And there it went, a year

It’s been a year. Or has it? Was it really a year ago when I scratched an idea on the back of a napkin, committed my kids to a far-fetched food challenge, and threw myself into the blogosphere? My WordPress dashboard says that it’s true, but I still have a hard time believing it.

While this blog started as pseudo experiment, it’s grown into something more. I’ve discovered a love of storytelling and its ability to convey through words and images my thoughts about two important subjects: food and family.

This blog has given me the opportunity to do so many things – to connect with people from around the world, to support local businesses, and to help nurture people’s interest in cooking at home.

It’s a fitting time to share some of my favorite moments from the past year. The moments that made me laugh out loud, the touching moments, the highs and the inevitable lows. So here they are, in no particular order. Although the first one really was the best.

1. I got a smiley face from Deepak Chopra.

2. We completed our 52-week challenge. Favorite phrases: “This tastes like garbage”, “my fruit smells like salami” and “I don’t want to lick the eyes.”

3. I landed on Google’s first page for search terms like “cukeasaurus” and “why birds won’t eat crumbs out of a bowl”.

4. My dog became my muse.

5. I got some wonderful spam: “I do not even know how I ended up here, however I assumed this post was good.
 I don’t understand who you are. However, definitely you’re going to
 become a famous blogger in case you aren’t already.
 Cheers!”

6. 1,721 legitimate comments were also made. In all fairness, half of those comments were mine in response to yours, but that’s still 800+ conversations, which is pretty awesome. So thank you.

7. I decided not to throw in the towel after a few pesky tech-related issues.

8. April Bloomfield read my post on burnt Scotch eggs, and said “they still look pretty good… Not runny but still looking delish!” (That is the mark of a very kind person, and I encourage you all to visit The Breslin and order the finest wine on the menu.)

9. I helped my good friend Lori start her kid-focused literacy blog Reading with Bean which, in case you’re not reading it yet, will make your kids smarter. This is a fact.

10.I found out that unicorn meat is sold on Amazon and I’m looking forward to using it in an upcoming recipe.

11. I got to write about chili, chili, and more chili without having some overbearing person, boss or otherwise, tell me “you can’t write about chili again”. Blog writing = unstructured freedom = bliss.

12. I was invited to grab drinks and to get my hair blown out with the stars of TNT’s New Reality Show, “Private Lives of Nashville Wives”. Aliens took over my body and politely declined, otherwise I definitely would have gone.

13. Although it was hard, I enjoyed spending a month eating a vegan diet.

14. I laughed every time I transcribed my kids’ conversations from our 52-week challenge. Given how much it’s helped my kids eat new foods, we’re doing another year. May the force be with us…

15. Jackson achieved some level of fame as the spokesmodel for Dinner A Love Story.

16. I made legitimate friendships with people online and know that if I ever get to meet Trisha…or Beth…or Ruthy in person, we’ll immediately hit it off.

17. I got to write about my love for food, and more important, my love for the people behind the food: I’m talking about you dear husband, my family, and the infamous Roby Randwell.

18. I discovered that I have a twin.

19. I was so touched that our family friend, ML, and my Mum, took the time to read and respond to nearly every one of my posts.

20. And now saving something pretty cool for last, Feed Me Dearly has just won a blog award from Jamie Oliver & The Food Revolution team. The details will go live on the Food Revolution site at the end of the month, so stay tuned…

A huge thanks to anyone who has taken the time to read Feed Me Dearly over the past year, whether you’ve read tens of posts or just this one. Life is busy, free time is hard to come by; the fact that you’ve spent time in your day – even just a few minutes – to read the stories that I’ve so enjoyed creating….it means the world.