I start filming the next season of Kelsey’s Essentials this week and I’m a whole host of emotions. Excited, stressed, nervous, anxious…you name it! This will be the 5th season of the show. You’d think that I would be a seasoned pro by now, but the truth is that every season is a challenge as we try to evolve the show and make it better which means pushing ourselves to be even more creative than we were the previous season. It’s such a rewarding and interesting process that I’ve decided to blog my way through it this time around giving you a behind the scenes peek at how the show is made!

The hard work started weeks ago when we officially started pre-production. I (along with my culinary producer and production company) pitched show themes and recipes that needed to be approved by the network before actually putting pen to paper and writing the recipes. Then it was off to the test kitchen for a week where every single recipe was tested – making it as delicious as possible. Sometimes recipes are completely tossed out because they just aren’t good enough, and sometimes we get lucky and they are a hit the first time around. It’s always a blast working in the test kitchen and I love the talented people there so much.

About 10 days ago was “wardrobe day!” I work with an amazing stylist for the show that does a ton of shopping before showing up with nearly 100 options that include tops, dresses, sweaters, and jackets to try on. It took almost 4 hours for me to try everything on! She takes a picture of each good option that then need to be approved. By the end of it I’m a frazzled mess and have pulled a shirt over my head one too many times! While so exciting, it’s weirdly exhausting. It’s definitely a huge perk to the job that I don’t have to worry about picking out clothes for each episode (especially because I’m not the hugest fan of clothes shopping!)

We’ve had our final production meetings now and we officially begin rolling on Thursday and we’ll shoot for about 3 weeks. I’m taking these last few days before the madness starts to enjoy every second with Oliver. Grandma arrives today to save the day and will be hanging out with my sweet boy each day I’m either filming out in the field or on set. We can’t wait for her to arrive!

I’d love to answer any questions you may have about the process! I’ll be posting photos and maybe even a video here and there that will give you a taste of what it’s like to film a cooking show. I can’t wait to journal the process for my own memory. I feel so blessed that I get to do what I do and try to never take it for granted. It’s because of dedicated viewers and fans that this dream still exists and I couldn’t possibly thank all of you enough!

Here are a few photos I took of my wardrobe fitting and my time in the test kitchens!

Stay tuned…. here we go!

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Who doesn’t love a reason to celebrate?! National Grilled Cheese Day, why not?! It’s rainy and dreary here and I think a melty grilled cheese is just what the doctor ordered on such a drab day. I’ve posted this recipe before and I may even post it again. It’s one of my absolute favorites. I make this recipe all of the time and never tire of the combination of cheddar, bacon, apple, and mustard (for me it MUST be whole  grain mustard). I also just developed a new grilled cheese recipe for the upcoming season on Kelsey’s Essentials that takes cheese to a whole new level and will knock your socks off. We start filming next week!

Get the recipe here.

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I can’t believe that Easter is quickly approaching! Weren’t we just in the midst of the holidays? Maybe I’m having a hard time feeling spring-y because there is still snow on the ground when I look out the window. Baby steps to better weather.

If you’re starting to plan out your menu for your Easter celebration, don’t pass on these Deviled Eggs with Candied Bacon. The candied bacon alone should lure you in, but I’m also a huge fan of the filling for these eggs. I think it’s the addition of the whole grain mustard that takes them over the edge for me, but don’t take my word for it. It’s a fun, playful dish that would compliment any Easter table. If you’re looking for a slightly different flavor profile, check out my Curried Deviled Eggs which are also delicious and were an attempt to mimic my favorite deviled eggs found in the city at Blue Smoke BBQ.

I feel like deviled eggs are a great vehicle for variations and an easy recipe to play with different flavors. What’s the craziest deviled egg you’ve ever had?

Grab the recipe HERE.

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I thought that I’d mix things up around here and share some of my favorite baby essentials that I’ve discovered and fallen in love with over the past 6 months. Whether you have babies of your own, you are expecting, plan to have a baby one day, or need a running list of good baby shower gifts, I can’t recommend these products enough. I tried to pick things that weren’t as obvious as items like the Aden and Anais swaddle blankets, Carters basic white onesies, and the Boppy, but admittedly I love all of these things too and think that they should be must haves for any new mom. I discovered most of these fantastic items through friends who are moms and a few of them were gifts that I received and immediately fell in love with.

[Eat] Dria cover I was convinced that I didn’t need a nursing cover and could just use a blanket, so I put off the purchase for months. Well, I’m glad that I waited because in the meantime my friend Kathryn introduced me to the world’s greatest nursing cover that can also be used as a carseat or stroller cover and worn like a poncho. They even make it in a petite size that’s just right for me! The best feature is that the cover is made of the world’s softest cotton and I really like the simple patterns offered. It’s a bit pricier than other nursing covers, but when you factor in how functional it is and the fact that it doubles as something to wear, I think the cost is justifiable. Couldn’t be happier with this one.

[Sleep] Shi Shu Blanket Every baby deserves a luxuriously soft blanket to be wrapped up in. I found this beautiful and soft bamboo blanket on GILT and got a screaming deal. I actually bought it to give as a gift and when it arrived I loved it so much that I couldn’t part with it. The listed price is a bit steep, so keep an eye out for them on GILT. I see them on there quite a bit.

[Play] Mr. Whoozit This silly toy is lovingly referred to as Oliver’s BFF around here. He might like Mr. Whoozit as much as he likes his own parents! As far as first toys goes, this has been awesome. The contrasting colors and shapes make this interesting for any baby to gaze at and as they get older the plush feel and shape is perfect as they’re discovering things.

[Bathe] Burts Bees We have become big fans of the Burt’s Bees products during bath time. The smell is almondy and divine and we’ve found that it’s super sensitive on Ollie’s skin. We love that the soap lathers nicely, the lotion is thick almost like a baby body butter, and that the baby oil is nice to rub on dry spots or in Ollie’s case – on his beautifully bald noggin. Lucky for us, we’ve loved every item in this set including the diaper cream. It’s been a great fit for our boy and I’d give the set as a gift in a heartbeat.

[Clean] Organic Burp Cloths Ollie is a spitter and we use a lot of burp cloths around here. I’ve fallen in love with these organic burp cloths found on Amazon that are literally identical to another set I received from Giggle, but much cheaper. I ordered enough to have one for every day and it’s a great system for us.

[Read] Alex Girard Color We received this book from my dear friend Jeanne as a gift recently and it has found a spot in our daily book rotation. I love the modern images, simple story, and the length of the book is just perfect for a pre-bedtime story for a 6 month old.

[Wear] NY Onesie- Could you just die?! I’m obsessed with this foodie onesie that I found for Oliver at a sweet little boutique (with amazing gifts!) on Mulberry street called Piccolini. This city kid was made to wear this onesie.

photo by my sister (kyliewhiting.com)

Our Ollie is a growing boy at 6 months old and is truly our tiny miracle baby. His best tricks lately are rolling over, babbling all day long, and splashing in the tub so much that most of the water is gone by the time we wrap things up. He’s super cuddly and gives us his best smiles and giggles first thing in the morning. Now if we could only convince him that he’s not too big for naps! I adore being a mama, especially to this very special boy who is happier (and healthier!) than we could have ever hoped for.

Other great baby posts:

Baby Essentials by Oh Joy!

Newborn Baby Essentials by Dandee

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Are you as paranoid about the flu outbreak as I am?! Despite flu shots, both my husband and I caught some form of the flu over the holiday break (which was AWFUL) and miraculously did not pass it on to Oliver. With all of the hype lately about this being the worst flu season in a decade I’ll admit to being somewhat of a homebody with Ollie and avoiding as many public places as possible. We continue to cross our fingers that Ollie will come out on the other side of flu season unscathed!

If you do happen to be one of the unlucky ones that catches the flu this season, I can’t think of anything better than having a big bowl of chicken noodle soup to jump start your recovery. Turns out that there has been clinical research done that leads researchers to believe that this wonder soup can have positive affects on those that are under the weather. So whether you need a big bowl of chicken noodle soup for yourself or a loved one that isn’t feeling so great, I highly recommend this super simple recipe that is so delicious.

p.s. This soup also freezes great! Make a double batch and keep it on hand as we all try to survive the next couple of months.

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