Today is a big day! After years of dreaming, planning, and hard work, we’ve officially launched the Oh She Glows – Healthy Plant-Based Recipes app for iPhone and iPad devices! You guys have been asking for an OSG app for years, and I’m so excited the day is finally here. Many of you will now be able to cook from your phone or tablet with ease, or meal plan while commuting to and from school or work with convenient offline access. Think of this app as your personal OSG on the Glow!
Our app features the most popular Oh She Glows recipes from the past 8 years (oh boy, did I rediscover some gems), and includes brand-new photography, with a cohesive, sleek new look. All of the recipes have been edited and streamlined, and many have been improved as I cooked my way through Oh She Glows’ archives. You can be confident that the recipes in our app are delicious, super reliable, and will wow your family and friends! Check out our short video below for a sneak peek:
This project has been a huge labour of love involving myself, Eric, our app team, and also hundreds of you—our awesome beta testers who applied via our newsletter. Thanks to those of you who tested our app during the development phase, we were able to improve it in many ways, and add all kinds of useful features based on your feedback.
For example, we created a killer search function that sorts recipes by keywords, dietary info, dish types, and seasons, as well as handy filters like freezer-friendly, kid-friendly, quick and easy, budget-friendly, and more.
Features we’re excited about:
– Enjoy more than 60 Oh She Glows recipes (and growing!), including 50 fan-favourites plus 11 new recipes exclusive to the app (see the bottom of this post)
– Browse through beautiful full-screen, high-resolution food photography
– Strike out ingredients and directions as you cook so you don’t lose your place
– Customize your own favourites list with your most-loved recipes
– Easily view cook time, prep time, serving size, headnotes/tips, and allergy info for each recipe
– Add your own notes to the recipes to save/record your own recipe modifications
– Take recipes with you on the go with convenient offline access
– Search for recipes with ease using ingredient keywords or by recipe title
– Filter your recipes based on dietary/allergy info, season, dish type, and more
– Cook without worry that your device will go to sleep with our anti-lock feature
– Enjoy split view on your iOS 9 iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 4, and iPad Pro
Best of all, each new recipe that I post on the blog in the future will upload to the app, so the app will continue to grow and grow over the years! Also, keep your eyes peeled for exclusive recipe bundles only found in the app. (Spoiler Alert: there are a couple bundles in there right now as our thank you for purchasing the app!)
I’m thrilled to let you know that we’re donating 10% of the proceeds from the first week’s app sales to Blessings in a Backpack Canada, a children’s charity that is near and dear to our hearts. Each Friday, Blessings in a Backpack provides backpacks of food to children all across the country who otherwise may not get enough to eat on the weekends. Just $120 feeds a child on the weekends for an entire school year. How awesome is that?! I’m so excited to be working with Executive Director Karen Green on this wonderful initiative, and together we’ll be directing our donation to local children right here in the Greater Toronto Area.
I truly hope that you’ll love this app, share the recipes with loved ones, and use it in your kitchens (and on the glow!) as much as we do. Thank you all for your continued support, and for the encouragement to make this recipe app a reality when I mentioned the idea a few years ago.
You can download the app here, or simply click the button below!
FAQ
1. Which devices will the app work with? Our app has been developed for Apple iOS 8.0+ devices. We’ve optimized the app to display perfectly on both the iPhone and iPad. The iPad version works in both landscape and portrait orientations, while the iPhone version currently supports portrait mode. We’ll be working hard to constantly improve what we offer you in the future!
2. Is there a fee for the app? Yes, there is a small fee of $4.99 USD/$6.99 CAD to download the app.
3. Do you have an app for Android or Windows phones? Our app has been developed for Apple iOS devices (approximately 75% of our readership uses an Apple device). However, we’re open to exploring development for other devices in the future if our budget allows.
4. Will there be any new content in the app aside from the revamped fan-favourite recipes and photography? Yes! As a thank-you for purchasing the app, you’ll receive a free bundle of 8 new recipes exclusive to the app. You’ll also have access to an additional 3 free recipes with a simple social media share. Check out these recipes in the image below!
Our goal is to keep growing and improving the app over the years, and make it the best we possibly can. If you have any suggestions or feedback, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at: app_support[at]ohsheglows.com.
Last but not least, stay tuned for a big giveaway later this week!
The app is straight up dreamy! Absolutely beautiful and very user friendly. Just spent 30 minutes revisiting some of my very favorite recipes from over the years. Feeling inspired! :-)
Thanks for all your hard work on that – and the bundles! Can’t wait to get in the kitchen!
Thanks, Emily – you’re too sweet! I’m so happy you’re loving the app.
I just got the app, its beautiful!!! Congrats and thank you for all your hard work! :)
Thanks, Svetlana! I hope you love it as much as we do.
Congrats on the app release!! The photography looks amazing (as always) and the recipes simply mouth-watering. Hopefully I can get an iPad or iPhone soon so I can start playing with the app!
I was very excited about the app, but I’m Android user… Oh, well maybe some day..
What a gorgeous app, and so easy to use. Downloaded it this morning & by dinner your creamy avocado pasta was on the table & devoured by my children (and me). Didn’t even need to hit the shops (no fun with kids in tow) as I had the ingredients on hand. Love that. The feature that stops the iPad going to sleep is brilliant, no trying to wake the damn thing up with messy hands. For the info of your Australian readers, it’s $7.99 In Aus iTunes Store. Worth every penny, can’t wait to try some more recipes. Congratulations!
Thank you for your kind words, Anne! It’s wonderful to hear how much you’re loving the app already. The anti-sleep feature is definitely one of my fav things about it, too–no one wants to have to swipe messy hands all over their screen! :)
Super excited to formally get this app. I feel honoured to have been one of the beta testers and absolutely loved the sneak peak! The final version looks wonderful and I’m so glad to be able to select favourites. I am wondering how to add notes to the recipes though?? Congrats to Angela and Eric. App development is no small feat, especially while blogging full time, writing another cookbook, raising an active toddler and growing a new baby!
Thank you so much for all your help beta testing, Srivani – we truly could not have done this without you, and are so, so grateful. There should be a “Notes” section toward the bottom of each recipe, where you can type in any reminders, modifications, etc. (Just keep scrolling all the way to the end!) Give that a try, and please let me know if it’s still not showing up for you. Hope this helps, and thanks again! :)
Thanks Angela… I found the Notes area. Perfect!!! Thanks for adding the Favourite option and the Notes option… super helpful for me. The only downside with beta testing is the desire to see this app on an iPad (I only have an iPhone)… so guess what I asked for for my birthday next week!
Great app. with 5 star content. My wife has already downloaded it this morning. Also, congratulations for the contribution to the Backpack program. Well done!
Thanks so much for your support and kind words, Ron! It’s wonderful to hear you and your wife are enjoying the app already. I’m so pleased to be working with Blessings in a Backpack, and appreciate every single one of you who have rushed out to buy the app and have helped me contribute to this great cause!
Not an apple user ????
What about the people who don’t buy into the apple hype?
Hi Angela,
This looks so amazing! I would love to download it right away, but I am one of approximately 25% that doesn’t have Apple. I really hope you can design this for Android.
Thanks!
Oh my goodness! PLEASE OH PLEASE do an android app! Your recipes are my absolute favorite, and have truly contributed to me being a healthier person overall. I’d love to have them in my pocket all the time! My boyfriend is a programmer, I volunteer him for the job as he’s the beneficiary of my experiments in cooking. :)
Hahaha, thanks for supplying us with a programmer, Kate! (Lol, that’s hilarious – does he know about this?!) In all seriousness, we’re definitely open to the idea of developing for other devices in the future if budget allows for it, and it’s great to see so much enthusiasm for the idea. I’m so glad you’ve found my blog and recipes so inspiring!
Very sad that Android wasn’t including in the development process………..
Congrats! I just downloaded your new app…was going to wait but learned you were donating to charity during the first week of app purchase so did so right away – bravo!
You’ve come a long way baby!!!
Jana
Hi Jana, thank you SO much for supporting Blessings in a Backpack. We’re so thrilled to be working with them, and your help is so, so appreciated!! :)
So disappointed there is no Android app. ?
Android version???
Really disappointed no Android version.
The app is gorgeous! Can’t wait to begin cooking.
Thank you, Melanie! Enjoy. :)
Another vote for Android. So sad I cannot utilize the app. I might have to “steal” my daughter’s iPad.
Congratulations on the app!!! the moment I saw the announcement on FB I purchased it! I haven’t even looked or played with it, LOL but as your cookbook was my first and is still my favorite of all cookbooks (and I’ve amassed quite a collection in the last 2 years), i have no doubt that I will love it!!
Congrats also to your other bun in the making!! :)
Aw, thank you for the sweet comment, Claudia. Thank you for all the congrats, and for your support! I hope you absolutely love the app. :)
I just downloaded the app and it is beautiful! Very well thought out. Well done. Can’t wait to start using it.
Thanks for your support, Tami! I’m glad you like the app so far, and I can’t wait for you to start using it either. It’s been such a labour of love, it’s so exciting to have the app finally out in the world!
To be honest, I’ve been struggling a bit with your blog as of late. What I love about my favorite blogs (which used to include OSG!) is that it feels like having a friend in your life with all sorts of interesting stories, pictures, or recipes. The ones that truly stick with me have a presence in my life and it’s a fun ride to tag along as life changes.
I bought the first cookbook and will probably buy the second cookbook but I feel as though I’ve really lost my connection here. You were updating the blog through being pregnant and moving and releasing a cookbook, even updating monthy when you had your daughter, lately it’s been basically silent.
I hate to admit it, but I’m really disappointed. I knew you were working on this app and that was a big reason it was so quiet. After all the waiting, I can’t even buy the app because I’m an Android user. I know you have a lot going on in your family and I’m excited for the next step for your family, but I feel as though this community has taken, not even a backseat, but like the spare car left at home. I’m hoping that isn’t the case, but I it certainly doesn’t feel like the connection I used to feel to the plant based community here.
Good luck with all your endeavors, I’m glad to have been a part of it for awhile and truly wish you well!
Hi Emily, I can tell from your comment that you care a lot, and I really appreciate your honesty. I have to be honest with you too; I felt a rush of guilt, sadness, and embarrassment as I read your comment. I think the hard part is that it’s impossible to see someone’s entire life and what they are going through from a blog or social media.
I can tell you one thing I’ve realized over the past few years: I’m not perfect at juggling big life changes/demands and work projects, especially when they happen all at once. Creativity is a funny thing at times; I can pour everything into a single project when I need to, but then I feel burned out in other areas. I’m not very good at switching back and forth among creative pursuits.
I can, however, promise you that every day, I’m trying my absolute best and putting 100% into everything I do. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely!!! I know this more than anyone; I’m incredibly tough on myself and strive for progress daily. I certainly don’t have all the answers, and know I’ve dropped the ball in various areas of my life as I’ve tried to balance motherhood, writing a second cookbook, creating an app, a second pregnancy, blogging, and starting up a newsletter over the past 1 1/2 years. If I can’t give 100% into a blog post, I will not post, because I want to give everything I can into each post and recipe, even though it may mean my content slows. I never publish something “just to get a post up” or to meet a quota.
I totally agree with you that the blog has had to take a backseat at various times (just like other things have in my life too), but I didn’t have another solution at the time. As I mentioned, sometimes I have to focus all my creative energy into one project. It’s just how my brain works the most efficiently. Trust me that no one feels as much conflict over this as I do. I do think that I can develop better strategies in the future, though!
As I reflected on your comment this week, I also had a bit of an epiphany. I realized that I never give myself credit for all of the things I am doing successfully. Eric mentioned that I never once stopped to appreciate or celebrate the things I accomplished as a new mother. How many of us don’t stop to reflect on all that we’ve accomplished and how far we’ve come? I bet it’s a lot of us.
I also feel like our community has spread far beyond the blog. I connect with thousands of readers a week on social media, reply to dozens of comments and questions daily, share behind the scenes on Snapchat, and more. I hope anyone who subscribes to my newsletter sees the passion I put into it, too. I write a lengthy personal letter in each issue (among other content such as a Q+A and recipe flashbacks) talking about what’s going on in my life. I’m always trying to connect with my readers in diverse ways, even though I may miss the mark at times!
Despite the conflicting feelings I’ve had over the past few years (and probably should’ve talked about more openly, but I feared it would come across as ungrateful), I’ve never once regretted pursuing new projects, taking risks, and especially, taking the time to focus on my family these past 19 months. I have definitely delayed blog posts to spend time with my daughter and I’m more than ok with that. I have one shot at my time here and I have to trust my heart, even if it doesn’t work out perfectly in the end or please everyone all the time.
I can’t promise you that my blog will be everything you’re looking for or need, but I can promise that I continue to give 100% of myself into each post and project, even if it’s sometimes hard to see. And of course, I will take your feedback to heart and try to improve.
I’m sorry that after waiting all winter you were not able to download the app. I can promise you if we had the budget to develop across multiple platforms simultaneously, we definitely would have.
I so appreciate your support for my cookbooks, and even if you don’t continue to read my blog, I’m very thankful that you enjoy my work!
Take care,
Angela