The Coast News Group
Carolann Lucian is the owner of Apron Warrior where she helps parents develop healthy meals for their families. Courtesy photo
CitiesCommunityCommunityNewsRegionSan Marcos

San Marcos blogger dishes out healthy, family recipes

SAN MARCOS — Carolann Lucian said she has always enjoyed being in the kitchen. The longtime San Marcos resident said she has early memories of concocting tasty dishes to bring loved ones together, including making pancakes with her grandparents. She’s even hosted a Thanksgiving dinner since she was a teen.

“One of my greatest joys is bringing people together and sharing good food,” Lucian said. “Since I was 14, I’ve been hosting a Thanksgiving dinner either for friends or family. I’m always on a search to find the best recipes for this dinner and look forward to it every year.”

Today, Lucian is the owner of Apron Warrior, a food blog where she offers recipes to parents struggling to find healthy dishes for their families. Although, she’s blogged about food for 15 years, Lucian said her target audience has changed since becoming a mother to two girls.

“My previous posts were written for the young woman who wanted to have delicious, from-scratch meals to provide their family and friends,” Lucian said. “Now I write for the stay-at-home-mom with young kids, who want to connect with their kids and loved ones inside and outside the kitchen. The one who still wants to have home-cooked food even when time is limited and who finds being in the kitchen a time to bond with her kids and make it a learning experience.”

And the difference between a single person and a parent is huge when it comes to the kitchen, said Lucian, who develops her recipes from “inspiration.”

“Being a mother has really changed how I cook,” Lucian said. “I used to spend hours in the kitchen coming up with new recipes and a variety of courses. This is unrealistic. Now my goal is to have good, relatively quick food, prepared from scratch.”

Apron Warrior has proven to be a success in the online world where Lucian has hundreds of followers on Pinterest. Lucian said some of the fan-favorite recipes include the Texas-style potato salad and the Dublin coddle. Her own favorite dishes include her mother’s lasagna and her grandmother’s bonbons.

Amy Nolan, a friend who has turned into a reader, said she relies on Lucian for recipes.

“Her entries are always relatable, and I enjoy her less-waste, eco-friendly perspective,” Nolan said. “I can always count on her blog for something delicious and creative. I haven’t met a recipe of hers I didn’t enjoy.”

Nolan said some of her family’s favorite recipes from Lucian include the Doro Wat stew and the spicy scalloped yams.

“I also find that her recipes are easy to follow and understand and wouldn’t prove too difficult to involve my kids in the cooking process,” Nolan said.

But, Lucian, who has lived in San Marcos since 2007, isn’t looking to just dish out recipes.

“I hope to give my readers confidence in the kitchen in regards to making fresh food — even with little ones running around,” Lucian said. “I also want to give them ideas on how to include and encourage their kids in the kitchen with the prep and process of making a dish.”

In the future, Lucian said she hopes to connect more to followers and develop more resources for them. She also hopes to create a recipe book.

For more information about Carolann Lucian or to follow her blog, go to www.apronwarrior.com.