Blogger Interview: Cassie Johnston of Back To Her Roots

All righty everyone.  I am doing something a bit different today because…well…because I can. 🙂  I like to share that which I enjoy with my readers, hence, today’s post.

Cassie Johnston, the chief cook and bottle washer (and recipe developer/writer/photog etc.) behind the successful food and lifestyle blog, Back To Her Roots, is an author I have been wanting to interview for awhile.  Hers is one of the first blogs I ever started following and one of the few I still keep up with after years in the blogging world.  Her voice is confident and true without being boring and I can always count on her content-be it food related, fitness based, or new Mom focused-to leave me inspired and smiling.  If you ever ask me what other blogs I read and recommend, I generally start with Cassie.
She has written two cookbooks and does freelance graphic design work when she isn’t blogging.  I am just now realizing that I should have included the question “How do you get it all done?” in my interview!  Regardless, I love learning about professionals I admire and respect!  I loved hearing her answers and I hope you do too!

Please be sure to check out the social media links at the end of the post to see her in action for yourself!  Have a comment or question for Cassie?!  Post it in the comment section and she will see them! Enjoy!

SO, Cassie….

Where were you born and where do you call home?
I like to say I was born and raised in Indiana, but the truth is, I was born in a hospital on the other side of the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky. I’m a life-long Hoosier, though, and currently live on a small hobby farm in rural Southern Indiana.

What is the main theme of your blog and how did you chose it?
I like to write about healthy eating—but with a good dose of balance. I fully believe you can eat healthfully and still enjoy dessert! I started writing my blog because I was absolutely in awe of how good I felt after eating a balanced diet. I just wanted to share it with as many folks as possible.

How did you get into blogging in the first place?
I actually started blogging way back early in the online journal days using LiveJournal (that’s actually how I met my husband). I started public blogging because folks kept asking for my healthy recipes, and I figured, hey, I might try this whole thing out! And that was four years ago. 🙂

Do you have a favorite blog post?
Hmmmm, that’s really hard. I’ve been working a lot on my photography skills lately, so there are quite a few of my most recent posts that I am absolutely in love with the photos in (like my Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches). As far as writing and content goes, I love any of the posts where I talk about family traditions—you’ll see lots of those coming up for the holidays.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you became a blogger?
Only one? I wish I would have educated myself more about monetization. I knew I wanted to monetize from early on, and I wasted years (literally, years) making sub-par income when I could have been making a nice bit of change if I just would have known what I was doing.

Do you ever blog in your PJs?
I do, but not nearly as much as I used to. When I first started working from home, I thought it’d be so cool to work from home in pajamas, but it ended up making me feel super unproductive. So every work day, I get up, brush my hair and teeth, and put on at least jeans and t-shirt. It also helps me draw the line for when work is “over” because that’s when I change into my jammies and close my laptop.

How often do you blog?
4-5 days per week, on average (three of those being recipes, one being a craft/garden post, and one being a personal/round-up post. During the holiday season, I try to up it to 6-7 posts, since it’s such a great time to generate new content!

What are the 5 items you never leave home without?
A full water bottle, snacks, my iPhone, hair ties, and my baby girl! She’s currently nursing, so I don’t go anywhere with my little nugget of adorableness.

What is your most favorite electronic gadget?
It’s probably pretty cliche to say my iPhone (I’m a total Apple snob). So my second choice would be my Bluetooth speaker. It is the BEST. I can take it into the kitchen, or outside, or on a picnic. Love it!

Favorite food?
Pizza. Without a doubt.

Least favorite food?
Chinese food! I can’t stand the stuff.

You have just been handed $10,000! What do you do with it?
I’d be boring and save it. I’m self-employed, and you never know when income will dry up, so I’m always looking for ways to pad my savings account.

What is a movie or TV show that you watched recently and really enjoy?
I barely have time to watch TV, but my husband and I make it a point to sit down every evening and catch up on the previous’ nights The Daily Show.

What scares you?
Tornadoes (I’ve been through two). Stuck elevators. Bridges. And pretty much everything that has to do with raising a tiny human.

Where can we stalk you?
http://www.facebook.com/backtoherroots
http://plus.google.com/u/0/b/117375184363026265972/
http://www.twitter.com/backtoherroots
http://www.instagram.com/backtoherroots <— This is the best place to get a glimpse into my day-to-day life!
http://www.pinterest.com/backtoherroots

Thank you so much Cassie!