Normally, the main subjects of my posts are the recipes.
I’m actually somewhat shy and don’t like a lot of attention on myself.
But many people have asked what I do as a full-time blogger.
I do not just sit around and eat cookies all day. (Too bad, ‘cause that would be fun.) I work really hard! So today’s post is going to be a little different from the normal recipe posts.
A Day in the Life:
I wake up naturally around 5am, amble downstairs, and start replying to a massive amount of emails, comments, facebook messages, and tweets. If it’s a running day, I’ll eat pre-run snack, then and answer more questions while waiting for the food to digest. [Insert run here: a little over an hour]
Upon returning, I quickly check the computer again, then eat a real breakfast.
Yesterday’s breakfast was this: 5-Minute Chocolate Oatmeal.
With breakfast done, I go back over to the computer, this time to ensure the day’s post published as scheduled. I work on writing new posts for about an hour and a half, taking mini breaks to measure dry ingredients, get one or two things started on the stove or oven, and cook something else in the microwave. (I’ve become a master at multitasking.) Then I run upstairs for a quick shower, after which I do maybe 20-30 more minutes of blogwork (writing posts, editing photos, answering questions) whilst also making lunch.
After lunch, I take Henry and Batman for a walk (unless they’re at my parents’ house, in which case I go by myself). I come back and do a photoshoot or two, since it’ll usually be nice and light out by this time. I also do some taste-testing of whatever recipe experiments were cooked that morning. Yesterday, I tested chocolate peanut butter pie and peach cinnamon coffee cake.
About two hours after lunch I’m usually hungry again, so I’ll have a snack. Sometimes the day’s experiments have turned out so well that I’ll just eat them for snack.
Yesterday’s snack was one of my favorites: Fudge Brownie Energy Bars.
Yes, more chocolate.
Then it’s back to the kitchen for more recipe experiments (and washing dishes!). I also continue to check the computer intermittently, answering questions and emails. Y’all ask a lot of questions, which I love because it means people are reading and making the recipes. I do try to answer as many as I possibly can!
Some days I run errands, often with a friend (or my roommate, if she’s off from work) to keep me company. And then it’s dinnertime, which is often followed by hanging out with whatever friends (if any) have found their way over. Our house is quickly becoming the “hang out after work” place, and I take advantage of this by giving out samples of the day’s experiments, asking for honest opinions.
Not all my experiments turn out; it sometimes takes two or three trials before I arrive at a recipe worthy of publishing… or ten in the case of my Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies!
Sometimes we’ll watch tv (Gossip Girl, Friends, whatever sports are on), but I always have a notebook in hand to multitask—brainstorming recipe combinations, writing out new posts, making a to-do list, etc. After people leave (or even sometimes when they’re still over), I’ll schedule the next day’s post, continue to tackle the never-ending inbox, eat a nighttime snack—usually more chocolate!—and finally turn off the computer. I don’t take days off, and even if there’s no post for the day I’m still working on all the other components of the site. When it’s time for bed, I rarely have a problem falling asleep.
I know some people (a lot of people?) think blogging isn’t a “real” job, but truthfully it’s no different from saying my job is: photographer, photo-editor, recipe developer, writer, and often–too often!–web technician. It’s definitely never boring!
What do you do as your job?
Do you enjoy what you do? I love almost every minute of this (except when the site crashes or an experiment fails… those times are no fun), and I really hope to continue running this website for as long as people continue to read.
EDIT: By popular demand:
Part Two: Questions and Answers
Wow! What a leisurely day, it’s great when you are able to do something you love. I’m a stay at home mom to two boys. I love baking as well, although I don’t often have time since my boys are pretty busy. Run, bake, check some emails, sounds like my kind of Saturday!
so you check and answer hundreds of emails on a saturday? plus make up recipes without a cookbook to follow, write stories with meticulous grammar and that are engaging, maintain a high traffic website, and take professional looking photos? kudos to you… but i don’t believe it. 😉
I love your site! It is so inspiring and enjoyable to read.
It’s fun to see the behind the scenes look on your life.
I’m actually in college but I have an RA job and I sing in church every Sunday, and that’s how j support myself. I love my jobs!
Hopefully, I’ll become a professional singer in a few years 🙂
I’m a registered dietitian and I love my job! I also love your blog! Thanks for the recipes 🙂
I have several jobs. I am a Professional Storyteller, a Mom, and a Teacher’s Assistant for Youth in Custody at a local high school where I teach the science class. It makes me crazy busy! 🙂
I’d say I am a full-time nutcase. I wish I could call this a job and forget about everything else 😀 . The life of a blogger just seems so much more interesting than the one of a human disease genomics PhD student. I’d kill for a flexible schedule like yours. But we all know that PhD is a form of legalized slavery so…
I really liked your post. Some people take it for granted that being a recipe blogger is a breeze. Not so! I will admit that for me, just having a blog is difficult! I have one really nasty commenter who keeps hounding me, and I have to trash their comments because it is so hurtful. I don’t know how you can handle all of the commenters that are not very nice to you,but you do a very great job! 🙂
Ugh, that really sucks 🙁
I think you can go to “discussion” on your dashboard and put their ip addresses to blacklist if you wish. Then you won’t even see their comments! The comments will go directly to spam :).
Good to know. Thanks, Katie 🙂
Hmm, very neat. I do hope that you post more about this. Also the coconut cake from the other day looks great. Finally, do you think you could address in your next post whether you find taste testers for the recipes?
I’m still wondering that, myself! I want to ask for taste-testers for my cookbook, but I’m not sure how to go about doing it. I don’t want to exclude anyone who might want to help… 😕
I would love to be a recipe tester (in all seriousness). Seeing as I am all the way in WA state it is just too far to be a taste-tester, which would also be amazing.
I made the coconut cake tonight. Goodness! I did a 1/4 recipe in one mini-loaf, 1/2 the sugar, added shredded coconut. Cooked 15 minutes. Truly amazing. Took a lot of will power not to make a second mini-loaf.
I only recently discovered your site and I LOVE it!! I’m a personal trainer – and part of that involves blogging – including making recipes that involve chocolate 🙂 I Love the blogging side, and definitely understand how it can be a full time job, although I don’t make a cent for the time I spend doing it. Well done with making a living from it! I’ve been fwding some of your recipes to clients as most of us are mad about chocolate and love eating healthy versions of it 🙂
I guess my job right now is a graduate student…soon to be dietetic intern. I am so passionate about nutrition–I absolutely love what I do and can’t wait to make it a lifelong career 🙂
u look cute with that lil cookie in ur hand 🙂