eBookFoodie Year One
I started this blog one year ago, after several years of going home from work, day after day to an empty house. I was tired of cooking wonderful meals that I ate by myself and packing up the leftovers for my husband. In December ’18 I decided to start this blog as a hobby, to quiet a nagging voice inside my head to be creative again and to be productive. It went live in January 2019! I did several things I never thought I’d have the courage to do in addition to this blog! I started using Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram and posting on Facebook, and went to two WordPress events. I’ve always been hesitant to post about myself or my life, but when it comes to recipes and books, I find that I enjoy it!
In 2019, I had over a thousand views on eBookFoodie from 25 countries! Not bad for a novice blogger, nervous Twitterer, paranoid Pinterest-er, and home cook! I learned that you all love Instant Pot, air fryer, cast iron cooking, and soup recipes and you especially love Salmon Cakes! I was surprised by some of my most visited posts. For example, for a long time, my most popular post didn’t even have a recipe included when first posted. It was inspired by a book about Friendship, relationships, coping with loss due to suicide, self-discovery, and soup.
This blog has changed some since its inception but it’s still a blog with an identity crisis… is it a book blog or is it a food blog? I guess it’s still a little of both! But I do know there is no way I can blog, or do my day job, and hope to potentially offer cookbook ebook design to you. Ebook design takes a lot of time and energy. I’ll put that idea on the back burner, maybe for 2021?
What else has changed since I started eBookFoodie?
I developed a tiny addiction to vintage glass kitchenware. Now I really need a bigger kitchen! (…a kitchen that has walls that don’t look like a 1950’s bathroom!)
My “read” list decreased by at least 40 books last year. I didn’t keep up with or merge my two Goodreads profiles either. However, I was able to focus on some of my favorite authors and even re-read a few books. Do you like to re-read or do you prefer reading something new?
I found the courage to post recipes inspired by some of my favorite books, and even have had some of my favorite authors comment and actually like my posts! Those moments kept me going when I felt like giving up.
Until very recently, I was living an almost separate life from my husband due to working different shifts. I had a lot of quality alone time. He’s finally on the day shift again so we can have dinner together almost every night! It’s so nice to share meals with each other again! He’s understanding when I give him the ugly plate and waits patiently while I photograph my carefully plated dish. Except when I murdered his salmon with the fish spat getting it off the salt block. OOPS, sorry honey!
I’ve met some really interesting & friendly people!
When I needed help or someone to share my food blog or other struggles with, other bloggers and folks online have been so helpful and I am so very, very grateful! I love chatting with other bloggers, Twitterers, Instagrammers…
Cooking, creating recipes, photographing, writing, and posting all take more time than I ever thought! I had hoped to earn enough from ads and affiliate links to help cover the cost of running eBookFoodie. When it came time to renew the domain, WordPress plan, mailbox, plugins, etc., I almost quit. I thought I could just use Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Then I thought about the past year. I thought about how I’ve come a long way from the shy, lonely lady I was a year ago. I thought about all the cool people I’ve met, and the amazing authors who got a smile out of my book-inspired recipes. So, I logged onto PayPal and renewed it all for 2020! I know I’m a little late to the party, but Happy New Year everyone and thank you for stopping by!
Top 10 Posts of 2019
- Quick & Easy 4 Ingredient Salmon Cakes
- No Knead Olive Skillet Bread
- Back-to-Our-Roots Soup | The Year of Soup
- Cilantro Lime Shrimp
- Grandma’s Spinach & Meatballs
- Instant Pot Greek Chickpea Soup, with Lemon & Oregano
- Salmon Sunday | Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Salmon Sunday Glaze
- Cherry, Pecan Stuffed Acorn Squash – It’s not my Mother’s Stuffed corn Squash!
- Raspberry Lime White Chocolate Chip Scones
- Family Recipes! It’s Time for Granny’s Tuna Cakes!
Help eBookFoodie grow by rating my recipes and commenting on your favorite blog posts! Visit me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook & Twitter!