Kate Wood has revealed her highly anticipated new cookbook and devotional, “Her Daily Bread,” which consists of a year’s worth of daily readings and weekly recipes designed to feed your body and soul.

The self-taught baker, writer and photographer has always had a fascination with food. Wood has experienced some of her most heart-filling moments around the table with people she loves.

“I grew up with fond memories of meals spent with family,” she said. “It wasn’t until later that I realized the many ways food and community nourish the deepest parts of us.”

Alabama author Kate Wood talks about her new cookbook and devotional, “Her Daily Bread” from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

By the time Wood enrolled in college, her desire to learn more about food had grown significantly. She decided to major in nutrition at Samford University and began to broaden her horizon through writing for the school’s newspaper, among other extracurricular activities.

Kate Wood built a following on her Wood and Spoon blog and is releasing a new cookbook and devotional titled “Her Daily Bread.” (Brittany Dunn / Alabama NewsCenter)

“Studying the health benefits of food and exploring my passion for writing meant so much to me,” Wood said. “I saw how food kept our bodies healthy and all the amazing things it could do for us. Combining those two interests felt like a seamless fit.”

Wood also received a graduate degree in clinical nutrition from University of Alabama at Birmingham.

“It wasn’t until later, after working as a dietitian for years, that I started my food blog,” she said.

Day by day, Wood began writing and testing recipes. She also experimented with photography and different writing styles.

“At first, my website was nothing more than a creative outlet,” she said. “I had no idea that my hobby would evolve like it did.”

In February 2017, her baking site, Wood and Spoon blog, won the prestigious Saveur Blog Award.

“Winning that award was really exciting,” she said. “That recognition, plus a whole lot of encouragement from friends and family, nudged me to make the jump into blogging full-time. Over the next couple of years, I expanded the blog through relationships and partnerships with amazing brands.”

Wood’s recipes from Wood and Spoon appear frequently on Alabama NewsCenter.

When things began to slow down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wood took a step back from her blog to spend time working on her lifelong dream of becoming a published author. The idea for a devotional with recipes came from recognizing just how starved she was for a deeper connection with others, herself and God. She knew there were parts of her heart that needed to be fed in a more meaningful way.

Kate Wood shows how to make Peppermint Brownie Cookies from her cookbook “Her Daily Bread” from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

“My faith has long been an important part of my life,” she said. “I realized that with the demands of my life as a wife, mother and woman, I needed to be taking care of my heart, too. God feeds my heart and uses the people and circumstances in my life to grow and sustain me in so many unique ways, and I wanted to use the devotional as a means of exploring how all of those different areas of our lives make life more rich and flavorful.”

Wood wants everyone who spends time reading her book to walk away encouraged in the everyday parts of their lives. She hopes each reader will not just engage their hearts but get in the kitchen and do something fulfilling and enjoyable.

Award-winning recipe blogger Kate Wood of Wood and Spoon releases her new cookbook and devotional Dec. 14. (contributed)

“Her Daily Bread” features recipes, personal stories, memories, reflections and daily scriptures. It includes a day of rest with a recipe every seventh day.

“You will have fed your heart for six days, so now let’s feed your belly something delicious,” she said. “The 52 recipes are not all baked goods, unlike my website that is very dessert-heavy. You will get a variety of flavors that I grew up with, as well as recipe contributions from friends and family.  This book is truly a snapshot of my kitchen and my heart.”

The new cookbook will debut Tuesday, Dec. 14, by HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

“Her Daily Bread” is available to pre-order from amazon.com, Barnes&Noble and Bookshop.

Kate’s work has been featured in Southern Living, Taste of Home, Bake from Scratch, Food & Wine, Taste of the South, BuzzFeed, Martha Stewart and others.

The cookbook shares family recipes including:

• Mom’s Homemade Bread
• Two-bite crab cakes with lemon dill aioli
• Cheddar cornmeal chicken pot pie
• Simple Pesto Risotto
• Weekday red velvet cake
• Birthday sprinkle pancakes
• Fluffernutter pretzel pie

Kate Wood lives in Selma with her husband and three children.

Visit the website to learn more about Kate Wood or follow along on Facebook and Instagram.