Behind the Scenes of North Valley Magazine’s June/July ’13 cover story

By Sondra Barr 

The North Valley Magazine crew had the pleasure of meeting Erika Monroe-Williams at her Paradise Valley estate recently to photograph and interview her for our June/July ’13 cover story. Photographer Scott Whitney, stylist Shannon Campbell, and I were impressed by how sweet and down-to-earth this former news anchor is, as she welcomed us into her home and her life. Of course, home is where Monroe-Williams shines.

Go big or go home is her motto. Turns out she can do both and still take the cake. A former news anchor, Monroe-Williams has taken her passion for cooking and self-deprecation and branded herself as The Hopeless Housewife on television and the web. Now as one of North Valley Magazine’s new Team North columnists, Monroe-Williams will offer up creative cooking and domestic tips in each issue of the publication. Geared toward readers looking for fresh, easy recipes with a twist, her columns will help you whip up something quick and delicious for dinner.

Of course, Monroe-Williams is anything but hopeless in the kitchen as evidenced by her years spent doing cooking segments for shows such as Good Morning Arizona, Good Day LA, E! News, and the Hallmark Channel’s Home and Family, but it’s her kitchen blunders, which she creatively weaves into her Hopeless Housewife persona, that make her relatable to woman, especially those of us who find cooking less than joyful.

Just like many of us, Monroe-Williams has burnt bread, under- and overcooked food, and botched the seasoning. She admits she doesn’t always get it right in the kitchen, but she adds that getting it wrong is often part of the fun. She hopes her recipes, which are based on her own trial and error, bring an element of playfulness and inventiveness back into other people’s kitchens.

To read the entire cover story, please visit www.scottsdale.org or click through the digital issue at www.northvalleymagazine.com.

In the meantime, check out the North Valley crew hamming it up in Monroe-Williams’ family room when we wrapped up the shoot.

Photographer Scott Whitney, NVM Managing Editor Sondra Barr, Erika Monroe-Williams, and Stylist Shannon Campbell.