Hello everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be pressing pause on new recipes for the next two to three weeks so I can devote some uninterrupted time on the cookbook.
It takes a lot for me to concede defeat and accept that I can’t do it all – run a business*, renovate a home, work on a cookbook and maintain my existing recipe posting schedule. Lockdown certainly didn’t help matters to increase my workload – though on a cheerier note, as of Monday of this week, the lockdown rules have been substantially relaxed here in Sydney. 🙌🏻
I found myself getting up earlier and earlier (currently 4.30am 😩), going to bed later and later. And while I always declare that I operate best under pressure, the reality is I’m only human and darn it, I need my beauty sleep!!!
* Yes, I finally realised this year that I have a real business! This “it’s just a food blog” somehow grew into a proper business over the past year with a team of 9, including RecipeTin Meals, the recently established philanthropic division where we use recipes from the website to make homemade meals for the vulnerable community here in Sydney.
Another fail! Well, it was ok…but not good enough for the cookbook! 
Planning mode. No, this is not a cookbook for vegans…
I’m in a particularly intensive planning stage of the cookbook right now and am struggling to split my focus between new recipes for the website and the cookbook. To be honest, it was the cookbook that was suffering – because I would never hit publish on a recipe I didn’t give my all.
So on Sunday night, I made the call for the first time ever since I started the website – to temporarily press pause on new recipe content for this website.
It somehow feels like failure – this is my job after all – and like I’m letting my team down. We worked so hard to create a stash of new recipes to get ahead, test and retest them, make videos and photos. There’s weeks’ of digital media for ridiculously delicious new recipes ready to go, just waiting for me to write up.
The problem? It takes anywhere between 4 to 8 hours to write the posts, depending on the complexity of the recipes. As an example, last weeks’ Flan Patissier? That took me a good 8 hours to write the post, edit the photos, do the step photos, describe the ingredients and write the recipe. And many multiple times that in recipe development and testing time!
Yes, a lot goes on behind the scenes to produce the recipe content that gets published on this website. And I love everything about what I do, and I look forward to getting back to it!
The Flan Patissier recipe that took around 8 hours to write up. 
I think this final version was the 23rd Flan Patissier I made in the last 4 months!
But for now, the cookbook. I’m going to give myself 3 weeks to make a big dent in the cookbook, then I’ll be back with new recipes!
In the meantime, you may see some old favourites coming back to the homepage over the next few weeks with new videos or photos that I’ve had ready to go.
And, well, you know me. I probably won’t be able to resist popping back into your inbox to let you know how I’m getting on, and a peek behind the scenes of the making of the cookbook!
Until then, stay well! I’ll be back with brand new recipes before you know it.
Love – Nagi & Dozer 🐶 x
REMINDER: Mock cover! Mock cover! 😇
Life of Dozer
New discovery during cookbook recipe development – how to make Dozer eat carrots!!! Puree them with a hint of spicing, top with a braised baby carrot, drizzle with organic olive oil and finish with an edible flower. 😂
Awww I just found you and you’re taking a break? I feel like a newly found friend is moving 😞 You will be missed but I’m very excited to get my hands on your cookbook!!
I’m sure I’ve missed some posts due to finding you after you’d already been publishing or being busy in my own life but I always look forward to your next post. So have someone republish favorites, or previous seasonal recipes while you take this time to focus. A pause is not failure and you admitting it may just make it easier for someone else to do the same when they need to. Thank you for all you do! So excited for the cookbook – even more so now!
Hi Nagi San.
Good luck on your cookbook.
You are the best and cannot wait for the book to be published.
Thank you again for giving ordinary cooks like me the chance to feel like a great chef.
Take care and keep safe and all the best again. Hi to Dozer.
Sabrina.
You are an amazing person! Good luck as you work on the cookbook. Take as much time as you need and take good care of yourself and Dozer.
Nagi none of your recipes that I have made have ever been anything but the best. Your easy to follow instructions and photos are fantastic. ou have done the right thing in taking time out to concentrate on your book. We as women have been taught to multi task, but there comes a time when you have to take care of yourself. Wish you all the best with the book.
Hi Nagi,
My mum always said, ‘It’s not how it looks, it’s how it tastes and the love you put into it’! Nagi you win on ALL counts and I am so grateful for the time and effort you put into helping us all cook beautiful meals, in my case it is a real challenge as not so good at it. Thank you Nagi and good luck with your cookbook, I will definitely be buying it.
Double that as well. People always make positive comments on your food I cook for them Nagi. Thanks. I’ll be at the front of the queue for your book.
Thank you both!! N x
Keep going NAGI. I love the recipes!
Dearest Nagi,
Take care and take time to renew and refresh. You are a such an inspiration to those of us who follow and adore you.
Nourish yourself as you have nourished us and our families x
There are hundreds, thousands, more (?) of us out here who are cheering you in! We love you. NONE of us can do it all but only the smart ones recognize that and make adjustments. You are a delight, your recipes are amazing and we all have your back so no worries!!!
We’re just happy to have you popping into our busy inbox when you can dear Nagi. You have so much treasure already stored up for us to access.. as IF you have to explain !! Dozer please tell her!
All the best with your hiatus, sounds like it is for the best for your well-being. Your fans (of which I am a big one) will be here for your return. Everything you do is amazing and I can’t wait to see what you come up with next for both the blog and book.
Love your recipes and search for them for almost everything I make and tell everyone else about them too! Take some time for yourself and I’ll look firward to your cookbokk!
Now I might be able to catch up on recipes I want to try! You give us so much. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication.
Nagi, no such thing as failure! Failure is not even trying. We all love your recipes, so you keep being the success that you are!
I just want to say you have done the right thing, take the break you will come come so much stronger, I so enjoy your recipes and look forward to you coming back. Take care of yourself best regards Virginia
Whoa girlfriend! No, no and NO. Drop those negative vibes. Thoughts are things and instead of guilt or shame, (as we women often saddle ourselves with) better to claim, “I need to self care at this point…dammit!” Can you feel the difference? Plus, I bet, ALL high achievers often over promise and loathe under-delivering (in their minds), because you/we/they haha, really believe they can and should do it all. And they can! Only snag is, sometimes great deeds require a cocoon like stage to develop and morph for best results. Remember, even the most picture perfect turkey needs to “rest before serving,” haha.
Nagi, I/we appreciate your work, and there is plenty of delicious stuff on your website to keep us busy, so Girl, do what you gotta do. 🙂
Do what you need to do Nagi we’ll all be here for you when you restart. In the meantime we’ll be enjoying all the recipes you have already published. Best of luck with the book. X
Thank you! N x
I definitely will miss your new story and recipes and Dozer. However you have SOOOO many good recipes I need to try out too. You need to take care of yourself and looking forward to your new cook book.
Best of luck 🤞
One of the many things that sets you apart from the multitude of other food blogs, Nagi, is that you generously show us a behind-the-scenes view of your life in the kitchen and also interesting snippets of your personal life. You are the real deal – no affectations or pretences.
And Dozer absolutely adds his doggy magic.
I congratulate you on your book and look forward to reading more about how you’re creating your (first?) cookbook. After all, it’s about priorities, is it not??
You are ‘worth the wait’ sweet Nagi! See you in a few weeks!
Awwww! Thanks! N x