Oh hi friends…
I am so tired. So. Dang. Tired.
The past 2 weeks I have chained myself to my kitchen.
On purpose, of course.
I’ve been knee deep in desserts! Not a bad problem to have, I guess!
You see, I had this BRILLIANT idea that I would take 3 weeks in January and remake all my recipes for the book to photograph. I have all my recipes written and tested, but I needed to retest the recipes and photograph them too! I decided early on that I wanted to shoot my book myself (what is wrong with me)…I even asked my dad and step mom to fly up to New Jersey to help me through the process. They must really super love me to fly from Texas to NJ in January…AND to basically become a slave to dish washing all day errday, but they agreed.
I can’t wait to share my concept of my book with you guys…it’s not really a concept…because the book is basically The Cookies and Cups cookbook (not the name) BUT there is a fun twist that I think you guys will super love!!! We’re still trying to nail down a title, so when we have all that I will share.
But now we’ve been at it for 2 weeks. And you guys we’ve remade, tested and photographed 86 recipes as of yesterday. EIGHTY SIX in 13 days. Now. That might not sound like a lot, but trust me. It is. It’s basically the equivalent to having a dinner party everyday for 2 weeks straight. Not cool bro.
Honestly, it’s the photography end that adds so much extra time to the process….and trying to shoot pictures in dang natural light in the middle of January was NOT well thought out on my part…but here we are. Plugging along. Having my folks here helping has been an ENORMOUS help to me. Because beyond cooking and cleaning ALL THE DISHES we had the RIDICULOUS idea before the holidays to get a new puppy…
What in the dang world is wrong with me???
But seriously, look at that face.
His name is Chewie (my kids named him) and he is an itty bitty Yorkie, currently clocking in at 5 pounds. Sooooo potty training and shooting a cookbook is the most fun. Ummm.
When we got Chewie he had pneumonia, so the first 2 weeks of his little life were touch and go…and we were unable to house train him as per the vets orders. (Little dude was super sick)..BUT now he’s all better and peeing pretty much whenever (and where ever) he wants. Any tips from y’all would be fantastic. Polly, our other pup, kind of likes him, but mostly doesn’t. She tolerates him, but I know she wishes he would leave her alone most of the time!
ALSO my editor told me a few days ago that she would like some pictures of me posing with food. Ummmm….
Apparently she has to present me to the marketing department at Simon and Schuster so they know how to sell mt book. NO pressure at all… especially when my face regularly looks like this…
I still have yet to get professional head shots done…procrastinate much…
But we snapped a few in my kitchen that look ridiculously dorky, but yeah…that’s me.
…and this one…
I’m just standing here slicing cake trying not to look stupid. Oh hi.
Also, trying to make your face look normal in pictures is hard.
OH and yeah.. I got my ombré spruced up…Love the contrast.
My friend asked me why I would have someone do that to me on purpose 🙂 But I love it.
Anyhow, that’s why the site has been a little quiet this week. I actually have recipes to share, but by the end of the day I don’t even have the energy to hit “publish” on my new posts!
Hope you have a great weekend!! You know where I’ll be!!
I LOVE CHEWIE – ok, I’m pretty much a sucker for any dog no matter the age. I got my new beagle (an 11-month old monster) from the SPCA, and they said he was potty trained, but that was NOT the case.
As for potty training, I went to the SPCA website, and they had some tips. First, always take the puppy out when he first wakes up and after he eats. Second, take them to the same area because they have some sense of touch in their feet, and will get used to going on what feels like the grass, not on the carpet or hardwoods. Finally, use training treats and give Chewie the old “good boy” when he does it right. It worked for me in 2 days – so keep on trying, Chewie will get there.
BTW girl, that kitchen was a disaster – I would cry –
Oh, such a cute little baby! LIke Becky, my daughter had a problem training her Yorkie too. I will say that he didn’t have issues at my house when he visited, but my dogs were trained and probably he understood what to do becuase of them.
A couple thoughts for you about potty training dogs from a gal who bred shelties; it’s the same advice I give to all new dog owners regardless of the age. It has worked for me many times and for many others too. New pets have not yet learned our “language”, sort of like you going to France and not having anyone to translate for you…you just have to “show” them what you want. Next time he pees mop it up with a cloth and stake the soiled cloth in the yard where you want him to “go”. Do the same for poo, pick it up and take it to “the spot”. Then take him to that same spot every single time you take him out to do his business. Do not take him to that spot when it is time for play. He will better understand what you expect and usually this works pretty quickly. I never offer alternatives and I do not “crate” train. I will say that as a boy, he will most likely return to any spot he has already soiled so you should also remove his scent from anything he already has marked because those “reminders” may be confusing to him. Good luck!
Great tips!! Thank you! I will totally try the soiled cloth method..it makes complete sense!
I think the pictures of you are cute! You are your hardest critic. The desserts look AMAZING!!!
Chewie is soooooo cute! I have a Yorkie and she was hard to house train. The suggestions that I received was to crate train but I couldn’t stand watching her in that crate all alone. Because our house has an open floor plan, I put her on a leash with a harness in the house so that she would be close to someone at all times. I took her outside every thirty minutes for about three months. At night I put her in my bathroom with a gate at the door and plenty of pee pads on the floor. I later bought a portable play yard (http://www.walmart.com/ip/North-States-Superyard-Xt-Gate/8457890) to use when I was in the kitchen making dinner. She finally caught on!
I think I will try the harness and leash inside…I did it fir a few days and then got lazy, but I think it will definitely work if I stick with it!
The comment about the hair makes me laugh every single time I hear it! (Wasn’t me) Adorable.
Wow! This is a great achievement. Congrats on your upcoming book!
Everything looks so great! You should open a bakery!
You are in the trenches, my friend! But do not worry–you WILL get through this. It’s so very necessary. When you are wildly successful, everyone will say ‘it’s because of your hard work.’ And these are the days of hard work that you will remember. Hang in there, Shelly! We’re all rooting for you! If you can find the time, book a massage? Or pedicure? Or something lovely? You deserve it!
XO
Thank you so so much! I know you totally get it! Also I’m SO incredibly happy for you and your little belly nugget!!!
I literally cannot wait to get my hands on your cookbook – I have a feeling that it’s going to be amazing!!
You are the cutest Shelly!! I know how exhausting that whole phase of the cookbook is, you have gotten so much done in 2 weeks! Can’t wait to hear more about it! xo