For Kate Morgan Jackson, Blogging is the Best Job in the World!

Welcome to Creative Corner! Here we highlight the incredible publishers, creators, and thought leaders in the SHE Media Collective.

Kate Morgan Jackson approaches everything with a sunny disposition and that includes the recipes she creates. She prides herself in making cooking fun and “sometimes unexpected” and uses her photography background to create beautiful food photos accompanied by unique recipes, meal planning tips and a peek into her lifestyle adventures in North Carolina.

Ahead, Jackson who is a member of the SHE Media Collective, shares why running a blog is the best job in the world.

Tell us a little bit about your blog

Framed Cooks is a family-friendly food and lifestyle website devoted to sharing recipes that are both easy and interesting!  We are very devoted to making food interesting so on Framed Cooks you can find traditional mac and cheese recipes, and also some macaroni and cheese pizza that you’ll love. We believe cooking should be fun and sometimes unexpected.  We provide lots of food pictures, full nutritional information, and meal pairing ideas that accompany hundreds of easy-to-follow recipes.  Whether you are looking for a kid-friendly supper, a fancy dinner party menu, or a giant tailgate spread, we’ve got you covered!  Sprinkled in with hundreds of recipes are kitchen tips, holiday and gift projects, and other kitchen and lifestyle adventures from our home here in North Carolina.

What inspired you to start Framed Cooks?

I started my blog Framed Cooks as a photography project. The project was to shoot still life photos and shoot something different every day for 2 weeks. However, I did not like photographing still life. I liked photographing dogs and babies and teenagers and other things that won’t sit still. So I thought hard to come up with an idea of something I could photograph that was ‘still-life’ and yet could be different every day. And then it dawned on me. Dinner.

Are you now a full-time blogger?

Yes, I am a full-time food blogger. I write and test recipes, I take pictures of the food and then I create blog posts about them. It’s the best job in the world!

What are your go-to productivity tools for running your blog?

Google Calendar for post planning, Photoshop for image editing, Tasty plug-in for recipe cards, Newsletter Glue and MailChimp for newsletters, and my own custom system for saving/organizing images and copy.

How do you stay focused and motivated throughout the day?

I use the Silk & Sonder journal system, which is a journal about both work productivity and self-care all in one place. I also have a super organized blogging workflow plan and calendar that keeps me on track.

 

What’s one shocking insight you gained from running a blog business?

The constant changes!  Blogging – and running a business – has evolved so much since I started back in 2009.  The explosion of social media, the importance of SEO, and the different strategies for creating and presenting strong content are always changing course, and it’s so important to keep up and stay open and flexible.

What do you do for fun when you’re not creating content?

I love reading, photographing things that aren’t food, and exploring my new home state of North Carolina.  Our current favorite fun adventure is going to our nearby Getaway cabin site in Asheboro – it’s like camping with heat and hot water!

What’s your current favorite book, podcast, or website?

I’m currently tearing through These Precious Days by Ann Patchett

What are you looking forward to in the coming year?

Launching a new lifestyle feature on Framed Cooks!

 

The SHE Media Collective helps publishers, content creators and entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses with dedicated support for managing ads, brand partnerships, and more. Apply now to join our mission-driven platform.