The Writing Process Blog Tour

You have probably guessed from the title of this post that it's all about writing. I am so excited to be involved in this. I have been considering starting a series of blog posts that were related to food in some way but not recipe posts so this is a fantastic place to start.
It's fortunate that the subject of this blog tour is the writing process, I just started reading Will Write For Food by Dianne Jacob, and my passion for writing, particularly about food, is ever growing. To be entirely honest, I even find writing my PhD thesis enjoyable. Who would have thought that would ever happen?

I have been working away at this blog for 9 months now and I fall more in love with process of writing recipes, testing them in the kitchen, photographing, and sharing with you all more and more each day. One of the most rewarding aspects to the blogging journey is meeting a whole bunch of wonderful food blogging friends. Starting out, I would have never imagined the online food blogging community to be such a friendly, helpful, and inspiring place. The amount of support, advice, and encouragement I have received from all of the wonderful people I have met is just beyond words. 

One of the first bloggers I met was Rene from My Simple Kitchen. Rene began blogging at around the same time as me so it has been lovely getting to know someone at the same level as myself and following each others progress, as well as seeing how she develops as a writer. She's also the one who invited me to participate in this blog tour. Rene has a real knack for recipe writing, cooking, and photography. You'll immediately notice this on her blog. Here's a perfect example of her simple, yet eye-catching and mouth-watering style: Banana Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Frosting. 

So enough waffling on.. What is this blog tour all about? I write a blog post answering 4 questions about how and why I write, I then introduce you to 3 of my favorite bloggers and in a week you can check out their blogs to see how they answered the questions. 

1.  What am I working on?

I seem to have a developed a habit of working on too much at once. Right now I have 54 draft blog posts waiting to be published. I tend to go into overdrive in the weekend, cooking up at least half a dozen new dishes over a couple of days. Maybe I should calm down a bit??

2.  How does my work differ from others in its genre?

I like to try and keep my recipes, especially main meals, simple and using ingredients that aren't crazy or out there, hopefully using ingredients that most well stocked kitchens will have on hand. Making sure my recipes are easy to follow is a big one for me. I set my posts out in a step-by-step manner to allow cooks at any level at all to follow the method and get a good result.

3.  Why do I write what I do?

I just love food, I love creating new and unique meals and desserts and sharing them with anyone who is interested in taking a look. 

4.  How does your writing process work?

I have a list of ideas that I keep in my 'recipe writing' book. I usually have this book close at hand and if I have a moment of inspiration I will quickly jot down my idea. When it comes to writing a shopping list every week I take out my list and chose a few things to work on during the week. I like to get my boyfriend to pick a few things too, or give me any ideas that he may have had himself. I then write the recipes out in a more concrete way in my book. When it comes to actually making the food I make any changes in my book. I then try to type up the recipe in a draft post as soon after making the food as I can. This usually occurs in bulk over the weekend. 

Now let's get acquainted with three lovely ladies:

Brandi, aka "Aunt Bee" at Aunt Bee's Recipes has become one of my very best blogging friends. We met on Facebook through blogging groups and have been following each other closely for some time now. Brandi has a wonderfully unique Southern style of cooking. I think her Southwestern Chicken Lasagna describes Brandis style to perfection.   Brandi is super active and supportive in the blogging community and this is opening up fantastic opportunities for her, writing for websites, and forming collaborative networks with other bloggers, such as Southern Roots Recipes.

Janette, Culinary Ginger, is another of my oldest blogging friends and fellow red-head. She is also at a similar point in the blogging adventure as Brandi and myself, less than a year in. Janette is originally from England, now living in Southern California. I love seeing the flair her English roots bring to her cooking. I love her style of fresh, seasonal recipes. You won't find any pre-packaged or otherwise processed ingredients in Janettes kitchen! My favorite recipe from Janette is her Baked Gnocchi with Sage and Cheese Sauce. Gnocchi is a favorite of mine, and Janettes step-by-step recipe shows just how easily you can make your own gnocchi at home. 

Jaclyn, the woman behind Humbling Eats is a must follow. Jaclyn is one of my newer friends, we met on Facebook a couple of months ago, but we instantly hit it off. Jaclyn is closer to home, residing in Australia. Her blog showcases her simple, healthy, and sometimes very adventurous recipes. She really has a way with flavors, and her stunning photographs catch my attention immediately. I find it super difficult to choose a favorite recipe on Jaclyns blog, but her Yogurt Cake with Burnt Fig Glaze is well worth your attention. The amazing combination of flavors creates such a delightfully mouth-watering treat.