of producing a successful season of Kelsey’s Essentials. To write/develop the recipes and test them until they are perfect can be quite the process. Some testing I do at home, but most happens at the Food Network Kitchens– also known as heaven on earth. The only drawback is the weight gain that inevitably happens every time I test for a new season. Luckily this time around I was “eating for two” so I chowed down without an ounce of guilt. Without giving too much away, here is a sneak peek of what went down during testing week.

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It’s been too long since this blog has received the attention that it deserves! It’s been a whirlwind of a month where we’ve experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Sometimes life seems to hand you more than you think you can handle and yet you still find a way to survive. Looking back at a month that included funerals, emergency surgeries, and moving, we are so grateful that we have some exciting news to focus on as well.

We have a bun in the oven folks! And (he’s!) actually been cooking for a few months now…but just as we were starting to share our news, this crazy month happened. I’m a little more than half way through my pregnancy at 22 weeks and I’ve been blessed by the pregnancy gods with the world’s easiest pregnancy. I’ve felt great most of the time and other than a few food aversions and some nausea in the beginning, I have nothing to complain about. Our sweet baby boy is scheduled to arrive in September and we are over the moon!

I enjoyed sharing my news and a snippet about my mother on Cooking Channel’s blog yesterday to celebrate Mother’s Day. It was my first (almost) official Mother’s Day yesterday and I spent a lot of time thinking about my wonderful mother and the fact that this motherhood thing is coming at me fast and will be here before I know it! I shared a delicious recipe that my mom is known for that proves just how good she is in the kitchen—Vegetable Lasagna. When your mom is known for a dish that is primarily made up of vegetables, you know that she must be really good in the kitchen! Hopefully my kids will devour her lasagna the way we did as kids.

In other exciting news, today is our first day of filming for season 4 of Kelsey’s Essentials!!! I’ll be updating our shooting adventures through Instagram kelseynixon and Twitter @kelseynixon all week. Feel free to follow along! We have an incredible season lined up!

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Most of the menu was inspired by what I made for our Diner en Blanc picnic last summer and best of all I make a quick visit to one of my favorite stores in Manhattan, Fish’s Eddy. Fish’s Eddy is like a dreamland for dish lovers with an incredible inventory of amazing things for your kitchen! If you’re ever visiting NYC and you’re up for a visit to unique store, you can’t miss this one. I’m a regular.

One of the best recipes I share on this episode is how to make homemade French bread. It’s quick, easy, and nothing seems to be more satisfying than make your own baguettes! I’ll also make a delicious Peach & Feta Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and a classic Ham, Leek, & Gruyere Quiche that is a fantastic go-to recipe. Tune in tomorrow at 2:30 ET for a great spring lineup of recipes!

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…when we were selected from the waiting list for the first annual Diner en Blanc in NYC. I had read about the Parisian pop-up picnic for years and even heard a first hand account from my parents when they happened upon the annual dinner that was held in front of the Louvre in Paris. When I heard that this legendary event was coming to NYC, I was determined to get the invite. At the last minute we were selected from a waiting list and frantically gathered up white ensembles from head to toe in addition to a pop up picnic table, linens, a picnic basket full of goodies.

We had so much fun and it was a great memory that we won’t forget. I talk a little bit more about our Diner en Blanc experience on this week’s episode. We hope to go again this year, but we’ll have to cross our fingers that we are picked in the lottery. There will be Diner en Blanc events held in a handful of U.S. cities this year. Check out their website for details. I can’t recommend the experience enough!

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…of the year is the day you get the call saying, “you’ve been picked up for another season.” It’s basically a call that confirms that I still have a job- my dream job at that! I was ecstatic when I received this call last week regarding season four of Kelsey’s Essentials. These exciting days are usually celebrated with a fun dinner out to a restaurant that has been on our ever-growing list of NYC restaurants to try.

Then, the work begins. From the moment we’re officially “picked up” things basically get crazy for about six weeks. We first go into development mode for show themes, then it’s on to the recipes, recipe testing, and finally filming.

We are just entering the searching for show themes stage- which is very exciting! There are already some really fantastic ideas circulating, but I would love to hear from YOU! Any specific types of shows that you would love to see on Kelsey’s Essentials next season? I’m open to any and every idea. I’d also love to hear if there are certain types of recipes that you would like to see on the show.

Such an exciting time! I can’t thank you enough for your support both on the blog and to those of you that tune in week after week. My life lately seems to be a series of “pinch me” moments where I am in a constant state of feeling grateful for the opportunity I get to do this incredible job. Many, many thanks!

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