FFF: Delicious Dishings

It’s Friday! Not only is it #FollowFriday on Twitter (which I am a huge nerd and love!), but I have a half day at work and am heading down to New Jersey to see my family and then to Delaware for a Venge Wine Dinner at the home of Chef Robin White. You may remember that it was Chef Robin who introduced me to Venge wines and the great people at Venge on my birthday. Robin and I met in person earlier this summer, and I have been excited about the possibility of the Venge Wine Dinner since. I can’t believe it is happening this weekend! I also have some reading to do for my wine class and am hoping to get lots of sleep. I have a sudden new cough and sore throat.

NEXT weekend, I have some Boston blogger fun planned, and one of the fantastic foodies I am spending the weekend with is one of my favorite bloggers and someone I am happy to call a friend, Megan from Delicious Dishings. In addition to being a great writer, she is the baker we all want to be and consistently has beautiful recipes and photos. Whether you live in Boston or not, you will definitely find something to love about her blog, so check it out this weekend!

I couldn’t resist reposting this photo from our heirloom tomato dinner at Upstairs on the Square 🙂

How long have you been blogging?
October will be the 3-year anniversary of Delicious Dishings. I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for this long, and I’m really impressed at how far my little blog has come. When I first started, I had no idea what I was doing, and my first posts are very evident of that. Over time, as I read more blogs, got better at taking pictures, gained more focus, and put in more effort, I’ve managed to really improve Delicious Dishings.

What is your favorite thing about blogging?
My absolute favorite thing about blogging is the friends I have made and the communities I have become a part of. It’s so fun to go out to dinner and attend events with people who are just as into and excited about food as I am. I’ve gotten to know a core group of bloggers, Meghan included, really well, and I’m so happy that we can all get together as friends now, not merely blogging acquaintances.

Least favorite?
Sometimes blogging can be disappointing. Maybe a picture of an amazing dessert doesn’t come out quite the way I wanted, or maybe I get writer’s block and can’t find the perfect words to describe something. It can also be frustrating managing a blog. It takes a ton of time and effort, and I’d love to write about every meal and every recipe, but I just run out of time.

What has been your most fun blog post to write?
Recently, I had a lot of fun writing about monkey bread. I actually wrote half of the post while the bread was proofing and baking because I was so excited to tell everyone about it. And my boyfriend and I got a little silly taking pictures of a little stuffed monkey checking out the bread.

Where do you see your blog this time next year?
I hope that in the next year, I either teach myself a lot more about Web design and hosting or I find someone to revamp my blog. I’d love a new look and an easier format to work with. I also started a recipe index, and I’d like to get all of my recipes in there and improve the usability of it for my readers. I don’t think my focus (or lack thereof — since I’m pretty much all over the board when it comes to food) will change all that much.

Is there anything else about your blogging experience you would like to share?
Blogging has opened my eyes to so much over the years. I’ve learned more about local food and farmers’ markets. I’ve shared ideas and recipes with people and learned so much from other bloggers. I was even able to use my blog as a way to preserve and share the time I spent working at a bakery this past year. I’ve actually gotten emails from readers who were inspired by my experience and wanted to know more about it, and that’s actually really rewarding in itself. I love baking, cooking, and writing, and blogging has been an amazing way to share those passions with others.
A big thank you to Meghan for featuring my blog this week!

I am seeking foodies to feature for upcoming posts! Email me at traveleatlove @ gmail.com if you would like to be featured!