Six years ago, when I first embarked on the Simply Scratch journey, the mere suggestion that I would one day be cooking live on television would have elicited an outright guffaw from me. The idea of me, under the scrutinizing eye of a camera, felt utterly preposterous and profoundly uncomfortable.
My aversion to being on camera stems from a rather mortifying incident during my senior year of high school. It seemed like a fantastic idea at the time to host the morning announcements alongside my friends. These were broadcast live, piped directly into every classroom’s television set. In my youthful arrogance as a “top-dog” senior, I mistakenly believed it would be a breeze. Oh, how wrong I was. I found it impossible to meet the camera’s gaze, instead focusing intently on the script in my hands or my own reflection on a monitor far to the left, inadvertently presenting the entire school with a perpetual side profile. The pinnacle of this awkwardness arrived when I was late, and my friends, in a moment of mischievous genius, had already assigned the coveted news segments, leaving me with the dreaded lunch menu. We all loathed reciting items like “beef sticks” or “fiestada” to the entire student body – pure cringe! For an added layer of torment, they had humorously substituted “mashed potatoes” with “smashed potatoes.” And so, I pronounced it, live on air, exactly as written. The ensuing humiliation was profound and memorable, cementing my deep-seated discomfort with cameras.
Ever since that fateful high school experience, I’ve carried this persistent unease whenever faced with a camera. While I was a shy, insecure seventeen-year-old back then, traces of that feeling, that slight trepidation, still linger to this day.
So, when the possibility of making television appearances to promote my cookbook was first mentioned, the gravity of it truly didn’t register. It felt like a distant, hypothetical concept. That is, until the email arrived from Anne, one of my truly fantastic PR representatives, confirming that my local news station, Fox2 Detroit, was interested in featuring me. A wave of intense fear and electrifying excitement instantly washed over me. I knew, intellectually, that this day would come sooner or later, but the reality of it hitting suddenly was incredibly daunting.
The chosen theme for my debut segment was “football food.” This was something I could absolutely embrace and excel at! Anne suggested showcasing this incredible Game Day Sloppy Joe recipe from my collection. My immediate reaction was, “That’s utterly perfect!” With the recipe decided, the date was set: October 2nd, on the morning show. The realization settled in: “Holy crap, this is really happening!”
As the two weeks leading up to the broadcast melted away into just one, my appetite completely vanished. It was replaced by an unrelenting ball of anxiety that seemed to consume me from the inside out; I even lost six pounds. The nervousness was overwhelming, punctuated by a litany of “what ifs.” What if I succumbed to that dreadful nervous laugh I tend to produce when uncomfortable? What if I accidentally splattered sloppy joe sauce across the pristine studio counter? What if I suffered from verbal diarrhea, rambling incoherently, or, even worse, froze completely, standing there looking utterly lost and terrified? And, perhaps most pressing in the immediate moment, what on earth was I going to wear for my live television debut? These incessant worries monopolized my thoughts, frequently jolting me awake in the dead of night. It was incredibly frustrating because I desperately wanted to quell this debilitating nervousness and simply focus on the exciting opportunity ahead.
Following the wise counsel of my PR team, Anne and Ally, I attempted to prepare by having my daughters pretend to interview me while I cooked and talked my way through the recipe. It provided some much-needed comic relief, particularly when I accidentally pronounced “beef” as “bee-ce” and when Malloree spontaneously broke into a dance, thinking I wasn’t looking. Despite these humorous attempts at rehearsal, by the night before the live segment, I found myself in an even worse state of nerves than ever before, the anxiety now a palpable weight.
Somehow, I managed to snatch a few hours of fitful sleep. When Friday dawned, my alarm blared at an ungodly 4:30 AM. I showered, meticulously applied my makeup, curled my hair, and donned my carefully selected “fancy” clothes – because, clearly, joggers and a hoodie are not suitable attire for a television appearance. With hugs and a chorus of “good lucks” from Pat and the girls, I was out the door, facing an hour and fifteen-minute drive. I cranked up the music, singing along loudly, desperately trying to distract myself from the looming broadcast. It was, of course, an impossible feat.
Upon my arrival at Fox2 Detroit, I was greeted by the most incredibly kind security guard, followed by Al, the planning editor, who was equally wonderful. After some pleasant conversation, I was escorted to the green room. It was in this small, quiet space that I decided to momentarily distract myself from the escalating nerves by sharing snippets of my morning on Snapchat (laurie.mcnamara). And it was also in this room, much to my chagrin, that I made the mortifying discovery that my antiperspirant had utterly failed me. The embarrassment was instant and palpable!
I couldn’t resist sending a playful snap to Pat, my husband, informing him that I’d spotted one of the anchors in the hall. It sounds cheesy, but to me, these local news personalities are like mini-celebrities, and seeing them up close added to the surreal excitement of the morning.
After about thirty minutes of waiting, I was finally escorted to the studio kitchen where I could begin setting up my ingredients and equipment. Scotty, the no-nonsense but incredibly efficient stagehand, was an absolute godsend. He meticulously arranged the food just so, ensuring every element was visually perfect for the camera. His exceptional work with the garnishes was truly impressive – you’ll definitely notice it when you watch the segment.
Next, the mic technician (whose name, unfortunately, I didn’t catch!) arrived to help me clip on the microphone and its accompanying battery pack. I tried to inject a bit of humor into the situation, joking about whether the mic would pick up the rumblings of my empty stomach. Even at this stage, with everything happening around me, the entire experience felt incredibly surreal, almost dreamlike.
With the food perfectly arranged and ready for its close-up, I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Amy Andrews, who would be my co-host during the segment. In that very moment, a remarkable transformation occurred: all my earlier nerves completely dissipated, replaced by a surge of pure adrenaline. I felt entirely prepared, bursting with a “bring it on!” attitude. The only way I could truly settle my heightened energy was to chat with every single person who passed by, encouraging them to return after the segment for some extra sloppy joes, which I had brought specifically to share.
And then, precisely at 9:45 AM, I was live on Channel 2, enthusiastically talking about and demonstrating how to make my beloved Lunch Lady Sloppy Joes. It was an absolute blast! The cameras, which had initially felt so intimidating, completely dissolved into the background. I simply did my thing, utterly forgetting that I was on live television. It was, without a doubt, the fastest five minutes of my life, and I honestly cherished every single moment of it.
After the segment concluded, news anchors, stagehands, and other station personnel swung by, grabbing plates of the sloppy joes and offering incredibly encouraging feedback, telling me what a fantastic job I had done. Al, the planning editor, even asked me to come back for another appearance! I gave him an instantaneous “OKAY!” Everyone I met at the station was so genuinely nice and friendly, making the entire experience not just manageable, but an absolute blast.
Afterward, I found myself riding an indescribably strange kind of high. Partially because, well, hello? I had just been on live television! But also, and perhaps more significantly, because I felt comfortable, I had successfully conquered a deep-seated fear, and I was even asked to return! My phone was buzzing relentlessly with texts from the handful of family and friends who knew about my appearance, and even from some who just happened to be watching. Their support meant the world to me, so a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you who tuned in to watch (you know who you are!) – I truly am such a lucky girl. The entire event was an incredible, transformative experience, one that I will absolutely never forget. As you can see, I was so excited I even put an extra space in “was.” Goodness gracious.
Upon arriving home, the first thing I did was let our dog, Seamus, out into the yard. I then quickly changed into my most comfortable jeans and a cozy thermal top, preparing to make myself something to eat after the morning’s whirlwind. It was then that my eyes caught sight of the most exquisite bunch of roses and a sweet note from Pat, sitting prominently on our kitchen table. He had stayed home to watch my television debut, then headed north for the opening weekend of bow season, as we had discussed and agreed upon. This was perfectly fine with me; what truly mattered was the profound gesture of him staying home, ensuring the girls got on the bus, and sacrificing a morning hunt just to watch me. Honestly, his absence upon my return meant little compared to that. We have that kind of understanding. However, I absolutely did not anticipate the roses, so, quite naturally, I immediately burst into tears.
I snapped a quick photo to send to my girls, letting them know I had done it, and more importantly, survived. When they finally came home from school, we watched the segment together, and they showered me with hugs. I’m so accustomed to feeling immense pride for *them* that experiencing their pride in *me* was an utterly amazing and incredibly cool sensation. They truly are pretty darn cool kids.
Soon after, life, as I knew it, seamlessly resumed. I took Haileigh to meet up with her friends at a lively fall festival, and Malloree and I embarked on a quick trip to Target. In the parking lot, we were treated to one of the most breathtaking sunsets I’ve ever witnessed – I even captured a short video of it (the one linked above!).
At the end of this whirlwind experience, I am left with a profound sense of pride, exhilaration, and an eagerness for what future opportunities may hold. My first live TV cooking appearance wasn’t nearly as terrifying as I had imagined, and I am absolutely certain that I will be doing it again. I promise to keep all of you updated on my next culinary adventures! For now, here’s the video of the segment! And for those who are inspired to whip up these extra sloppy “j’s” for your next football Sunday, here’s the link to the full recipe.
As always, thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to read about my journey!
xo-
Laurie