It’s been a week since I returned from Texas and I already miss the wonderful people I had the chance to meet and work with. To relive the experience, here are photos and a recap of my Frito Lay Flavor Kitchen webisode adventure.

The invitation came through Time, Inc., the publisher behind magazines like Real Simple, Southern Living and Cooking Light. One of their clients, Frito Lay, was producing a webisode and video to highlight Frito Lay’s All Natural Potato Chips and the Frito Lay Flavor Kitchen Cooking Series. I was honored to be one of three bloggers invited to participate.

The producers were looking for food-focused bloggers who are also busy moms. Along with me were Michelle of The Domestic Mama and Leslie of The Hungry Housewife — two experienced food bloggers and mothers. We immediately clicked. Our shared passion for food and the challenges of parenting made the shoot feel relaxed and natural, on camera and off.

The shoot took place in Plano, Texas, at Frito Lay’s headquarters. The Flavor Kitchen is an impressive space: stainless steel surfaces, well-organized workstations and enough equipment for dozens of chefs to work simultaneously. It’s a professional culinary research and development kitchen where flavors for Frito Lay snacks are conceived, tested and refined.

The kitchen includes a cooking library, a large pantry stocked with spices and essentials, outdoor planters with fresh herbs and an array of specialty appliances — pasta sheeters, sous vide equipment, cryovac machines and more. For anyone who loves kitchen gadgets, it’s a dream workspace.

Getting Ready: Wardrobe, Hair and Makeup

Our day began at 8:00 a.m. in the Flavor Kitchen. Wardrobe was chosen from a few items we had brought, then we rotated through hair and makeup. It was a treat to be pampered and to have professionals prepare us for camera work. After makeup, we were fitted with microphones and briefed on the shooting schedule.

Shooting Introductions and the Webisode

Each of us recorded short and long introductions about ourselves, our blogs and the Flavor Kitchen. Being last to record allowed me to review the suggested script and make small edits so the delivery felt like me. Our director encouraged retakes until the performance felt natural — in my case I wrapped both introductions in fewer than seven takes.

After introductions, we filmed the webisode with Chef Stephen Kalil. Chef Stephen is Frito Lay’s Corporate Executive Research Chef at the Culinary Innovation Center and collaborates with research and development chefs to develop new snack flavors. His background blends culinary technique with food science, an approach often called Culinology. Meeting and working with him was a highlight; his experience and enthusiasm are inspiring.

The Set and the Process

The set was professional and well-staffed. I didn’t take many action shots during filming, but the final webisode and related videos will be available on Frito Lay’s official channels and on Time, Inc.’s magazine sites and social channels. The finished pieces will show more of our hands-on work with Chef Stephen and the Flavor Kitchen team.

Gratitude and What’s Next

Overall, the experience was fantastic — from meeting the creative teams to learning about product development and filming a webisode for a well-known food company. I want to thank the teams at Time, Inc. and Frito Lay, our director and my fellow bloggers for making this such a memorable day. Special thanks to Don Stuckle, Melinda Russel, Julie Christeas, Jennifer Zawadzinski, Stella Araya-Weil, Dawn Bar, crew members Matt, Pete and Colin; Frito Lay’s Christine Allen and Chef Stephen Kalil; our director Thom Higgins; and my fellow bloggers Michelle and Leslie.

Stay tuned: the finished webisode is expected to be available around April 15th. I’ll post the final video when it goes live. That’s a wrap!