The Southern Belle of the Blog

Ever wonder how Santa Barbara is like the American South? Well, Holley Malia has an answer and it’s “the focus on recycling, although in the South, we recycle family names instead of bottles and cans.” Malia is the witty proprietor of Southern Belle in Santa Barbara (southernbelleinsantabarbara.blogspot.com), a charming and informative blog that will not only help you love favas (and make a wonderful bruschetta) but also teach you some proper Southern manners, too. Existing in that spot where good writing and good food meet (and sometimes meat), Malia’s blog is her chance to do what her father told her: “Remember who you are and what you represent.” She asserted, “As I’ve gotten older, I have more clarity about what that means. I love my Southern heritage, with the focus on family and friends, but I’ve learned that there are other things I place a high value on, like honoring the environment and our health.” And if you wonder how a Southern belle with a nonprofit blog and a love of grits makes a living, Malia said, “I was named Medical Marketer of the Year in 2006, which is the equivalent of the Oscar in the healthcare communications industry. My area of expertise is in marketing obesity interventions, which, given the fact that I write a food blog, is fairly ironic.”