It appears it is approximately birthday time for my blog. I can only guarantee it is ‘approximately’ because I have no idea exactly when I started writing.
I can already hear some of you saying, “Well just go through your archives and look at the timestamp on the first post, dummy!” It should be that easy. But, the problem is, I was so keen to start writing, that in the the couple of days leading up to the blog going online, I wrote about ten posts in one go and then just spaced them out over the May archive.
Yes, I am THAT sad.
So, actually, it was sometime in the first week of June 2006 that Living to Eat was really born, and it wasn’t called ‘Living to Eat.’ it was just ‘Roshani’s Food Blog’ until I finally thought of an original title. Now, after a whole year, it is very strange looking back at my first few months of posting. I had the worst camera in the world and a very dark kitchen. The site was obviously left battered and bruised after the horrible hard drive crash in September. Also the fact that Goon insists on moving the site between servers every few months has taken its toll in the form of other random bugs.*
I find it interesting how only one of those three blogs I listed in my first post is still on my reading list. My blogging tastes have clearly changed a lot!
But the strangest thing for me is how the purpose of this blog has completely changed over this year. At first I didn’t particularly want anyone to be reading this. It was more a place for me to log my cooking experiences and recipes and to monitor how my cooking skills were developing. The fact that other people could look in and share was just a bonus. It was Goon that encouraged me to leave my website address on various forums and websites to actively invite people to look. Now this website is, for want of a better phrase, reader-focused and careful documentation of recipes has gone completely out of the window.
And so, even though the blog didn’t turn out quite how I expected, even though I started it the most stupid time possible (at the beginning of my write up year), and even though the site is battered, bruised and bugged from various technical hitches**, I am very happy with the way things have developed here. The blog has meant that I’ve been on the telly, been asked to contribute to a magazine and, most importantly, made some wonderful friends from whom I’ve learned more than I ever expected.
So I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the other food bloggers and other readers who’ve taught me so much. There are way too many to thank individually, but I’m sure you know who you are. Also thanks to the quiet readership who never say anything but I can see lurking on Google Stats.*** You’ve made a bored maths geek very happy. 
*Have you noticed those little Ás appearing in every post before the last server move? Anyone know how to get rid of them?
** Take heed: Never let a Goon run your website. 
***Also thanks to the frustrated beef mince recipe searchers and the guy who came along looking for ‘midget eating cranberry sauce.’ You make me laugh.
It appears it is approximately birthday time for my blog. I can only guarantee it is ‘approximately’ because I have no idea exactly when I started writing.
I can already hear some of you saying, “Well just go through your archives and look at the timestamp on the first post, dummy!” It should be that easy. But, the problem is, I was so keen to start writing, that in the the couple of days leading up to the blog going online, I wrote about ten posts in one go and then just spaced them out over the May archive.
Yes, I am THAT sad.
So, actually, it was sometime in the first week of June 2006 that Living to Eat was really born, and it wasn’t called ‘Living to Eat.’ it was just ‘Roshani’s Food Blog’ until I finally thought of an original title. Now, after a whole year, it is very strange looking back at my first few months of posting. I had the worst camera in the world and a very dark kitchen. The site was obviously left battered and bruised after the horrible hard drive crash in September. Also the fact that Goon insists on moving the site between servers every few months has taken its toll in the form of other random bugs.*
I find it interesting how only one of those three blogs I listed in my first post is still on my reading list. My blogging tastes have clearly changed a lot!
But the strangest thing for me is how the purpose of this blog has completely changed over this year. At first I didn’t particularly want anyone to be reading this. It was more a place for me to log my cooking experiences and recipes and to monitor how my cooking skills were developing. The fact that other people could look in and share was just a bonus. It was Goon that encouraged me to leave my website address on various forums and websites to actively invite people to look. Now this website is, for want of a better phrase, reader-focused and careful documentation of recipes has gone completely out of the window.
And so, even though the blog didn’t turn out quite how I expected, even though I started it the most stupid time possible (at the beginning of my write up year), and even though the site is battered, bruised and bugged from various technical hitches**, I am very happy with the way things have developed here. The blog has meant that I’ve been on the telly, been asked to contribute to a magazine and, most importantly, made some wonderful friends from whom I’ve learned more than I ever expected.
So I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the other food bloggers and other readers who’ve taught me so much. There are way too many to thank individually, but I’m sure you know who you are. Also thanks to the quiet readership who never say anything but I can see lurking on Google Stats.*** You’ve made a bored maths geek very happy.
*Have you noticed those little Ás appearing in every post before the last server move? Anyone know how to get rid of them?
** Take heed: Never let a Goon run your website.
***Also thanks to the frustrated beef mince recipe searchers and the guy who came along looking for ‘midget eating cranberry sauce.’ You make me laugh.
Goon will remove the random characters as soon as possible.
Comment by Andy — June 2, 2007 @ 6:10 pm
I saw you on the TV but haven’t come across anything about you in a magazine, as yet. Anyway HAPPY BIRTHDAY - BLOG!!
Comment by Margaret — June 2, 2007 @ 10:04 pm
Happy Blogday. Long may you continue to write it…
Comment by Amanda — June 2, 2007 @ 11:03 pm
Happy blog birthday, Ros. Your posts never fail to inform, entertain and excite. Always one of my very favourite food bloggers, you show an unpretentious love of food and cooking that simply shines through. Long may you continue - and I still think you should give up the maths and go to catering college or take a modern apprenticeship in a restaurant. Love and best wishes,
Trig
Comment by Trig — June 3, 2007 @ 1:42 pm
you were on Tv? When?
Comment by schmoofaoof — June 3, 2007 @ 7:27 pm
Way to go Ros…keep up the good work.
Comment by Vanessa — June 3, 2007 @ 7:45 pm
Congratulations! Great job so far. ‘Look forward to another year of such great posts…
Comment by Shantanu — June 5, 2007 @ 1:17 pm
Happy blog birthday! Mine is coming up very soon too….a year as well. Been a good year for me too, and very eye opening also in terms of how my blog has evolved. I do enjoy reading about your cooking and eating adventures!
Comment by Kate — June 5, 2007 @ 9:08 pm
Happy belated blogday!!!
Comment by Garrett — June 7, 2007 @ 4:53 pm
Hello there!
I’m a frequent reader of your blog, and regularly pop by to see what you’re cooking up. I love your photographs - very good quality and great to see the final result. Also your text entries are invaluable, great to read them.
I’m not that great at cooking but enjoy doing it. I’m getting better slowly, and can cook more than I used to be able to to.
So thanks for keeping it updated and making it so interesting.
Anyway, enough jibbering on - I’ll comment again next year!!
Gary
p.s. Any recipe for mackerel
Comment by Gary — June 8, 2007 @ 3:21 pm
Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone.
Goon… come on, it’s been a week!
Hi Margaret. The magazine was a small student one to be released in Scotland, which is why not many people have heard of it. ~I just wrote a coupleof studenty recipies for it.
Hi Schmoof, I was briefly on a show called Market Kitchen on UKTV food. I don’t have cable so I didn’t even see it myself!
Hi Trig, you’ll change your tune if you ever see me trying to handle a knife!
But seriously, I think my student days are done for the time being, regardless of the subject. I’m tired of being broke!
Hi Shantanu, it’s great to find out the name and face of someone who’s been a quiet reader, especially when they are based as far away as India. And thank you for pointing out your own blog. I have already visited and found it very interesting.
Hi Garrett, I’m so pleased that you’ve been back to comment on this site again in recent weeks. Even though I don’t comment as much on your blog as I used to I still am a regular reader. Usually I’m just so stunned by the amazing stuff going into those cupcakes I’m left totally speechless (plus I’m not much of a baker so don’t have much to add).I think it’s great that your blog has developed like it has and become so successful. It will be interesting to see where we are in a year’s time!
Hi Kate, it is funny the way these things work out, isn’t it? I think your blog has developed in a really good way too and I enjoy reading it.The top 100 project is a very interesting one. And you’ve just reminded me that I have half a review written for you. I must get that done soon!
Hi Gary, I’m really glad that you’ve been enjoying the posts and that you’ve been developing your own cooking skills too. I found other people’s food blogs were invaluable to me when I first started cooking seriously. Mackerel eh? Well I was going to try mackerel with gooseberry sauce as soon as I got a chance.
Comment by ros — June 10, 2007 @ 6:36 pm
Hey - happy birthday! It’s a good feeling to look back and think you wrote all of that, isn’t it! Thanks for a year of sharing your (and Goon’s!) culinary adventures with us and may you continue apace
Comment by Jeanne — June 15, 2007 @ 1:07 pm