When Jessica Secrest first started posting tutorials, she had 100,000 followers. Now, she has nearly 5 million, and is gearing up for a nationwide book tour.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Grand Rapids area mom known for her aggressively funny cooking tutorials is getting ready to release her first cookbook.
Jessica Secrest—who runs the account @applesauceandadhd—has been posting for nearly three years. The viral home chef started the account to document her son’s ADHD journey through what he had for lunch.
What started as simple videos showing just her hands making snacks for her kids turned into a social media sensation that’s racked up millions of followers and even more views.
While being “aggressive” is now her brand, Secrest said she isn’t that way in real life. It started when she kept seeing videos of people using a cooking tool incorrectly and rushed to her kitchen to film a video, saying she would “revolt” if she saw another person using it wrong.
“Everyone loved that video, and they were like, can you do other things aggressively? Of course, I can,” she said.
“So now I make aggressive tutorials where I cook dinner most every night, and I have aggressive tutorials doing a whole slew of other things, putting on a duvet cover, how to make your packing tape not stick, how to make your trash bag not puff up when you stick it in the can,” Secrest said. “You name it, I probably have an aggressive tutorial for it.”
She began making tutorials in August 2023 and had around 100,000 followers. Within a couple months, she had over a million. Now, she has nearly 5 million.
Her quick rise to fame has changed their lives in “ways that I can’t even express,” Secrest said, explaining that she gets recognized at the store a lot and sometimes asked for photos.
While it’s been a “whirlwind,” Secrest said her online success has allowed her to pursue it full-time.
Her cookbook, “Of Course It’s Good!” will be released on Jan. 6. It features recipes with affordable, easily accessible ingredients with an emphasis on preparing it quickly and minimizing cleanup.
Of all the dishes in her cookbook, she said her favorite is the one that first went “mega, mega viral”—her taco potato tot casserole. One of the chapters is even dedicated to different types of potato tot recipes.
“Lots of the food in here is super family friendly, super kid friendly, and I offer a lot of ways that you could make it your own,” she said. “So for example, if you don’t have this particular ingredient, that’s okay. It’s not the end of the world. Even if you had your mouth set on it, you can change course, pivot. Still make something delicious.”
Secrest will be going on a book tour to start the year, kicking off in New York City and ending in the Grand Rapids area. You can find her at Schuler Books on Jan. 10 and the Woodland Mall on Jan. 24.
Dining and Cooking