Welcome to Food, Fun & Faraway Places! I'm so glad you found your way here!
Let's pretend we're sitting at a cafe in France, or maybe Italy, or maybe...in your neighborhood! Grab your coffee or tea and let me take a minute to introduce myself and tell you a little about this site and how to find your away around.
My name is Kelly Stilwell and I'm the writer and photographer behind Food, Fun & Faraway Places.
This blog was born from my passion for writing. When my kids were little, I wrote for print magazines. It was my outlet, and a way to share the joys and frustrations of parenting.
Eventually, an editor told me to start a blog. I wish I could remember which editor it was so I could thank them! This little blog has turned into my full-time business where I write about a few of my passions:
Food
Whether it's a new dish I'm making at home like these oatmeal raisin cookies, a tasting at one of the best restaurants in Amman, Jordan, rolling along the Canadian Rockies while having a gourmet lunch on Rocky Mountaineer, or fine dining on a River Cruise with my family in France, I LOVE FOOD!
I've created recipes for many brands such as Dole, Wisconsin Cheese, and The Republic of Tea, and Safeway Grocery Stores.
All the recipes here are things I love to eat.
Some of my favorite recipes:
Watermelon Jicama Salsa from Carnival Cruise Lines
Fresh Peach and Cucumber Salsa
Decadent Roasted Marshmallow Cocktail
Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cream
20 Delicious Indonesian Desserts
And because I love to eat, I will occasionally go back on Weight Watchers. The program helped me lose baby weight and works every time I work at it.
I have never worked with Weight Watchers on a campaign. I just love the recipes, so you will find quite a few recipes that work with the Points program here, like this list of Weight Watchers desserts, or these Italian Weight Watchers Recipes.
Fun
You'll find all kinds of fun here, and of course it overlaps with food and travel. I had a blast in Lima Peru visiting the market and learning to make Peruvian Causa. In Jordan, we stayed a the Feynan Ecolodge and sipped tea on the roof while looking at the millions of stars.
As we live just 90 minutes from Orlando, we do visit the Disney Parks. Visiting the Epcot Festival of Food and Wine is always so much fun, but if you're there any time of year, the Epcot restaurants are definitely where you should eat!
I used to work with Disney interviewing celebs, but research showed me I was confusing the google gods, so you won't find many interviews here now. You can still see my interview with Chris Evans, Captain America. It's a pretty popular post, which makes me wonder what readers think I'm doing in 30 minutes with Chris Evans! 😲
Okay, I may be having a little trouble letting this movie go, too, but Guardians of the Galaxy!! Check out Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Kurt Russell, Dave Bautista, On the Set with Guardians of the Galaxy while you can!
Travel
In the past ten years, I've discovered an insatiable passion for travel. I want to see the world!
We are so grateful to be recognized as one of the Best Travel Blogs for 2020 and again in 2021. We were also #3 on Top 45 Food Travel blogs to follow in 2021.
If you like adventure, check out my trip Machu Picchu in Peru. I even explored the Acton Tunichil Muknal underground cave in Belize, though you can't take photos as there are ancient skeletons inside.
When in Indonesia, I climbed to the top of the Piaynemo summit for the best view of Raja Ampat.
I walked the ancient streets of Jerash in Jordan, and stayed Feynan Ecolodge, voted one of the top in the world by National Geographic Traveler.
One of my favorite ways to travel is by river cruise, and I've sailed with Viking River Cruises down the Rhine, the Rhone, and the Danube.
I traveled on Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Banff to see the Canadian Rockies in 2017, and in 2018 I was honored to join Rocky Mountaineer as an Ambassador, which I've continued through 2021.
I also write for Travelocity, The Daily Meal, Bradenton Magazine, and others.
I travel with my family as well as on press trips where I learn about new destinations to share with you here.
Some places are near:
Things to Do on Anna Maria Island
What to Expect on a VIP Tour in Disney World
Why We Love Disney's Port Orleans Riverside
Things to Do In Winter Park, Florida
Best Resorts in Florida for Beach and Golf
Some are all about the journey:
See the Canadian Rockies on Rocky Mountaineer
Choosing Excursions on Carnival Cruise Lines
Things to Do on a Holland America Cruise
My Top Excursions on Viking River Cruise
Some took a while to arrive:
3 days in Raja Ampat Indonesia
Why You Need to See Cueva Ventana
What to See in Ancient Jerash in Jordan
Things to Do In County Wicklow Ireland
And finally, some of my favorite trips where I've also had amazing food!
A Taste of Provence on Viking River Cruise
Where to Find the Best Food in Disney World
My Favorite Places for Quebec Food
Thai Cooking Class in Thailand with Holland America Cruises
Follow Food, Fun & Faraway Places
I save all this on Pinterest, so if you are more visual, check out a few of my boards.
And be sure to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook.
Finally, I hope you've decided you would like to be part of the family at Food, Fun & Faraway Places! You'll receive an email 3-4 times per month with all the goodness I can find!
As always, I'd love to hear from you! Contact me anytime at kastilwell@gmail.com. Thanks for spending time here today!