Jamie Preuss, food photographer and blogger extraordinaire at So Happy You Liked It, is this week's Monday Muse. I’ve known Jamie for years, working with her many times over the course of my time at Target. In fact, one of my first experiences with her was at a party she was hosting for Stella and Dot (back in the days when I was a rep for them and before we worked together). It was a brunch party, and Jamie didn’t hold back. It was one of the most organized, beautiful, and most importantly delicious parties I had been to. Even back then, this girl knew what she was doing! As someone who also loves to entertain, I can appreciate the time and energy it takes to pull off events like this. Jamie does it with so much joy and makes it look completely effortless. Grab a cup of your favorite coffee (or glass of wine if you’re reading this at night ) and let’s get to know more about Jamie.

How did you start So Happy You Liked it (and how did you come up with the name)? Have you always been in to cooking and entertaining?

So Happy You Liked It was born from my innate desire to share food with others. I realized in my senior year of college that I should have gone to culinary school...I spent just as much time watching cooking shows and researching recipes as I did on my Marketing course load! Realizing that I didn’t need a degree to pursue this passion, I continued to share my creations in the kitchen with others. I soon found that when given a compliment on something I'd made, my response quickly became, “I’m so happy you liked it!”. When I decided to start my own food blog, the name was a no brainer.

Who is your biggest influence in the food? Why?

The home cook who’s looking to try new things, eat seasonally, indulge intelligently, and lead a balanced life. Truly, I find most of my inspiration from those that I’m actually writing and creating for! I love nothing more than hearing, “that one recipe you shared looked so good, but it seemed a little too complex for me”. Direct feedback! When I hear things like this I am so inspired to dig in further and learn more about what my readers are looking for.

Biggest failure you've made in the kitchen? What Happened?

I once made a birthday cake for a dear friend, who is partial to particular light beer. While I was pretty confident in my cake decorating skills, apparently my can-shaped cake vision was not executable AT ALL. Photos of this cake will still send my girlfriends and I in to a fit of hysterical, tear-inducing laughter. 

Favorite ingredient(s) to use ? And is there one ingredient you can't stand or don't like to cook?

I love cooking with fresh and seasonal ingredients...it’s hard to choose just one! With the approaching summer months, I’ll be using fresh veg in every meal. I also love adding citrus to everything. You’d be surprised what a splash of lime juice or zest of a lemon can do to a dish! 

How do you balance the blog, cooking, your corporate job, and all the events you attend ( I get tired just keeping up with your IG! HA)

GREAT QUESTION! I've always been a busy, on the go, schedule-packed-to-the-brim kind of person. But I’d be lying if I said that it doesn’t get exhausting! Pro tip: find something that sets your soul on fire, and keep at it. The “work” I do is far from just that. And of course, having a spouse who supports me, knows when to challenge me to slow down, and when to jump in and do a sink full of dishes (sometimes twice in one day…) - is incredibly helpful too :-)

• Rapid Fire Questions:

• Cake or pie? (whines at difficulty of question)....CAKE

• Favorite Restaurant? My husband and I had an UNREAL experience at La Grolla recently. 

• If you could eat at any restaurant in the world, what would it be? Lo scoglio la tommado- farm and sea to table restaurant Amalfi coast 

• Cookbooks or Online recipes? Cookbooks! 

• Go to food when you don't want to cook? Avocado toast (#basic I know), eggs, or pasta 

• If you could only make one recipe from your blog, what would it be? My Parmesan Pancakes with Caramelized Corn and Bacon are becoming a weekend go to in my house!

Thanks Jamie for being this week’s Monday Muse. Pop on over to Jamie’s blog to try out all her amazing recipes!