Exclusive: Monique Volz Says Writing a Cookbook Was 'Always a Dream of Mine' After Starting Her Blog in 2011: 'Feels Full Circle'

Monique Volz had no idea her life would change when she launched Ambitious Kitchen, a place where she shared recipes with her followers, in 2011. Thirteen years later, she created a brand, as she has almost 1 million followers on Instagram alone, where they can all go to her page to see "mostly healthy recipes to put you in a good mood," her bio reads.

Though Volz is beloved by many, she "toyed" with the idea of writing a cookbook for a really long time. However, she finally took the plunge, releasing The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook: 125 Ridiculously Good for You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day on September 17.

"It's always been a goal of mine ever since I started my blog. It was the ultimate dream for me, and I think I was approached a couple years ago by other publishers, and it just never felt right. I don't think I was at a point where I felt like I could throw myself into a cookbook, and I was also having kids. I waited until I was done with that and sort of started this project that I've always wanted to do. It was hard to decide what the cookbook was going to be about — whether it was going to be the Ambitious Kitchen cookbook or focus on a specific topic. Some people do slow cooker books or something like that, but I felt it was fitting to share my philosophy around food and tell my story and encourage others to find their own sense of ambition in the kitchen and just make a cookbook for everybody. That was my goal with writing it," the social media personality exclusively tells Morning Honey.

The book features 125 recipes — Glowing Skin Vitamin A Smoothie, The Best Cinnamon Rolls You’ll Ever Eat, Buffalo Chicken Chop Chop Salad, Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Chicken, Sweet Potato & Bacon Situation or Pepperoni Pizza Baked Orzo with Basil and Quick Hot Honey, Everyone’s Favorite Baked Chicken Tacos and more — but it wasn't easy for Volz to get down to that number. "It was a journey of experimenting," she shares. "After that, I submitted it to professional recipe testers after I had the recipe. They tested it, gave their feedback and reviewed it. I would then decide if I wanted to keep it or take it out, but I also had a lot of my readers test it so I could understand what a home cooked experience was like when they tasted the recipe. It was certainly a long process. I had to use my gut, too."

Fortunately, Volz is "incredibly happy" with everything that did make it into the book. "We had to cut more because we had so much content, which was great because I'll save them for a pre-order bonus," she says.

As for which recipes the cookbook author is most excited for people to try, she is "really proud" of the vegetarian chapter. "I grew up mostly vegetarian. My mom cooked a lot of vegetarian meals, and so I feel like they're packed with flavor and very hearty. There's some delicious cherry tomato couscous, spinach, pesto stuffed peppers, and there's also this very delicious espresso Oreo chocolate cake with cookies and cream frosting."

"I wanted it to feel pretty traditional and that it went from breakfast into salads and soups. There's also a fun chapter that is all about handhelds, which is a combination of appetizers and things you eat with your hands, like tacos or empanadas," she continues of how the book is divided up. "They're fun recipes that are perfect for any meal and just things you would add to boost the flavor of something."

Volz's love affair with cooking began under the guidance of her single mother and grandmother, and their flavorful recipes is something Volz continues to add into her own recipes. "I never thought I could make a career out of this. I followed a lot of OG bloggers who were doing it, and there weren't many at the time. I would read their blogs religiously, and I was like, 'This is so fun,'" she says of following her passion. "I started putting my own out there, not thinking anybody would read my blog, but I did a lot of networking and connecting. Slowly but surely it was right time, right place and I had good recipes. It was sort of the beginning of social media — before Pinterest and Instagram, and so being there during that time was so much fun. I'm happy to see it has evolved into something that people still like! I never thought it would be this, but it's been such a joy."

Volz created Ambitious Kitchen during one of the darkest periods in her life when she was struggling to cope with the loss of her father and ended up calorie counting, leading her to become hospitalized. Fortunately, she came out of on the other side, finding solace through cooking.

"It's very surreal," she notes of putting out her first cookbook after all this time. "It's crazy. I hope everyone loves it and finds joy in it. I've had my blog for so long, and I think a lot of my recipes have been in people's homes that have followed me, but I'm excited for this cookbook to be discovered by people that haven't heard of Ambitious Kitchen yet — and who want to include some delicious, vibrant, nutrient recipes into their lives. Whether someone is discovering Ambitious Kitchen for the first time or it is a loyal reader, this is my love letter to them. I hope this becomes a staple in your home."

"I had no idea a blog could make money when I first started it! It feels really full circle. I remember a couple of years into starting my blog, I wrote down my 10-year goal, and one of them was writing a cookbook. It was certainly a dream of mine, but I never guessed it would be what it is now. I never guessed this is what it would look like. It's an incredible feeling to be in this space," she adds.

Ultimately, Volz, who cooks with her own three kids, hopes people find that creative spark in the kitchen when making her recipes. "Even if it's something small that they're trying for the first time or making a recipe for the first time, that sense of ambition and creativity is all you need," she says. "I want people to reconnect with their families and have those conversations over these recipes. It's about bringing people together."

Though the process was "challenging" for Volz, she wouldn't change it for the world. "I learned a ton — from writing the recipes to how I write them for my site. I'm most proud of the design and the photos and that feeling when you open the cookbook because it's pretty unique," she says. "I think it embodies that sense of joy and it's colorful!"

For now, the mom-of-three is looking forward to taking a beat — but she already has more ideas percolating. "I would to write another book, but I have to wait to put this out into the world! I'd like to do more cookbooks, so we'll see where it goes and just continuing down this path. I'm incredibly excited for people to get the book, and we'll see what happens next!" she concludes.

Purchase The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook now!