GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL - ALL ABOUT ME - KIMMY RIPLEY

I wanted to do something a little different today and instead of sharing reviews and recipes I want to share some details about ME, in case anyone was wondering who I am! My name is Kimmy Ripley and I am from the city of St. Clair Shores in Michigan. I am very very VERY passionate about food and drink. I try my best to always eat with an open mind and I live for the thrill of trying out new things. This Give It A Whirl Girl food blog was started last June and it such a big joy to share my food and drink experiences with you all!

Today I will be sharing 10 questions and answers on the blog so you can get to know me better! There are going to be a ton of photos in this post so get ready! I know some people who “read” blogs don’t read and just check out the photos, so if you are one of those people you are in luck today!

Me! Kimmy Ripley AKA Give It A Whirl Girl

My hubby and I at Kona Grill for one of my birthdays

Give It A Whirl Girl with some Enlightened ice cream pop

Me and my daughter, Chloe Pearl, at the Heidelberg Project

You can also learn more about me in my introductory post!

All About Give It A Whirl Girl – Get To Know Me

1) Favorite food:

This is a tough question. I am not a very picky eater and I consider myself to be a foodie! There are so many foods out there that I absolutely love but if I had to choose one thing, just one thing, it would be…

Sushi! – I love love love sushi but I am also a big fan of things like crab legs or lobster tail because they are such a pricey and super rare treat for me.

My go-to place for sushi is Inyo in Ferndale, MI. We discovered this fantastic Asian fusion restaurant through Groupon. Inyo Ferndale is almost always on Groupon, so if you are local be sure to grab a Groupon for this spectacular Asian restaurant. You can thank me later… wink! wink! Their food is top-notch and we are regulars there.

And just for fun! Here is a photo of my daughter, Chloe Pear, with her chicken teriyaki dinner at Inyo Ferndale — And just for fun! Here is a photo of my daughter, Chloe Pearl, with her chicken teriyaki dinner at Inyo Ferndale

Ok guys! I am obsessed with Inyo. Here is a photo of my Walnut Lobster. This was the most recent meal that I ordered

Honorable mention:

Gotta love a big bowl of noodly pho at Minh Chau restaurant (they just changed the name to New Asian Star). Pho is comfort food for me. The broth here at New Asian Star is on-point! The pho that I enjoy ordering has sliced beef, brisket, meatballs, and soft tendon in it. Yeah I said tendon… and it is a weird meat to eat but I do enjoy it here. They also have a pho available with tripe if you are feeling really adventurous.

You can also stop in here for a bubble drink!

Big bowl of yummy pho at Minh Chau (now known as New Asian Star)

Pure comfort food right over here. I love pho at Minh Chau (New Asian Star)!

2) Least favorite food:

Oh this is an easy one. I used to eat some funky stuff when I was a little girl… things I could not fathom stomaching now!

Herrings in cream sauce (ew) I used to eat these fishy fishes straight out of the jar.

Giblets and hearts in my stuffing (ew! ew!) My mom always put those nasty things in my Thanksgiving stuffing. NEVER AGAIN

Liverwurst (ew! ew! ew!) All by itself or on some plain white bread. No thank you!

3) Favorite fruit

Want to know about my favorite fruit? This is an easy one to answer for me… dragon fruit, and that is followed by passion fruit, another favorite of mine. I am a HUGE fan of exotic fruits and I love to create exotic smoothie bowls with these fruits. If you are local, you can usually pick up a wide variety of exotic fruits at Nino Salvaggio.

Dragon fruit can have either a white center or pink center. You never know until you slice it!

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Exotic fruits that I purchased at Nino Salvaggio

4) Favorite meals that I have cooked:

Truth be told, and many of you all know, cooking and baking is my #1 passion in life! I love to serve up a delicious dish for my little family of 3

Italian drunken noodle is hands down the family favorite over here in the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen. You can find the recipe for this delicious dish on my blog. Italian Drunken Noodle features Pappardelle pasta, Italian sausage, and mix of peppers with chardonnay wine.

A big plate of Italian Drunken Noodle and a glass of chardonnay

Italian Drunken Noodle - Give It A Whirl Girl's favorite meal to cook — Italian Drunken Noodle – Give It A Whirl Girl’s favorite meal to cook

Honorable mention:

Gigantic mozzarella stuffed meatballs are a big favorite and I have the recipe for these on my blog. This is the kind of meal that I invite my family over for. This recipe serves up a generous portion of meatballs.

CLICK HERE for my Huge Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs RECIPE!

Huge mozzarella stuffed meatballs simmering in the slow-cooker

A big plate of mozzarella stuffed meatballs served over spaghetti noodles

Pineapples stuffed with a teriyaki chicken is another family fave but it is somewhat complicated and tedious to create. You can find the recipe and learn more about this gluten-free dish on my blog.

Pineapples stuffed with teriyaki chicken are a fabulous summer meal

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5) Favorite desserts I have created

I love to bake cakes even though I am not the most talented baker and cake decorator. I created a bubblegum cake and a cotton candy cake. These cakes and cupcakes were a ton of fun to create and even more fun to eat!

Here are some photos of my favorite baking projects:

Bubblegum Gluten-Free Cake - Let's Get The Party Started — Bubblegum Gluten-Free Cake – Let’s Get The Party Started

COTTON CANDY CAKE by GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL - Gluten-Free - How I Created It — COTTON CANDY CAKE

6) Favorite drink (non-alcoholic):

I don’t know how I can pick one here. I am a self-confessed coffee addict and I am also addicted to my energy drinks (have to have at least one a day!). My favorite energy drinks are by Bang Energy. With flavors like Unicorn and Cotton Candy, how can you resist?

7) Favorite alcoholic drink:

I recently started getting into craft beer and hard ciders. I was always attracted to the labels and packaging. It is so fun and colorful! I grew up my entire life, hating on beer, and saying it tasted like pee. Then one day I went to Hop Cat and I went there with the intention of giving beer a whirl and I ordered a flight with three different craft beers. Guess what? I enjoyed each and every one of them! I was impressed with myself that I gave craft beer a chance. I love craft beer and the entire drink experience with them. I love all of the unique flavors out there… Lucky Charms cereal, etc. etc.!

So sorry for the poor quality photo! I apologize but here is a photo of me with my first craft beer! I gave it a whirl at Hop Cat in Royal Oak, MI

First flight of craft beer for me at Hop Cat and I loved each one of them!

Rekorderling Passion Fruit hard cider – This was the greatest hard cider I have tried!

An assortment of craft beers... all delicious! — An assortment of craft beers… all delicious!

Cranium Crush - Raspberry Waffle Cone Ale — Cranium Crush – Raspberry Waffle Cone Ale

An assortment of craft beers that I tried out. And we save all of the bottles and cans and display them in our basement.

8) Favorite candy

Jelly Belly Raspberries & Blackberries are my favorite candy! What is yours?

There is no better candy than Jelly Belly’s Raspberries & Blackberries! These berry flavored candies are extremely highly addictive to me and I will kill a bag in just a couple of minutes!

9) Favorite post on the blog

I am nearing 200 published posts on the blog and if I had to choose one favorite post I simply can’t. I am going to declare a tie here. The two posts that were my favorite to do were both local reviews. I would love to visit more places nearby and review them. The local reviews I have done are my top performing posts. Here we go…

Modern Cone Review

and

Kawaii Bubble Tea Review

Modern Cone is an ice cream shop in St. Clair Shores that specializes in creative ice cream concoctions. This is the place to go if you want a unique ice cream concoction that is fun to eat, and very Instagrammable!

Make sure you are following my Facebook page because I will be sharing a Modern Cone gift card giveaway very soon!

Cereal Killer ice-cream Stacker available at Modern Cone

Kawaii Bubble Tea is located in Clinton Township, MI and they have some of the best bubble teas (boba) that I have ever tried. They also have a wide variety of macarons available. If you have never ever tried boba you definitely need to check out this place. It is a very fun drink experience.

Enjoying our boba drinks and macarons at Kawaii Bubble Tea in Clinton Township, MI
What a fun experience for all of us!

Honorable mention:

Tou & Mai is located in Detroit’s midtown area and they offer some very unique desserts. I tried their halo halo (Hello Hello is what they call it). You can read the review on my blog where I spill all the beans about this awesome dessert destination!

Tou & Mai Review

Sweet beans in my ice cream~!

Hello Hello (Halo Halo) at Tou & Mai in Detroit, MI

10) Favorite place to grab a sweet treat

This is an easy question to answer. Menchie’s and Orange Leaf are definitely my favorite place to grab a dessert. I am obsessed with frozen yogurt, also known as froyo. You can read my Menchie’s review on the blog.

Want to give Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt a whirl? Grab a Groupon and save on your visit!

Menchie's Frozen Yogurt (Froyo) Build-Your-Own Creation — Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt (Froyo) Build-Your-Own Creation
Edible art!

Menchies Heritage Village in Warren, MI toppings bar

Final thoughts

I truly hope you enjoyed this post over here at Give It A Whirl Girl. I would love to hear from my readers so leave me a comment here and tell me about your favorite food!

Question Time!

What is your favorite food? Least favorite food? Please share with me. I love to hear from my audience!

Also…

If you have any questions that you would like to ask me, leave a question in the comment box and I will be happy to answer it.

Follow Give It A Whirl Girl on social media

Give It A Whirl prepping a from-scratch pizza

At Tony's I-75 in Birch Run, MI with our gigantic banana split — At Tony’s I-75 in Birch Run, MI with our gigantic banana split

Learn more about this COLOSSAL banana split in my Tony’s I-75 restaurant review

Chloe Pearl and I cooking a from-scratch pizza in the Give It A Whirl Girl kitchen

Did you enjoy this post? Here are more posts at Give It A Whirl Girl that you might enjoy!

SHOP PYKNIC ON AMAZON (One of my favorite brands… all food/drink related items too!)

April 26, 2019 12

Year In Review – Top 10 Posts At Give It A Whirl Girl For 2018

Year In Review - 2018 - Give It A Whirl Girl - Top 10 Blog Posts

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF MY READERS!

It has been a great year for 2018 over here at Give It A Whirl Girl! I started up this blog in early June and it has been one hell of an awesome ride! At the start of 2018, I made a new year’s resolution to start a blog. I am so happy to say that it was one of my new year’s resolutions that I actually stuck to and accomplished.

On June 6th I was at home and I was recovering from an umbilical hernia surgery when I got the idea to follow through and fire it up. I had no clue or idea what the heck I was doing when I started (I don’t think anyone knows lol). I started to read and research how to do this whole blog thing. Still to this day I am feeding my brain with knowledge about blogging. Seems as though there is always something new to learn if you are going to make a job out of blogging.

I am so happy and pleased to say that I absolutely love blogging and this is something that I will definitely be sticking to for a very long time. I have always been passionate about food. I live for the thrill of trying new foods (giving them a whirl) and I am also very much in love with cooking. It made perfect sense to take all of this into consideration and start blogging about these passions of mine.

And here you have it, folks! Here is my top ten list of the most visited posts for 2018.

GIVEAWAY – Chocolate – Happy Holidays & Thank You

This was a recent giveaway that I ran on my own over here at Give It A Whirl Girl. Truth be told, I am a bit obsessed with trying out any and all chocolate products so I put together this prize pack to send off to one lucky reader! I had a great time hosting this giveaway and putting this together on my own. Really am envious of the winner of this prize pack because all of these chocolate confections are out of this world amazing. Really am hoping that they are loving their chocolates!

GIVEAWAY – Kettle & Fire Bone Broth Review and Coupon Code

White Chicken Chili made with Kettle & Fire Chicken Bone Broth

This was another great giveaway with a brand that I know, love, and trust~ Kettle & Fire. Their bone broths are not only healthy but very nutritious as well. I made the most incredible ground chicken white chili with their chicken bone broth and shared the recipe on my blog.

Get Empowered With TRUWOMEN Protein Bars – Product Review & A Giveaway

Here is one of my very first posts at Give It A Whirl Girl and I am truly shocked that it landed a spot in my top 10 list of my most visited posts. This was the first giveaway that I conducted on the blog and I partnered with TRUWOMEN to do this giveaway for a variety pack of their bars. Their bars are top-notch and come in fun flavors such as Daydreaming About Donuts and Oh Oh Cookie Dough!

Kawaii Bubble Tea Is The Place You Want To Be – Boba Review In Clinton Township, Michigan

Kawaii Bubble Tea Boba drink (honeydew, with almond milk, green tea, and passionfruit jelly)

This was a very fun post to do for my blog! I reviewed Kawaii Bubble Tea in Clinton Township. I had arranged a meeting with the owner and I interviewed her over a bubble tea and a delightful tray of fresh macarons. My daughter and my hubby tagged along for this venture and it was a great time to be had for all!

White Elephant Gift Guide At Perpetual Kid & A Giveaway

I partnered with Perpetual Kid to do a giveaway for a gift-card to their online store. This was a fun giveaway to co-host because Perpetual Kid has a very unique online store. I created a white elephant gift guide to go along with this giveaway and found some very funny gag gifts to share.

Fat Stack Of Gluten-Free Pancakes With Enjoy Life Foods – Product Review, Recipe, & Giveaway

Stack of Enjoy Life Foods natural color pancakes with rainbow sprinkles

For this post I reviewed one of my favorite brands- Enjoy Life Foods. I created a fat stack of some fun gluten-free pancakes and then I decided to throw in an Amazon gift-card and do a giveaway.

New York Deli In St Clair Shores – Restaurant Review

New York Deli in St Clair Shores, MI - Baked Cod — New York Deli in St Clair Shores, MI – Baked Cod

The New York Deli in St. Clair Shores, MI is one of my family’s go-to restaurants in our neighborhood. For this post I did a review of the restaurant. I went with one of my usual dinners that night~ baked cod with steamed broccoli.

A Trio Of Frozen Custard Parfaits At Erma’s Frozen Custard In St Clair Shores, Michigan

Peanut Butter & Jelly Parfait at Erma's Frozen Custard in St Clair Shore, MI — Peanut Butter & Jelly Parfait at Erma’s Frozen Custard in St Clair Shores, MI

Erma’s Frozen Custard is another St. Clair Shores place of business. I did a review of their frozen custard stand and each of my family members got a parfait of their choosing. My family always enjoys our outings with frozen treats!

Party Hardy With A Yasso Frozen Yogurt Treat – Product Review Of Party Animal Froyo

Yasso Frozen Yogurt - Party Animal — Yasso Frozen Yogurt – Party Animal Sundae

It is kinda sorta hard for me to believe that one of my very first posts at Give It A Whirl Girl has generated so much traffic. This post gets a lot of traffic from Google search. I had zero knowledge at the time on how SEO worked but somehow I managed to get this post to show up well in the results.

I had a great time reviewing the Yasso Frozen Yogurt. I ended up making a delicious sundae with the Party Animal flavor. For the topping, I added some marshmallow to it, candy sprinkles, and three frosted animal cookies. And let us not forget about the cherry on top! Every splendid sundae needs to be topped with one of those!

Good Day Chocolate Supplements For Children – Go Back To School In Good Health

And last but not least, this post was for Good Day Chocolate Supplement for kids. I had also reviewed the adult line of supplements from this brand. I partnered with Good Day Chocolate to do a giveaway for a variety pack of their supplements on my Instagram page.

Give It A Whirl Girl Blog Goals For 2019

Improve photography

I know, I know! One thing I need to improve upon here at Give It A Whirl Girl is my photography and I am going to make it a priority to get better at this in 2019. I need to get the funds to improve my equipment first. I would love to get some proper lighting equipment and a new DSLR and a great lens to go on it. Anyone want to send $2000 my way because I think that is what it will take to be where I need to be!

Better blog design

Honestly, I am not 100% in love with the blog design over here at Give It A Whirl Girl. I play around with different themes every now and then to see if I can find a better style. In 2019 it will be a top priority to get a better design here, a logo, and also a nice photograph for my short bio.

More giveaways

As you can see in my top 10 list, the giveaways generate a good amount of traffic. Traffic is great! I also love hosting these giveaways and partnering with brands that I love and endorse. I feel like the giveaways are a great way to give back to my loyal readers. To me, they are a great way of saying thanks!

More restaurant reviews

You can also see that in this top 10 list there are some restaurant reviews that received quite a bit of hits. I enjoy doing those as well and I admit, I have been slacking on doing them. They do make me a bit nervous to do. I am going to attempt to come out of my shell more and bring more local hot spots to my readers.

Question Time!

What would you like to see more of over here at Give It A Whirl Girl in the new year?

Also, do you have any new year’s resolutions you would like to share?

Leave me a comment and let me know.

THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS (no extra cost to you). ALL OPINIONS STATED HERE ARE MY OWN.

January 3, 2019 13

It Has Been An Awesome Four Months!

Happy 4 month anniversary to Give It A Whirl Girl! I started up this blog four months ago on June 6th. I was recovering from a hernia operation when a lightbulb went off in my mind! I had to fire it up and get the ball rolling on starting up a blog! My number one passion in life is cooking and baking. It was also my new year’s resolution to get a blog up and running. It took me half a year of planning to finally take my first step. I am so incredibly grateful for my husband, my daughter, and my mother for holding my hand along the way!

Give It A Whirl Girl making paleo dark chocolate fudge cupcakes

I was tremendously nervous to start this new venture. It takes a lot of strength to write and put yourself out there for the world to see! In the beginning, I would have a little anxiety attack before hitting that publish button. Fast forward to four months later and now I am incredibly eager to hit that publish button and share my foodie venture with the world! When I discover a new food or a new recipe that I fall in love with I want to spread the word.

I have learned a TON and taken in a lot of information in these past four months. Starting up a blog is a lot harder than one would think. There is a lot of knowledge that needs to be fed to your brain so you have a clue on what the heck you are doing! I still have a lot to learn. Learning about things like SEO makes me feel dumb. Blogging is so complex! I am determined and committed to learning and embracing all of this knowledge so that when my one-year anniversary arrives I can look back on all of this and see how far I have come.

Give It A Whirl Girl with a loaf of bread for paleo French toast

Continue reading “It Has Been An Awesome Four Months!” →

September 6, 2018 4

Why You Should Give It A Whirl TODAY

I was not always this way. I created a lot of routines in my life and my life was beginning to feel so mediocre. Today I live life for the experience of trying out new and different things. I would definitely slap the label of “foodie” right across my forehead. I am in a committed relationship with food. Trying out new foods injects a ton of happiness and joy into my life.

source

What is a foodie?

A foodie is a person who is very passionate about food. It is more than just having a love for food. It is about the experience of savoring unique flavors and exploring what the world has to offer. Every single day new foods are hitting the market. On each of those days I am scouring the web and admiring them and wishing I could just get them down into my belly! A foodie has a strong, genuine interest in food and experiencing food is a hobby to them. There really are no requirements to being a foodie. There are several definitions of what it takes to be a foodie online but I feel that if you have that passion and desire about food then that is all that it takes to be a foodie.

Why is it important to try new things?

Trying out new foods is beneficial in so many ways. You approach food with an open mind, and they do say that variety is the spice of life! Doing so breaks you out of a rut. When I first began cooking I would make the same recipes over and over: spaghetti, chili, chicken noodle soup, vegetable soup, chicken Parmesan, etc. I picked up some cookbooks for myself and explored different recipes and cuisines. I think my family was nervous at first when I began venturing into these new meals. We just did not know what to expect. You never really do know what to expect and that is the beauty of it!

Even my 8 year-old daughter, Chloe, is on-board with food exploration. She may be 8 but she is not a picky eater. I am so glad that she eats with an open mind. She comes along on our dining adventures and explores different cuisines with us. I was nothing like that when I was a child. I think it is really neat that she is brave when it comes to food.

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When you try out new foods you overcome a fear. We always pose the question of, “what if I do not like it” and “what if it is gross”. You really will not know unless you get adventurous and allow your taste buds to be the judge. When you hold back and deprive yourself you are only creating a roadblock. So cook that new recipe. Take your family out to dinner at a restaurant you have never stepped foot in. My family enjoys seeking out a new dining experience often. We are always down for the challenge of a new experience. We have discovered many interesting places to dine at when we have an open mind about it. If you do go to a restaurant that you are a regular of, don’t order the same cheeseburger you have ordered a bazillion times. Challenge yourself and say, “I’m going to try this today”. I have done this so many times and have very few regrets. It does not always agree with me but I often am glad that I took the plunge and had a new taste experience.

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What’s for dinner tonight?

I use Kroger’s ClickList and I work on my shopping list all week. I use Pinterest for dinner inspiration. I created a board there and add interesting dinner recipes and snack/dessert recipes to my board whenever I come across something that I think my family would enjoy. I don’t often repeat recipes and seek out new ones to try each week. While I am adding items to my shopping cart I explore different brands.

Did you know that you can actually write to a company and inquire about free samples or coupons? That sort of lessens the fear of being bold and trying new things. If you can get a freebie or a discount coupon at least you are not out the full cost of the product. I have become a repeat customer of several different brands after requesting a sample or coupon from them. Every week when I am working on my shopping list I’m cruising around and tossing new foods into my cart.

**samples and coupons I received in the mail**

So now it is question time!

What is the most adventurous food you have ever tried?

I will answer first. I recently had the pleasure of trying pho at Minh Chau that had tripe (stomach lining) and tendon in it. It also had sliced beef, brisket, and meatballs in it. It was hands down one of the greatest soups I have ever had in my life!

Let me know in the comments how adventurous you are. I am so curious to hear about your experience!

June 16, 2018 0

Showcasing a little bit of my cooking skills

I figured that showcasing my cooking skills would be another great way to introduce myself here and what I am most passionate about. This is a part of the day that I often look forward to. I really do get so much happiness and joy cooking for my little family of 3. In my kitchen it is a new adventure every single day. I am always seeking out new recipes to crank out so we can have a taste of some new concoctions here. As you may already know I love to try out new things, hence the name~ Give It A Whirl Girl!

**photo of me with the new Circulon cookware my hubby bought me** Kimmy Ripley GIVE IT A WHIRL GIRL — **photo of me with the new Circulon cookware my hubby bought me**

I have been cooking for a few years now but I really did not fall in love with it until last year when I began my weight loss journey. For awhile there pretty much anything passed as a meal… processed foods, loads of carbs, etc. I started falling into the trap of blaming my medication for weight gain. Until I changed my eating habits I realized I was dead wrong. I was the one to blame for my weight gain. I had been a skinny girl my whole life and when I plumped up I felt like I was in a foreign body of some sort. I realized I needed to make changes and amp up my recipes to pave the way for a healthier lifestyle.

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As mentioned in my previous post I stated that I started out on a Mediterranean diet. It really did work and I saw results! I dropped quite a bit of weight but I will be honest that I got bored with the cuisine after while and needed something new.

I started looking into paleo (no grains, beans, soy, dairy, certain vegetable oils, and refined sugar). What I was left with was meats, fish, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and seeds. I was never strict with paleo and just tried my best to be as paleo-ish as possible.

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I also ventured into the world of grain-free paleo baking and nice-cream. I love paleo desserts so much and they satisfy my sweet tooth in a healthier way every single time I whip them up. I am aware that they are not totally healthier… keyword is “healthier” for you! Life just isn’t worth living if you can’t have a tasty dessert every now and then. I live for the sweets!

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Oooooh and let’s not forget Cheat Days! There are plenty of those around here when I just stuff my face with whatever my brain desires! I believe that life should be balanced. There is no way in hell I could ever be strict.

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Hoping you will stick around to see what I am capable of. I am having a very productive day and filling up my Erin Condren planner with all sorts of ideas for future posts. I have so much to learn and I really want nothing more than for this blog to be a great resource and an exciting spot to visit. I look forward to engaging with my new readers. Thank you to all for being a part of my dream.

June 9, 2018 1

I am Kimmy Ripley “believe it or not”! Welcome To Give It A Whirl Girl!

The Ripley Family - Kimmy Ripley, Chloe Ripley, Joe Ripley — The Ripley Family

Hello and welcome to my brand spankin’ new blog! I have been putting off doing this for quite awhile because it seems like a daunting task to get it started. I honestly have no idea how to start a blog BUT I am “giving it a whirl”! I am Kimmy Ripley. I am currently 37 years old. I am happily married to Joe. We have been together happily since 1999. We have one daughter, Chloe Pearl, who is my dream girl. All my life I wanted a daughter named Chloe and now I have her in my life. Let me tell you… this girl is sweet as sugar. She makes everyday worth living and she brings me so much happiness even on the darkest days. I am blessed to have my family of 3 and everyday is a new adventure for us!

A little bit about me…

I graduated from Wayne State University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. I wanted to be a photographer so bad. Once I got a taste of working in a studio it hit me over the head that it just was not for me. Photography is still a passion of mine but for the most part I have sadly dropped out of the art scene.

In 2009 my daughter was born and that is when my entire life changed! I got a new career and that was raising her as a stay at home mom. It is what has worked out for the best for our family.

Once she was born and started to eat solid foods I realized that something needed to change in my life. I needed to learn how to COOK! I used to think that throwing a jar of Ragu pasta sauce over a box of spaghetti noodles was cooking lol! When my daughter started eating those solids I wanted to do what was best for her and I prepared most of her foods for her myself. I rarely used any prepared baby or toddler foods. This is when my journey and passion for cooking began.

I started scouring the internet for tasty and nutritious recipes. I started checking labels on foods more to see if I wanted to feed those weird ingredients to my family. I became a lot more aware of what was healthy.

Last year I began my weight loss journey with a mostly Mediterranean diet. I introduced many interesting meals to my family and I was so pleased that they enjoyed them. In the end I started going more paleo with my diet. I am not strict paleo so I am just paleo-ish. I try my best to avoid processed foods and feed them more whole foods and organics. We still have plenty of cheat moments because hey… who doesn’t love an indulgent treat like a deep fried peanut butter and jelly?!?@!

Teriyaki chicken served in a pineapple with wild rice - Give It A Whirl Girl — Teriyaki chicken served in a pineapple with wild rice

The content of this blog will contain the following topics for now:

My passion for cooking! I try to cook new recipes as often as I can. Sometimes I get brave and create my own dish without a recipe.
My journey of trying out new foods and beverages. I am telling you that I live for trying out new products. Total foodie right over here. Food is completely on my mind all day long.
My new adventure with coupons and sampling because who doesn’t love a great deal? Am I right?

I am sure that over time things will change with my blog as it experiences growth. I would also love to host giveaways on my blog because I enjoy them too! I have discovered a vast array of new products by entering giveaways. I end up being a fan for life and new customer to these brands that I get lucky enough to win from.

Thank you so much for taking the time to stumble on over to my first post that I was nervous to whip up and then hit publish on! Anyone want to hold my hand LOL! This is a big step in my life. My goal and resolution for the year was to start up this blog and try my best to keep up with it. Being a SAHM during the day while everyone is away gets lonely and I am hoping to connect with people along the way. Thank you again for stopping by. I really truly appreciate any new fans I acquire here!

The Pearl Girl and Give It A Whirl Girl - Kimmy Ripley — The Pearl Girl and Give It A Whirl Girl

The Pearl Girl loves shopping at Whole Foods

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June 6, 2018 1

You can also learn more about me in my introductory post!

All About Give It A Whirl Girl – Get To Know Me

1) Favorite food:

Honorable mention:

2) Least favorite food:

3) Favorite fruit

4) Favorite meals that I have cooked:

Honorable mention:

5) Favorite desserts I have created

6) Favorite drink (non-alcoholic):

7) Favorite alcoholic drink:

8) Favorite candy

9) Favorite post on the blog

Make sure you are following my Facebook page because I will be sharing a Modern Cone gift card giveaway very soon!

Honorable mention:

Sweet beans in my ice cream~!

10) Favorite place to grab a sweet treat

Want to give Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt a whirl? Grab a Groupon and save on your visit!

Final thoughts

Question Time!

What is your favorite food? Least favorite food? Please share with me. I love to hear from my audience!

If you have any questions that you would like to ask me, leave a question in the comment box and I will be happy to answer it.

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Did you enjoy this post? Here are more posts at Give It A Whirl Girl that you might enjoy!

SHOP PYKNIC ON AMAZON (One of my favorite brands… all food/drink related items too!)

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HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF MY READERS!

Give It A Whirl Girl Blog Goals For 2019

Improve photography

Better blog design

More giveaways

More restaurant reviews

More reader engagement

Question Time!

What would you like to see more of over here at Give It A Whirl Girl in the new year?

Also, do you have any new year’s resolutions you would like to share?

Leave me a comment and let me know.

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What is the most adventurous food you have ever tried?

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