School
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Expertise
Baking, Cake Decoration, TikTok Trends/Recipes
- Julia is an amateur baker who is always crafting in the kitchen. She makes custom specialty cakes and especially enjoys the decorative aspect/aesthetics of baking.
- While her interest in baking (and cooking) stems from childhood, she got real-life experience by working in a cafe in college. Here she learned the basics of working in a kitchen, making pastries, crafting coffee, and doing so, so many dishes.
- Her favorite dish to prepare is actually a dish that requires no cooking at all: a charcuterie board. Julia loves experimenting with different types of cheese and wine pairings, and unsurprisingly, she particularly enjoys designing the boards to look just as good as they taste.
Experience
Julia has been a professional writer and content creator since graduating from college in 2019. Her first foray into the field was through ghostwriting, in which she wrote mental health-focused blogs. Wanting to hone in on her pop culture chops, Julia began contributing at POPSUGAR, publishing essays, food reviews, and recipes. She realized that she thrives at the intersection of pop culture and food and thoroughly enjoys writing about both topics. Nowadays, you can find her testing the latest trendy TikTok recipe in her kitchen, decorating ornate, heart-shaped cakes (they're just more fun when they're heart-shaped), or enjoying Chicago's diverse and never-ending culinary scene.
Education
Julia has a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in anthropology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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We strive to publish knowledgeable, engaging articles to give readers the information they're looking for, whether that is the news of the day; cooking tips, tricks, and trends; or reviews and recommendations. In an effort to provide the most comprehensive, current, and accurate content, our team is constantly reviewing and updating articles as necessary. Click here for more information on our editorial process.
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The new Ninja air fryer offers six functions and an overall sleek design. But does the CRISPi Pro operate quite as seamlessly as its appearance would suggest?
By Julia Duda
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Trader Joe's
By Julia Duda
We love Trader Joe's with all our hearts. We scoured the aisles to find the best snacks that you can get for $5 and under. There are a lot of options.
By Julia Duda
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The real treasure trove of pastries lies in TJ's frozen aisle. We tried and ranked nine sweet pastries to find which had the best flavor and texture.
By Julia Duda
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We're huge Aldi fans and wanted to test out some of the frozen breakfast items for those moments you need a quick bite to eat. Find out which was the favorite.
By Julia Duda
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Trader Joe's has no shortage of fresh and shelf-stable salad dressings. We tasted and ranked 13 of them to find out which flavors are worth buying.
By Julia Duda
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Leaving lawsuits and accusations aside, we wanted to see which peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich tasted better, and one brand was marginally better.
By Julia Duda
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We baked and ate six popular Newman's Own frozen pizzas to determine which ones are worth purchasing and which ones you should just skip in the grocery aisle.
By Julia Duda
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Not all whipped cream brands are created equal. We tried six popular products and ranked them from worst to best based on factors like consistency and flavor.
By Julia Duda
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Cooking Tips
By Julia Duda
Transform ordinary sandwiches into gourmet delights with easy, flavorful recipes that are quick to make, satisfying, and perfect for lunch any day of the week.
By Julia Duda
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Shopping Tips
By Julia Duda
This fall 2025, Trader Joe's and Pillsbury go head to head in the battle of the best pumpkin sugar cookie dough. We tried both and decided which one's better.
By Julia Duda
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Shopping Tips
By Julia Duda
Not sure which pumpkin spice products are worth purchasing this fall? If so, check out our list of the best pumpkin spice flavored products available in 2025.
By Julia Duda
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Shopping Tips
By Julia Duda
Kraft mac and cheese is the ultimate convenience meal, but it can be tricky knowing which variety to pick. We've ranked 13 different flavors to help you choose.
By Julia Duda
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For fall 2025, Trader Joe's has a new lineup of items, with a focus on maple and apple flavors, and almost all of them passed our taste test with flying colors.
By Julia Duda
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If you're looking in your grocer's frozen aisle for tasty vegetarian options, check out our ranking of Amy's brand meals. You'll love our top pick.
By Julia Duda
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Trader Joe's
By Julia Duda
Trader Joe's is known for its fall-inspired offerings. Here are the pumpkin products from the fan-favorite grocer you should be stocking in your cart.
By Julia Duda
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Pickle fans can get their snack fix in a number of flavorful formats. And if you love pickle-flavored potato chips, here are the ones we think taste best.
By Julia Duda
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Trader Joe's
By Julia Duda
When it comes to microwavable meals, there's a little something for everyone in Trader Joe's frozen section, from comforting mac 'n cheese to spicy curries.
By Julia Duda
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When it comes to frozen dinners, the names don't get much bigger than Stouffer's, but which of the company's frozen meals is the best? We tasted 12 to find out.
By Julia Duda
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Progresso has released a line of barbecue-inspired Pitmaster soups. We tried all five and then ranked them for flavor. See which one came out on top.
By Julia Duda
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We sampled 14 Aldi cheeses, ranging from cheddars to Goudas to mozzarellas to curds, ranking them from worst to best. There were some big hits and big misses.
By Julia Duda
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Culver's is known for its custards and cheese curds, but we wanted to eat the selection of burgers. We tried every option to find a favorite.
By Julia Duda
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We tasted and ranked six flavors of Toll House ready-to-bake cookie dough, ranking the baked cookies in terms of texture and overall enjoyability.
By Julia Duda
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Candy is a big part of the movie theater experience. We tasted a range of products, from chocolates to fruity candies, to figure out which one is the top pick.
By Julia Duda
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When it comes to grocery stores, Trader Joe's and Aldi both have a great cheese selection. Which is better? We did a taste test to find out.
By Julia Duda
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We taste-tested all of the core salads Wendy's offers, all in search of an answer to one very important question: Which Wendy's salad is the best?
By Julia Duda
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Few ice cream brands are as widely available as Breyers. With so many options, we tried 12 different ice cream flavors from the popular brand and ranked them.
By Julia Duda
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Frozen chicken burritos are a quick way to enjoy a meal, but not every option is scrumptious and well-executed. We tasted several brands to determine the best.
By Julia Duda
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