How This Blogger Turned Family Recipes Into a 4-Figure Side Hustle

Discover how Vinny turned his passion for home-cooked meals into a food blog with over 100,000 monthly visits. Learn how SEO, Side Hustle consistency, and social media helped him earn 4 figures per month.

Story of the Day: From Scratch to 6 Figures Side Hustle in Views

In just four years, Vinny transformed a few family recipes into a thriving food blog called Always From Scratch, attracting over 100,000 monthly visitors and growing.

That kind of traffic translates easily into a 4-figure monthly income through:
– Display ads
– Sponsored work from food brands
– Paid photography gigs

His Instagram page now boasts over 136,000 followers, giving his blog strong visual authority and keeping brand deals flowing. While it hasn’t replaced his full-time salary, the blog has become a legitimate second income stream.

The Strategy That Made It Work

1. SEO First, Always


From the start, Vinny approached each recipe idea with SEO tools like:
– SEMrush
– Ahrefs
– KeySearch

If a topic had low competition + high search volume, it went on the production list.

He also took:
– Aleka Shunk’s Cooking With Keywords course
– SEO audits from Casey Markee
– Joined Top Hat Rank webinars

2. Content Creation Like a Machine


Each post followed a structured content pipeline:
– Recipe testing
– DSLR photos edited in Adobe Lightroom
– Short videos for Instagram and TikTok
– Coordinated blog + social release

He maintained one blog post + two short videos per week, every week.

3. Clean-Up and Consistency


Vinny also updated older posts regularly:
– Optimized content
– Refreshed photos
– Pruned underperforming recipes

This consistency quietly boosted rankings and retained loyal readers.

Want to Do the Same Side Hustle?

Here’s how you can model Vinny’s journey—even if you’re not a chef:

Start With What You Know Side Hustle!


You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Use:
– Family recipes
– Your own creations
– Cultural or regional food ideas

But don’t just rewrite what’s already on Google.

Learn SEO for Side Hustle (at Least the Basics )


You don’t need to be an expert, but you do need to:
– Find what people are searching
– Avoid high-competition topics
– Optimize headlines and meta info

Combine a Blog With Instagram + TikTok


Most bloggers now get more traffic from social media than Google.
Your blog = long-term SEO and monetization
Your social = fast views, trust, and sponsors

Stay Consistent to earn Side Hustle


Even if your photos aren’t perfect yet—post anyway.
The algorithm loves consistency more than perfection.

Monetize Without Feeling ‘Salesy’


Once your blog gets some views (even 5,000/month), start layering monetization:
– AdSense or Ezoic for display ads
– Work with brands in your niche
– Offer recipe eBooks, presets, or templates
– Accept photography or food styling gigs locally

Final Thoughts


Vinny’s story isn’t just a recipe blog fairytale—it’s a roadmap.
He didn’t rely on luck. He relied on strategy, structure, and consistency.

So if you’ve ever thought:
“I wish I could start a blog but I’m not techy…”

Let this be your permission to try.

 

  • Tags: food blog income, recipe blog success, passive income blogging, beginner SEO blogging, Instagram for food bloggers, Always From Scratch story
  • SEO Keywords: how to make money with a food blog, recipe blog passive income, food blog success story, make 4 figures from blogging, Always From Scratch blog

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