Mel’s Kitchen Cafe: Redesigned!
It’s here! You guys, it’s here! My new look, er, I mean, my website’s new look has officially launched and as you are reading this, I’m doing heel kicks and high fives in my 1-inch square kitchen. Seriously. I’m just so giddy about it. I’m pretty sure I have a dorky perma-grin plastered on my face and it may be here all week.
This whole makeover has been a long time in coming. For the last five years, I’ve designed and managed the look of my blog by my very untrained self, which meant thousands of google searches to get it how I wanted and a lot of trial and error (so sorry about all those times I broke my website while you were trying to search for your favorite cookie recipe). But I knew that finally it was time to hand over the design reigns to people far more knowledgeable and trained than I. Enter, Melissa and Erin of Wooden Spoons Kitchen.
Simply put, not only are these ladies uber-talented (bloggers/designers/website technicians) but they happen to be two of the nicest people I’ve ever met {as in, virtually met, of course} and have responded to my freak outs and questions with true grace and patience. Their efforts have surpassed my expectations by miles and I am so, so happy with how it all turned out.
Please make note that my pretty lil’ website is going to look smokin’ hot in Chrome or Firefox browsers. Any wonky behavior noticed in Internet Explorer can be avoided by using one of the aforementioned browsers.
Feel free to take a look around the place.
Here are a few highlights in addition to it’s beauty:
-All the recipes are still here in the beautiful new recipe index (I appreciate your longsuffering patience as I’m still going through many of my old archived posts to update images which will allow the Recipe Index to function perfectly!).
-Several pages (like About, Tutorials, Best Recipe, etc.) have undergone some face lifts.
-The recipe format is printable, saveable to Ziplist and as cute as can be.
-On each post, the images have a sweet little Pin It button so if you hover over them, you’ll see the adorableness therein.
-The sidebar to the right still houses social media links, popular posts and a few other goodies.
-Did you check out the footer? Love.
-And get a load of the awesome search bar in the header. I’m pretty sure my life is complete with that one. In fact, the search bar is probably the best tool on this site to find a recipe you are looking for so don’t be afraid to use it and use it often.
I really hope you love the new look as much as I do. Thank you, Melissa and Erin!
It is a good day. The end.
P.S. Stay tuned this week for the most outrageous dessert I’ve ever made and a giveaway to celebrate all this makeover craziness!
120 Comments on “Mel’s Kitchen Cafe: Redesigned!”
Internet Explorer (formerly Microsoft Internet Explorer and Windows Internet Explorer, commonly abbreviated IE or MSIE) is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year. Later versions were available as free downloads, or in service packs, and included in the OEM service releases of Windows 95 and later versions of Windows.-.”`
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Thanks for your reply Mel, I used to not print pictures too but recently changed my tune, especially since your pictures are so great. Looking forward to it returning but until then I’ll settle for none. Sorry for the confusion about the “middle mouse click”, what I meant was if you mouse over a link and then press the middle mouse button (usually done by clicking/pressing the scroll wheel) then that link should open up in a new tab automatically. I guess it’s not a big deal if you’ve disabled it for some reason since you can right click and select the open new tab option…I’m just lazy 🙂 Thanks for all your effort on the site, I’ve made and loved so many of your recipes!
Any word yet on printing pictures with recipes or is it just me still having that problem? Also having issues with the middle mouse click not opening a link in a new tab anymore. Thanks!
Hi Lucy – I’m hoping to add the printing with pictures functionality back in during the next few months but won’t do it until readers can have the ability to choose whether to print with picture or without (because the majority of readers don’t want a picture – over 600 people responded to a question I asked on Facebook and only 5-10% want to be able to print with a picture). Right now I can only do either/or. So I’m working on pleasing everyone but it might take time. 🙂 I’m not sure what you mean by middle mouse click, I’m afraid – I can right click and select “open in new tab” – will that work for you?
Why is this not updating in Chrome? This is the last post I see. I have been checking daily for new posts, but I don’t see any.
I LOVE that there are now pictures in the index!!! The site looks great! Thanks so much! 🙂
This is the last post I see. I’m in Mozilla and no new posts show up. I can see the new posts on my phone and in Internet Explorer, but not Mozilla.
I love the new design! So cool and professional and the brown and blue looks great.
Love the new look!
I love the new look!! I think it suits you well. :-). Also like seeing a picture! And you were right to warn us about the site being down last weekend, because low and behold, I went to look up your funeral potatoes recipe on Sunday – only to be reminded that the site was down!! So glad your back online! 🙂
Your site is beautiful! I love the new look!
Hi Mel! I love your new design and the new index. I don’t seem to be able to enlarge the recipes on my iPad. My eyes aren’t what they used to be and I need all the help I can get with a little larger print. Thanks for all your hard work, you’re awesome!
Just wanted to say I love the new site – I especially like when you recipe section you can see thumbnail pics of everything in a certain category. Great job!
Your new site is great. I was hoping you could help me as I have been hunting for a recipe I am sure I got from your site several months ago. I have looked all over your site and cannot find it. Of course I cannot remember the name but it was a pasta recipe, ground beef, a red sauce topped with a white alfredo sauce (from a jar). It was a great recipe and again I was hoping you could help me out. Thanks as always.
Hi Mary – I think you must be thinking of another blog because I’m sure I don’t have a recipe like that. Sorry!
Have been a long-time follower. Thanks for all the fabulous work you do to make my life easier (and taste better!)
Everything looks wonderful! I love the new design and the picture index. Your blog is my go to blog for recipes, keep up all the great work my family appreciates it!
Love the new site. My only issue is I can’t zoom in on the recipes anymore with my iPad. That was one of those things I always subconciously did while cooking that just made my life a little bit easier! Thanks for all your hard work. My family “lives” off your recipes and they are awesome!
Mel, congrats on the site revamp!! It’s so chic and adorable. So glad you’re happy with it–whatever helps to keep you sharing your delicious recipes with us!
I’m not too ashamed to own up to my selfishness. 🙂
Love, love, love it (baby)!!
Mel,
What a gorgeous site! I must be seriously addicted to MKC because you were missed over the weekend and I had even prepared ahead (thanks to your tip!). To echo another reader, I come for the great recipes and your great sense of humor and fun no matter what the site looks like – but it’s certainly refreshing and well done! And – to echo yet another reader – I agree – you have the best search engine, index, etc. of any recipe blog I follow!
It looks fantastic! Erin and Melissa are incredible, aren’t they? New and improved but still you. It’s perfect!
this is so pretty!! I LOVE the redesign!! They’re such talented ladies 🙂
Hi Mel! Never commented before, but had to give you kudos on the new site!! I missed you over the weekend, which just goes to show you how dependent I have become. I seriously gave away all my cookbooks a month or so ago because when I need a recipe, you are my GO TO girl!! My husband loves what comes out of the kitchen (and most of the time so do the kids!), and with each new great dinner, I just shrug and give my usual answer . . . “its Mel’s kitchen!!!”
LOVE the new look and I LOVE your blog! This is my “go to” recipe source! Thanks!
Hey everyone – just a quick FYI: I heard from Melissa and Erin and they said many of the issues you’ve reported here in the comments have been fixed (yay!). Any lingering issues for those that have said they are using Internet Explorer can most likely be fixed by making sure you are running the latest version. Internet Explorer 7 can make things look a bit funky.
Congrats Mel!!
Fabulous do-over……can you do me too?! LOL!!
Always did enjoy looking through your recipes, still do!
Loads of wonderful ideas, can’t wait to see more magic!
Best to you!!
I’m in love with the new site!! Showing the thumbnail pics of each recipe in the index is my fav! I’m reading on the kindle fire & I can no longer zoom in, which is a problem when I’m in the kitchen trying to follow along. Like tonight when I made your BEST cornbread!! I decided to pour the batter into the waffle maker instead of baking it in the oven & served chili over top- the kidlets loved it! I appreciate all your work.
I feel the need to take a moment every now and again and tell you how grateful I am for your site…your blog is the ONLY food blog I have followed day in and day out for many years now….Not only do I love trying the recipes you recommend, they are always the best of the best..but I love how funny and light hearted your posts are!!! As a working mom, who loves to cook, I don’t have the time I would like to dig and research recipes, it is such a BLESSING to have your site as a source to go to time and time again. Loving the new look….very sleek and professional!! Thank you Mel!!
Mel, the new site looks great! I celebrated by making 3 of your recipes. 🙂 Needless to say, they all turned out great, and I’ve got a very happy family this evening!
Love the updated site!
I have so enjoyed your website in the past and check you every day to see what delicious goodies you are whipping up. Your recipes are uncomplicated and so deliciousand appealing.
Your new site is lovely, but I’m having a lot of trouble navigating. The pages don’t seem to be loading on my screen properly. It took 4 minutes to scroll down the “garlic chicken in lemon butter sauce.” It scrolls down a bit then retracts back up the page. I do only use Internet Explorer, but never had that issue w/your or any other site before. I do hope I’m not going to miss out on your wonderful blog now!
Your re-designed website looks great! And you have a darling family! I love how the pictures show up in the recipe index! I love your blog and want to thank you for helping make our meals more exciting!
It looks great – and so does your cute picture!
Mel!!! So happy for you! This is beautiful! Congrats and Thank you! Love love love your work and influence!
Oh my goodness, how incredibly exciting is this?! Your new design is GORGEOUS, Mel! So fresh, simple and easy to navigate! Love the happy lil’ photo of you in the corner, too. I bet it describes how you feel about this fab design!
Looks lovely. How exciting! Just one more reason for me to super love your blog. 😉
looooooooooooooove it!!! wahhhhoooooo!!!
Congrats on your new look. Love it (loved the old one too and am so impressed you did it all yourself, I would have never guessed that). I’ve just been using a pre-designed template to get me through my first year of blogging, but now I am getting ready to finally change my design and this makes me even more excited. Love it! Thanks for your fabulous recipes.
Looking good!!
Thanks Mel! It works great – BTW I first tried it in IE then in Firefox just to make sure it wasn’t just me or my computer (I don’t have chrome, but if I needed it to see your fabulous site I would download it in a heartbeat…I know it isn’t necessary now, but just saying). I really can’t tell you how much your website and blog have changed the way I cook. Thank you again! I feel like we have been friends forever – I’ve never even met you – BUT if I did meet you in person I’m sure we would be good friends! Thanks a million! YOU ARE THE BEST!!
Mel, your site is gorgeous. But I went looking in the recipe index for the delicious creamy meatballs and the sweet/sour meatballs and do not see them in the beef section. Am I missing them? I remember there being quite a few meatball recipes on your site, but did not see as many now???
Hi Teresa – that was an oversight on my part…sorry! Just updated the categories so all the meatballs (and a few other missing recipes) should now be in the beef section!
Hi Mel – I LOVE you and I LOVE your site! I look up recipes almost every day – you are an inspiration! I tell EVERYONE I know about your great blog and recipe index – I believe in giving credit where credit is due. Just a quick comment (which I have not seen posted yet) – where has the pork/ham gone? When I click on the recipe index it shows the pics of about 9 recipes, but when I click on “more” it brings up your appetizers (which are amazing) but I am searching for a pork recipe….AGAIN THANKS for all you do – I love your comments and thoughts about each recipe you post. PLEASE keep up the good work and thank you for your inspiration!!! YOU ARE AMAZING!
Hi Jamie – what browser are you using? I’m in Chrome and when I click on MORE from Pork/Ham I get the pork recipes. If you can give me a few more details about what browser you are using and if you are using a mobile device that would be awesome. Thank you!
Hi Jamie – thanks for the heads up, just fixed it!
Awesome! Great job! I may need the Wooden Spoons Kitchen to help me at some point! I’m very impressed. 🙂
Wow! It looks great. I love the colors and the clean lines. Love your blog, have for years!
Just found your website. Like it very much and I feel I am in for some real treats of recipes. Making sweet and sour chicken for supper tonight. Bravo to you.very impressed.
Wow! I just spent my entire lunch break on your website, it looks great! And there is so much more to your site than I previously appreciated. I always loved your recipes, but I had no idea about all the tutorials you’ve done! I just learend that there is a lot I didn’t know about pealing garlic. Wow, I’m even more impressed than I was prior by your site and by you! Congrats!
Very nice site, Mel. Pleasing and very efficient. I love the Menu section – will have to show my daughter next time I visit!
Looks great! Congrats on the beautiful “new” site!
Congrats and a quick thank you. I don’t often comment on blogs, but I just would like to let you know how much I appreciate your blog. Your recipes are very family friendly, with out being boring. I love how you give detailed info. and explanations in your recipes, I’m a pretty good cook, but there’s always something new to learn. Keep up the good work!
congratulations on the new design. very nice! thanks for sharing your recipes. i am in love with the cornmeal crescent rolls! just made the shrimp tacos for dinner last week and devoured them. thanks for inspiring so many of us to cook great meals for our families! btw i have 4 boys and a princess too. aren’t we lucky?
Since I use IE, there goes a good site that I’ve loved up until now. Not user friendly to me… that’s too bad. I hate Firefox and Chrome so there you go.
Hi Bex – I can view the site just fine in Internet Explorer (my reference in the post was only meant that some issues occasionally pop up in IE that don’t come up in Firefox and Chrome). As of now, the site doesn’t look much different in IE than it does in Firefox or Chrome so you should be able to still access it and even though the look is different and may seem intimidating (change is always tough), it’s actually much more user-friendly than it was before in my opinion.
This is awesome! It’s my dream to do this one day! I have 4 kiddos, and it’s hard to find the time to keep up on my blogs. I admire that you can do that with your family! This is super cute and thanks for the reference to your designers! I may look them up in the future!
Love the new look!!!
I like it! it looks great!
Congrats, Mel! It’s beautiful! Yours has been my favorite recipe blog for years now. I know I can always trust your recipes!
Just a note – my Firefox browser won’t open the new site. It just defaults to the old one, back on the sugar cookie bar post. I knew it had to be here, so I used IE to find the new site. I’m sure it’s a bug that will work itself out.
Again, thanks for everything and congrats on the new design!!!
Looks completely awesome! Well done! Love it. 🙂
the site looks amazing! i had a blast poking around looking at it all.
Looks amazing!! I love your blog and all your recipes 🙂
Hi Tiffany, are you using a mobile device to view the Tutorial page? If so, the links will go to the right place if you flip your phone/device the long way (landscape). In the meantime, I’ll look into fixing those collages (tuts and best recipe) so they work when holding your phone normally. They point to the right links on a laptop or PC.
Tips and tutorial links go to wrong place. Looks fabulous though!
What a great new look, the logo is so fun and fresh, baby 🙂 Congrats, and love Melissa and Erin. Couldn’t recommend them more and it looks like you agree.
Love it Mel! Can’t wait to keep cooking up amazing recipes, thanks to you, on the newly designed website! It looks great! Keep up the good work!
Love your new look! Beautiful colors and features! Very excited for you! : )
Mel, congrats on the redesign–it looks great! Not that your original wasn’t spiffy–but I know from personal experience when you have a DIY blog site, you can’t always pull off the IT tweaks you’d like. I’m pea green with envy! 🙂
SO happy for you Mel, the site looks fantastic!!
I thought your blog looked fantastic before, and I’m totally impressed you did it all yourself. I bet its nice to hand it off and let someone else handle all the bugs! It looks great, and of course, the food is amazing! Congrats!
Wow…it looks awesome! I love the color choices! I do have to say, though, that I’m impressed that your previous look was all diy…I don’t mean to take away from how awesome it is now, just to say that I didn’t know you did it yourself before 🙂
Thanks, everyone! Just a few updates: Brianna, the fix for the iPad will be rolled out later tonight, most likely, thanks for the heads up! Judy, the sandwiches/wraps are back in the Recipe Index? {Thanks Erin and Melissa for fixing those things so quickly!}
Love the new look! Congrats!
So beautiful and exciting! I’m happy for you, Mel!!
Looks fabulous! Love the header:)
I haven’t explored much yet but so far the mobile site looks amazing! Huge improvement, thank you! And I am totally stoked about the search feature.
I love the new site, but I liked your old one too. You are super talented!
I usually hate change of any kind, but I love the clean look of your new website design. I’ve followed you from the beginning so I have fond memories of your early blog posts and the old website. You have been a blessing to many of us throughout the years.
Congrats, looks great!
Beautiful! So fresh and clean. I think my favorite part though, is your cute, friendly picture! Great job and congratulation, Mel! 😉
Love the new look! I especially like the colors and the layout. Fav thing : “Tried and true recipes baby”. Congrats!
I love love love it! 🙂
It’s beautiful, Mel! There are always always always kinks that can’t be foreseen when a new site is launched, so I will be very, very VERY patient while they all get worked out. And I, for one, think that your ads are really unobtrusive (and of course not just deserved but essential as a blog is so much work). That must be why some didn’t realize that you’ve had them for so much time!
Well done, beautiful, airy space. Cheers!
xoxo Nicole
You go girl! So happy for you Mel! A great new look, I´m not surprised at all
Welcome back Mel, everything looks great! 🙂
It looks so wonderful! Love it 🙂
Someone else commented about this on your Facebook page, but it appears that sandwiches and wraps are missing. The link at the top doesn’t take you anywhere and then I scrolled down through the categories and it’s not there either.
Love it Mel! Congrats!
LOVE the new look!! (and so happy it’s back up!! *wee* panic attack on Saturday when I couldn’t access it… EVEN THOUGH you gave advance warning… lol)
On Friday I almost had a panic attack when I realized your site was down all weekend. So excited for you and your new design. My family loves that this mamma is trying new recipes. In the past I have tried famous cooks recipes and we have not liked them. So for awhile I stopped trying new recipes until I found your site! Thanks for all your hard work.
It looks great Mel!
Love the new site! The colors…everything, but I wanted you to know that right now as I am looking at it on an ipad, the links to the pages at the top may need adjusted. The link for your about page actually only spells “bout” not about. It looks like the “a” is hiding under your kitchen cafe banner.
LOVE your new design, Melanie! Congrats. It looks clean and neat!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new look! They did an amazing job!
It looks fantastic! I’m excited for you, Mel. You are so talented, so inspiring. I just love you and your blog and am happy that you are happy with all the changes! I loved it before, and am sure it will be fabulous and am eager to explore the makeover! Thank you so, so much for all that you share.
I love the new site! I just wanted to say that I have been a faithful follower since the beginning! Even when you and the sisters were doing a blog! Your recipes are the best. Congrats!
Love the new look Mel!!! I wanna update mine now, just by seeing yours. My husband will probably kill me, hehe. Can’t wait to look around and see all the cool new things. PS Can not wait to see what dessert you made! I am excited and will be waiting for your email!! 🙂 Congrats Mel!
Mel, it looks so good!! I’m in the process and cannot wait – especially after seeing yours!!
Looks fabulous! I love the new look. I love your writing style. I love your recipes. You are just a wonderful girl. Thank you!
The new website looks great! What I can see of it anyway…I don’t know what the issue is, and it’s probably just my computer, but for some reason your site has shown up for the last several months with print so tiny that I can barely read it, and even the new look hasn’t changed that. Anyone else have this problem or is it just me? I don’t seem to have the same problem with any other blogs.
It looks GREAT!!! The search is wonderful and love the added pics!! So glad to you have you back! (yes, I realize it was only two days but you were missed!) 🙂
Congrats on the new website Mel. It looks really lovely. Of course….the food that you stand behind and write about is what makes your blog the best in the whole wide world! But its nice to have a face lift! 🙂 Congratulations again!
Hi Summer – I completely understand where you are coming from but believe it or not, I’ve had ads on my site for four years now! In fact, all the ads on the site you see now are almost exactly where they were on the old design…so that’s one component that didn’t get changed much.
Love the new look of your site! I totally understand why, but I’m sorta bummed you have advertisements on your blog now. You were one of the last blogs I follow who hadn’t accepted advertisements yet and I guess I got spoiled with the clean look of your old format. But seriously, with all the time and effort you put into this you deserve to get as much monetary value out of it as you can 🙂
Amazing new website, Mel! Congrats! I sure love your site. You do such an amazing job at suggesting new things that my family loves. Thanks for being a family-friendly, yummy, fun place to go. Great job!
I’m going to miss scrolling through your recipes in simple list form, sans photos. I felt like I was getting to know each and every one, and the names alone were so enticing. Your previous site will always be treasured.
I love the new look! Of all the food blogs I read, your search bar is my very, very favorite. It is the most user-friendly and helpful. I’m so glad that didn’t change! But I do love the addition of the pics. I LOVE your blog!
Looks so great! Your site is my very most favorite! It is my go to site for wonderful recipes! Thanks for your inspiration!
Love it Mel! Nice work
Everything looks wonderful. You are very blessed to have great help! Can’t wait to get cooking!
Love it, Mel! Congratulations on a gorgeous new site, but know that I’m just here for the food (and your wit and charm), pretty site or not-so-pretty site. 😉
Karen (and others) – yes, yes, I know that many of you are missing the photos on the print page. I’m looking into it, promise! But it might take a while so promise me patience and know that I’m working to add that functionality back in.
Love it! No really!! I love it!
I love your website! The new look is great. Looking forward to exploring in the days to come.
Love it!!
I missed that the pictures wouldn’t print on the recipe, is this option back?
Love the site, it really is beautiful. 🙂
Looking good!
I like seeing the picture of what each recipe looks like in the index when you click on the “More” button.
Mel!!! Your site looks FANTASTIC! I love the redesign. The index absolutely rocks!
Beautiful!!! We love your recipes.
Love, love it!