Tag Archive for: food blog

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4 things to do (and 1 NOT to do) to build your engagement as a food blogger in 2020

An image of a phone with the instagram app open over a notepad with a pen.

In the past 3.5 years that I’ve been on Instagram, and the 2.5 that I’ve spent aggressively growing it, Instagram has drastically changed. Many of the strategies used in the past, like follow/unfollow, have become increasingly difficult to do, with the platform cracking down on bots, as well as the number of actions you can do every hour. Nobody has completely cracked the Instagram algorithm, and it seems to be changing all the time.

So how do people grow their account and get more likes and follows right now? It seems pretty elusive, but here are some quick and easy tricks to get your account seen by more people!

  1. Want more people to engage on your post? Engage on theirs! This seems like a really simple idea in theory, but many people look at Instagram as something that you can just set and forget. Accounts, especially larger ones, remember people who consistently like and comment on their posts, especially when it’s more than just a “Nice pic!” I’ve noticed that when I write 4+ words on their post, especially a question, people are more likely to check out my recent posts as well.
  2. In that same vein, don’t forget to reply to comments on your posts! An easy way to double your comment count? Respond to every single comment that you have on your posts. Even better? Respond to all the comments after you have a new post up. The people who commented will then see that you have a new post up, and they’ll be more likely to engage!
  3. Check out relevant hashtags to your blog and click “recent.” Then, from the recents page, give a like and a thoughtful comment to the most recent photos. This is the most effective with hashtags that have at least 1 million hits (which means you have a large variety of accounts to choose from). For example, my go-to hashtag for this is #foodblogger.
  4. Check out blogs with similar follower counts to you, and see who follows them. Easiest way to figure out the types of people who would be interested in following you? Find lookalike blogs (hint: check out blogs that are famous in the hashtags you use) and then click their “followers” list. From there, engage on those accounts – a like, a comment, or a follow could result in the same (or even more) for you. A trick for this also is to go to repost pages like @bestfoodfeed and find followers with similar locations to you and engage on those pages.

And one thing to NOT to do: Don’t make following and engaging feel like a transaction. I cannot tell you the amount of times I get messages in my inbox saying “follow for follow?” or comments that say “You should check out my account!” Writing these types of things automatically sends the message of “I am desperate and I am only in this to build my following.” The only way to really build an authentic following is to engage authentically. That means no caveats, no favor asking (unless you know the account well), and no shameless self-promotion on other people’s accounts.

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Tribos Peri Peri: Jersey City’s newest location shines with spice-filled food options

Have any of you had peri peri before? Before last night, I couldn’t say that I had. Peri peri is a type of Portuguese cuisine based on the African bird’s eye chili pepper. Typically, peri peri cuisine consists largely of chicken. However, when I recently visited Tribos‘ brand new Jersey City location, I learned it’s so much more!

Tribos’ peri set go method makes it quick and easy to get some delish peri peri!

My first thought when I came to Tribos was how streamlined and clean the place looked. Tribos’ new location was described to me as a fast-casual joint, with options to either dine in or take out. Unique to this location, however, is their Peri, Set, Go method of preparing their peri peri. Unlike most peri peri locations, takeout orders are made right in front of you, meaning you don’t have to wait to have your food served. If you have more time and want to dine in, they will bring it out to your table.

Now, to the best part: the food. Because I was trying an unfamiliar cuisine to me, I had no idea what to expect. With some cursory searches online, I thought that everything on the menu was going to be spicy, and while everything was well-spiced, the heat level was completely customizable, from mild to tongue-tingling spicy.

look at all the amazing sides!

We started off with appetizers, which included their peri fries, Tribos rice, coleslaw, their Perimayo corn, a house salad, hummus, and some toasted pita. All of their food items (appetizers included) are spiced with their peri peri spice, and that helps unify the foods without taking away from their distinct natural flavors. Their peri fries were freakin’ bomb, with the unique spices really elevating it above typical french fries. At the table was also some garlic yogurt sauce and peri peri sauce for dipping, and I loved both, but definitely thought the garlic sauce was the star of the show. My other favorite appetizer was the perimayo corn, which reminded me of a twist on esquite, or Mexican street corn in a cup.

Their paneer peri peri is great for vegetarians!

The real stars of the meal were the protein options! I tried the chicken tenders and the chicken leg quarters. Both were cooked perfectly. The skin was crispy on the outside, but moist and delicious on the inside, and their sauces were great. For people who cannot handle any kind of spice, their lemon herb chicken is for you, but fear not, spice lovers, because they have 4 more types of peri peri sauce, ranging in heat from mild to extra hot. I tried the mild peri peri chicken and it was perfect for people who can handle a little bit of spice, but not too much. In addition to chicken, they also offer peri peri falafel and paneer for vegetarians/vegans.

If you’re looking for some delicious chicken, this is where to go!

Overall, I had an excellent time at Tribos’ new location, right off the Grove St. PATH. It’s currently in its soft opening phase, but opens officially on October 4th. I definitely will be back here again to try all of their foods, including burgers, lamb, and pita!

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Can you go to Disneyland and spend less than $30 for two people?

The answer is yes, yes you can. With these budget tips, I managed to head to the happiest place on earth with Paolo and not break the bank. Here’s how I did it:

First off, I had an annual pass.
For the people who don’t go to Disneyland that often, this tip isn’t for you. But for people who are obsessed with the parks (like I am), I used the crap out of my annual pass and discounts. I have the signature pass, which gets me 15% off food as well as free parking. That’s already $25 off our budget every time we visit, which is a HUGE save. If you go to the parks more than 14 times a year, the signature pass is actually a better deal and cheaper than the Deluxe pass because you get free parking as well as a higher discount on merchandise and restaurants. That means my price for entering the parks is $0, and my price for parking is $0.

Double up on your Starbucks rewards if you have them.
If you have a Starbucks gift card, if you aren’t already, PUT IT IN THE APP. Your gift card goes further by earning you points that you can redeem towards free drinks. There are two Starbucks locations in Downtown Disney, one Starbucks in California Adventure, and one Starbucks in Disneyland Park. If you are an annual passholder like I am, skip the lines at the Downtown Disney locations and wait in line at the park. I get that you cannot mobile order within the parks which can be a bummer, but if you’re willing to wait in line, not only can you redeem Starbucks rewards and gift cards there, but you also are eligible for your annual passholder discount. I had a coupon for a free drip coffee, Paolo got a drip coffee for $3.50, and we both bought $5 breakfast sandwiches. Plus the 15% discount brings our total to $11.50 for breakfast.

One of my favorite pictures from a previous Disneyland visit.

Pack snacks/lunch to eat in the parks.
Food is EXPENSIVE in the parks. If you’re not careful, things can add up incredibly quickly. If you can, bring some snacks, a water bottle, and maybe even a full lunch with you if you can. Paolo and I brought water bottles, mixed nuts and seeds, turkey sandwiches, prepackaged cookies, chips, and some apples and bananas. Other ideas could be veggies and ranch, prepackaged snack olives, yogurt in a tube, string cheese, and dry cereal. We didn’t buy any drinks at the parks because we had water, and we had a light lunch in the parks. We ended up sitting on the benches outside Grizzly Peak in California Adventure, and it was a great (and shady) spot to sit and relax while we ate our lunches. That means we spent $0 for lunch and snacks in the parks.

Skip the pricey souvenirs if you plan on coming back.
While merchandise is changing constantly, I find that window shopping is the best way to get my fix of souvenirs without wasting money purchasing them. There are also other ways you can get free mementos, like asking PhotoPass people to use your phone to take pictures of you, getting a free button at City Hall, or even a limited edition map (Hello, Galaxy’s Edge!). The photos I’ve taken have been far more valuable to me than any T-Shirt ever could be. When we last went, we spent $0 on souvenirs, opting for buttons, maps, and, of course, photos.

Wait, there’s free food in California Adventure?
Yes, yes there is. If you, like me sometimes, forget to bring snacks into the park, California Adventure is host to a little-known secret: the Boudin Bakery Bread Tour. It’s a small attraction right by the Ghiradelli Fountain, and when you enter, you get a small slice of DELICIOUS sourdough bread to savor. If you are getting hangry in the midsummer heat, this is a great place to cool down, taste some amazing bread, and see how the addicting loaves of sourdough that Disneyland sells are made.

Where do you eat at Disneyland on a budget?
Now THAT is a great question. There are a ton of places to choose from, but there are some places that are more expensive than others. In Disneyland park, Bengal Barbecue has a bunch of skewers that you can choose from that are reasonably-priced if you don’t go overboard. However, the best meal deal in Disneyland in my opinion is the Margherita pizza that you can get at the Red Rose Taverne in Fantasyland. Pictured above, it is a very large pizza that would definitely be filling for two people to share, and it’s priced at just $10. Combined with my 15% off discount, that turns out to be $8.50 for a meal for two. Flo’s V8 Cafe is also great in California Adventure for simple diner fare, with most meals being about $12.

What about a sit-down restaurant?
In general, quick service restaurants are your best bet if you don’t want to break the bank. However, our favorite sit-down restaurants are the Carnation Cafe as well as Cafe Orleans. Carnation Cafe has typical Americana fare, but what I love about it is if you time your reservation right and get outdoor seating, you get a front row seat to parades. Cafe Orleans is my second choice for a cheap sit down restaurant in the parks because it offers practically the same menu as Blue Bayou, but for half the cost. Granted, you don’t get the ambiance, but they serve a very similar salad, very similar entrees, and of course, you can get a mint julep and a monte cristo sandwich for much cheaper.

So there you have it. Disney doesn’t have to break the bank if you budget carefully and plan. I hope these tips are helpful for the next time you visit the parks! Let me know if you used any of these tips in the comments below!

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