Name: Summer Badawi
Blog name: Feeding My Addiction
Where were you born? Hamilton
Where are you living now? Stoney Creek (That’s more or less still Hamilton!)
Why did you start your blog?
My blog was a way to connect with people over food and in the process develop a healthier more balanced relationship with dessert and eating in general. It’s something I had long struggled with and the only way to make peace with something is to embrace it full force.
It was also a way to explore how to adapt desserts to fit in with a more allergen-friendly diet, being that more people are becoming aware of dietary sensitivities (myself included).
How did you decide on your blog name?
I am the queen of bad puns – I wanted a name that was a bit tongue and cheek. In part it’s because the addiction is to dessert (can you blame me?!) and feeding it, of course, refers to the entire blogging process – the baking and eating especially!
And also, a lesser known reason refers to my journey recovering from an eating disorder and finally being able to nourish myself and battle an unhealthy relationship towards diet and exercise. Let food be thy medicine! Feeding My Addiction is, to me, my recovery process.
What do you blog about?
I blog about desserts –mostly healthy desserts with wholesome nutrient dense ingredients which are gluten free, free of refined sugars and are either vegan or can be depending on which modifications of the recipe you use.
But I have an addiction to decorating cakes, cookies and cupcakes as well. I’m not a purist in that sense – I just love the process of creating delicious food that – hopefully – people can create no matter where, what their dietary preferences or intolerances are and no matter what flavor palettes they have.
What post on your blog most encapsulates you?
I think the post that most encapsulates me would be my Guilt Free Pumpkin Patch Brownies. I am absolutely completely obsessed with all things Halloween. I always have been! So when I was making the brownies I just had a lot of fun with the post and shared a bit about myself in revealing my Halloween obsession. It looked really macabre with the little candy skulls and it was perfectly me. Plus they were delicious, fudgy, rich brownies. Not that I am any of those things – but a good brownie always should be!
Which post do you wish received more love and why?
The post I wish received more love would be my Healthy Vanilla Bean Cut- Out Cookies. I was really happy with how delicious they tasted and how well they held their shape when baking. I have probably baked over 1,000 sugar cookies this year– so for me — a healthy cookie dough that I can use instead of the typical sugar cookie was so exciting to create. Sometimes you think something will send tidal waves through the internet and no one views the post or leaves feedback! But it’s okay – cookies are the perfect comfort food.
Which post’s success surprised you and why?
My Peanut Butter & Chocolate Protein Bites. The article was shared on a website I wasn’t too familiar with. I didn’t expect much traffic from it – but it’s the most popular recipe on my blog to date. I think it surprised me that something so innocuous and small like a peanut butter and chocolate protein bite would be the most popular recipe and the most pinned/shared recipe from my blog as well. I make cakes and cupcakes and all sorts of intricate things but evidently a tiny ball with some protein powder – well that is what the people want! Dip it in chocolate? You’re set for life.
What’s your biggest challenge as a blogger?
My biggest challenge is setting limits for myself and not stressing out! It can be really overwhelming to have a million different ideas floating around my head and wanting to get everything done during very specific time frames (Me? Type-A? How did you know?).
I work a 9-5 job so the weekends are when I try and cram everything in so I can get natural light for photos. It’s difficult to try and prioritize things especially when things don’t work out as planned or the lighting is bad that day. Other times the recipe just doesn’t work out like I had hoped! It’s a really important outlet for me, however. So I take the stress alongside the joy it brings me to be able to create recipes and share them with people
Share a couple of your favourite food blogs to read. Why do you like them?
Bake at 350 is a great blog. Bridget’s approach to sugar cookies and the lovely little details and vivid colours get me every time. I am always sifting through her pages of beautiful cookie designs! She also posts really wonderful reviews of Trader Joe’s products…which makes me nothing but jealous that we don’t have that chain! She also writes really well and very honestly. I appreciate that!
Sally’s Baking Addiction I think Sally is kind of the quintessential perfect dessert/baking blogger. She makes everything seem effortless and vibrant and beautiful. I bought her cookbook and everything from it has been amazing. Her ability to strike the perfect balance of every ingredient is really special – and if you bake there’s almost no chance you haven’t seen her beautiful photos all over Pinterest!
Favourite food – care to share a recipe or a restaurant destination?
My favourite food is 100% pizza. I know – it’s not sweet! But a girl cannot live of cupcakes alone. Sadly! I think I went 6-7 years without it and looking back I just can’t understand how that’s possible. If I miss a pizza night I legitimately enter a state of sadness I did not know food items (or lack thereof) could inflict. I have tried pretty much every gluten free pizza available in the world. Oh okay, not the world. But definitely from major chains.
I prefer to just make my own gluten free pizza from scratch but if I don’t have the time I make socca pizza. My Aunt lived in France last year and she made socca quite often! Chickpea flour is delicious and really quite versatile. It was in my very early on blogging days. VERY early on blogging days. But the recipe is delicious and I have made it a million and one ways!
What are you working on next for your blog?
I am currently working on a few projects –one of which involves perfecting a cookie recipe and the next involves flexing my pastry muscles into savoury territory for a recipe which – personally – I think is the most delicious thing I have ever made/eaten. Inhaled. I inhaled it. I know that not EVERY one likes dessert as much as I do – so I want to be able to bake up some savoury dishes as well!
What else should we know about you that may or not be in your “About Me” page?
I like to binge watch TV shows with my mom. She’s my best friend, co recipe taste-tester and all around most amazing person in the world. She’d probably be your best friend if you asked. That’s how sweet she is. My whole family is like that, actually.
I love lifting weights. It seems counterintuitive to my baking addiction but it’s another really important coping mechanism and stress relief for me. I come home every day and ask my mom if my muscles look bigger. AND I love video games. I actually camped out all night for my PS4. Yes. I am an adult.
What makes your blog unique?
I like to think my blog is a unique snowflake (did you know they aren’t even unique?) but I think that every blog is. That’s the beauty of it! I try to be authentic and true to myself by injecting bits and bobs of my odd humour into posts and posting recipes that are different and exciting and help people make healthier food choices. If I can make someone laugh and motivate them to be more active in the kitchen – I think that’s an amazing thing.
What’s your Favourite FBC Feature?
My favourite FBC feature is all of them! But if I had to choose – I find the articles and resources on food photography, blog design, budgeting, food styling and many more to be really amazing. I don’t think I would have known answers to a lot of my blogging woes without those resources. The articles are very straightforward and offer a lot of insight into difficult questions and topics that as a new blogger I would never have even thought about!
When I was first accepted as a member I remember keeping the ‘Resources’ list page open for weeks. It was so helpful. On top of all that, to belong to a community is a really powerful thing that makes the whole process less daunting.
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