About
I am a packaging designer named Kristina and I live and blog in Hoboken, NJ. I eat a lot of chocolate and peanut butter and like to impose my habit on others. This blog is meant to be a resource to all those who seek a chocolate and peanut butter fix. Because who can get enough of the world’s two best ingredients?
A few years ago, I wanted to start a food blog but couldn’t figure out exactly what to write about. I loved to bake and eat but felt like so many other blogs out there had already accomplished what I wanted to do. When I moved in with my fiancé (who I refer to as “Taste Tester” on the blog), he began to request chocolate peanut butter baked goods on a regular basis. I loved chocolate and peanut butter, but also liked being adventurous in the kitchen. I wondered how I could regularly bake treats with his preferred flavor combination without getting bored. Finally, the lightbulb went off.
I thought about how many chocolate peanut butter treats there are on the market and decided that there must be a large enough audience for the topic. And so, we launched the blog in February 2008. It has garnered a variety of reactions – some people think I’m crazy for doing it and others freak out over how awesome it is to have an entire website dedicated to their favorite combination.
At first, I was unsure of how long I could keep the site going for. I figured that some time relatively quickly I’d get tired of writing about the same two ingredients. But it’s been a couple of years now and writing this blog has given me a greater understanding of chocolate, peanut butter & food in general.
Before starting it, I never really thought that companies cared all that much about what your average consumer had to say. But I’ve learned that there is a large community of food professionals out there who are truly passionate about chocolate and peanut butter and wanted to reach out to their audience. I particularly enjoy writing about smaller and/or family-owned companies as well as those who are interested in helping the environment and fair trade movements.
This site has led me to a lot of wonderful people and experiences; it’s introduced me to some very talented bloggers, chocolatiers, and other professionals in the food industry. I’ve even won a prize in a cupcake cookoff, designed some chocolate packaging and visited and got engaged at a chocolate factory! It’s also been a great learning experience. I have become a better photographer, writer and baker (though I still have a lot to learn!) and hope to keep it going for a long while. I would even love to write a cookbook about chocolate and peanut butter some day. I hope you’ll join me in the adventure!
Design - I work as a designer by day and designed this site. You can view my design &illustration portfolio here. I have also designed the branding and packaging for many food brands and hope to continue specializing in food-related design. Please feel free to contact me if you’re interested in working with me on the branding for your company.
Photography - I do most of the photography, however sometimes guest photographers share their flickr photos from The Chocolate Peanut Butter Gallery Flickr Group. I have just recently started dabbling in the world of professional food photography.
More
I’ve designed and co-written a cookbook for the Zoku Quick Pop Maker called Quick Pops. It’s all about ice pops- yummy, yummy ice pops that freeze in minutes. Check it out!
I also write reviews on Yelp.