Blend of Bites — Cookie Policy

What cookies are, why we use them, and how to manage your preferences (Mediavine CMP) on Blend of Bites.

Last updated: 2025-12-29
Effective date: 2025-12-29
Contact: privacy@blendofbites.com

This Cookie Policy explains what cookies and similar technologies are, how we use them on Blend of Bites, and how you can control them.

This Cookie Policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy.

Blend of Bites is operated by Qwayk LLC.

Related pages:

Quick summary (plain English)

  • Cookies help the site work, remember preferences, and (where allowed) support advertising.
  • You can manage ad/privacy choices using our Mediavine preference center in the site footer.
  • You can also control cookies in your browser, but blocking cookies may break some features (like membership login).

1) What are cookies (and similar technologies)?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device (computer/phone/tablet) when you visit a website. Cookies help websites remember information about your visit (for example, language preference or whether you’re logged in).

We also use “similar technologies” that work like cookies or help measure activity, such as:

  • Pixels / tags / beacons (small pieces of code that measure activity, including in emails)
  • Local storage (browser storage similar to cookies)
  • SDKs in mobile contexts (if applicable)

For simplicity, this Cookie Policy refers to all of these as “cookies and similar technologies.”

2) Why we use cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies for these main reasons:

  • Strictly necessary: the site and membership features work properly and securely
  • Preferences / functional: remember settings you choose
  • Analytics / performance: understand how the site is used so we can improve it
  • Advertising: show ads, measure ad performance, limit frequency, prevent fraud, and (where permitted) deliver interest-based advertising

3) Who sets cookies on this site?

Cookies may be set by:

  • Us (first-party cookies): from our website and platform (Ghost)
  • Third parties (third-party cookies): from partners we work with (for example, Mediavine and its advertising partners, affiliate partners, and embedded content providers)

Important: Third-party cookie names can change over time because vendors update their technology. Instead of trying to list every possible cookie, we explain categories and point you to the tools that show the up-to-date list for your device.

In practice, the easiest way to see what’s running (and change your choices) is to use the Mediavine preference center described below.

We use a consent/opt-out tool provided through Mediavine (a “Consent Management Platform” or CMP). This tool helps you:

  • see which categories of cookies and similar technologies are used
  • choose whether certain cookies can be used (where required)
  • opt out of targeted advertising / sale or sharing for advertising purposes (where available)

Depending on your region, the CMP may store your choices in cookies or similar local storage so it can remember your preferences.

For the most up-to-date list of advertising/measurement partners and purposes on your device, use the CMP preference center on our site.

A) Strictly necessary cookies

These cookies are required for the site to function and for security. They are not used to build advertising profiles.

Examples (Ghost / membership):

  • ghost-members-ssr — helps keep members logged in as they browse
  • ghost-members-ssr.sig — security signature to protect session integrity

Admin-only cookies (for staff/owner in the Ghost admin area at /ghost/):

  • ghost-admin-api-session (and other admin session cookies) — used to run the admin interface securely

How long they last: session or a limited period (depending on how your browser stores them and whether you stay logged in).

B) Preferences / functional cookies

These remember choices you make (for example, privacy settings, or other site preferences).

Examples: - remembering that you dismissed a notice or saved a preference

C) Analytics / performance cookies (and similar technologies)

These help us understand how the site is used (for example, which pages are popular, or whether the site is loading correctly) so we can improve the site.

Notes for Ghost: - Ghost is designed to be privacy-focused, but analytics may still process technical information (like IP address) for counting visitors and security. - If we use third-party analytics (for example, Google Analytics), it should be configured to respect your consent choices where required.

Examples of tools we may use (depending on the page and your region):

  • Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and/or Google Tag Manager (GTM)
  • Google Ads retargeting / remarketing
  • Pinterest tag/pixel
  • Meta (Facebook/Instagram) pixel

D) Advertising cookies (Mediavine + partners)

We monetize the site using Mediavine. Advertising technology can use cookies and similar identifiers to:

  • show ads and measure performance
  • prevent fraud and abuse
  • cap how often you see the same ad
  • (where allowed) show interest-based advertising

The specific data collected for personalized ads (including email in hashed form) and the role of Mediavine partners are described in the Mediavine disclosure in our Privacy Policy, and in Mediavine’s own materials.

If you opt out of targeted advertising, you should still see ads, but they may be non-personalized.

5) Your privacy choices (how to change cookie/ads settings)

On Blend of Bites, you can change advertising/privacy choices using the footer button labeled:

“DO NOT SELL OR SHARE MY PERSONAL INFORMATION”

This opens our Mediavine consent/opt-out preferences where available for your region.

Depending on your region, these preferences may include a list of advertising/measurement partners and purposes, so you can make more granular choices.

B) Global Privacy Control (GPC)

Some browsers and extensions support Global Privacy Control (GPC). When supported by our consent tools and required by law, we treat this as a request to opt out of certain advertising-related data sharing.

Depending on your region and the specific vendor/purpose, some processing may rely on consent and some may rely on legitimate interest (for example, certain fraud prevention and measurement functions).

Where applicable, you can:

  • give or withdraw consent, and
  • object to processing based on legitimate interest,

using the same Mediavine privacy controls described above.

D) Browser controls (cookies)

You can also control cookies using your browser settings, including:

  • blocking cookies
  • deleting cookies
  • limiting third-party cookies

If you block cookies, parts of the site may not work as intended (for example, membership/login features).

Where required (for example, in the EU/UK), non-essential cookies should not run until consent is provided through the consent banner/preferences.

In other regions (including many US states), you may see cookies run by default but you can opt out of targeted advertising / cross-context behavioral advertising (and “sale” or “sharing” as defined by some laws) through the Mediavine privacy controls.

Some pages contain affiliate links (including Amazon Associates). When you click an affiliate link, you may be taken to a third-party site (such as Amazon). Those third parties may set cookies or similar technologies on their sites for their own purposes (for example, referral tracking and attribution), governed by their own policies.

8) Embedded content (YouTube, social embeds, etc.)

Some posts may include embedded content (for example, YouTube videos, Instagram posts, or other embeds). These third parties may set cookies or collect device information when the embed loads.

Where possible, we try to use privacy-friendly embed options, but we do not control how third-party services set cookies. Please review the provider’s cookie/privacy policies and use the privacy controls described above.

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time. We will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page when changes are made.

10) Contact

If you have questions about this Cookie Policy, contact:

  • privacy@blendofbites.com
  • Mailing address: available upon request by email (we will publish our public mailing address before our first newsletter send)