When Detroit native Stacy Anderson started her blog a couple years ago, the name of the site made a bit more sense. She planned to write about every (or any) little thing that struck her fancy.
"It was more like a blog for me and my mom," confesses Anderson.
Then in the fall of 2010, she moved to Glen Carbon, Illinois, to be closer to her boyfriend. And it was here, in metro St. Louis, that her blogging underwent a transformation.
"There were so many food-driven activities and so much food culture here compared to where I'd come from," she says. "I started visiting farmers' markets and exploring other food websites and civic groups, and they all led me to the same place: the kitchen."
Now Anderson's Every Little Thing blog is almost entirely about food. A typical week might have the 29-year-old writing and photographing her attempts at a new recipe, explaining a culinary find or sharing her thoughts on sustainability.
Recently the blog has undergone a more subtle change: Anderson is focusing more of her attention on locally grown foods and the "slow-food" movement, allowing her to highlight local farms, restaurants and stores that support the community.
A journalism major as an undergrad, Anderson later went on to get her master's degree in social work. She now works full-time aiding children with autism. The five to ten hours a week she spends working on the blog helps satisfy her journalism itch. It also challenges her to try foods and recipes outside her comfort level.
"Readers appreciate that I'm learning along with them," she says. "I constantly get questions from them asking how they can start eating local, healthier foods. Helping them discover that arena is extremely rewarding.
Disclaimer: Stacy Anderson recently began freelancing for Riverfront Times' food blog, Gut Check.
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