Lesley Balla's profile photo

Lesley Balla

Los Angeles, Seattle

Journalist at Freelance

Associate Food Editor at Taste Of Home

Still firmly believe that West is best. I talk + write about anything. Find me on @tasteofhome + more 📷 IG: lesleyLA 💌: lesley dot balla at gmail dot com

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Articles

  • 1 week ago | tasteofhome.com | Lesley Balla |Test Kitchen

    What could be better than a slice of sweet apple pie? A hand-held fried apple pie you can take anywhere! This fried apple pie recipe is based on Amish fry pies, which are delectable little hand pies found in bakeries and roadside stands all around the rolling hills of Amish Country. Filled with precooked apples, they resemble southern fried pies or apple turnovers. However, they are made with a flaky dough that withstands a full dip in hot oil, rather than biscuit dough or puff pastry.

  • 1 week ago | 10best.usatoday.com | Lesley Balla

    For many Californians, San Luis Obispo is a place you often drive through on the way to somewhere else. Whenever my husband and I would drive from Los Angeles to Big Sur or Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo (or SLO, as most locals call it) wasn’t a destination. But after spending a long weekend in the town of 70,000 (a figure that includes Cal Poly students), I discovered that it's way more than a college town.

  • 1 month ago | tasteofhome.com | Lesley Balla

    SolStock/Getty Images Home Home & Living Outdoor Living Backyard Entertaining SolStock/Getty Images Published on May 06, 2025 Save Saved Saving Summertime means entertaining outdoors—a lot. These tips for hosting a backyard barbecue include what food and drinks to serve, plus a helpful timeline to keep you organized so you can actually have fun at the party. Now Trending The beauty of entertaining outdoors is that you can do it anywhere. Small patio? Easy. Picnic in the park? Excellent. Pool...

  • 1 month ago | 10best.usatoday.com | Lesley Balla

    AdvertisementMother’s Day deserves more than last-minute flowers or a rushed reservation. This year (Mother's Day is May 11), celebrate the moms, grandmas, stepmoms, and mother figures in your life with something truly memorable. Our Mother’s Day picks will inspire, because everything on our list has ranked among the 10 best in the U.S. in our Readers' Choice Awards program. No matter her style — adventurous, laid-back, or luxe — there’s something here to make every mom feel celebrated.

  • 1 month ago | tasteofhome.com | Lesley Balla

    Bettmann/Getty Images Home News People in Food Bettmann/Getty Images Published on Apr.

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Lesley Balla
Lesley Balla @lesleyLA
11 Sep 24

RT @TheDailyShow: When you're lying to your mom but your brother already told her the truth. https://t.co/cuSAmphaLF

Lesley Balla
Lesley Balla @lesleyLA
11 Sep 24

RT @fuggirls: Every writer in the world is gonna start using "I have concepts of a plan" in response to their concerned editors. - J

Lesley Balla
Lesley Balla @lesleyLA
15 Sep 23

Life tip: When someone’s overwhelming perfume has taken over your space at the bar, coating your mouth and inducing a headache, politely point out the two seats at the other end for her and her friend. You’re not a bitch, just a helpful bitch #diningsolo