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a bittersweet good-bye

May 30th, 2014 | 12 Comments »

The blog turns 8 years old this year. And it’s finally come to pass that my time is this space is over.

Actually, it was probably over 2-3 years ago. It was around this time that the traffic died off pretty drastically, but the faithful still kept stopping by to visit. My goal, as it has always been, is to be authentic and real in this space, to not doctor up the reality of my foods, to not dress them in excessive plating or backdrops or props that mean nothing to what I’m eating, but to just make honest, real food and take a photo or two of how it looks in my kitchen, right at that moment.

And that, apparently, is not what people want to see. No one wants real. So many food blogs now just look like online magazines, and many that you see all look the same- the same type of props, the same food styling, commercialized posts that sound trite and phony, sidebars so clogged with badges and icons that it’s almost impossible to find the actual content. Food blogging has become big bucks business, and you’re not in the game if you don’t play by the rules.  The moment I realized there were rules to food blogging {which seems so utterly ridiculous that I can barely type it}, I should have been signing off once and for all.

Thankfully there is a whole new aspect to food blogging that is quietly turning the tide on the old ways, blogs that are stunningly gorgeous, yet simply done, with evocative photography and incredible, fresh, wholesome foods.
I so love this new wave of blogging. This is something I can happily get behind.

Here’s the thing: I do not begrudge for one moment those bloggers who fuss and primp and tidy their photos to be museum-worthy, who follow the rules, fuss over SEO, stats and where they rank on Google, those who’ve made it a business that makes them an enviable income. I am in awe of them, for the most part. But that’s not me. It’s not my style to pretend this space is anything but a window in to my kitchen and the foods I like to eat. It’s not a gasp producing photo that I want to share with you, nor a rightly worded document designed to lift some random number. I’ve never wanted to be a commercial for anyone, to display ‘Brand Ambassador’ badges, to shill for someone who pays me money.

I’ve done it, yes; but it’s always just felt wrong.

What I’ve wanted is to share my life in the kitchen with those interested in listening. But when it’s clear that no one is listening any longer, it becomes so much harder to think about what to say.

And what I was doing was spending all my free time trying to create something blog-worthy, something that wasn’t found on a thousand other sites, a unique and fresh approach to the sustenance we all need, a story to resonate deep within us, and I was not excelling at any of it, least of all, my increasing need to just be present and enjoy my life, my friends, the foods I love and the people I share it with, without photos, without capture of a single forkful, without thinking ‘This should go on the blog’.

In fact, it’s been a long time since I’ve been moved to write about the food I’m eating,
and that right there is all the motivation I need to be done.

And this space of mine has really served me well. I’ve learned so much from these past 8 years, from the people I’ve met, the friends I’ve made, near and far all over the globe. I look through the Recipe Index and see where it’s taken me, and often, it’s been far ahead of anyone else, charging out there and trying new foods, new methods, always seeking out something different to share. I’ve never been afraid to put myself out there, to show everyone what worked, and what didn’t. I’ve never shied away from an opinion, good or bad. Over time, and changes to the site, I’ve deleted aspects of this space that stopped being productive and concentrated on the food, the stories that go along with it and the way it’s made me feel.

That interest will never change, the desire to capture the words within our food. But in this space, it’s done.

There will be another space, another site for me to explore a wider aspect of myself, for writing {lots of writing} and sharing photos of my life, maybe a recipe or two, but a space that isn’t limited by only one part of the whole of who I am.

To all of you, I have only a few words I really want to say:

Thank you. Thank you so, so very much.

For listening, for sharing my recipes with others, for coming alongside this journey, however long you’ve been hanging around.
I’ve so appreciated your company.

If you haven’t already, come alongside me on Instagram, Twitter {{new Twitter name!!}}, Facebook and Pinterest.
If you know me, you know that I have a lot to say and share.