Celebrating 10 Years of Store-Bought Is Fine

I can’t believe it, but this week marks 10 years since I first posted that Photoshopped Julie & Julia poster with the caption “Discovered that if I make 3 Ina Garten recipes a week, it will take me 5 years to make every one of her nearly 800 recipes. Let’s hope Meryl will star as Ina and me in the movie … “ Well, it actually took closer to 6 ½ years to work by way through all 1,300+ recipes, but who’s counting 😅

What started as way to learn how to cook – I thought after a couple months I’d move onto the next shiny thing – turned into a passion that completely changed my life. This project opened doors I never dreamed of – being interviewed for the NYT, coming SO close to getting my own cooking show, and completing the final recipe in the most epic way – with Ina. But the very best part has always been the amazing community of people I met through this platform –  so many of you who began as Instagram friends have become real-life friends, and that’s been the best thing of all.

The past decade brought plenty of personal growth and change, too, – the 30s we’re really about finding myself!  While I’m still at the same day job (hey, Ad Council – yes, Instagram isn’t my full time gig), Alex and I met and got married, we moved to Portland, Maine, and adopted our little pup, Helen. 

In all honesty, after finishing the project, I struggled a little bit trying to figure out what was next. But lately, I’ve settled into a rhythm I love – primarily by ignoring the algorithm and focusing on the things that bring me joy: cooking, developing recipes, and sharing all things food that I love. Engagement has cratered but I’ve found a better balance in my life and reminded myself what I loved about all this in the first place. 

So THANK YOU for sticking around – whether you’ve been here since the first roast chicken or just started following yesterday – you’ve made this such a fulfilling and fun adventure! 

To celebrate, throughout the year I’ll be revisiting some of Ina’s recipes from that very first year (ones I haven’t made since!) and, each month, I’m challenging myself to finally make a recipe that’s always intimidated me (stay tuned next Sunday). I hope you’ll follow along!

xoxoxo