There was a time in my life when I had time to pick up my Community Supported Agriculture box on Wednesdays, come home and wash/prep all of the veggies for the week, pour a glass of wine, and cook (almost daily) a new and exciting recipe using those veggies. My husband would document as I went and then we’d have this amazing dinner and conversation and I’d write a long, detailed post on Food Revival about the dinner because it was fresh on my mind and so on and so forth. You following me? That was three years ago.

Fast forward three years later and add a walking/talking/adventurous 14 month old to the equation and all hell hath broke loose in this household. In the best of ways, of course (wink wink). No, seriously. I love being a Mom. Husband loves being a Dad. We are digging this little boy of ours, but man oh MAN has it complicated our ability to focus on any one thing at one time. Scrubbing and prepping veggies? Well, that’s not happening. I am, however, steaming them in a bag from the freezer section. I’m cooking two or three dishes a week, but the process looks like a sitcom. What do I mean? Well, I’m cutting onions while dancing to keep 14 month old entertained. Or, I’m burning something on the stove while I run to the bathroom to make sure he hasn’t emptied the entire towel cabinet. Or, I’m throwing blueberries at him to keep him still (okay, not really AT him, but you get my point).

Speaking of points, what IS my point? Well, I’m simply writing an open letter to Food Blogging Moms to understand how in the heck you do it all.
a) How do you manage to cook, document, and write posts while looking so sane?
b) How do you also tend to your own herb garden, vegetable garden, home school your kids, and take care of the animals on the ranch while you also find time to do letter (a) mentioned above? (I’m looking at you, Pioneer Woman).
c) How do you find time to read the labels at the grocery store while your kid is simultaneously throwing shampoo bottles out of your grocery cart?
d) And…how do you manage to continue to cook vegetables when all your kid wants to do is throw them OVER the highchair in protest?
e) And what does your kitchen REALLY look like after you finish the amazing dinner you just posted?

You see, I’m not here to criticize. Not even here to make fun (okay, maybe I am making fun a little). I’m simply opening the dialogue for those of us trying our best to keep up! And look, I’m the one who used to document my dishes 4 times a week! Perhaps, I should manage my own expectations and simply document the process (kid attached to my leg and all ) to give space and grace to food bloggers like myself who are doing their best to keep up. Perhaps I should simply FEATURE the recipes of those food bloggers who have it all together (even the lighting from the kitchen that make their stoves look so darn CLEAN). I’m not bitter, I promise. I’m just interested in diversifying the experience for the many different users of food blogging content.

Please discuss. Please share your secrets. Ain’t no shame in it! And for goodness sakes if you DO NOT have it as together as it seems, please oh please simply upload one or two photos of the before/after shots of your kitchen when the spaghetti sauce boils over. For the good of the country. For the good of my sanity. I think I’m trying to be the “old” Food Revival when that just isn’t realistic. So here is my promise from here on out: I promise I won’t clean my stove just to take a photo. I will tell you if my kid liked it or not (and I will tell the truth). I might even take a picture “after” I’m finished so you can truthfully judge how many pots/pans you will need to clean. I’m liking it already. In fact, just LOOK at my stove today:

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But, for real. I’m celebrating ALL of you food bloggers and moms out there. Keep on keepin’ on as I try to simply keep UP. I’m liking this new version of Food Revival and hope you will too…