N&T in Real Life: Q1 2024

04/01/24

Welcome to the second edition of Nourish and Tempt in Real Life, where I share life around the recipes. Let's recap Q1 2024.

Hi! We’ve blinked and it’s the end of March – time for the next instalment of N&T in Real Life. To recap, in this series I share snippets of life, from BTS what’s happening at work, to personal reflections, and everything-in-between. You can read the first, recapping 2023, here.

There has been a lot on this first quarter, with an exciting milestone to share and a behind-the-scenes project that’s very close to my heart. So with that, pour yourself a cozy cup of tea (or coffee, kombucha, wine – all beverages welcomed), and let’s hang for a few minutes.

We visited a sunflower farm in January (surely the happiest place on earth?!). They were endless.

Business Recap

Last year I took the leap to work full-time on N&T. For context, I use to do this just for fun, not even necessarily a side hustle – just me, in my kitchen, on the weekend, dreaming up recipes. Naturally, I’ve been absolutely loving it.

My day-to-day work life now revolves around recipe development, whether for the blog or for brands, shooting the creative for dishes, and writing about nutrition.

Trips to the supermarket are frequent, my dishwasher always needs to be unpacked, and it feels like I’m constantly eating. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

As this type of work is inherently creative, one of the biggest shifts is having the time and space to explore and play. For me, so much of the joy is in the journey💫.

New recipes this Quarter

On that note, and in case you missed it, we have tasty new recipes on the blog:

Clearly I’ve had carbs on my mind🍞 🥖🍝.

Level up your cooking skills with recipe club

This January, N&T launch a fun, new initiative – Recipe Club! I’ve been cooking up this one for a while (geddit? Ba dum tsk), and the start of 2024 felt the perfect time to launch.

As a culinary-trained nutritionist, I believe the kitchen is a wonderful place to learn more about nutrition. This inspired Recipe Club, a friendly challenge encouraging the N&T community to make the featured recipe of the month. In true N&T fashion, each dish is nutritionally considered, but also showcases a nifty culinary technique to help grow your kitchen skills👩‍🍳.

You can make the recipe for fun, or enter a snap to go in the draw to win a dreamy kitchen prize (I had to make it worth your while!).

Below are some of your WONDERFUL entries from January (Basil Pesto with Toasted Pinenuts), February (Beetroot and Goats Cheese Pasta) and March (Banana Date Loaf). Each snap makes me so happy😊.

If you’re keen to try a future recipe or just want to keep up with Recipe Club adventures, keep an eye on the Recipe Club page for the latest (and all prior) posts.

Passion to profession

Many food blogs start as a passionate hobby, driven by a love for cooking or sharing recipes. However, as the blog gains traction, it reaches a point where it has the potential to transition into a full-fledged career. At this stage, its sustainability hinges heavily on its ability to generate revenue.

Previously, the main income streams for Nourish and Tempt have been brand partnerships (collaborating with brands to feature their products in content), and selling products (meal planners and ebooks). However, this quarter marked a huge leap when N&T qualified for a top-tier ad network (a testament to the 50,000+ of you now visiting the site each month – this blows my mind!).

This means you’ll see ads dotted throughout content, including what you’re reading now. While I totally appreciate they might be a bit annoying, know they’re a huge deal for the sustainability of the business🙏. It also means N&T’s content doesn’t need to sit behind a paywall – it’s yours to enjoy😊.

If you see something you’re unsure about, make sure to flag it🚩. My ad network has strict guidelines around quality control – so, if something doesn’t seem right, shout out.

Personal Life

Outside of work, here are a few things I’ve been enjoying, focusing on, had on my mind:

From Baba’s Kitchen

A few years ago I embarked on a project with my grandmother (or baba, as we call her)…her very own cookbook! This isn’t intended for store shelves but rather a family heirloom, compiling all her cherished recipes.

One day, it struck me: despite having enjoyed her food countless times over my 32 years, with the flavours so familiar and comforting, I couldn’t replicate them. Suddenly the recipes felt sacred. So, we embarked on a journey, where she teaches me the recipe and I document it as we go, in real time.

We’ve cooked and baked our way through 30+ recipes, which I’m currently retesting the recipes in my own kitchen, making sure they’re replicable. It has been a mammoth project – but it’ll be beyond special when I present it to her published, later this year. I’ll share an update on where we’re at next quarter💃.

Below are preview snaps📷. It’s documentary style vibes, and a totally different look and feel to N&T’s usual content.

Stuffing a roast chook; preparing garden greens.

Bookworm life📚

As a kid, I was an avid reader. My nose was always buried in a book. After-school activities? No. Books. Sports? I repeat, books. I had a shelf that lined almost an entire wall, stacked with books on top of books, with endless imaginary worlds to dive into.

Somewhere along the journey into adulthood, I stopped reading for fun. It wasn’t until the last few years that I realised I needed books in my life again.

In classic A-type personality/nutritionist life, I gravitated towards non-fiction wellbeing and self-help genres (because, why not mix relaxation with productivity? 😅). I just couldn’t finish them – I’d get to chapter 2 and it’d feel like a chore.

So this year, 2024, I’ve stepped away from non-fiction, and are reading fiction purely for joy. I’ve made through a good stack this quarter – all of the below came recommended and were great. If you’ve got any books you’ve read and loved, please share! I’ll add them to the list.

Reflecting on December

I shared difficult news in last quarter’s post about our miscarriage in December. This experience has been challenging on many levels – even after the physical side has passed, the emotional toll can linger. The start of the year was tough and odd to navigate.

While I’m feeling like myself now, I want to again share love to those who are going through, or have gone through, pregnancy loss. It’s a time where so much kindness, grace and self-compassion are needed. Pregnancy is a profound experience in surrender and vulnerability.

Tim and I often joke about much Bo does for our mental health, but it’s true – he’s a ray of sunshine.

To Wrap Up…

That’s it for today, thanks for sticking around if you got this far. I’ll be back with another recap the end of June. Until then, keep an eye out for new recipes incoming. Danijela xx