• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Email Series!

5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Free Email Series!

    5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

    Free email series of my best tips!

  • Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes

Rachel Cooks®

Food, Family, Fun

  • Recipe Index
  • Popular
    • Instant Pot Pinto Beans
    • Green Beans with Bacon
    • Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
    • Roasted Sugar Snap Peas
    • Beef Stew Seasoning
    • Chili Seasoning Recipe
    • Thousand Island Dressing
    • Poppy Seed Dressing
    • Copycat Panera Squash Soup
    • Chocolate Chip Blondies
    • Instant Pot Pork Loin Roast
    • Frosé
    • Best Chocolate Cake
    • Dill Vegetable Dip
    • Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
    • Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Learn to Cook
    • Crostini
    • Delicata Squash
    • Butternut Squash
    • Kabocha Squash
    • Spaghetti Squash
    • Guacamole
    • Croutons
    • Snap Peas
    • Baked Potatoes
    • Baked Bacon
    • Balsamic Glaze
    • Whipped Cream
    • Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
    • Simple Syrup
    • Pickled Red Onions Recipe
    • Toasted Pine Nuts
    • Roasted bone-in Chicken Breasts
    • Poached Chicken
    • Roasted Whole Chicken
    • Easy Cheese Sauce

Dinner Made Easy:

Slow Cooker

5 Ingredients

Grilling

Make Ahead

Sheet Pan

Tacos

Pizza

Home Rachel's Life A day in the life

{a day in the life} Sweet Basil

37 Comments
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 11/13/2012Updated: 09/28/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Today’s “a day in the life” is Carrian of Sweet Basil. I am aware that I go on and on about how everyone is sweet and nice, etc., but Carrian really is one of the sweetest people I have “met” while food blogging. She is very kind-hearted and genuine which comes through not only on her blog but also through her interactions on social media. 

Oh, and her blog rocks. Gorgeous photos, great food. Check it out!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tell me about yourself and how you started food blogging.

I was born and raised in Vancouver, Washington where I fell in love with the beautiful outdoors and the falling rain. Seriously, I even sleep better when it’s raining.

I double majored in Spanish language and health science and I do absolutely nothing with either. ;) College is where I met my darling husband, at the gym of all places. We were both personal trainers and after almost a year of friendship we finally began dating and have been together ever since. Now we reside in Utah with our two little girls.

Sweet Basil began as a way to share the food that we were loving with all of our friends and family. Others began commenting and last year we decided to turn it into a full time gig. I believe that the kitchen used to be the heart of the home, but lately it’s the tv, and I’m bound and determined to change that. Healthier habits and stronger relationships are created when you cook and eat together at home, and anyone can be successful with a little help.

Take me through your day. 

6:15 Wake up

6:30 Work Out

7:30 Eat breakfast while I hop on social media, and other blogs

8:55 Take my first grader to school (thank goodness for the hubby that gets her ready while I work)

9:10 Back to the computer to answer emails, blog etc

10:30 -11:30 Depends on the day, but cook, shower, begin photographing recipes

12:30 Lunch with my little C

1:00 Put little C down for a nap

1-3:30 Blog, cook, clean house, laundry. Yes, I do it all at once. I just hop back and forth between things

3:30-4:30 Photograph recipes, help the oldest with homework

4:30-5:30 Dinner, photographing if needed, finish laundry

5:30-6:30 Somewhere in here we have dinner, and read together

6:30-8:00 Play games with the family, go on walks, make a treat etc. The point is just to be together

8:00-10:30 Kids go to bed and the hubby and I sit down together and finish up marketing, emails, editing photos etc. Some days we turn on a show to watch like, Once Upon  A Time (don’t judge! It’s totally good!)

10:30 Off to bed where we read for a bit if we are lucky

10:30-1:00am Lately I’ve had so much going on we’ve been up pretty late working on the blog.

I take Saturday and Sunday completely off. I need time to unwind and just be with my family. I wont even write a new recipe on the weekends.

What is your one must-have kitchen tool or gadget?

Oh gosh, ummmm can I have two? I love my food processor and my microplane. I cannot live without either.

What is the most important part of your day? Why?

My workout, play time with the family, and tv/reading/or just talking and snuggling with my family. All three keep me focused, relaxed and balanced.

What is your favorite part of your day? Why?

I love bed time. I loooove crawling in that cozy bed of ours and snuggling up with my hubby while we fall asleep. MMMMM Sleep.

What is your LEAST favorite part of the day? Why?

I hate getting ready. I love a good shower, but doing my hair and makeup is just torture. Oh, and I don’t loooove social media. It’s just one more thing to worry about when I’d rather be cooking. (shhhh, I know I shouldn’t say that)

If you had to choose one place to travel to every year over and over, where would it be? Why? Have you been there before?

Hmmmm, someplace tropical would be lovely because I love to lay out and read a good book in the sunshine. And I actually would love to visit my parents more. They just moved to Rexburg, Idaho and they have this huge, gorgeous backyard and an amazing view of the Teton Mountains.

If you could travel anywhere in the world for free, where would you go and how long would you stay?

I would love to travel through Europe, Italy and Greece. I mean, like everywhere, Sweden, Germany etc.

What is your favorite quote or verse?

Oh, I have so many. I really do. Ummm, I love this one because it reminds me who I want to be in a world that emphasizes the opposite.  “I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden. I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.” Marjorie Pay Hinckley

What is your favorite cookbook?

I love America’s Test kitchen because if I ever can’t get a recipe to work I can check out that book. They test recipes for weeks and weeks and then explain why things do and do not work. I love that.

What recipe on your blog are you most proud of?

I love my Roasted Tomato Soup with Mozzarella Grilled Cheese “Croutons”. I have never loved tomato soup, but oh my goodness, it’s so creamy and the tiny grilled cheese! OH YUM!!

15. What recipe on your blog do your readers seem to love most?

My Reeses Krispies recipe is always in the number one spot and never moves.

What is your guilty food pleasure that you’re embarrassed to fess up to? Kraft Mac & Cheese? Spagetti-o’s? Canned cheese? We promise not to judge!

Hmmmm, that’s a tricky one. I don’t know if this even counts, but I love a grilled PB&J.

What have you learned since you began blogging?

That everyone has a story. No matter if you are successful or just trying to break out into the blog world, everyone comes with a story and deserves all of the love and respect that you wish for yourself. There’s room for everyone.

What have you found to be the most challenging part of blogging?

It’s a 24/7 job and that can become exhausting. There’s always something that needs to be done and especially when you are trying to turn this into a full time gig, it takes a lot of effort. It’s hard to know who you can trust, who to contact and how to approach them. It’s hard to always be creating, blogging, attending events etc. It’s easy to get out of balance.

Do you have any advice for someone who is interested in cooking or food blogging?

Put your priorities in order and then move forward with passion. Be who you truly are regardless of those around you. It’s easy to get sucked into the blogging social world, but it’s more important to stay true to yourself and share lots of love for those around you. Love them for who they are, what they are doing and treat yourself the same.

Is there anything else you would like to tell the world about yourself?

Well, I think that all pretty much sums me up. I adore family, food, reading, and staying fit. I love a good Sunday afternoon nap, and I am all about finding good people to surround myself with. There’s much to learn even from those you may not get along with. It’s all about the love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks Carrian! I enjoyed learning more about you. I love your devotion to your family. 

You can also find Carrian on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Even though she hates all three ;)

 

Free email series

5 Time & Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

FREE BONUS!

You May Also Like...

  • {a day in the life} How Sweet It Is
  • {a day in the life} My Life as a Mrs.
  • {a day in the life} How Sweet It Is
  • {a day in the life} How Sweet It Is
twice baked sweet potatoes rachelcooks.com
Previous Post
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Next Post
Baked Apple French Toast Cups

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 1 MB. You can upload: image. Drop files here

  1. Rachael {SimplyFreshCooking} says

    November 16, 2012 at 12:16 pm

    This was my favorite “day in the life” so far! Carrian does seem very sweet, and that blog of hers is amazing! :) :)

    Reply
  2. Bree says

    November 14, 2012 at 4:13 pm

    An especially great interview-I really like Sweet Basil too! :)

    Reply
    • carrian says

      November 14, 2012 at 4:38 pm

      Thank you!!

      Reply
  3. Cookin' Canuck says

    November 14, 2012 at 2:20 pm

    Carrian’s kind and generous self shines through in this feature. I’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with her and her darling kids and husband several times, and they are all a delight to be around. Just love this girl!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      November 14, 2012 at 2:28 pm

      Oh I am so jealous!

      Reply
  4. Julie @ Table for Two says

    November 13, 2012 at 9:30 pm

    seriously. carrian is the SWEETEST girl, ever. she goes way out of her way to make someone feel welcomed and just everything about this girl – she has a big big heart. i seriously adore her. i had the pleasure of meeting her this past october in Iowa and she’s just as sweet in person as she is online. you must meet her one day!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      November 14, 2012 at 2:26 pm

      Ugh! Still kicking myself for not saying “yes” to that trip!

      Reply
  5. Tracey @ Cooking with Love says

    November 13, 2012 at 7:40 pm

    I just love Carrian! She was the first person to make a comment on my new blog! She is genuine and the real deal for sure! Loved reading about her. :)

    Reply
  6. Elizabeth Foster says

    November 13, 2012 at 6:15 pm

    What an amazing lady! I look forward to everything she posts. It’s fun to find someone with such passion and have them be so real. I have learned so much from her. Each post is like cooking with an old friend. Thank you so much! This interview was a real treat. Nothing could have better summed it up than her statement “it’s all about the love”!

    Reply
    • carrian says

      November 14, 2012 at 4:36 pm

      Elizabeth, Thank you so much!!! That is seriously the sweetest comment. I cannot tell you what it means to me to hear that you enjoy the posts. Much love!

      Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Rachel! Life can be complicated, cooking shouldn't be! I believe that you can put a delicious meal on the table without stressing. It's possible, and I'm here to help. Have a seat at my table...let's chat, eat, and have fun! Read more...

Air Fryer Instant Pot 30 Minutes One Pan Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Slow Cooker Vegetarian 5 Ingredients

Trending

Cooked salmon fillet on a grey-toned plate with cooked asparagus spears. The salmon is being flaked with a fork.

Air Fryer Salmon – easy and delicious!

Pizza pasta being scooped from a pan with a wooden spoon.

Pizza Pasta – 1 pan, 20 minutes

Image of a giant bowl of spaghetti with turkey meatballs.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

Asparagus Panzanella Salad

Seasonal

15 Healthy Sheet Pan Meals

Pile of crispy zucchini slices.

Air Fryer Zucchini Chips

These easy vegetarian cauliflower tacos are full of flavor and protein! Even meat-lovers are going to flip over these fun tacos. Whether it's for Meatless Monday or a full-on vegetarian lifestyle, you're going to love these! They're also easy to make vegan. Make them tonight! 

Cauliflower Tacos with Chickpeas – Vegetarian

Overhead view of cauliflower steaks on a sheet pan with parmesan and chimichurri.

Cauliflower Steaks Recipe

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window
Free Bonus!

5 Cooking Secrets to Save Time & Stress

Free email series of my best tips and recipes!

Featured On:

Back to Top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Work with Me
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
© 2022 Rachel Cooks®
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled