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!
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!!