About Us

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We believe that you do not need expensive or sophisticated ingredients to create a great dish, so what you will find in our blog are recipes that we have tested in our kitchens which we have collected from books or online recipes… and even our own original concoctions. We have healthy (and not so healthy, but delicious) recipes that range from quick and easy for when you have a short time to get food on the table, to fantastic meals for that special dinner.

You will also find our picks for interesting and useful kitchen tools, ingredients, techniques, time saving tips and now a few recommendations for Guatemalan-based locations where you can grab a delicious bite.

Helga Glaesel-Blanding

Wife, and mother of one. Our little Sous Chef is my daughter. Although I work in the imports business, my true passion has always been cooking. I still remember one of my first favorite books as a child, Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola, my book is still around for me to give to my little girl, who has inherited my love of food.

As I write this brief piece of information so all you foodies out there can get to know me a little better, I have realized that food really does bring people together. Some of my fondest memories with family and friends throughout childhood and my adult life involve food. Helping my grandmother in the kitchen, or bringing everyone to the dinner table for Christmas, or at my apartment because a friend (you know who you are) had a hankering for Jambalaya. What kind of food do I like? It’s hard to choose… “Whatever the mood strikes” I always say. But if I HAD TO name a few it would have to be: spicy food, all things chocolate, and beef… ooooh, beef! I took a “Professional Cook” class that lasted for 1 year at the local Culinary School. It really helped me with techniques, and to understand and learn the basics. The rest I learned from watching the experts through books and videos. Another thing you should know is I am a Holiday enthusiast. I love Halloween, Christmas, Easter… all of them! Cooking up all the season’s goodies for my family is one of my favorite things.

Kitty Florido

Designer and photographer (but mostly a cooking fan), I learned to cook at an early age from my grandmothers and any cook book I could get my hands on. I love to bake desserts and do some fusion cuisine from local Guatemalan ingredients and international recipes.

Based in Guatemala but loving to travel, I’ve been working as a full time freelance designer and photographer for over 10 years. I first got the love for cooking when I was a little girl, I still remember both of my grandmothers teaching me the basics in the kitchen. Later on, I would spend my vacations learning the ins-and-outs on both of their kitchens, prepping meals for the family by their side. Definitely, my favorite kind of thing to do is baking. Both of my grandmothers excelled at this, from the mysteries of knowing when a cake batter was over or undermixed just by cutting a slice, to preparing big meals for the entire family.

Kristen Blanding-Glaesel

Back in July 2015, we added Little Foodies as a permanent section at The Foodies’ Kitchen. It features Kristen, Helga’s 7-year-old daughter, who has always been part of our blog, both in front and behind the scenes. You might remember her from our early days. In this new space you will find recipes that kids can prepare and get them involved in the kitchen (with adult supervision). All of the recipes posted here will include a free download, so you can print them out for them for easier instruction following. All of the recipes we post at Little Foodies have been picked by Kristen, who is specially fond of baking. She loves Sarah Carey and Thomas Joseph from Everyday Food, which she follows since she was 3 years old. She also enjoys watching cooking videos from different chefs on YouTube, and one of her latest favorites is Donal Skehan.

Props & Accesories

Unless we clearly state that we are using sponsored goods or supplies, we use several props to take the pictures on our site, often using glass bottles, jars or plates that we are repurposing from our previous purchases. We believe that we have to take care of the environment, and that means giving new uses to everyday objects, as iced tea bottles or jam jars… specially if they are gorgeously looking and useful as we’ve found with some of the props we use here.

Feel free to drop us a line using our Contact Form. We would love to work along you and your brand!