Hi, I’m Jen and I live in Carlsbad, California (north San Diego), with my husband, Patrick, and my furry, four legged daughter, Kiwi, and together we WELCOME YOU to Carlsbad Cravings!!! I’m a cystic fibrosis survivor, lung & kidney transplant recipient, LOVER of life and FOOD!
At Carlsbad Cravings (est. 2014), you will find only my tried and true daringly delicious recipes with big, BOLD flavors – or what I like to describe as extraordinary flavors out of everyday ingredients. My #1 goal is to create the best version of every recipe (in my opinion), whether it’s Mexican, Italian, Asian or Greek. And if it’s not the best, then it doesn’t get shared! So, you can cook with confidence from my website, and hopefully you’ll think each recipe is “the best” too and discover many new favorites!
How it began
Some people escape in dreams of sandy beaches and sunny skies, I escape in dreams of mangos, chipotle peppers and bacon. My creativity as a former interior designer flourishes in the kitchen as I find something so satisfying in creating delicious, flavorful (spices are my forte!), fresh food…and then eating it!
As Dieter F. Uchtdorf said:
“Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty. …” or something delicious!
I have been cooking and creating new recipes almost every day of the week since I got married in 2006 (see our love story here) and even created my own binder long before Carlsbad Cravings was born (see recipe binder below). When I was in desperate need of a kidney transplant and would come home from work exhausted with legs and feet so swollen I could only wear sandals and skirts (none of my shoes or pants would fit!), all l wanted to do was cook. Cooking and creating reinvigorated my exhausted self by feeding my mind, body and soul.
After I was blessed with new-found energy from my kidney transplant in October 2013 thanks to my doner sister (my lung transplant was in 1999), my doctor cautioned me about going back to work when I was so immune-suppressed. At that point, I was wondering what to do when my sister-in-law suggested I start a food blog. The words pierced my soul and I knew that was what I was supposed to do. I researched how to start a cooking site, how to turn it into a living and then I jumped in and never looked back!
Since launching Carlsbad Cravings in February 2014, I have shared over a thousand recipes that have reached over 140 million readers. I am honored every day to be invited into your homes. Thank you for making my recipes, trusting my recipes, leaving comments and for following along! You are the reason I’m allowed to do what I do! xo
Getting started – What seasonings to stock
To make every recipe the best version of itself, I rely heavily on seasonings. Seasonings MAKE a recipe! To that end, many of my recipes look like they have many ingredients, but often most of them are just dump-in spices, so please don’t be intimidated. I cook with the same spices all of the time, so once you purchase them, you’ll have everything you’ll need! Here are the pantry spices I recommend (you can purchase them little by little):
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- dried basil
- dried parsley
- dried oregano
- dried thyme
- chili powder
- chipotle chile pepper
- ground cumin
- smoked paprika
- cayenne pepper
- ground ginger
- chicken bouillon
- beef bouillon
jump to recipe button
To help readers succeed and eliminate any guesswork, I include detailed tips and tricks in every recipe post. If you just want the recipe, you can use the “jump to recipe” button located at the top of every post to skip directly to the recipe. With that, everyone wins! Now, I hope you enjoy exploring my site and hopefully will create your own recipe binder full of Carlsbad Cravings favorites!
Want to Know More?
If you are curious about my journey with cystic fibrosis, my lung transplant, kidney transplant, love story
and more of my life, click on the links below:
Do You Love to Cook?
Sign up to receive recipe updates in our newsletter:
Jennefer Wright says
Hi! The links for my account and my favorites don’t seem to be working. I can open all the other options and doesn’t matter what device I am using. Inhave cleared everything. Any suggestions?
We have loved everything I have cooked from your website.
Jennefer Wright
Jen says
I’m so sorry about that! My site was recently updated, which has caused several issues. I have an IT specialist on it – hopefully it won’t take too long to resolve. Thanks for your patience!
Stephanie says
Hello Again! I have been “hearting” my favorite recipes for over a year in my “account.” But now when I click on my account nothing happens, just a # in the browser. Same with favorites as well as the search. I have used both google and safari and same thing happens. Am I doing something wrong?
Thank you! I love your recipes and I haven’t printed them so I am hoping to get my favorite list back 🙂
Jen says
Hi Stephanie, I’m so sorry about that! My site was recently updated, which has caused several issues. I have an IT specialist on it – hopefully it won’t take too long to resolve. Thanks for your patience! And thanks for following along!
Theresa says
I just received my cookbook and it is fabulous. I can’t wait to start cooking. The recipes you put in here all sound great and there are a lot of top notch recipes. You are a fantastic cook and I can tell by your cook book you are very passionate about what you do. Thanks so much. Plus your website is awesome also. Your family should be very proud of you with all your accomplishments Thanks so much for the cookbook. We love it!!!!
Jen says
Yay Theresa! I am so glad that you were able to get my cookbook and that you love it! Thank you so much for your sweet words! I do love what I do!
Phillip Ring says
I just got done making and eating the easy Lasagna Soup recipe, and it was GREAT! Everyone at my house couldn’t stop saying how good it is, and we all cant wait to have more tomorrow for dinner. I will definitely check out more recipe of yours thank you for making our dinner special tonight we live that soup!
Jen says
Hi Phillip! You’re so welcome! I’m thrilled to hear how much everyone enjoyed the soup! I hope you find many more recipes to love!
Ty Prause says
Thank you very much for caring passionately about what you do and sharing with so many other inspired home cooks!
Cheers to health and good food!
Ty
Jen says
Thanks so much Ty! I really appreciate your warm words!
Maria says
Hi Jen,
I’ve made a few of your recipes but read a lot of them. I just saved a few to definitely try in the near future. I’m a pretty experienced home cook and baker and tend to fall back on my regular stuff but I’m trying to incorporate some new recipes. My brother moved in with me about 1 1/2 years ago. He has some health issues and we bond over food. He brought with him his daughter, Kiwi. She likes to bond over food too! He had a son who passed away in 2013, at the age of 20. It was 10 years almost to the day after receiving a double lung transplant due to cystic fibrosis. Your story is inspiring! I never read into your blog before today and I’m so glad I finally did. I’ve always said, cooking is my therapy!
Jen says
Hi Maria! Thank you so much for sharing this with me. I’m really glad you’ve been enjoying the recipes and saving a few to try — that means a lot, especially coming from an experienced home cook. It sounds like food has become a really meaningful part of your life and connection with your brother, and I love that Kiwi is right there in the mix too. Those everyday moments in the kitchen can be such a grounding, comforting space, especially when life has held both joy and deep loss. I’m truly sorry about your nephew. That’s an incredibly difficult story, and I can only imagine how much he and his journey continue to mean to your family. I’m grateful you took the time to read more about my story and to leave such a thoughtful message. I completely agree with you — cooking really can be therapy, and also a way to care for the people we love. Wishing you many more good meals and moments in your kitchen!
Sally says
Hello
I am getting multiple emails daily with recipes. I love the emails but don’t want multiple of the same. Also don’t want to block because I won’t get any. Can you please remove my multiple emails and send me just one? Thanks!
Jen says
Hi Sally, that must be frustrating! You are only supposed to get one email max per day. Let me check with my email guru and hopefully he can solve that.
Kathy says
Hi Jen! I just wanted to thank you for sharing your gift of cooking!! I bought your new book and I loved it so much that I gifted it to both of my best friends. They love it as much as I do and are new fans of yours! My friend Beth and I are now making different recipes every other week and giving each other half of it so we can try it. It is been too much fun and my favorite recipes folder is now becoming filled with Carlsbad Cravings recipes!! Haha We’ve enjoyed your recipes so much that we are going to gift all of our college friends your book! It’s the gift that keeps on giving! Thank you again for your beautiful photography, wonderfully written recipes and for sharing your passion for food!! We just wish we lived closer so we could be your taste testers! Lol All our best!!
Jen says
Hi Kathy! This absolutely made my day—thank you so much for such a thoughtful message! I’m beyond touched that you enjoyed the book enough to share it with your friends, and I love the idea of you and Beth cooking together and swapping halves – what a fun tradition! It means so much to hear my recipes are becoming part of your gatherings and gift-giving too. Honestly, that’s the best compliment I could ever receive. And I wish I could have you all as taste testers as well — that would be amazing! Thank you again for your kindness and support—it truly means the world.
Lynn Julian says
Where can I buy your cookbook?
Jen says
Thanks for your interest Lynn! Here you go: https://carlsbadcravings.com/products/dinner-cravings-cookbook/
Lori Parodi says
Hi Jen!
What a story of courage and hope you have!
And what an amazing attitude you have about life.
It’s funny. I have so many fun cook books, wonderful cooks I follow on Instagram and most of the recipes I make are from your emails.
I am a grandmother of 5, I have a husband and 2 daughters who LOVE when I cook your meals for them.
Thank you for all your great ideas! Oh, and, I visit Carlsbad, at least two times a year to see a good friend of mine. What a beautiful area.
Blessings to you.
Jen says
Hi Lori! Thank you so much for this incredibly kind message – it truly means a lot. I’m so glad the recipes have found their way into your kitchen and become part of meals you share with your family. Knowing they’re being enjoyed by your husband, daughters, and grandkids is really special. And how wonderful that you get to visit Carlsbad a couple times a year! It really is a beautiful place, and I’m always happy to hear when others love it too.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thoughtful note. It’s encouraging in more ways than you know.
Hugs!
Jen