Lauren Conrad could, if she'd wanted to, have gone on to be the next Paris Hilton. She came from a wealthy family, and she found her way into the reality TV show 'Laguna Beach' before moving on to 'The Hills.' Beautiful and rich, Conrad could easily have drifted from reality show to reality show pocketing checks if she'd so desired, but by 2009 she was becoming bored and found fame to be an empty experience.
Looking for something better to do with her time, Conrad turned her hand to fashion design. It always helps to have the money to get yourself set up in a new trade, but there's no denying that Conrad has a good eye for style. Kohl's agree, which is why they've taken on her line of swimwear. When she isn't using her pen to etch new designs, she's using it to write books. Reality TV won't last forever, but people will always need new clothes. We think it was a good move.
Chefs made their way into celebrity land a while ago. But how many celebrities that weren’t trained as professional cooks are actually whizzes in the kitchen? Here are several that come to mind.
Actress Julia Roberts is confident about her cooking skills. “I’m quite a good cook,” she told E! News. “I’m like a closet home ec teacher…I can really cook anything.” Roberts has said she often cooks fish for herself and her kids. And speaking of her three children, “They think that I’m a good cook,” Roberts told People. “They actually told me that I should open a restaurant.” She also relishes cooking for the holidays, particularly shredded Brussel sprouts. Roberts hasn’t published a cookbook, but we did find recipes attributed to her for peach crisp and banana hemp muffins. Or you can make the same summer salad the actress supposedly eats.
Chrissy Teigen started off as a supermodel. Then her love of cooking filtered into her professional life too. At this point, she’s created recipes for a limited Blue Apron release and also just launched her own home and cooking line at Target named “Cravings,” after the two cookbooks she’s released. Teigen describes cooking as “a time of peace” for herself. So maybe peace out to her tuna melt sandwich or the fried chicken wings that are a favorite of her husband, John Legend.
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, comes from a cooking Italian family. Her father started his own restaurant in New York and also published a cookbook. And apparently, Lady Gaga has inherited the family’s cooking genes. Her Instagram account occasionally features photos of her culinary activities. Sure, sometimes it’s topless cooking. But other times it’s more poignant like in the post she shared about her bringing food to the family of her dear friend who passed away. Want to try a Gaga/Germanotta family favorite? Check out her recipe for whole wheat pasta with a sweet fennel sauce.