Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Dondalski.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Amy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Food has always been important to me. I come from two heavily food-focused backgrounds- Cuban and Polish. We love to eat good homemade food.
Any time I eat a new dish or cuisine, I evaluate it and try to pick out each ingredient wondering how to recreate it at home and what I would change. I go to many restaurants with this idea in mind and usually post a review through Yelp. I love sharing my food experiences with others. This all started about six years ago when I moved from the TCU dorm to my own place with a kitchen. I had more time on my hands, so I began searching the internet for tasty recipes.
Then when I started working full time, cooking and baking became my hobby and something I looked forward to every weekend. Four years ago, I decided to start posting all of my best meals and desiring to start a blog to share the recipes that I thought were worthy of people’s time. I never did create a blog because of my time constraints, but I continue to post on Instagram what I’m cooking and some recipes that I wouldn’t make again. I aim to try two new recipes per week because I get bored and love to experiment, so if any person has a recipe that they think is worthy, I’d love to put it to the test! Generally speaking, I avoid heavily fatty meals and strive for tasty meals or baked goods on the healthier side. I call myself The Food Worthian.
I am a Fort Worthian who is really into food and seeing if a new recipe is worthy of making again. Some of my favorite recipes are my Cuban black beans which are a mix of three recipes- my grandmothers, the Cuban table cookbook, and the icuban.com website; Bobby Flay’s Balsamic Glazed Turkey Vegetable Meatloaf is a classic in my house and the only meatloaf I make; Budget Bytes’ black bean tacos are an easy way to add more plant-based protein in my diet; My fiancé’s favorite, who by the way does not like vegetables, is the cashew kale Caesar salad recipe created by Tomato Boots. I live to eat and food is my way of sharing happiness with others.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Time. Time has been the biggest challenge. My life has had a lot of change since I started my Instagram from having a full-time job to just part-time, then part-time and graduate school. Right now I am working out a new schedule as I get into a routine at my new job. The next challenge is getting followers the honest way. I don’t want to buy followers and I want people that truly care about good, healthy homemade meals, desserts, and drinks.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
As I mentioned previously, I am The Food Worthian. I am all about trying new recipes and seeing if they are worthy to make again after weighing cost and effort. I try at least two new recipes a week at home. I go for healthy meals and desserts, but that doesn’t mean I won’t go full-calorie crazy on a couple of dishes. Everyone needs a solidly unhealthy, but soul-satisfying meal sometimes.
And the best part is that my healthy meals can still satisfy the soul. If it is vegan, it better not taste fake, rubbery, or bland. If it’s vegetarian, it should still be savory and packed with flavor. I will tell my readers how to make the recipe better if possible or avoid making it. I make my own recipes as well as using other bloggers’ and cookbooks, but I am currently saving mine for a future cookbook.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My fiance is my guinea pig. It’s a good thing he is not picky and loves to eat.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @thefoodworthian
Image Credit:
all food pictures are done by me, Amy Dondalski
picture of me and my fiance by Jared Lindsay Photography
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