Happy Anniversary To Me – & A Big ‘Thank You’ To You!

img_2202Today, we are 1.

I’ve just received a message from WordPress, it seems it’s a whole year since I registered and tentatively, nervously began blogging. I had no idea what I was doing or if I was doing the right thing. It had been suggested a couple of times some time before that I write a blog, but I couldn’t imagine what I would have to say that was of any interest to anyone else.

Two things changed. I had been contributing recipes to The Raw Chocolate Company  blog for a few months when my son suggested I set up my own blog and I had also completed a couple of courses in raw nutrition and naturopathic nutrition. Now I felt I had something to say! I hoped I could pass on the knowledge and experience I had gained through decades of researching food and health. So many people are struggling with lifestyle health issues, perhaps I could help in some small way?

I have always needed to write, even if it was just a letter or a journal entry. I loved the old days of Compuserve where I was a regular contributor and in some instances Section Leader of various forums. I loved writing amusing anecdotes about our family as well as helping people with problems of one sort or another. Perhaps a blog could be an amalgamation of all that.

When I first wrote my About page, I was focused on juicing and raw food, providing health and nutrition advice, answering readers’ questions and so on. I categorically stated this wasn’t going to be a food blog as such and I wouldn’t be posting recipes other than juices!

Well, who knew!! Here I am a whole year later, and my blog is chock full of recipes! I quickly found they were the posts that garnered most views – people are obsessed with food photos, just take a glance at Instagram! – and I tried a different tack of including the health and nutritional information within these posts.

Therein lies the dilemma for many new bloggers: do I write what I want to write about or do I provide the content people want to read?

I also didn’t intend including any personal information – it took some time for me to pluck up the courage to even include a profile pic – however, after some months I was itching to return to family anecdotes, I really enjoy writing those, but I have to ration them and reign myself in because in the olden days of Compuserve, my family were either too young, too old or just not interested in forums so I was quite safe in the knowledge that no-one would ever read them. It’s all very different now! Every time I take a photo I hear a moan: Oh no, it’s not going on your blog is it?!

Today, twelve months down the line blogging takes up most of my thinking and writing time. I’ve also expanded to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook too, I am slowly taking over the world. You can’t get away fom me!

imageI want to say a big ‘thank you‘ to you all for giving me a reason to  do this, for all your kind comments and encouragement, with a particular thank you to those of you who have been here since the beginning when it was all a bit clunky and earnest at times.

Here’s your opportunity to give some feedback and let me know if there’s anything in particular you want me to include or you want to ask me about. Any constructive criticism? Do I post too often, for instance? Are the topics too diverse or too similar? Too many smoothies?

I realised recently that I tend to assume people know what certain items and terms are, so if there is ever anything I mention that you don’t understand, please ask me to explain.

I thought it might be fun to revisit one of my earliest posts: Pears But No More Parsnips: In Which I Confront My Parsnip Phobia! It explains in a light-hearted manner the origins of my blog title. It might give you smile.

Enjoy the video!

Copyright: Chris McGowan

44 thoughts on “Happy Anniversary To Me – & A Big ‘Thank You’ To You!”

  2. Am happy to have met you here Chris. It’s not easy to be healthy and to eat and drink healthy. You are pure legend in that aspect. Great blog and good friends. Let it grow more and more. All the best my dear for another successful year. 👍🏼👌🏼

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. I love the song , have a turnip and sweed phobia … *idea* we could be seperated siblings! Naah I’ve three sisters a half sister and half brother and their sis calls me sis on loan so I have probably got enough. Love your blog even if I can’t partake in many of your recipe’s (anaphylaxis ) they always look good.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Haha love it! I don’t have any sisters, mind you I was happy with brothers as I always got my own room!
      Most of the recipes that contain nuts can have substitutions eg tiger nuts are tubers and make wonderful milk plus the leftover pulp can be used in many raw treats, burgers, smoothies etc. They are very nutritious (they even have their own Page on my blog!) Or you can use seeds – hemp seeds, golden linseeds, sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Don’t be put off if there are nuts involved 😊

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Bless you It isn’t nuts I can eat all nuts and seeds. It is Latex which is from a tree a protein… which means it is the same allergen as many fruits. Weird but hey 😯😕no… Bananas, plums, cherries, Advocado, mangos, raisin, sultana, currants, pineapple and more… a pain in the Arse but I am here. 😇

        Like

      2. Oh no, I had no idea, I just thoughht latex meant rubber. Ok, tell me your favourite fruits and veggies and I’ll see if I can come up with a tasty smoothie. Are you ok with grains/gluten? 😊

        Like

      3. Raspberries strawberries black and logan berries, melon except water melon 😱 figure that one. Oranges, Apples lemon lime cranberry and blueberry i think they are good cor now. All veg except i dislike squash turnip sweed and broadbeans. But really I know how much cooks hate me coming to eat, i just look until I find something i can eat. 😇

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Ok I think I already have one with berries, let me scour the blog and if not I will create one! Give me a couple of days, family visit this weekend, but I will get back back to you 😊

        Liked by 1 person

      6. How about papaya? There are several smoothies in the Super Smoothies page where plum can be substituted with red grapes or purple berries and in some you could miss out the banana or use papaya. Beloeve me I know about being hard to cook for: vegan glutenfree refined-sugar-free raw foodie juicer right here!😄

        Like

      9. Right, how does this sound: frozen blackberries, apple, açaì powder (I looked it up and it said there were no reported latex allergies but obviously this could be omitted, it’s just good with blackberries and is a superfood), hemp seeds, cashew nuts, almond milk and if you like a little sweetness are dates ok? Just had it without te date and I loved it! But I like slightly tart foods. Let me know what you think and I’ll publish a proper post about latex allergy along woth the recipe.

        Liked by 1 person

      10. I love dates I’d have to get hospital to check acai as I have never had it… you sort of get scared of trying things you were not tested for. You are super lady thank you i can’t wait to try it. Thank you.

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment