Our Featured Latina Mom Blogger, Adriana Martin is the Founder and Editor of Adriana’s Best Recipes.  A native of Mexico, she is now a proud U.S. citizen who resides in Central Florida with her family. Adriana enjoys sharing her love of food, recipes, cooking trends and information about chefs who she admires with her readers.

Adriana’s recipes are based on the principle that simple flavors can be combined to create intricate and flavorful dishes. She finds inspiration for her creations from her surroundings like the smell of fresh herbs, a visit to her local farmer’s market or whatever she may have available at home. Her cooking is also inspired by her late grandmother, Doña Alicia, who shared her passion for making family and friends happy by preparing delicious, home cooked meals that could be enjoyed together.

Adriana is a respected blogger and entrepreneur who has learned to combine her professional expertise with her love of cooking to create her own successful business. She is an inspiration to Latinas and we are honored to have her as a member of our Latina Mom Bloggers community. You can follow Adriana’s latest food adventures on Twitter @AsBestRecipes, or by “Liking” her Facebook page Adriana’s Best Recipes.

Here is our candid interview with her:

When did you start blogging?  I Started blogging in June 2011.

What do you believe helps differentiate your blog from others?  I work very hard to find recipes that will resonate with my readers, and that will inspire them to cook at home. My recipes are quick and easy, use simple and fresh ingredients, and are tested to ensure quality in taste. All of my recipes and pictures are original which is important because food is very visual – people eat with their eyes so a good picture is worth a thousand words.

Tell us about your audience and what kind of content and information are they are looking for.  My audience is 70% women, mostly from the U.S. and Latin America, which is why my content is provided in English and Spanish. I also have readers from Europe including the UK, Australia and Spain. Most of my readers are adults, moms and professionals looking for quick and easy recipes to feed their families or entertain at home.

How do brands work with you to reach your audience? I work with a variety of brands by testing their products and ingredients, and by sharing their recipes with my readers. I also develop original recipes and content for brands through paid blogger campaigns that are posted on the brand’s proprietary sites. I engage with my audience via Twitter and Facebook, and attend conferences to meet and develop new relationships with other bloggers and brands.

Do you ever refuse to review products you don’t use or believe in? Yes, I will sometimes refuse to review products that aren’t a good fit for my brand. I also want to be selective as I’m more interested in developing long-term relationships as opposed to only also try to be very selective as I’m also looking for long term relationships no only one post.

Do you support any particular non-profit organization or cause through your blog? Not yet, but I’m looking to do that very soon.

Do you have news about any recent or upcoming campaign news that you would like to share? Yes, I recently made my debut on Sears’ “Grilling is Happiness” Campaign where I’ll be a contributor along with a team of grilling experts. I’m the only Latina and look forward to sharing my tips on grilling and outdoor entertaining. I’m also working with Social Fabric to support a Mother’s Day Campaign for Mamas Glade, and with Latina Mom Bloggers to help build awareness about Avocados from Mexico’s “Aguacate Lindo y Querido Recipe Contest”.

What advice would you have for a Latina who is thinking about starting a blog but may not know where/how to begin? What can you tell them about maintaining balance between home and work? I think that my most helpful advice would be to determine why they want to start a blog, what they’d like to blog about, and determine what would distinguish their content from other blogs. It’s also important that they understand the amount of time and dedication that is required to develop quality content on a regular basis. Once they’ve thought their idea through, then they should develop a business plan that clearly defines their blog’s objectives, target and demographics, competition, content, and marketing strategy. There are thousands of blogs that are launched each day, so what is really going to set their blog apart and draw readers? As for maintaining balance between home and work, it is really important to get organized, keep a calendar and stick to a schedule. Family support is also very important along with social networks, affiliations and friends.

Do you have Twitter, Facebook or other social media contact information you would like to share?

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/AsBestRecipes

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/AsBestRecipes

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/100119702908016820421/posts

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=46803939&trk=tab_pro

 If you weren’t a full time blogger, what other field can you see yourself  working in? Marketing. I have over 20 years of experience in this field, and left my marketing job to pursue my passion for food and blogging.

Tell us about three people that you admire and why?

1)    My mom because by following her example I was able to become a strong woman, and a successful professional not only in my country but here as an immigrant in the US.

2)    Madre Teresa de Calcutta because she dedicated her life to serve others

3)    Papa Juan Pablo II because he was a visionary, and the first pope to travel the world and connect with people of all ages, races, different religion views.

What is the best book you’ve recently read and why? “The Shift” by Wayne Dyer. I think that sometimes we all need to shift the way we think and how we perceive life. I found that Dr. Dyer has a powerful message that inspires me to work on being a better person.

What is your favorite life or business quote? I have two:

“Never forget to dream!” (Personal) and “Simple ingredients make masterpieces!” (Professional as a foodie and blogger)

Can you share what is the most important business habit you have?

I find honesty, clarity, and professionalism to be the most important business habits that I have.