Blogger Of The Week: Crystal Faulkner Of Mrs Happy Homemaker

Though Crystal Faulkner claims to be accident prone, it isn't by accident that she has one of the most comprehensive and visually stunning blogs out there. Her site Mrs Happy Homemaker endeavors to show readers "simple recipes & DIY projects that they can do while on a budget — complete with pictorial tutorials all the way through so anyone can follow along," according to Faulkner. Here is what this do-it-all maven has to say about blogging:

Tell us about how you got started: I was always posting pictures of my food on MySpace (remember when?) and my friends teased me relentlessly about it. They nicknamed me "Happy Homemaker," so I turned around and made myself a blog to showcase my recipes instead.

Foods you can't live without: Bacon, pecans, biscuits, and sweet tea. Life just isn't worth living without them.

Food you can't stand: Blue cheese. It's about as appetizing as foot fungus. Yuck.

Proudest post: Homemade Neosporin. Why? Because I made homemade Neosporin! Woot, woot. I should get a gold star now.

Biggest blog blunder: I once updated a widget and took down my entire blog. And I cried. How did I do it? Have you met me? I once broke my foot by missing one step, and I punctured my kidney while riding a bike... so yeah, that should answer any questions you have.

Most memorable comment from a reader: I had a lady email me a while back who thanked me in multiple paragraphs for my Mama's buttermilk biscuit recipe. It's foolproof. She'd been married for 40 years and had never once been able to make a decent biscuit — in fact, she compared her previous biscuits to roof shingles. She said she is now making my homemade biscuits every day and her husband had fallen in love with her all over again. That one made my whole year!

Your cooking playlist: Judge Judy. Wait, that's not music. Let's just pretend it is. Judy Judy for president, y'all.

Food blogs you love: Pioneer Woman, SkinnyTaste, Oh Bite It, and so many more!

Food apps you love: Pinterest, hands down.

Best thing about blogging: Two things. I get to make a living doing what I love and be a homeschool mom at the same time. And my wonderful bloggy friends from all over the country who I never would have met if it weren't for blogging. I've made some wonderful friendships along the way and I couldn't imagine my life without these people in it!

Worst things about blogging: As a food blogger, I eat a lot... so therefore, I have to exercise a lot — and I'm not that girl who loves to exercise.

Recipe you're currently obsessed with: Maple bacon praline cheesecake — it's heaven. It's on the blog, and you need it in your life. I'm totally obsessed with it.

What would even your most loyal followers be surprised to learn about you? My maiden name is Crystal Light and my grandpa's name was Buddy Light (you can imagine what people shorten that one to!). No, neither of us were named after drinks. Both beverages came out after we were born. Those names are definitely a conversation starter, though.

Five of your all-time favorite posts:

• Mama's Buttermilk Biscuits (I grew up with these biscuits, y'all)
• Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwiches: When I was pregnant with my son, all I craved were spicy things — especially jalapeño poppers. Once I gave birth to him, those cravings never went away. That's how the bacon jalapeño popper grilled cheese sandwich was born, and it has been one of my favorite craving-satisfying recipes ever since. Plus, my readers love it — it's one of my most popular recipes on the blog.
• Red Velvet Cheesecake: I'm a Southern gal who loves The Golden Girls, so red velvet and cheesecake are just in my DNA, y'all. The combination of the two is just phenomenal. I'd choose this dessert over anything. Yum!
• Homemade Neosporin: This is one of my favorite recipes, because... well, I made homemade natural Neosporin! Seriously, though, I've had so many issues with eczema, and on top of that, I'm like the clumsiest person that walks the earth. I've always got cuts, scrapes, and/or burns. I developed my homemade natural Neosporin after doing a ton of research and lots of trial of error, and the finished result works so much better than anything I've ever tried before on dry cracked skin, cuts, scrapes, and burns. I used it on a diaper rash my son had and it cleared up amazingly fast — and even got rid of the yeast rashes he used to get on his belly. I've never found anything like it, so it's my favorite thing ever. My readers seem to agree, too, and it's another of my most popular posts on my blog. Not only do I share the recipe on the blog, but I also sell the salve in my Etsy shop for those who want it, but don't want to make it.
• My Mexican-Style Meat is a base for dozens of recipes and freezes beautifully. It's a real life-saver in the kitchen on busy days!