Fun & Fabulousness with Food

I am not such a foodie, but I love to binge-watch food videos! What makes them so appealing and appetizing is the video’s accuracy and the amount of zeal poured into them.

Kris Longwell and Wesley Loon are pros at it — a heaping serving of accuracy with a side of extra zeal! The Flower Mound-based couple not only cooks delicious recipes but serves them up with fun and fabulousness on the internet.

“We definitely both enjoy good food and have not stopped making each other laugh for 34 years,” said Kris, who was a professional theater artist for many years before becoming a full-time food influencer. “When people ask about our secret to such a long marriage, we say it’s laughter.”

Kris and Wesley met at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. They worked together in theater in the 90s and then later both worked for the same publishing company. They were in their respective fields until they decided to make How to Feed a Loon their full-time career.

How to Feed a Loon is a social media brand that serves easy and delightful recipes through blogs, reels, and YouTube videos. Watching the two creators enjoy what they prepare in their kitchen is so much fun. Their great sense of humor and laughter make their content different from others.

Kris, who is also a professional voice-over artist, competed on the Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games for the home cooks episode. He was close to the finale, and that experience boosted his confidence a lot.

“We are in the kitchen a lot. Kris is more than me because he does all the food prep,” Wesley said. “We make every recipe no less than twice. Kris develops and then tests a recipe, but he usually gets it pretty close on his first attempt. We make it once for photography because we like for there to be anywhere from six to seven photos per recipe for the blog. And then we prepare the dish again on video.”

Kris started the blog as a hobby in 2013 after he saw a great response to a couple of recipe photos he posted on Facebook. “I couldn’t think of a name. I considered ‘The Hungry Texan,’ [because Kris is a native of Hurst], but the name was already taken. I then thought, well, Wesley loves to eat my food…. How about How To Feed a Loon?”

Everybody in their friend circle loved the catchy and creative name. It didn’t take long for Wesley to develop an interest in the blog.

How to Feed a Loon has close to 200 thousand followers combined on social media platforms. Pinterest alone has 3.7 million monthly views, and their website, which has featured more than 700 recipes, attracts half a million page views every month.

Their network of followers is called the Loon Community. With ever-changing social media algorithms and the rise of AI, the creators give their best to stay real and honest with their followers.

“There is always something to worry about. AI, for instance. Will it replace us? Then we remind ourselves…there is no replacement for Kris & Wesley,” Wesley said. “Our chemistry is what makes us unique, and we feel that is why we have such a loyal base.”

“Staying relevant on social media is a challenge,” Kris said. “But we have found that continuous, consistent, content creation is necessary to maintain followers and also to grow.”

As the platform continues to grow, the How to Feed a Loon founders aspire to build a separate studio with a full-fledged content creation team. Kris and Wesley are grateful for the motivation they receive from their followers. They invite more and more people to their network to add fabulousness to their kitchens.

“Cooking can be so much more than just preparing a dish,” Kris said. “It can be so much fun if you want it to be. Get family or friends involved. Serving a wonderful feast for loved ones can be so satisfying and low-stress when you plan.

“Serving a home-cooked meal — one that you feel good about — to loved ones is so fulfilling and makes wonderful memories. Come along with us on our fabulous culinary journey. We’ll have a blast together!”