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Home » Lifestyle » Travel

September 15, 2014 (Updated March 9, 2023)

Blog Brulee Recap

by Anne Mauney, MPH, RD

57 comments
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I spent the weekend in Vermont at a small dietitian blogger retreat called Blog Brûlée. I was honored to be at the event as a speaker (disclaimer: they covered my travel/lodging and compensated me for my time), but I feel like I learned just as much from the others in attendance as they (hopefully) learned from me.

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This conference will go down in the books as one of my absolute favorites. I loved the small and intimate setting and the fact that I was surrounded by nearly 30 other women who are doing the same thing I am. Working from home for yourself is absolutely amazing, but it can also be quite isolating – it was so fun to network with fellow dietitians who are also blogging, freelance writing, appearing in the media, and running their own private practices and nutrition consulting businesses. I felt so at home. 🙂

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The event was designed to provide education and professional development (we received 17 dietitian continuing education credits for going, which was awesome), as well as a forum for discussion and relationship building. The weekend was jam packed with presentations on topics such as blogging and social media best practices, fundamentals of food photography and food styling, SEO basics, marketing strategies, community development, brand identity and monetization, and even contract negotiations. It was organized by four fabulous Registered Dietitians:

  • Regan Jones, RD – Healthy Aperture (<—like Tastespotting for healthy recipes)
  • Gretchen Brown, RD – kumquat (<—gluten free recipe blog, gorgeous photos)
  • Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD- Teaspoon of Spice (<— great kid-friendly recipes)
  • Robin Plotkin, RD, LD – Robinsbite (<—love her “inside the fridge” series with RDs)

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The four founders led a number of the sessions and were joined by myself (I led a session on monetizing your brand) and four other excellent speakers:

  • Carolyn Ketchum of All Day I Dream About Food
  • EA Stewart, MBA, RD of The Spicy RD
  • Janice Newell Bissex, MS, RD and Liz Weiss, MS, RD of Meal Makeover Moms
  • Brierley Wright, MS, RD  – Nutrition Editor at EatingWell Media Group

If you’re interested, you can read full bios on the Blog Brulee speaker page.

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I also loved getting to know the inspiring and entrepreneurial women in attendance. Check them out!

  • JESSICA LEVINSON, MS RD CDN – NUTRITIOULICIOUS
  • DIANE BOYD, MBA RD LDN – CAPE FEAR NUTRITION
  • KYLIE HELD MITCHELL – IMMAEATTHAT
  • MEME INGE, RD LD – LIVING WELL KITCHEN
  • DANIELLE OMAR, MS RD – FOOD CONFIDENCE
  • MCKENZIE HALL, RDN – NOURISHRDS
  • KARA LYDON, RD – THE FOODIE DIEITITAN
  • KRISTINA LARUE, RD –  LOVE & ZEST
  • JULIE HARRINGTON, RD – RDELICIOUS KITCHEN
  • KARMAN MEYER, RD – NUTRITION ADVENTURES
  • JENNA BRADDOCK, RD – FRESH FOOD PERSPECTIVES
  • MARISA MOORE, MBA RD LD – MARISA MOORE NUTRITION
  • JENNIFER RAWN, MS MPH RD – 30 SECONDS WITH A & J
  • ANN DUNAWAY TEH, MS RD LD – DUNAWAY DIETETICS
  • HOLLY LARSON, MS RD – GRASS ROOTS NUTRITION
  • WENDY JO PETERSON, MS RD CSSD – WENDY JO
  • JEN HAUGEN, RD – DOWN TO EARTH DIETITIAN
  • MIN KWON, RD – THE ADVENTURES OF MJ AND HUNGRYMAN
  • ASHLEY GALLOWAY, MS RD – THE FRESH BEET
  • RACHAEL HARTLEY, RD LD CDE – AN AVOCADO A DAY

The founders randomly paired us with roomies (well, house-mates – we shared a place with three bedrooms and a common area/kitchen) so we got to know new people right away, which was awesome. My roomies were Jenna and Julie – we had a blast together. Jenna makes excellent over easy eggs for breakfast, in case you were wondering (we all made and ate breakfast in our houses both mornings). 😉

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We were generously hosted for the weekend by one of the sponsors, Smugglers’ Notch, and I can’t say enough good things about them. From the wonderful healthy food to the beautiful property (it’s a big ski area, so it’s in the mountains) to the extremely attentive and friendly staff, we were well taken care of. Highly recommend them for your next vacation – very family-friendly, and I love that they have a lot of health promoting initiatives, too.

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Aside from all the learning and great informational sessions, some of the other trip highlights were:

  • A wine tasting at the adorable Boyden Valley Winery, one of the sponsors of the event:

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The wine was paired with Cabot (also a sponsor) cheese, my fave. So interesting to eat the cheese and see how it changed the taste of the wine. Some of the sweeter wines became much more complex with a sharp cheddar!

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If you want some tips for how to pair wine and cheese at home, Cabot has a cool guide on their website with lots of tips: wine and cheese pairing.

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  • Sneaking in a short hike (on the Smugglers’ Notch property) on the afternoon I arrived with my roomies:

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  • And sneaking in an early a.m. 40 minute run with Kylie on Sunday morning before the sessions began. We basically had to run directly up the mountain, but the cold air felt AMAZING compared to hot summer. Yep, wearing the same outfit, don’t judge. (Sidenote: Kylie’s single serving healthier cookie recipe e-cookbook pricing is going up this week, so if you want to buy it, get on it!)

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  • S’mores – nuff said.

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  • A Lake Champlain Chocolates tasting class (more on this coming, but the spizy aztec was my favorite – it had cinnamon and cayenne pepper – epic combo):

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  • And lastly, an hour to explore Burlington on the tail end of the trip before heading off to the airport.

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What does a group of dietitians do together? Hit a juice bar, obviously. I had one with kale + cucumber + carrot + ginger + lemon + celery. Hit the spot!

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What a fun and inspiring weekend. I miss all these ladies already – wish we could all share an office and talk shop every day!

A HUGE thank you again to the sponsors who made the Blog Brûlée weekend possible:

  • Cabot Creamery
  • Smugglers’ Notch
  • Boyden Valley Winery
  • Welch’s
  • The Soyfoods Council
  • Mountain States Rosen (delicious lamb)
  • Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs (their eggs are pasteurized with warm water baths – hello, raw cookie dough and runny eggs without salmonella)
  • Kashi (loving their new crunchy seed granola bars)
- anne
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57 comments
  • Presley @ Run Pretty
    September 15, 2014 · 2:53PM:
    I feel like you just did all of my favorite things. Well, ate and drank all of my favorite things. Plus, I am a supporter of anything with brûlée in the title.
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 15, 2014 · 2:54PM:
      #Ilikeyourstyle
      Reply
  • Cassidy September 15, 2014 · 2:57PM:
    A local coffee around me sells Lake Champlain Chocolates. Delicious!
    Reply
  • Masala Girl
    September 15, 2014 · 3:03PM:
    that sounds like so much fun! I'd love to hear you speak :) Is there a website or a way to find conferences/festivals for blogging, healthy eating, fitenss, events like this, etc?
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 15, 2014 · 3:15PM:
      I would just google "fitness blogger conferences" or "health blogger conferences" -- there are a TON! You can see ones I've been to in the past on my travel page.
      Reply
  • Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona
    September 15, 2014 · 3:25PM:
    Looks like you lucked out with such beautiful surroundings to have your conference. i'd love to hear more about the sessions.
    Reply
  • Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious
    September 15, 2014 · 3:40PM:
    What a fun event! Looks like you had a great time.
    Reply
  • Meme @ Living Well Kitchen
    September 15, 2014 · 3:57PM:
    Such a fun event! Your presentation and tips were invaluable - thanks again!! I loved meeting you and all the other fabulous bloggers. I sure wish we could have spent an extra day or two in Vermont with the beautiful sunny & cool weather we had yesterday ;)
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 15, 2014 · 4:56PM:
      Loved meeting you, too! You are hilarious. You're ready to move to DC, right? :)
      Reply
  • Jenna @ Fresh Food Perspectives
    September 15, 2014 · 4:13PM:
    Anne, I'll make you eggs any day. =) - Jenna
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 15, 2014 · 4:55PM:
      I wish you lived here. :) So fun hanging with you this weekend!
      Reply
  • Jessica @ Nutritioulicious
    September 15, 2014 · 4:39PM:
    I'm so impressed how quickly you got the recap up! Was great to meet you and get to know you over the weekend, which was inspirational and motivating, just like your talk! Look forward to continuing to connect moving forward!
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 15, 2014 · 4:55PM:
      So great meeting you, too! Keep up the great work! :)
      Reply
  • Stephanie K September 15, 2014 · 4:43PM:
    Just curious how many continuing education credits you have to get every 5 years (5 years, right?). I'm not an RD yet (soon!), but I can't find a number anywhere. Thanks!
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 15, 2014 · 4:57PM:
      I'm pretty sure it's 75 CPEUS every 5 years.
      Reply
  • Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment
    September 15, 2014 · 4:53PM:
    What a cool event! Perfect fall weather too. Thank you for sharing!
    Reply
  • Kylie @ immaeatthat
    September 15, 2014 · 5:22PM:
    Thanks for the ebook mention:) Glad we got a chance to spend some time together this weekend. Thanks for the helpful advice! My media kit is almost finished;)
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 15, 2014 · 6:46PM:
      My pleasure! Great seeing you - thanks for the run! :)
      Reply
  • Amanda September 15, 2014 · 5:26PM:
    Your hair looks fantastic! Did you start getting it colored? I have blond hair and have never gotten highlights, but I am debating it as we head back into the dreary winter months and I don't have any natural sun highlighting. Also, maybe a curling tutorial post? Looks like a really fun weekend!
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 15, 2014 · 6:45PM:
      Thank you! I started getting highlights a couple times a year back in college and never looked back... brightens it up nicely. Just got it done again last week! And yes I've been meaning to do a hair tutorial!
      Reply
  • Sarah @ Makinv Thyme for Health
    September 15, 2014 · 6:54PM:
    What a gorgeous venue! I can imagine it looks even prettier when the leaves start to turn. And I can imagine it feels so much better to have an intimate setting like that where you actually get a chance to meet everyone involved. It looks like so much fun!
    Reply
  • Liz - Meal Makeover Mom
    September 15, 2014 · 7:37PM:
    Anne, when do you sleep? I'm so impressed by how quickly you wrote your post. Thanks for the wonderful shootouts, the great advice at Blog Brûlée, and for being such a fun new friend. You are a game-night pro, a blogging pro, and I'll look forward to seeing you at FNCE. Rematch?
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 15, 2014 · 7:52PM:
      Rematch for sure! :) Loved getting to know you and Janice better this weekend. So inspiring to hear how you built up your brand - and I'm still laughing about the floating heads on spatulas and frying pans... :) Thank you for paving the way for us non-traditional RDs!
      Reply
  • LeAnne @ Thisismyfaster!
    September 15, 2014 · 8:20PM:
    Your trip looked and sounded amazing! Such great pics!
    Reply
  • Deanna Segrave-Daly
    September 15, 2014 · 9:23PM:
    Wow - we couldn't ask for a better recap! Thrilled you could be a part of it all and so glad I finally got to meet you after all this time - next stop FNCE :) Thank so much, Anne!
    Reply
  • Amanda @ Slimplify Life
    September 15, 2014 · 10:14PM:
    This looks absolutely amazing! What a wonderful way to kick off the fall season =).
    Reply
  • Ashley
    September 15, 2014 · 10:50PM:
    What a great opportunity! I'm loving all the things Fall <3
    Reply
  • Min
    September 15, 2014 · 10:51PM:
    I'm so glad we got to spend some quality time together, Anne! Such a wonderful recap! I shall come back to this every time I reminisce about the weekend ;).
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 16, 2014 · 7:18AM:
      It was wonderful seeing you again, Min! :) Excited to follow you as you finish school and start your career!
      Reply
  • Leslie @ Life Begins at 30?
    September 15, 2014 · 10:52PM:
    What a fun weekend!! Beautiful pictures!! I'm obsessed with the juice bar that opened near my work. I love all of the delicious combinations and sneaking in an extra serving of fruits and veggies!!
    Reply
  • Tricia
    September 16, 2014 · 5:32AM:
    Could you post some of your tips for monitizing your brand from the session you lead? Thanks!
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 16, 2014 · 12:14PM:
      I've written a post on this in the past! Check it out: how to work with brands as a blogger.
      Reply
      • Tricia
        September 16, 2014 · 3:45PM:
        Perfect! Thanks!
        Reply
  • Nicole
    September 16, 2014 · 7:58AM:
    Looks like a beautiful setting!
    Reply
  • Dietitian Jess
    September 16, 2014 · 9:46AM:
    Sounds like an awesome and educational time, totally jealous! Hopefully I will see some of these awesome bloggers in Atlanta next month! Also thanks for introducing me to a few new RD blogs :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 16, 2014 · 12:13PM:
      Yes, many of the people in this group will be at FNCE! :)
      Reply
  • EA-The Spicy RD
    September 16, 2014 · 10:06AM:
    Fabulous post & recap and so nice to meet you in Vermont! Loved your talk and your passion for what you do, plus I'm inspired by all your energy :-) One of your readers just connected with me-what a great community we have!!
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 16, 2014 · 12:13PM:
      It's such an amazing community, I agree! Loved meeting you this weekend! :)
      Reply
  • Laura @SheEatsWell
    September 16, 2014 · 10:24AM:
    This looks SO amazing and as an RD to be, I cannot wait to check out all those other blogs too. Thanks for sharing...and keeping me inspired on a tougher day in this journey (o-chem test!).
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 16, 2014 · 12:13PM:
      Good luck!! I remember those days - they'll be over before you know it. Until then, enjoy the journey as much as you can. :)
      Reply
  • Kara Lydon, RD
    September 16, 2014 · 11:55AM:
    Anne, your presentation rocked my socks off. Seriously, so much awesome advice. I can't wait to get started on my media kit! THANK YOU again for sharing all your wise words of advice with us. Feel so lucky that I got to hang with you twice in one month! Look forward to staying connected!
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 16, 2014 · 12:12PM:
      My pleasure - so glad you found it helpful! Loved seeing you so much lately! :)
      Reply
  • Shannon September 16, 2014 · 4:09PM:
    My voice teacher recently told me that she has an email group with a few other voice teachers. Maybe if you aren't already you could start up and RD/Blogger email chain. Get some ideas and social interaction that way :)
    Reply
  • Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen
    September 17, 2014 · 10:18AM:
    awesome recap! It was so awesome meeting you this weekend. You have taught me so much. I started working on my media kit already :)
    Reply
  • Meal Makeover Mom Janice
    September 17, 2014 · 10:22AM:
    This was also one of my favorite conferences ever! It was great meeting you and the other fabulous bloggers. I'm going through a bit of withdrawal this week. :( Bring me back to Smugs!
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 17, 2014 · 10:45AM:
      I know - I miss it!! So great meeting you, too! :)
      Reply
  • diane
    September 17, 2014 · 5:36PM:
    Anne, You certainly live up to your name, fANNEtastic! Thank you for the information from your presentation and the tips you shared at our round table discussion. I'm working on putting these useful tips into practice! Stay in touch!
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 17, 2014 · 5:47PM:
      Thank you, Diane! It was great meeting you! :)
      Reply
  • Emily @SinfulNutrition
    September 19, 2014 · 8:46PM:
    Looks like a great time! I'm hoping that I can attend it next year especially if it is in Vermont since I am moving to Burlington soon! Blogging dietitians in Vermont? My dream come true! Haha :D
    Reply
  • Emily September 19, 2014 · 8:49PM:
    was the juice from The Juice Box in downtown Burlington?? One of my fave places for a spin and juice!
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 19, 2014 · 10:09PM:
      Yes, that was it - couldn't remember the name! So good!
      Reply
  • Monica September 19, 2014 · 10:14PM:
    I've been going to Smugglers Notch almost every year since I was 3! It's absolutely one of my favorite spots, along with Burlington. So glad you got to experience it!
    Reply
  • Regan @ Cabot Creamery
    September 20, 2014 · 5:29AM:
    I never knew that my Fannetastic Fall could be so awesome :) but you've definitely made it so. You truly brought an awesome insight into the event.. So glad to have you there!!
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 20, 2014 · 7:53AM:
      I was so happy to be there! And I'm loving all our joint travels. :)
      Reply
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about Anne

anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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anne mauney

I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

When I’m not writing or cooking for fannetastic food, you can find me running, coaching nutrition clients, or on an adventure with my family. Feel free to reach out - I'd love to hear from you!

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