FAQ

On this page, I tried to answer the questions I most-commonly receive. If I didn’t answer a question you may have, please feel free to leave a comment!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is there an easier way to see your recipes?

Yes, you can click here:

Get CCK Recipes by Email

I know many people prefer to see my recipes as emails, so they don’t have to remember to keep checking back for new recipes. If you sign up for emails, you will receive all my new recipe posts. And it’s completely free!

How can I contact you?

I receive hundreds of questions each day. So please be patient with me, as I try my hardest to respond to as many as possible! Here are links to the CCK Facebook Page and my twitter page. You can also contact me at chocolatecoveredkatie at msn dot com. Or leave a comment on any one of my blog posts.

Blogging

What’s your favorite recipe on the blog?

My favorite is the Chocolate Bar Pie.

(Other favorites include: the fudge brownies, homemade Larabars, pb cookie dough cookies, pumpkin cereal, and vanilla-fudge frosting.) But it seems like the readers’ favorite is the Cookie Dough Dip.

Can I post one of your recipes on my own blog? And can I use your photos?

I am so ridiculously happy when someone tries one of my recipes. I do ask, though, that you link back to my recipe instead of posting it on your site, even if you’ve made a few changes. I have big plans for some of my recipes and therefore don’t want them posted all over the blogworld. However, please feel free to use any of my photos as long as you give me credit.

Do you have advice for other bloggers?

Here are all my posts tagged: Tips for Food Bloggers.

Photography

What kind of camera do you use?

I have a Canon Rebel. (Photos on posts up until about a year ago were taken with a simple point-and-shoot camera.) I don’t have any special lenses. Someday I’d love to buy an f/1.8 lens. Someday… when I can afford it!

Your photos are so gorgeous! Have you taken any classes? And what tips do you have for someone who wants to take better photos?

Thank you so much! Everything I know comes from observation and practice. (I do want to take a class or attend a workshop someday.)

My biggest tips to readers who want to improve their photos: practice practice practice! And observe others’ photos, making mental (and sometimes actual) notes on what aspects of the photo you like and what you dislike. An awesome website for this: Foodgawker.

Katie

Do you have a job?

Yes. As of June, 2011, this is my job!

Can you share your stats? How much do you weigh?

I am 5’5, and I don’t regularly weigh myself.

How do you stay so little when you eat dessert all the time?

Some of it has to do with having a high metabolism and with being active. However, I really do believe everyone can (and deserves to) eat dessert every day, no matter their metabolism. Denying a true craving will just make a person want the “forbidden” food even more. Plus, the recipes on my blog are all pretty healthy, so it’s really not a problem to indulge more than once a day. (I usually have two snacks every day, mostly recipes published on this blog, or recipes I’m still developing.)

Your hair is so shiny. What products do you use?

First of all, I eat a lot of healthy fats. If you’re trying to get shiny hair, a low-fat diet is not your friend. I wrote more about my haircare routine here: 3 Steps to Healthy Hair.

You mention you’ve lived all over the world. Where exactly have you lived?

I was born in England, and I’ve also lived in Philadelphia, Japan, China, The Philippines, and Dallas.

Why do you always eat with chopsticks?

I grew up in Japan, so I actually learned to eat with chopsticks before a fork! (Yes, I now do know how to eat with a fork as well. But chopsticks still feel more natural to me.)

How can I contact you?

I receive hundreds of blog comments, emails, and facebook messages each day. So please be patient with me, as I try my hardest to respond to as many as possible! Here are my facebook and twitter pages. You can also contact me at chocolatecoveredkatie at msn dot com. Or leave a comment on any one of my blog posts.

Recipes

Where do you get your recipe inspiration?

I observe the world through chocolate-covered glasses! A more serious answer: I’ll think of a flavor, then brainstorm all the different types of foods (pancakes, doughnuts, oatmeal, etc.) I can make with that specific flavor. I’m also inspired by requests or suggestions from you all. Seriously, people leave the yummiest comments!

I’m on a gluten-free diet. Do you have any recipes I can make?

Definitely! See the following page: Special Diet Recipes.

Also, all of my recipes are vegan, so they’re free of meat, milk, eggs, and other animal products. Many of the recipes are also sugar-free, or they will have a sugar-free option.

What foods should I have on hand to make your recipes?

It’s difficult to give a short list, since every recipe is different. I do try to keep my recipes as simple as possible (i.e. no hard-to-find flours or other obscure ingredients you likely don’t have on hand). Some items called for in many of my recipes: cocoa powder, rolled oats, spelt flour (or ww pastry or oat flour), almond milk, bananas, coconut butter, pitted dates, nunaturals stevia (or agave or maple syrup or regular sugar), applesauce, and peanut butter.

What recipe would you recommend to serve to people who don’t like “healthy” food?

Without question, I’d recommend the Deep-Dish Cookie Pie.

I’ve gotten hundreds of emails, facebook messages, comments, and tweets from people who’ve had success bringing this recipe to parties. Another recipe that’s popular at parties is the Fudge Babies.

I thought you were a vegan. Don’t chocolate chips contain dairy?

I used to think vegans couldn’t eat chocolate. Thank goodness this isn’t true!! There are many, many brands of vegan chocolate chips, chocolate bars, and other vegan chocolate desserts on the market today. Some vegan chocolate options include: Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet, Enjoy Life, Whole Foods brand, Sunspire, some generic brands, Divvies, etc. They even make vegan mini chocolate chips now, and you can find vegan white chocolate  online. Or, I sometimes use Ghirardelli 100% baking discs or broken up chocolate bars (in different flavors). Sometimes I make my own Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips.

How do you justify spending so much for expensive food products?

In the long-run, you will save money by splurging for quality ingredients over processed junk. Sure, something like a Big Mac only costs a buck. But do you know how much triple bypass surgery costs? I can guarantee it’s more than a bag of chia seeds! Also, one consumes a Big Mac (or a candy bar, etc.) in a single sitting. With something like coconut butter, a little goes a loooong way. And I save money in other areas of my life. I don’t buy designer handbags, I paint my own nails, and I rarely go to the movies or out to dinner (i.e. no dropping $80 on one steak dinner).

As for organic, I will buy certain items organic if I see them (such as peaches and peppers). But I don’t usually worry about non-”dirty dozen” items. And I always buy conventional broccoli, because the organic is often buggy, which grosses me out. I know ingesting pesticides is worse than eating bugs… but ugh, at least you can’t see the pesticides!

Can you list calorie counts for your recipes? Please?

Initially, I didn’t want to list calories for any of my recipes, since I don’t believe in calorie-counting. Calories don’t take into account vitamins, minerals, or other such nutrients; therefore they do not give the whole story of a particular food. However, I know a lot of my readers find nutritional information helpful, and therefore I will include the info from time to time in my recipes, as a compromise.

Do you really eat all the desserts you post?

I personally taste-test every single recipe I post on my blog. Many of the recipes—especially ones with chocolate—will be consumed entirely by me. (Or the addictive PB Cookie Dough Cookies. I don’t share those!) However, my friends love being taste-testers, and I’ll often send them home with food. Then there are some recipes that I create specifically because I think you will like them; these are not necessarily my personal favorites (cake batter doughnuts, pbj blondies, etc.). My friends will happily eat anything I don’t want.

Health and Diet

You seem to eat very healthily. Do you ever eat unhealthy foods?

I try to make sure my meals are balanced, and I strive for variety. But I don’t stress out about it, and I will never eat a food just because it’s supposedly good for me. Worrying about eating a “perfect” diet seems more detrimental to one’s health than a few grams of trans fat or white flour every now and then. Luckily, the foods I crave are usually pretty healthy. However, if I’m out and about and get a craving for vegan cheesecake, or if a friend surprises me with a vegan dessert that isn’t healthy in the slightest, you can bet your (pleather!) boots I’ll happily gobble it down anyway!

If you’re so skinny, why don’t you eat lots of cake, cookies, and other such foods to gain weight?

I tried going that route. It made me feel sluggish and sick. And I didn’t even see much lasting weight gain. I wrote more about the experience here: My Food Story.

Although I now eat a diet made up mostly of healthy foods, with very little sugar, I’m still around the same size I was when actively stuffing my face with junk. And I feel so much better this way.

Many of your recipes are extremely low-calorie. Why is that?

A lot of the people who read my blog are trying to lose weight or can’t just eat as much as they want. I try to make my recipes relevant for as many people as possible. Therefore, I’ll give variations in my recipes so that everyone can make them. This way people can make the recipe as high-fat or low-fat as they want. (It’s also why I try to include gluten-free options and options for different sweeteners or flours.)

Are you a vegan? Can I still make your recipes if I’m not a vegan?

I’ve been a vegan 10+ years, and it was the best decision I ever made. For more about why I’m a vegan, see: My transition to veganism.

You definitely do not need to be a vegan to enjoy my recipes. You simply need to be someone who enjoys delicious desserts. (You fit this description, right?) In fact, most of my readers probably aren’t vegans.

Running/Exercise

Do you run every day?

No. I believe rest is very important; I take at least two rest days per week.

How far do you go when you run?

I don’t have a Garmin, and I don’t usually track my mileage. But every once in a while, I’ll plug a favorite route into mapmyrun.com, and it tells me the routes are around 8-10 miles. (On the rare occasion I run on a treadmill, that’s about the same distance the machine tells me I cover.)

Do you really find running to be fun, or is it just something you force yourself to do?

I really do think running is fun. If it wasn’t fun, I wouldn’t do it. (That doesn’t mean I love all forms of exercise. See next question.)

Do you lift weights?

Now this is something I force myself to do. I find weight-lifting to be super-tedious, and I’d really rather be doing something else. (Eating chocolate!) I am jealous of everyone who thinks weight-lifting is fun, because I just don’t get it! Share your secrets, people! I do it because I know it’s good for my muscles and bones. But I don’t like it. Not at all.

What about other exercise? Do you belong to a gym?

I really don’t like gyms. They are smelly and sweaty and filled with people running around in a frenzy. And treadmills make me feel like a hamster, never actually going anywhere. (I had a hamster once. Very strange creatures…) I do enjoy other forms of exercise, though, such as riding my bike to the store (saves gas and money, too!) and going for long walks with my dog, Henry. I was very active in high school, playing varsity tennis and soccer, but I sadly don’t often get the chance to play those sports anymore.

Final odds-n-ends

Is there a way I can get your posts as emails?

Yes, you can click here:

Get CCK Recipes by Email

It’s completely free, and you will get only my recipe posts, not any annoying ads!

Do you really eat chocolate every day?

Yes. Every single day. Usually at least twice.

And thus concludes a crazy-long faq page. I tried to be concise, but it’s just not my strong suit! If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask! Or see my About Katie page.