Happy Blogiversary to Me

What was supposed to be a happy day in the kitchen making my all time favorite dessert, followed by a post about how I have slowly progressed over the last year turned into me, lying on the couch, begging to breathe threw at least half a nostril, head pounding and wishing to fall asleep to make it go away.
Cough, Cough, Sniff, Sniff - Happy Blogiversary.

Reminds me of my 19th birthday.
In Ontario the legal drinking age is 19 and the age when every teenager puts away their fake id's and invites everyone they know to celebrate with them.
Not this gal.
I was pregnant - or at least I thought I could have been so didn't drink just in case.

In both instances I was super excited for the day when I could celebrate the milestones.
And I suppose in both cases I did, just in different than imagined ways:
19th - hung out with some friends karaokiing while they got inebriated.  Still a great time (knowing I could be having a baby! Oh and I love to sing so that's always a fun time)
Blogiversary - hung out with my boys wishing I had a new sinus. Not such a great time but knowing I will make my dessert when I feel better and be able to enjoy it when I can taste again as well as having the love and support of my boys makes it a blogiversary to remember.

So instead of posting my celebratory dessert I am going to reflect a little on the last year.
Hope you enjoy some of the shortcomings and celebrations :)

When I first began this blog it was for therapeutic reasons. 
I needed a release. 
It was a dark time for me and cooking and baking had always made me feel better in the past so I thought, let's give it a whirl.
I didn't care if anyone read my posts (except for my dearest friends and family members who I forced to read them).
My photography skills were less than impressive and really still aren't all that stupendous.
I was pretty much computer illiterate when it came to social networking and blogging so it was a bit of a struggle.
I just wanted to make my food, have my family enjoy our meals again and have my friends say "hey, can you make me (insert any numerous things here) when I come over to visit?"
It was also a place to put them into print so that I didn't lose the ideas, either in my crazy busy brain or my abyss of a house.

My first actual food post I thought was a great start.  Pork Sliders with Cherry Chutney.
We'd never had chutney before and it was darn good.
It started me down the road of invention and innovation with some good ole comfort foods along the way.

I also began a weekly trip to the farmers markets in the summer which got me out of the house and socializing again as well as giving the boys a way to incorporate their opinions and ideas on meals, not to mention a way of trying new things we might otherwise have turned our noses up at. 
Eggplants and turnips to name a few.
They may or may not thank me for that (not yet anyway).

I also became increasingly addicted to cook books, cooking utensils and gadgets and of course the Food Network (Mr. BM listens to this every night before he falls asleep and every morning when he wakes - I'm sorry).

I may not have a million followers and that's ok.  I see my page views and know that I have been growing over the last year as have they.
I recently joined twitter (@ppkongacooks FOLLOW ME!), and created a facebook page and have met some wonderful and caring people through both of those social networks who have amazing blogs and/or ideas which I love to get inspirations from.

I was recently featured on BlogHer's website for my Benedict Burger which is a feeling I cannot begin to explain.  Elation doesn't seem to express the magnitude of happiness that someone other than my family liked my dish!  Thanks Genie!

I'm proud of where I have come from and where I am at now but strive to become better.
Thanks to my followers for visiting, thanks to those anonymous ones as well.
Thanks to all the musicians I listen to during the day who inspire me to dance around my kitchen and love what I do!
I have enjoyed reading all of your comments and even the ones that send me emails directly (which makes me giddy btw)



So, after 1 year, 137 posts, a new mash up page, different foods in our kitchen and a few extra pounds I am happy to report that we have yet to have food poisoning and I will forge on this coming year!

Peas Out!  I'm going back to bed

PS can someone tell my family to buy me photoshop, I'd like to try my hand at that next!