May Day

Strawberry cake, Mini-Muffins, Spritz recipe with a crazy ingredient from your yard, Mothers Day gfft ideas, and two movie recommendations

Happy Spring, almost the first day of May, and Pre-Mothers Day in this newsletter, I’ll give you some gift ideas and add some recipes for the week to celebrate your Mother's Day, but first…

Can we talk about paid Subscriptions? If you are like me, you are feeling pinched in your pocketbook. Groceries are more expensive, and a beer in a restaurant is $12, which pushes cocktails up to $15-18. Even my Taco Bell order is approaching $10 - gone are the days of the $1 menu, and don’t even get me started on the price of eggs.

Charging for “subscriptions” for my recipe and cookbook work is a weird business model. I hate having to put things behind paywalls to “entice” people to click through and upgrade their subscription. To do my work, I have to ask my loyal readers and followers to pay me for it. It’s hard. I don’t like it. I don't like asking for help, and doing it multiple times a week can get to be a lot for me, and I would guess for you. It feels like what it must feel like working for DOGE where you send a weekly email highlighting what you did that week to justify your job/salary.

I am on TV. I am on the radio and have been every Saturday for 17 years. I am publishing my second book - I make videos on YouTube. It all is going great -yet… I am a freelance creator. I probably look like I do this all for fun, but my husband can tell you - I work more than anyone he knows : O and when your hobby becomes your work its’s hard to draw the line on when you have produced enough work.

There is financial uncertainty in everything I do.

With a cookbook, you page through and decide if it’s worth your $35 and add it to your cart. With the words, ideas, and time spent on this newsletter, it’s another decision. Do you like receiving these words in your inbox? Is it handy having all my show clips, recipes, podcasts, and ideas in one place? Do you get delighted when I land in your inbox? Do I have any suggestions or recommendations that you find helpful?

Are there other models I should be using?

• Pay To Play Cooking Classes

• Should I have a “Tip” box and you can tip if you love the meal/recipe?

• Should I make everything behind a paywall? My audience would be much smaller but dedicated, and I could stop asking for handouts every week.

• Should I make everything “Free” and ask for contributions like Public Radio? Heck, maybe I should have a pledge week.

If you decide to upgrade, here is a link to do so at 20% or savings of $12 - It’s like I paid for your next Beer so Cheers 🍻 and… If you need a hand and want a free subscription, email me - no questions asked :)

Now with the newsletter, but do comment, send me your ideas, or wave your hand here? OK? OK! - onto the newsletter