{a day in the life} Savory Simple

Today’s “a day in the life”  is Jennifer of Savory Simple. One of my favorite things about Jennifer’s site are the breathtaking photographs–but the recipes and writing will keep you coming back for more. 

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Tell me about yourself and how you started food blogging.

I never learned much about cooking while growing up.  It wasn’t that my mother was a bad cook, she just didn’t have a wide variety of recipes or techniques and I wasn’t regularly invited into the kitchen to prepare meals with her.  By the time I reached college I really had no idea how to cook. I spent years living on junk food, frozen pizzas, boxed products and carry out.  It wasn’t until my late 20s that I really began to develop an interest in food and cooking. It was a slow progression that began with my love for traveling. I loved trying new cuisines from around the world and I slowly became a bit food-obsessed.  One day someone handed me a copy of My Life in France by Julia Child and reading the book was a life changing experience. Her story of going to culinary school at age 37 moved me. After 10 years in an unsatisfying career with an intense desire for change, I made a bold decision. With the support of my boyfriend (now husband), I left my job and enrolled in L’Academie de Cuisine.  I began the food blog as a way of documenting my experiences in school and shared some of the recipes as I was learning them. Fast forward 3 years and I’m now working from home as a professional recipe developer and food photographer. It has been a wild ride.

Take me through your day.

■      7:15am: Wake up

■      7:30-10:00: I like to begin my day slowly with coffee, responding to emails, catching up on the news and other food blogs. This is when I take care of the majority of my social networking for the day.

■      10:00-2:00pm: This is when the bulk of my recipe development and photography takes place. Times will vary depending on the complexity of the recipe and how quickly I’m satisfied with my photos. Sometimes I get that perfect shot immediately. Other times it can take hours.

■      3:00pm: Assorted errands. I’m at the grocery store almost every other day and I prefer to do this while others are still at the office.

■      4:00-6:00pm photo editing, emails, social networking, etc. I also run around trying to clean up the mess I’ve made in the kitchen before my husband leaves work!

■      6:00-8:30pm: catching up with Jeff, dinner, the gym (when we’re being good).

■      8:30-11:30pm: this is when I usually get blog posts ready and watch some TV or read.

■      11:30pm: bedtime!

What is your one must-have kitchen tool or gadget?

It’s probably a tie between my Vitamix Blender and KitchenAid Stand Mixer. I can’t see myself surviving without either.

What is your favorite part of your day? Why?

I love those first few hours in the morning, something I never thought I’d say.  I used to HATE mornings but that was when I had to get up every day to go to a job I didn’t enjoy.  Now I cherish that quiet time with morning light, my cat nearby and a latte (or 3).

What is your LEAST favorite part of the day? Why?

Whenever I have to go to the gym. I hate working out!

If you could choose one room in your house to remodel (on an unlimited budget!) which room would it be and why?

Oh my, the kitchen. We just moved into our first hour a year ago and the kitchen could use a LOT of work.

What is your favorite day of the week? Why?

I love Fridays, how can you not?

 If you had to choose one place to travel to every year, where would it be? Why? Have you been there before?

That’s a really hard decision because I’ve been to so many wonderful places. My favorite trips by far were Japan and Iceland. I daydream about Japan constantly but I might have to pick Iceland. The people are wonderful, the food is wonderful, and it’s gorgeous.  The Blue Lagoon is worth the trip alone. Yes, I could do with a yearly visit to the Blue Lagoon.

If you could travel anywhere in the world for free, where would you go and how long would you stay?

I’d like to spend at least a month traveling around China.  I’d also like to do the same in Japan. Even though we were there for 3 weeks I think we barely scratched the surface.

What is your favorite cookbook?

The Flavor Bible. I keep it in my kitchen.

What recipe on your blog are you most proud of?

I don’t know how to choose!

 What recipe on your blog do your readers seem to love most?

These banana bread muffins have been making the rounds a lot.

What is your guilty food pleasure that you’re embarrassed to fess up to? Kraft Mac & Cheese? Spagetti-o’s? Canned cheese? We promise not to judge!

Cool Ranch Doritos!

What have you learned since you began blogging?

Networking is essential to success.

Do you have any advice for someone who is interested in cooking or food blogging?

I wrote a post about this:

http://www.savorysimple.net/my-top-20-food-blogging-tips/

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Thanks Jennifer! I’m with you on both The Flavor Bible AND the Cool Ranch Doritos. 

You can find more of Jennifer on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Google+.

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