Use code TRIPLE10 to save $10 on your first three grocery orders.

Blogger Spotlight: Olive and Artisan

We've picked Karlee's brain to find out where her love of food comes from and the guilty pleasure she shares with most of us girls growing up in the 90s.
Blogger Spotlight: Olive and Artisan
Blogger Spotlight: Olive and Artisan
SideChef
Welcome to SideChef's original recipes. Created from scratch in the SideChef Kitchen, where recipe inspiration and ingredient experimentation is a way of life.
GO TO BLOG
Love This Recipe?
SideChef
Welcome to SideChef's original recipes. Created from scratch in the SideChef Kitchen, where recipe inspiration and ingredient experimentation is a way of life.
GO TO BLOG

Meet Karlee!

Karlee is the creative inspiration and culinary genius behind the breath-taking recipes found on Olive and Artisan.

A Pivotal Moment

I’ve spent the last 8 years sitting behind a desk, signing paychecks and reconciling accounts while brainstorming about the best kind of flour for a layered cake. Now, with my month notice officially on my supervisor’s desk, I can finally say that I’m going full-time with my blog, cake decorating workshops, and food photography business. To say this is a dream come true would be an understatement that would rival “Beyoncé is a pretty good performer.”

I started Olive and Artisan after a year of working crazy hours at a stressful job, unable to start a family and having just shut down my special cake order business. I needed something to bring joy back into my life and, for me, that has always been food. So, while my other friends were announcing the birth of their second child, I bought a domain name that would forever change my life.

What was your favorite childhood meal?

section-image
Little Karlee, a foodie right from the start!

My childhood can be summed up in Saturday morning walks to the farmers market, Sunday pot roasts, family potluck parties centered around a new cuisine, spending afternoons at my grandma's bakery, and evenings watching Martha. Food is very much engraved into the culture of my family. A special occasion called for our favorite Hungarian restaurant but we never lost our love for a good ol’ dive-diner that served the best buttermilk flapjacks on any given Sunday before church.

Growing up, my birthday parties were a traditional English tea service and I required my attendees to dress up as such. Gloves, hats, purses...all of it. Cucumber sandwiches, sugar cubes, and doilies were a must. Pinkies out were enforced. My mom made sure of it.

My favorite meal as a child was anything she made, such as (but not limited to) Spanish Rice, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Cream Puffs, Egg Noodles in Mushroom Cream Sauce, Éclair Casserole, Rosemary Orange Chicken, and Spaghetti Carbonara. Her belief that healthy doesn’t have to be flavorless still gives me inspiration to this day. Her work as the Tea Party Director of Operations landed her a position as the coveted Foods Teacher at my alma mater.

What's in your bag and what are your kitchen essentials?

section-image
How Karlee kills it in the kitchen

My typical grocery bag is filled with lemon, lime, orange, cilantro, rosemary, oregano, thyme, walla walla onions, San Marzano tomatoes, arugula (always arugula), eggs, cheese, and a whole free-range chicken. But all of that is usually outshined by the amount of butter I have to pick up to enable my cake habit.

My Pistachio Kitchenaid Mixer makes an appearance in almost every meal/baked good I make. If it was self-cleaning, I might have to buy it a ring and settle down already. I can’t imagine my stove without my Le Creuset Dutch Oven and my Shun Santoku 7-inch Knife as my weapon of choice.

What is the best or weirdest thing you've ever eaten in your travels?

section-image
Making that blood sausage disappear!

I know people probably want to hear that I ate really wonderful escargot in a small Parisian restaurant and washed it down with champagne. But, no. It’s probably blood sausage from Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which I swiftly washed down with a large gulp of Butter Beer.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

section-image
From Baking to Boss Lady

Building my Cake Decorating Workshop business. There is something so powerful about constructing a workshop with brands and makers I believe in, seeing the tickets sell out in a matter of hours, and watching my attendees make the cake of their dreams. It has been powerful and life-affirming, and I feel like the luckiest person in the world to get to put them on for my bomb.com supporters.

Describe your dream kitchen.

section-image
SOURCE: Beth Kirby Kitchen

Easy! It’s Beth Kirby of Local Milk’s kitchen brought to life by Jersey Ice Cream Co. I mean, can you even!? I love the idea of a kitchen feeling home-y, utilitarian, and coated with Venetian plaster. I would also give up my left foot to be able to have a Lacanche stove of my own. I really would.

My perfect day would be...

At ATT Park eating garlic fries with Daniel.

I believe any problem can be solved with...

Positivity.

When I need liquid courage, I drink...

Felix Felicis.

My guilty pleasure is...

SOURCE: GIPHY

Olsen twins movies.

I wish I had the superpower...

Of telekinesis, because Alex Mack.

What are your favorite recipes on the app, and why?

LOW-FATPEANUT-FREE

Matcha Milk Bread Turtles

Ful-Filled

Well, yes, anything of Olive and Artisan, obviously! But, my friend Bella of Ful-filled makes the cutest little Matcha Milk Bread Turtles and has shared them on Side Chef! They are just the cutest little things and so fun to make.

What is your advice to people who aspire to be in your field or do similar projects?

section-image

It takes time, dedication, self-doubt, confidence, and failure. And when some time has passed, and you feel like you’re ready, it will take more time. You’re going to have a lot of late nights and early mornings. It takes saying “no” when you really want to say “yes.” Other people are going to get there faster, and it will mess with your confidence. But in the end, it’s worth it, it’s so very worth it. So in that spirit, here is the best advice I can give.

1. Be yourself… always. If you don’t know who that is, it’s time to find out.
2. Meet other bloggers, network, and step out behind the screen.
3. Listen and learn everything you can but still use your best judgment.
4. Blaze your own trail.
5. Always bring value.
6. It’s not about you, it’s about your readers.
7. Work smarter not harder.

Get weekly recipes, grocery shopping, meal planning, and home-cooking inspiration sent straight in your inbox
Will be used in accordance with our PRIVACY POLICY.
LEARN COOK EAT
How to Make Crispy Baked Chicken Wings: the Ultimate Guide
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Tacos Are Trending on Tinder and Other 22 Taco Facts You Didn’t Know
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
We Matched 16 Great Cocktails to Every Personality Type
WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK
Is Walmart Open on Thanksgiving 2022?
CULINARY PARTNER FEATURE
Secrets of Japanese Cuisine with Kazumi Wickenkamp of MJCA
WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK
What to Do With Leftover Easter Eggs
WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK
Easy Guide to Creating Custom Recipes With Grocery Shopping Lists
WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK
Irish Food: The Hug You Didn’t Know You Needed
WHAT'S IN SEASON
Sliders Are Better Than Burgers: 8 Sliders Recipes to Prove It
TRIED & TESTED
We Tried 50 Times and Here's How to Make Perfect Scrambled Eggs
HOT TAKES
Lunch Break: Healthy Banana Bread to Start Your New Year Guilt-Free
WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK
Lunch Break: Sparkling Lemon Drop Martinis for a New Year Celebration
LEARN COOK EAT
How to Make Crispy Baked Chicken Wings: the Ultimate Guide
Whether it’s for a game night party or just your late-night cravings. Forget deep frying and make crispy baked chicken wings in the oven!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Tacos Are Trending on Tinder and Other 22 Taco Facts You Didn’t Know
We all know that tacos are delicious. We all know you can have tacos for breakfast, tacos for lunch, tacos for dinner, for munchies, for a game night, for after-hours… you should know that you can have a taco bar for your wedding (number one on my #WeddingGoals pinboard). But I bet you didn’t know most of these taco facts.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
We Matched 16 Great Cocktails to Every Personality Type
In the name of mixology and psychology, we have found a great cocktail that perfectly matches your MBTI personality type. Should you be making a White Russian or an Espresso Martini? Only one way to find out - take a look at this fun list to find which cocktail recipe mixes well with your personality.
WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK
Is Walmart Open on Thanksgiving 2022?
When you are planning Thanksgiving dinner, grocery shopping is one of the essential tasks. What to do if there is this one last-minute item you forgot to get? Is Walmart open on Thanksgiving Day for a quick grocery run?
CULINARY PARTNER FEATURE
Secrets of Japanese Cuisine with Kazumi Wickenkamp of MJCA
We chatted with Kazumi Wickenkamp, the Master of Japanese Cuisine Academy founder. A few things make Japanese cuisine stand out from the crowd. For one, there's the use of delicate flavors and ingredients. Then, there is the careful preparation that goes into each dish. Finally, presentation is always key. Find out more from this interview.
WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK
What to Do With Leftover Easter Eggs
After Easter festivities are said and done, you're probably hunting for ways to use up all those leftover eggs. Lucky for you, eggs are one of the most versatile ingredients; here are just a few ways to get creative with 'em!
WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK
Easy Guide to Creating Custom Recipes With Grocery Shopping Lists
SideChef lets you create custom recipes and turn them into grocery shopping lists. Save all your favorite recipes in one place and shop the ingredients in one click!
WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK
Irish Food: The Hug You Didn’t Know You Needed
Setting the record straight: Ireland has a lot more to offer than majestic rolling hills and cozy pubs.
WHAT'S IN SEASON
Sliders Are Better Than Burgers: 8 Sliders Recipes to Prove It
Sliders are not just mini burgers. Forget the classic burger and check out these addictive sliders recipes instead - from everyone’s favorite buffalo chicken sliders to sinfully delicious Kentucky hot brown sandwiches.
TRIED & TESTED
We Tried 50 Times and Here's How to Make Perfect Scrambled Eggs
Everyone wants soft and creamy scrambled eggs and has their secret cooking hack to achieve it. We tried it all, scrambled 50 eggs in 50 slightly different ways, and here’s what we have learned.
HOT TAKES
Lunch Break: Healthy Banana Bread to Start Your New Year Guilt-Free
We all love warm, satisfying banana bread, especially during colder days. What if you can make your banana bread a lot healthier without sacrificing any flavor? We believe this version tastes even better than your regular ones!
WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK
Lunch Break: Sparkling Lemon Drop Martinis for a New Year Celebration
Watch the ball drop with a lemon drop martini! Celebrate the New Year by impressing your friends with this festive and crowd-pleasing drink.