Today, I am happy to share with you an interview with the founder of The Darling Apron: Ashley Leonard.

Can you tell us about yourself? Where do you live? Tell us about your family & your interests.
Hello! I’m Ashley, the creator of The Darling Apron food blog. I have been following Megan’s blog for years and am so excited for the opportunity to be featured here! Megan is my cousin and we also happen to share the same birthday. How cool is that?
A little about me: I live in the SW suburbs of Minneapolis with my husband David and our two girls, Clara (4) and Brielle (2). I grew up in northern Minnesota, went to college in Wisconsin and made the move to my husband’s hometown after we got married.
I have a degree in Hospitality Management and have worked in the food service industry since I was 15. After the birth of my second daughter in 2018, I could no longer ignore my heart’s desire to become a stay-at-home mom. It was quite the adjustment, but I can say that I have no regrets. They grow up so fast!
Cooking and baking have always been a huge part of my life. My mom was a chef whose mom was also a great cook so I think it may run in the family. Besides cooking, I enjoy doing DIY projects around the house and embracing many of the outdoor activities Minnesota offers throughout the year.

Please tell us how you found your way to creating the Darling Apron.
The thing I was not prepared for when becoming a stay-at-home mom was the challenges of loneliness and the feeling that I lost some of myself in the daily grind of raising my girls. There is a mindset that as a stay-at-home mom you need to love every moment and need to devote all your energy into your kids. I love my girls more than anything and I feel so lucky that I’m able to be home with them but bundle the general stay-at-home mom feelings with a global pandemic, and I knew I needed an outlet. Hence, The Darling Apron was born. It took a little while for me to settle on creating a food blog, but when thinking about my passions (cooking, my family, entertaining) it seemed like a no-brainer.

Do you have any particular inspiration?
I grew up with my family sitting together at the dinner table nearly every night. In the hectic pace of the world, I think it is something that is becoming less and less common. I also think the value of it can’t be underestimated. While I don’t expect everyone to have the same passion for cooking that I do, my hope is that I can help people find cooking more approachable and valuable for their family. My family is on a budget each month, and everything I make for my family needs to fit within those means. I’m out to prove it doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. Great tasting food is attainable and the memories you make with your family while enjoying or making it together is priceless.
I am also a believer that food is a universal love language. I am the kind of person that enjoys cooking for others. I love coming up with new ideas to make for my girls’ birthday parties, or if a friend recently had a baby, I’m sure to bring over a meal for them.
What's next for you?
My blog only launched a few months ago, so my hope is to continue to gain readers and followers to The Darling Apron. Having people write reviews or send me pictures of the recipes they have made from the blog is so fulfilling! In the future, I’m hopeful that The Darling Apron will continue to grow and that I can turn blogging into a career that gives me the freedom to be flexible and present as my girls grow up. If I’m really dreaming, I’d love for there to be a Darling Apron cookbook one day! Stay tuned!

Anything else?
I hope you have enjoyed learning a little bit about me and will come visit me over at The Darling Apron! If you have any other questions or thoughts please send me an email @ thedarlingapron@gmail.com . I’d love to hear from you! If you are on social media, be sure to follow me @thedarlingapron on Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest.
Thanks again to Megan for the opportunity to reach all of you. I’ve been very grateful for her support these last few months.
I’ll leave you with a quick recipe for my Banana Oatmeal Cookies. They are the perfect mix between banana bread and an oatmeal cookie. I hope you’ll give them a try!

Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, ground
- 3/4 tsp. cinnamon, ground
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup mashed bananas, about 1 cup
- 1 3/4 cup oats, regular or quick
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts, like walnuts
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and spices.
- In mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well.
- Stir in mashed bananas, oatmeal and nuts.
- Finally, stir in flour mixture and mix well.
- Drop by heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Bake 10-12 minutes until light golden brown.
- Let rest on cookie sheet 2 minutes before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container.
Some of life’s greatest memories are made gathered around the table. Let’s make sure we’re eating some good food while we’re at it!
-Ashley Leonard
Be sure to check out:
https://thedarlingapron.com
https://www.instagram.com/thedarlingapron/
https://www.facebook.com/thedarlingapron/