I was so proud of myself this weekend. I planned out the week’s dinners (well, through Thursday), shopped for the ingredients, made my workout schedule, etc. I felt so organized.
But then last night, Mitch suggested that instead of me taking Nina for her walk in the morning, I should take her after work instead so I could sleep in. He offered to cook dinner since he had today off.
I get to sleep in and dinner will be ready for me when I come home from a workout? Yeah…no question! Even though I was really excited about the recipe I picked out, and I knew Mitch’s dinner would not be quite as healthy as mine, the thought of not waking up in the dark was very appealing.
Mitch made his mom’s homemade barbecue sauce with his added touch of chipotle hot sauce. The result is probably the best barbecue sauce in the world. A bit sweet, a nice vinegar flavor, and the added hit of heat that sneaks up on you. I could drink it.
I told Mitch he had to use the chicken breasts I picked up for my original meal, so he marinated the chicken in the sauce for a few hours and then grilled and sliced them. He also prepared the rest of the fixings: grilled onions, tomatoes, and lettuce.
The less-healthy part of the meal was the jalapeno-cheese roll I had as my sandwich bread. However, I’m a big believer that as long as most of the grains in your diet are whole, the occasional dose of white flour won’t kill ya. Mmmm this was a delicious sandwich. I had some steamed broccoli on the side—gotta have some green on the plate!
Do I have an awesome boyfriend, or what? He made dinner for me on Monday as well (Costco salmon burger…my new obsession!) so that I could go to the gym.
Why Do I Blog?
I’ll admit, when the proposition of not making dinner was put in front of me, the thought crossed my mind, “well, how can I blog if I don’t cook dinner?” One thing I did not consider when starting a food blog was that, while I do experiment in the kitchen, I also make the same things repeatedly, Mitch cooks at times, we eat things like frozen pizza (topped with fresh veggies, it’s SO good) and sometimes even get takeout. So I feel like I don’t always have that much to write about.
On Twitter today, some bloggers were talking about blogs they enjoyed that just kind of disappeared and how sad that made them. I jumped into that convo and said that sometimes, I want to stop blogging because I get frustrated with it. I don’t post daily, don’t have much of a readership (and I’ve been blogging since January!), don’t usually take good photos, etc. And sometimes, that bothers me. Mostly because I know I could make my blog better if I had the time/energy to devote to it that honestly, I don’t. But I’m also not the type of person who liked to half-ass things (sorry, language!),
I’m not going to stop blogging, because I really do enjoy the little bit of blogging that I do, and blogging inspires me to work on my writing, photography, etc. And a huge reason I won’t stop is YOU, the few readers I do have, and my bloggie friends. I love being a part of the blogging community because I feel like there is a group of people out there who are into the same things I am and who understand me in a way that people in my “real life” may not always. If I stopped blogging, I’d feel like I was losing some important girlfriends, and who wants do to that?
In the end, I blog because I like writing about food and exercise, I like being creative on my terms, and I really like my fellow bloggers. Why do you blog (or read blogs, you lurkers you!)?
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I think that a lot of bloggers, especially the newer or smaller scale bloggers, find ourselves comparing our blog/readership/etc to other more “successful” bloggers. I think that is the root of a lot of issues. A while back, Hangry Pants talked about finding your voice. I know Itzy’s Kitchen has discussed it too. It is important to blog for yourself, what is important to you, what you feel like blogging about, with your own voice and not a voice that you think you should have. Lately, bloggers (Tina, Caitlin, Jenna, etc) have had amazing opportunities come out of their blogging but they are only a tiny tiny fraction of the food/healthy living/whatever the hell else bloggers that exist. And think about how much time and energy they have spent on their blog and making it their life and obsessing over readership, page views, getting sponsored, etc. Obviously, they, among other bloggers, made it a priority in their lives. So what if it isn’t your top priority? So what if you don’t see it as a “job” like a lot of bloggers do. It’s a hobby of yours and it doesn’t need to be anything else. Do it for yourself, first, then your readers. We will be here no matter what!
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Hallie Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
So true! And I know that, I just get these flashes of, “ugh I should just stop, my blog sucks” sometimes. But you are totally right.
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My blog doesn’t have many readers. Nor do I update it regularly (because I’m boring, mostly, and it doesn’t have a main focus; it’s not just a food blog). And sometimes I get discouraged and don’t want to keep doing it. I’ll start comparing myself to other bloggers on all sorts of levels. But then I think of the real reason I blog: I do it for me. I do it as a creative outlet. Would I love to be able to have it be my job? Sure, sounds great. But it’s not. So I do what I can, when I want to, because I do it for me! You should be proud of your accomplishments and keep on posting them (when you want to!).
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I blog because I love the people here, and I love writing, and I love have the opportunity to talk incessantly about my life and yet have people listen to me. Lol, it’s feeding my narcissism!
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Hey, we started blogging at the same time!! I think mine was around the 14th of January? We should celebrate our one year together
Honestly, I started blogging for ME firstly, with some distant hopes of helping other people out there. When I started, I was a journalism student on the brink of graduation, with numerous jobs in the field. While all I did (and still do) is write all day long, I wasn’t writing what I was passionate about – food, fitness and health. So I started the blog as an outlet to write about those things. I hoped it would improve my writing and maaaaybe there would be some readers who could benefit from it. But I have never obsessesed over my blog stats. I love doing it, that’s what matters. Maybe some day I’ll dedicate the time it takes to make it more successful. But right now, I don’t want it to be a “business,” I want it to remain as that creative outlet
Also, for some reason, I adore photographing my food. Which is why even though I try not to do a food diary, I still end up with tons of food photos
But I don’t blog about everything that enters my mouth, how many times do you have to hear about me eating a string cheese? 
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OH do I feel you there!! Sometimes, I want to just eat something for dinner without thinking about what it looks like, or what comments its going to get… I love your blog
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Wow, Mitch really created some delicious meals! Nick never cooks. HE works at a restaurant so cooking is not something he wants to do when he gets home, I don’t blame him. If I asked him to cook, however, he would! Same with dishes. Mitch is a keeper because it’s not easy to keep weight off when you don’t live with someone who is supportive of your goals. Good for him for helping you out.
As for why I blog, it’s mainly to get my feelings out, and to share my knowledge. I think for you it helps you with your goals, right? WRiting things down, confessing, showing how proud you are, etc. It all helps! I’m glad you blog, I enjoy reading it. I Also find that I enjoy the blogs that are every other day, rather than everyday. I seem to appreciate them more.
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i like reading your blog! i just want you to know i read even if i dont comment.
you can blog about pretty much anything interesting to YOU and i will read it.
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I stumbled across your blog from Roni’s skinnyminimedia blog. I don’t have a huge readership base either, but I blog because it’s an outlet and something fun I like to do!
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mitch wins! that is awesome~you totally have a good catch there. i love your blog! i added you to my reader immediately because i knew from your tone/personality that your blog would be a winner and i totally enjoy reading it.. even more so now that i am not as busy
i blog because i love to ramble and write.. but i have found that amazing friends come out of blogging which is a huge bonus! have a great night!!
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I actually wrote something about why i blog a few months ago. check it out – http://inmytummy.wordpress.com/2009/08/19/why-i-blog/
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I blog for many reasons. First off, I love the community here. I think in a way, blogging helps keep me accountable in my journey. And maybe part of me hopes my 100+ pound loss will help/inspire someone out there that’s struggling.
(First time reader here, I look forward to catching up!)
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don’t stop blogging hallie! i love reading about your meals, your life, and your awesome boyfriend who cooks for you!
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[...] « Blogging about Blogging [...]
I often feel the same way about my blog. But then I remind myself that if I forced myself to blog everyday, I would start to resent blogging because it would feel more like a job. The way I blog right now, it’s fun! I think that my blog is better this way because I have fun with it. I’m not saying that people that blog everyday have to force it, just that it’s not for me.
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Hey HAllie! Regarding the comment on my blog, Frosted Mini Wheats are nothing to feel bad about eating! They are very nutritious, and I hope I didn’t portray that they aren’t on my blog. I bought the Kashi because they are all natural and yada yada yada. But in reality, the mini wheats are cheaper and just as healthy! Keep enjoying them
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