My Writing Process Blog Tour

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I was both excited and flattered when Cheri from My Savory Spoon asked me to join the Writing Process Blog Tour. It is a fun exercise where a blogger answer four questions about their writing process and then nominates 3 other bloggers to join the tour.

I really enjoy Cheri`s blog because she pays such close attention to her ingredients, the combinations and the final results of her recipes. I get cravings when I look at her recipes and it seems she and I share the same taste buds. Fabulous foods abound on her site and Cheri recently made a Grilled Mesquite Salmon with Grilled Zucchini and Green Onion with Lemon and Walnuts. This is a must-see! Having a blog can be quite fun, especially as you get to write about whatever you want! If starting a blog has been something you’ve always wanted to do, but are not sure how to go about it, checking out sites like sitebeginner.com could be a good place to start, as without a website host, no one will be able to see your content. If you want a bit more control over your blog, you could try using a web hosting provider similar to hostiserver .

Lately she`s also been showing us around Oregon and all of it’s beautiful forests, ocean and wildlife. It is so much like BC that it is no wonder I`ve come to enjoy my visits so much.

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Ok, let`s see….

This is the part where I answer the questions.

What am I working on?

I always have a variety of future projects in my head but one recurring theme through my blog is to create healthy recipes from traditional favourites. I love it when people discover that a vegetarian lasagna using rice pasta can be even tastier than the traditional meaty one – it’s true – honest! Or how about a pizza with shrimp, asparagus, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms with NO pizza sauce Delicious! Trust me!

In September I’m going to start a virtual global tour of food and great recipes. I want to find my inspiration from popular dishes all over the world and transform them into a North American dish that is still fresh, easy and quick. Of course, it won’t taste exactly like the original but that is how a new recipe is born. So often I want to try a dish that is out of my usual realm but I’m reluctant to purchase a lot of spices that I won’t likely use again. We`ll see how that goes, ha!

I’m always working on my photography and have big dreams about getting much better. I enjoy the process of learning and especially sharing my progress with fellow bloggers who are doing the same.

How does my work differ from others of it’s genre?

I started out wanting to create quick, easy, healthy, fresh recipes and I’ve stayed pretty true to course. When I began the blog there were not nearly as many healthy-eating blogs as there are now and finding a simple, fresh recipe that you could cook in under 30 minutes was a real challenge. I was also determined to keep the cost of the dishes at a reasonable price which everyone knows is a tough thing to do these days no matter what types of food you are buying but I will persist because it`s worth it. I also want to demonstrate that your meal can be cooked and on the table in a shorter period of time than it takes you to drive to a restaurant and order. Can’t beat that. Honestly, every time I eat out all I can think about is how I could be eating better and cheaper at home. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a good restaurant but they’re not so easy to find these days.

I started up my tidbits posts again and they are so much fun. Featuring another blogger each week is a great way to introduce my readers to others’ inspirations and I love getting to know fellow foodies. There is so much talent out there and I get to discover someone new each week along with you. The other little tidbits are just for fun and you seem to enjoy them so I`ll keep doing it until you tell me to stop. They are designed to simply put a smile on your face.

Why do I write what I do?

Simple answer – I`m super passionate about food and the importance of clean eating.

Long answer – I started writing this blog 3 years ago as a way to keep my collection of recipes in one place. I had been through a health scare and wanted to improve my eating. Now I write because I love discovering what I can create in the kitchen and behind the camera. I’m particularly passionate about creating a narrative about the food I’m writing about, as this guide to the power of story telling highlights. The blogging community is so generous with their own inspiration and supportive comments and it`s a real pleasure to learn and participate.

How does your writing process work?

Mostly I choose recipes according to my cravings that week. I often make notes about what ingredients I`d like to see on my kitchen table and then brainstorm about the kinds of recipes in which they can be used. Sometimes it can start off with something as simple as spring onions. Very often I have to stop myself from creating yet another recipe with tomatoes and shrimp, ha! It’s important to me to always include fresh herbs – they MAKE the meal, in my opinion.

The only part I don’t enjoy is writing up the final recipe. I am usually making messy notes in the kitchen about exact measurements as I taste along the way and by the time I sit down to my desk to type, I’m looking at scrap pieces of paper with fingerprints and it’s hard to decipher or remember what I wrote!

The photography is the big part at the moment because I’m still on a steep learning curve so that is the challenge. Once the dish is made (and hopefully is tasteworthy), and pics are edited, I just sit at my laptop and start typing. That part of it has never been difficult for me. I just imagine that I am talking to the readers, many of whom have become wonderful friends. I am no chef, just an experimenter so I feel no pressure to be correct about everything – it’s all a very enjoyable process that I love to share with others.

I`m surprised after 3 years that I feel even more passionate about food than when I started. And now it`s so much more. I`m very grateful to be a part of a thriving community of fun, friendly bloggers and fabulous foodies.

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And that’s me, folks, in a nutshell. It’s my turn now to nominate some of my favourite bloggers.

Cindy from Pick Fresh Foods is a blogger I’ve just recently met and I’m thrilled to find her blog because she has great nutrition information along with healthy recipes. She has a degree in Nutrition and Foods and there is much to learn on her beautiful site. She explains the ‘why’ in healthy foods along with yummy dishes for clean eating. I know you’ll love her blog and she will be featured in an upcoming Tuesday Tidbits.

Linda of Life and Linda has become a very special friend over the last year. She writes about food, design, table settings, gardening, her home, her grandkids, her dancing….*grabs a breath* and so much more that her busy life entails. I call her Wonder Woman because she does it all. Linda has a great sense of style along with a bubbly personality and visiting her blog is always a special treat.

Please take the time to visit these two wonderful ladies – you’ll love the trip.