SERIOUSLY DELISH Launch! (it’s totally in stores TODAY!)
TODAY IS THE DAY!
Seriously Delish is officially out in stores and for sale… I can’t even believe my eyeballs. I might be in shock. And I can’t WAIT for you to see it! I’m so excited in the Jessie Spano kind of way.
First off, THANK YOU! The ridiculous amount of love I have for every one of you that has landed on this blog has me floating on air right now. You guys are by far the #1 reason I wrote this book, put these recipes onto the page and have massive heartichoke inducing-anxiety while I wonder if the book is enough.
Let’s talk about what a jumble of emotions I am. I’m probably currently on a plane to Florida right now (if you’re in the Tampa area, come to the signing tonight!) after waking up at like 4AM and most likely getting no sleep before that anyway. I kept saying to Eddie last night, “I just feel so WEIRD. Like just… so weird.” I couldn’t quite put it into words, but in a way it felt like things with the book were 1. just beginning but also 2. almost over. Does that make sense? Do I EVER make sense? Nah.
It’s a crazy thing for something that you’ve worked on for years to finally be in other hands – in other homes, on other e-readers and in front of faces. It’s super scary too. The recipe development process was by far the most difficult thing for me EVER EVER. Probably because I’m a product of this god-awful internet generation that is used to instantaneous responses and getting everything rightthissingleminute. But also because I get bored so super easily and love changing up my usual dishes.
I’m totally the person that finds the best brownie recipe in the world and then spends another three years looking for an even better one. Yep yep.
It’s safe to say that in 2012, I had 200 recipes DOWN. I was ready. They were book solid, ready to go. Yet six months later I found myself not caring about a third of them, finding them not fabulous enough and going through the process over and over. I think by the end of the book writing process I cycled through 300-400 recipes before deeming the 150+ that were appropriate.
Because it’s like, are people still going to be eating kale in 2014? Hello, I don’t know if I will want to eat kale in two weeks. I don’t know what I want to eat for breakfast tomorrow. How can I know what we all want to eat in 2014?!
Well. It’s 2014. We can eat all of the recipes in the book today, whether we want to or not!
Oh hi. Here’s a sneak peek of how I turned my house into a disaster zone for months on end. I no longer live in that house, but I took photos all sorts of which ways and destroyed the house daily. The cleanup process every night was WRETCHED. It was truly terrible. We don’t want to know how many times I ran the dishwasher daily and did loads and loads of dishes by hand.
Remember when I shared this on instagram? It was one of the final photos I took – or should I say, REtook. Considering I also went through the not-liking-any-pictures-I-took phase nine months later and retaking a ton.
I had many days like this. Our house almost always looked like this.
Something I would not recommend, nor would I ever do again: doing a cookbook all by yourself. This was dumb of me. It was very difficult and ideally I’m sure I would have worked better if I had put together a team, even if the only thing that team did was dishes. However, at the same time, I can fully tell you that this book is ME. I took every food photo, wrote every work, missed every typo and consumed all the calories. It seems so long ago and like yesterday at the same time. It was HARD. We are talking literal blood, sweat and tears. That makes it all worth it.
And I have to say that in the last week or so, you all have made it so worth it. Seeing your instagrams and tweets and facebook posts and reading your emails sharing the excitement of how the book has landed on your doorstep has kept me going. Would you believe that I’ve had the book for a few months but can barely look through it? It’s that whole I-hate-my-own-work thing, coupled with the feelings of “this is old news” because it’s been in my face for months on end. I’ve been scared that the recipes aren’t creative enough, that after hours (maybe actual days?) of testing that something will fail, that it won’t be enough for me or anyone else who has been able to stomach my rambling for five years. THANK YOU for making this week wonderful and allowing me to be less of a neurotic lunatic. It means the world.
So there is that. Today is the day and the book is OUT! I am hoping I get to meet so many of you and squeeze the heck out of you for changing my life and making the last five years so memorable for me. Don’t forget to check out the book tour page, especially because I may be updating it with times and dates!
Words can’t describe just exactly what I would do if you’d go to your local bookstore and buy up every copy. You know. Just sayin.’ In the meantime, you can order today from amazon, barnes + noble or indiebound – or find the book where ever books are sold… and will have your copy in your hands shortly! Also, if you ordered before August 1st and sent in your confirmation for a bookplate, your signed plate will be arriving soon! I’ve had many concerns that you’ve received your book and it’s not signed – remember that a signed plate is a plated sticker to stick inside your book. It ships directly from us – if there was a way that I could have snuck into the amazon and b + n warehouse and signed all the copies, I totally would have. I’ve signed… quite a bunch – so they are coming. You are the bees knees. THANK YOU!
Finally, make sure to instagram your photos of the dishes you’ve made from Seriously Delish with the hashtag #howsweeteats and tag me. You can also share a pic on twitter or post one to the how sweet eats facebook. I want to see EVERYTHING you are making!
Okay that is all for now. I love your guts and you mean the world to me.
138 Comments on “SERIOUSLY DELISH Launch! (it’s totally in stores TODAY!)”
Congrats Jessica!! I know how you feel, I am also so hard on myself and drive myself NUTS, but it will pay off, because that is how you got this far! XOXO!
I got my book in the mail yesterday!!!! I will devour it on Thursday when I’m off of work. YAY. If you want a “guardrail, buy a funnoodle, like the kind used in pools and put it under your fitted sheet on the edge of the bed, instant bed bump.
You deserve every single bit of success, Jess! Congratulations on your book!
Congratulations on your amazing book! I absolutely love it, and the photographs are gorgeous! Can’t wait to make all the things :)
xoxoxo
Mine was waiting on my doorstep when I got home yesterday and I dove right in. Haven’t cooked anything yet; I’ve simply been enjoying your stories. I can’t wait to meet you for reals in Baltimore later this month!
I got my copy yesterday and i am in love! I immediately sat down and read through as much as possible (a pretty impossible task with a one year old). I can’t wait to try all of the recipes, my husband and I even talked about cooking our way through the entire book! Thank you for being so awesome!
I received your book over the weekend! Yay! You did such a good job on it! I started going through it and putting sticky tabs on all the recipes I wanted to make…..their were so many I had to stop before I even got half way thru the book :\ Even my kiddos were saying let’s make that, let’s make that! Hoping to make my first recipe from it this weekend or next week at the latest! Super excited!
Yay!! Congrats!! Waiting for my preordered copy to come and hope I can get it signed in Philly later this month.
Yes Jessica!! Seriously so inspirational that you came out with over 150 recipes on your own! Like holy cow thats amazing!
You totally go girl and you deserve every bit of success and happiness in the whole world!
ps. have fun on the tour!
I ordered your book today and can’t wait! I always have a cookbook on a stand on the kitchen counter for inspiration. Guess what gets the “place of honor” next! Best wishes!
Got my pre-ordered book today, but no signed nameplate! Wahh – I’m disappointed! I submitted my proof of purchase to the email account you provided the day you posted it. What a bummer! :(
Very very excited for you, Jessica! I’m publishing with HMH too and can only imagine what it must feel like to finally have it all out there. Enjoy every moment! xox
I am so so so so so excited! My dear friend Steph and I will be the obnoxious girls meeting you in SF at the Ferry Building! Cheers!
So so many congratulations to you!!
My neighbors called to check on me this afternoon, wondering about all the commotion. It was only the jubilant celebration of opening Seriously Delish!
Love! It’s the only word I have for your cookbook. I couldn’t put it down this evening! Such a wonderful surprise to come home to!
I received this book yesterday and I absolutely love it! Ican’t wait to make the boyfriend the short rib hashbrowns, maybe after a special occasion. An occasion where we had those peanut butter brownies for dessert :) The tex mex section is, as predicted, stunning. And I am so making that grilled fruit salsa for my next girls’ night! All the recipes are so beautifully creative, I can’t wait to dive in and start playing with them. I wish I could buy you a drink and chat your ear off about each of these recipes! It was well worth the wait.
I just got back from a whirlwind trip back home filled with weddings, parties, events, etc and as soon as I got home and opened my computer I remembered: SERIOUSLY DELISH IS OUT!!!!!!! OMG OMG OMG! So instead of unpacking, cleaning, brushing my hair…I’m running out rightthissecond to get my grubby hands on a copy. You were the first food blog I even stumbled on five years ago and needless to say, totally revitalized my love of cooking/baking/making a mess in the kitchen. So I can’t wait to make every Seriously Delish recipe! Thank you for all of the love you put into this – and congratulations on this incredible time in your life!!! :)
I love Amazon Sunday delivery! This was the perfect thing to peruse on a rainy, lazy Sunday in DC. I’m trying to think if I can wait until November to get my book signed, or if I want to shuffle work to go to either the Baltimore or Richmond signing…
So far I’ve made the BBQ Roast chickpeas and the double-chocolate muffins. So awesome! I took your suggestion to heart and enjoyed a muffin yesterday and this morning with LF greek yogurt. Seriously delish :-) So glad that I pre-ordered your book!
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My copy is en-route to my home as I type this :-)
I just got your cookbook in the mail today and i LOVE IT- so much so I really wish I’d opened it prior to making dinner!
Jessica – I’ve been lurking around How Sweet for a year or so now, and I haven’t commented very much. But now I’m moved to tell you how beautiful your cookbook is. I sat down and flipped through it as soon as I got it in the mail, and just like so many of the recipes on the blog, it resonated really strongly with me. You’re an inspiration! :)
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Just wanted to follow up after I received my book on Tuesday…it’s WONDERFUL! There’s a million things I want to try and I know they will all be delicious! Thanks for an exciting new addition to my cookbook collection!
As I patiently waited for UPS to deliver my pre-ordered book, the doorbell rang and I jumped knowing it was the long awaited book. To my surprise there was a huge box (a hockey net no less) at my door step and no book. Ugh! I checked the address and saw one of my neighbours addresses on the huge box. I instantly went to the home and saw my book. I now have a new friend on my street who was thrilled to receive their hockey net and Seriously Delish!! The thought of tracking it down scared the daylights out of me.
Anyhooo…Great book! I love the narratives before each recipe and how I now feel I know my invisible friend a lot better.
Congrats!! I live to eat…and share the same philosophy of exercise and moderation. All the best. Judy
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I’m literally overjoyed for your happiness right now. It’s so awesome that you were able to accomplish something this awesome! I mean, you’re awesome, so it’s not surprising, but STILL! How many people get to live their dreams? It’s crazy. ♥
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Huge congratulations on your book!!!
Got mine on Sunday…yay, for Sunday shipments with Amazon! Already devoured it and made the Gouda, bacon , caramelized onion grilled cheese…to die for. Thanks for the new food inspiration :)
Congratulations!!! I want to reach through my computer screen and eat all of your recipes every time I look at your blog, so I have no doubt that your book will be amazing too!
when i got my book… it was already pretty late… so I stayed up and paged through with my book-light before I went to bed. its amazing. thanks again!
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I’m late to the party but congratulations on your book my dear! Thank-you for all of your passion, hard work and dedication!