{a day in the life} Taste & Tell

Today’s “a day in the life” is Deborah of Taste and Tell. She’s amazing. She consistently puts out fantastic posts and gorgeous photos even with small children and being pregnant. (She’s due close to the time I am!) She even manages to find time to catch up with people on Twitter. I really do not know how she does it!  

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Tell me about yourself and how you started food blogging. 

I am a mom to 2 of the cutest kids alive, with number 3 on the way any day now.  I love taking pictures, I love reading, (although I haven’t been able to pick up a book in months L) and I love spending time with my family!

I started blogging back in March of 2007.  It seems crazy that I’ve been doing this for 5 ½ years!!  For probably the first 3 ½-4 years, it was completely a hobby.  Actually when I started, that’s all it was for anyone – things have definitely changed in the last 5 years!!  I was working full time when I first started blogging, but quit my job when I had my daughter almost 4 years ago.  I was still just blogging for fun until around the time my son was born, and I decided to try to take things to a different level.  Today, I work full time as a blogger and recipe developer, and I love my job.  It’s challenging and frustrating at times, but I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing!

Take me through your day. 

I totally intended on taking pictures throughout my day to document a “normal” day, but then I realized there is really no such thing as a normal day in my life!!  As a work at home mom, my days are completely unpredictable.

I will sleep until the kids get up, which is “normally” between 7am and 7:30am.  Both kids always want breakfast first thing, so I’ll make them breakfast while I get online and check email and usually check in on Twitter.  While the kids are eating, I spend some time online visiting blogs (I so wish I had more time to do this lately!).  Then, the days get pretty unpredictable.  Mondays, I usually spend most of the day menu planning and then grocery shopping in the afternoon.  Other days, I’ll usually start on a recipe in the morning.  Lunch is at noon, and then my son goes down for his nap at 1pm.  This is quiet time for my daughter (or at least it’s supposed to be) and I’ll use this as computer time.  When he gets up between 3 and 4, I’ll start dinner prep.  We eat pretty early – usually between 5 and 5:30.  Then I’ll clean up, and spend time with the kids until bedtime.  We start getting them ready for bed at 7:30, and both kids are in bed by 8.  Then my workday really starts. I’m usually working from then until around 11pm when I just can’t keep my eyes open anymore.

Now, in a couple of weeks, this will totally change when baby #3 joins us!!

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

A good knife.  I’m surprised how long I survived on my $20 set of knives from ShopKo that I bought right after I graduated from high school.  My husband bought my knives for me about 5 years ago, and I could never go back.  I also need a good cutting board, and I’m addicted to having about 40 rubber spatulas in my kitchen!!

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

Ummmm, well I would just like a house at this point – I won’t be picky!! We moved in with my parents a couple of months ago, and while I really don’t mind being here, I would really like my own space again.  And I wouldn’t complain if I had a killer gourmet kitchen with an office/studio right off of the kitchen!

What is your favorite day of the week? Why?

As a work at home mom, most days really seem the same to me.  But I do like Saturdays, because we keep things more casual and easy.

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

New York City.  It’s so funny, because my husband and I aren’t big crowd people, but we both love New York City.  I’ve been there twice, but would love to go back again and again.  I don’t think that city would ever get old to me.

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

This is a hard question, because I would love to travel the world.  I don’t think I could choose just one place!!  In my younger days, I would have loved to spend months travelling through Europe, but I don’t think I’d have the energy to do that with kids.  But right now, I’m thinking a nice long stay on some secluded beach sounds pretty heavenly.  Without being pregnant, though!

What recipe on your blog are you most proud of?

Last February, I created this Red Velvet Cheese Ball.  I think I’m the most proud of it because it’s one of the very few recipes that I’ve come up with  that is completely original (at least as far as I could find J.)  Most of the time when I think I’ve come up with something original, I google it to find out it’s been done a million times before.  But I’m pretty sure I’m the very first to ever make one of these!!  (Plus, it’s the recipe that I’ve received the most positive feedback from – people go crazy for it!)

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

There are 2 recipes that are definitely the most popular – thanks to Pinterest!!  The first is Red Velvet Cheese Ball in the question above. The second are some Cake Mix Cookies that I made back in 2007.  They are definitely not original – but people love them!!  I think they mostly like the pretty pink color, because the picture isn’t even good!!

What have you learned since you began blogging?

That a picture speaks a thousand words.  That you’ll never please everyone.  And along those same lines – that you need a tough skin from time to time because people aren’t always nice.  But at the same time, the majority of people are so supportive and awesome and you’ll find that complete strangers can sometimes make your day!!  That there is room for everyone, and there is no reason to compete.  That even though you are a “professional”, it doesn’t mean that every batch of brownies or every chicken dinner is going to be a winner. 

What have you found to be the most challenging part of blogging?

Trying not to compare myself to others.  There are thousands and thousands of food blogs out there now, and trying to stand out and not feel invisible among the numbers is not easy.  But I am learning that all you can do is just be yourself and really love what you are doing.  And then the rest really doesn’t matter.

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

Haha – where to start??  No, really – I would tell them not to go into it just for the money.  It is possible to make a living as a food blogger, but it’s a lot of work, and it’s not as easy as you think it’s going to be.  And it’s very unpredictable, so just be prepared.  I would also tell them that you have to love doing it.  If you don’t, it will show, and you’ll never be successful.  Make friends with other bloggers.  Some of my best friends today are other bloggers.  It’s great to have that support system of people who “get it”.

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Thanks Deb! Can’t wait to see your new bundle of joy. Reading about your day, I still have no idea how you do what you do! You are a super-woman!

You can also find Deborah on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. 

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