I love food & good recipes because it brings everyone together. Eating out at great restaurants is always fun, but I mostly love the experiences cooking in our own kitchen has created. The passion that my husband and I have in the kitchen has ignited a spark in our children towards the art as well, which makes my heart so happy.

I hope that my simple recipes will help you look at cooking as less of a chore, and more of an experience to bring the people you love together around the table.

Thank you for being on this journey with me because I couldn't do it without you!