Meet Christina Vieira of Cooking With Christina in Spring

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Vieira.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Throughout my short 21 years of life, I have always wanted to make others happy. I care so much about the happiness and wellbeing of others, even before thinking about myself or what makes me happy. A couple of years ago, I was living on my own and wanted to really discover what makes me truly happy so that I can have a fulfilling life with lots of joy and happiness. That is when I got into cooking.

I’ve always loved food, as anyone does. I love exploring new places, cultures, and cuisines. So I decided to dive right in. Experiment with recipes, try out my own concoction of ingredients, really just try cooking new things even if I failed. Cooking gave me the fulfillment, confidence, and happiness I had been striving for. I love being able to share my cooking with friends, family, coworkers, and seeing the smiles that my cooking brings them. This is why I started my Instagram page @cooking_with_christina. It documents the food I cook or bake and food that I enjoy when on vacation or out and about in the area.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I wish I could say that my cooking journey has been a cakewalk. I’ve had ups and downs. Self-doubt, disappointment and times were I’ve just wanted to give up. There’s still times where I get discouraged because something doesn’t work out the way I thought it would. I’ve had to put cooking and posting on hold, while I finish EMT school and that has been hard because I really enjoy cooking and being able to share with my followers. Whether it be with cooking or in my personal life, I still push through, try again and if I still fail or am not happy with the outcome, I have learned that it is for a reason and those experiences help me grow and become more confident and willing to try new things.

The most important thing I have learned throughout my cooking journey is to not give up on myself, the things I enjoy and to not dwell on my failures and always do what makes me happy, even if there is outside disapproval. When the going gets tough I always think of one particular quote by Booker T. Washington, “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.”

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Cooking With Christina – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Cooking With Christina is an Instagram exclusive blog of sorts. I document foods I have cooked, baked or eaten while vacationing or out and about. I cook and try different food from all different cultures and cuisines, meaning my Instagram does not have one set genre of cuisines. I can cook southern one week, vegetarian the next and Mediterranean the week after. It really is about what sounds good to me that day and what I think my followers will enjoy seeing.

I’m most proud of how much people have liked my page. I may not have the follower count I want as of now, but that has not stopped people from messaging me for recipes or just to tell me they like my content. It certainly hasn’t stopped companies from wanting me to promote their products, while also promoting my cooking. I guess what sets me apart from other pages like mine is that my is a hobby. I do it because I enjoy cooking and sharing with others. I don’t get financial gain from anything I post. That doesn’t mean that in the future if offered the opportunity I wouldn’t take it. I am just proud of what I have been able to accomplish thus far, while also finishing school.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
As of right now, I am pretty satisfied with what I have accomplished. The only big change to my Instagram page that I will be making is that I will start posting recipes with the food I have been making. The demands for recipes have been high and I really want my followers to be able to enjoy my cooking. 🙂