About

About Beth

If you’re here, I guess you want to know more about me. Well, let’s see…I live in Nashville, my favorite color is green, I have two different colored eyes, I’m a Gemini, I grew up in a small Kentucky town that didn’t get its first traffic light until I was a senior in high school, I arrange my closet in Roy G. Biv order, and I am perhaps the worst singer in Music City, USA.

And, as if it isn’t obvious, I like to eat and drink. I also enjoy talking and laughing and meeting new people.  Lucky for me, I’m married to a man that likes to do those same things, and he just happens to make me laugh more than any person I’ve ever known. In January of 2012, we welcomed a bouncing baby boy into the world and well, he’s pretty much the best thing on the planet. If you follow me on social media, you’ll see pics and videos of Archer’s antics from time to time and you’ll see what I mean.

Okay, maybe none of that stuff matters to you, but I have a feeling some of these next few questions and answers will. These are the inquiries I get on a pretty regular basis, even by people who have known me for years!

What made you start this blog?

For some time, I’ve been known in my circle of friends and acquaintances as the one who stays on top of events happening around town and knows the best places to eat and drink, whether it’s here in Nashville, or other cities throughout the U.S. I’ve always been a planner. When I go on a trip, I spend weeks, sometimes even months, researching the city I’m visiting to make perfectly sure that I have great experiences. It pays off. Not just for me, but for those friends who don’t feel like doing the legwork themselves.

Since I cook quite often, I also share favorite recipes with friends and family. At some point I realized that it would be much easier to share my adventures and recipes by posting them online instead of via email every time someone asked. It was never really something I thought about other people reading- just people who already knew me. Little did I know…

Is this what you do for a living?

Not exactly. This little blog of mine is a hobby and pretty much all of my writing and gallivanting around town is done in my spare time. My real job, the one that helps me bring home the bacon, is VP of Marketing for Goo Goo Clusters, a 100+ year old Nashville-based candy company. And yes, my blog is to thank for landing me this very cool career!

While I do sometimes get free samples and meals, and have been paid for coverage of products and events, that is not always the case. Please know that I only write about those that I really like/believe in and think you will too.

 

What originally sparked your interest in food?

Honestly, I don’t know. It just sort of happened over time. I don’t have a cool story about cooking at a young age, because I didn’t. My mom was a wonderful cook, and I was fortunate enough to grow up in a home where we sat down to dinner at the table, as a family, every night of the week. We didn’t eat fast food, we ate real food. It wasn’t until I went away to college that I started to experiment in the kitchen out of necessity. Something started to click. My food made people happy and that hooked me.

At that point in my life, I hadn’t traveled much so I hadn’t experienced many “exotic” foods.  It wasn’t until after college, when I moved clear across the country to sunny San Diego that I was introduced to a whole new world of dining options. I ate sushi and pho for the first time and discovered the joys of street tacos in Tijuana and tamales at roadside stands in Ensenada.

Through the years I’ve traveled a bit, trying new foods wherever I go. Now there’s really not much I won’t eat or drink, although I’m not a fan of mayonnaise, licorice and tea. Yes, you’ve just found a Southern girl that hates tea, particularly sweet tea! Avocado was once on my “Yuck List”, but when I got pregnant with Archer, I suddenly couldn’t get enough of it and now I probably eat it at least once a week. Pig parts? I’ve pretty much eaten them all including the ears, tail, and testicles. Hey, don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it.

How do you find the time to blog with a full time career and family?

To be honest, it’s tough. I wish I could say that I am Wonder Woman, but I’m not. My job is pretty demanding, and I typically work close to 50 hours a week. As soon as my work day ends, I’m either picking up my kiddo from school then heading home to cook dinner for the family, or my husband is put on Daddy Duty and I’m heading out the door to one of the many social events happening around Nashville. Basically the only blogging time I have these days is in the middle of the night, so when I need to write I usually get up around 3 a.m. to get it done. I know that sounds awful to some, but I’m a morning person, so for me, it isn’t all that bad. I actually love the stillness of those early morning hours and my brain juices flow better than in the evening. I’ll never say it’s easy to balance it all, and I always feel guilty that at least some aspect of my life isn’t get the proper attention, but I do my best!

 

Well there you go. That’s me in a nutshell! If you have any other questions, feel free to drop me a note at betheats@gmail.com. I encourage you to leave comments on posts because I love getting your thoughts, hearing your experiences, and even trying your recipes. Don’t be shy, speak up!