Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 14, 2025

At Plate and Ponder, your privacy matters. This Privacy Policy outlines what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights as a visitor to our website.

Who We Are

Our website address is: www.plateandponder.com. Plate and Ponder shares recipes and reflections focused on homemade cooking and meaningful living.

What Personal Data We Collect and Why

Comments

When visitors leave comments, we collect the data shown in the comments form, your IP address, and browser user agent string to help with spam detection. An anonymized hash of your email may be sent to the Gravatar service to check if you’re using it. Their privacy policy is here: Gravatar Privacy Policy.

Contact Forms and Recipe Submissions

If you voluntarily submit personal information (like your name or email) via a contact form or recipe submission, that data is stored securely in our local database. We use it solely for communication or publishing your submission, if applicable.

Cookies

We use cookies to improve user experience and monitor site performance. These cookies may:

• -Save your name, email, and website in comment forms (for convenience).
• -Track engagement with recipes (via WP Recipe Maker).
• -Store screen display settings.
• -Facilitate login and session management (for registered users).
• -Help prevent spam and abuse (via ratings IP tracking).

Cookies related to WP Recipe Maker (e.g., WPRM_User_Voted_%recipe%) last for 30 days.

You can control or disable cookies via your browser settings.

Embedded Content and Third-Party Tracking

Posts may include embedded content (e.g., YouTube videos, Instagram feeds). These behave like you visited those sites directly. They may collect data, use cookies, and track interactions.

We also use tools like:

• -Google Analytics – to understand site traffic.
• -Pinterest Tag – for advertising insights.
• -Google AdSense – for displaying personalized ads.

These third parties may collect and process data according to their own privacy policies. You can learn more or opt out of personalized ads through Google Ads Settings.

Affiliate Links and Sponsored Content

Plate and Ponder participates in affiliate marketing (e.g., Amazon Associates). Clicking on an affiliate link may result in us earning a small commission at no extra cost to you. Sponsored content will always be clearly disclosed in compliance with FTC guidelines.

Ezoic Services

This website uses the services of Ezoic Inc. (“Ezoic”), including to manage third-party interest-based advertising. Ezoic may employ a variety of technologies on this website, including tools to serve content, display advertisements and enable advertising to visitors of this website, which may utilize first and third-party cookies.

A cookie is a small text file sent to your device by a web server that enables the website to remember information about your browsing activity. First-party cookies are created by the site you are visiting, while third-party cookies are set by domains other than the one you’re visiting. Ezoic and our partners may place third-party cookies, tags, beacons, pixels, and similar technologies to monitor interactions with advertisements and optimize ad targeting. Please note that disabling cookies may limit access to certain content and features on the website, and rejecting cookies does not eliminate advertisements but will result in non-personalized advertising. You can find more information about cookies and how to manage them here.

The following information may be collected, used, and stored in a cookie when serving personalized ads:

• IP address
• Operating system type and version
• Device type
• Language preferences
• Web browser type
• Email (in a hashed or encrypted form)

Ezoic and its partners may use this data in combination with information that has been independently collected to deliver targeted advertisements across various platforms and websites. Ezoic’s partners may also gather additional data, such as unique IDs, advertising IDs, geolocation data, usage data, device information, traffic data, referral sources, and interactions between users and websites or advertisements, to create audience segments for targeted advertising across different devices, browsers, and apps. You can find more information about interest-based advertising and how to manage them here.

You can view Ezoic’s privacy policy here, or for additional information about Ezoic’s advertising and other partners, you can view Ezoic’s advertising partners here.

Data Retention

• -Comments and metadata are retained indefinitely to support moderation and replies.
• -Recipe ratings and user-submitted content remain in our local database.
• -Cookies persist for up to one year depending on type.
• -If you register for an account, your personal data is stored in your profile and can be edited or deleted by you (except usernames).

Your Data Rights

You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. You can request that we delete any personal data you have provided. This does not include data retained for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

To request data access or removal, contact us here.

Where Your Data Is Sent

Visitor comments may be scanned by automated spam detection services like Akismet.

Security of Your Information

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal data, including secure hosting and database practices. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Revisions will be posted here with a new effective date. Please check back regularly to ensure you agree with the Privacy Policy. Your continued use of the site after changes are posted indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

If you have any questions about this policy, reach out via our Contact page.

For more information on how you may use this site, please review our Terms of Use.