Liebster award

I was nominated for Liebster Award by Jas who blogs at All That’s Jas. Thank you Jas for thinking of me and encouraging me.

You have probably seen the Liebster awards around on other blogs. The Liebster Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. So, what is a Liebster?  The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. Blogging is about building a community and it’s a great way to connect with other bloggers and help spread the word about newer bloggers/blogs.

The Liebster Award is an award being passed around the blogosphere to up and coming bloggers. The rules are as follows:

1. Acknowledge and thank the blog who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog.
2. Post the award image on your blog.
3. Answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you.
4. List 11 random facts about yourself.
5. Nominate 5-11 blogs with under 1,000 followers to receive the award.
6. Let the bloggers know that you nominated them.
7. Give them 11 questions to answer.

What made you decide to start a blog?

When I seriously started to try and lose weight there were so few recipes out there for people cooking just for one and I used to find recipes I loved that I would then find I couldn’t modify for one person. I eventually got together a rotation of recipes to make but I was really getting in to a rut. I thought setting up a blog would be a good way to challenge myself to try new recipes and as an added bonus that other people might also find it useful to have a collection of recipes that they knew were vaguely healthy and could be made for one person. Not that all my recipes are low calorie but I try to make sure the majority are.

What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

Definitely getting feedback from people who have cooked recipes I have posted on the blog and enjoyed them. Love sharing good food with people even if it is via the internet.

What is the most challenging thing about blogging?

Ah I think this varies so much depending on what is happening. I find getting a good photo of my meal is often difficult, especially casseroles and you will see various dodgy photos on my blog. But often the most challenging thing is finding the time to do all the things I want to do to make my blog better.

What blog post are you most proud of?

My triple berry crumble post. It was one of the first adapted recipes I posted, I love the colours in the photo and I shared a bit about my fabulous Gran with the world. Plus I love crumble of any kind.

How did you find your niche?

I found my niche because I couldn’t find what I wanted on the internet. Most recipes were for 4 people and that also possibly explains why I was larger than I should have been!

What is your dream job?

I don’t think I have a dream job. I would love my food blogging to be a bit more of a paying gig but I am not sure I want to do it 100% full time. But I love the writing aspect so maybe writing in general? Definitely something that allows me more freedom and the ability to work from wherever I want.

Fun fact about your project/recipe that went wrong.

I have so many that went wrong. Maybe my favourite fun fact is that my salted caramel fudge tastes equally delicious when I can’t get it to set and become a salted caramel sauce to go on ice cream. Plus I get to eat a lot of sauce along the way as I try and get it to set.

Where would you love to live?

I love where I live now – Queanbeyan (with Canberra right next door). Lots of people knock Canberra but it is the right size for me. I have lived in Sydney and Melbourne and while they are now great to visit, I find the calmer side of Canberra suits me better and I love the openness of the whole area. Plus I have wonderful family and friends which to me is one of the most important things about where I live.

Mind you I wish Canberra had a beach. I lived in Wollongong for a while and enjoyed that. I would love to move back there if I could just get all my family and friends to move.

What is your favorite color?

A rich dark purple – see the blog post I am most proud of. I am partial to a sunny yellow as well. Colour can be such a mood lifter.

If you’d win lottery, what is the first thing you’d buy?

I would zip straight down the bank to pay off my mortgage. Boring I know but then I could start plotting then what I wanted to do without that financial burden hanging over me. A holiday to somewhere wouldn’t be far behind. Would love to go back to Greece for some island relaxing.

What makes the world go ‘round for you?

Spending time with family, friends and of course my two mischevious pups. Plus of course enjoying good food.

My 11 random facts are:

1. I broke my arm three times when growing up – once with assistance from my brother
2. I have lived on four continents
3. I have double-jointed elbows
4. I completed a Master of Social Research in Demography
5. At university I was in the rowing team (how did that happen!)
6. I was in the Air Force
7. Spiders and birds scare the pants off me.
8. I am very grumpy if I don’t get enough sleep
9. I don’t like egg whites and pretty much always only eat the yolk – I have amazing egg peeling skills
10. I love researching my family history (but don’t seem to find the time to do it)
11. I have been mock charged by a hippo (very scary)

I am nominating the following blogs:

The Wooden Spoons (a fellow Canberra food blogger)

Savoury Spice Rack

Salt’d caramel

Samantha’s Kitchen Table

That Girl Cooks Healthy

And the questions I am asking them are:

1. What is your favourite recipe to make?
2. Where would you like your next holiday to be?
3. What camera do you use to take your photos?
4. What do you love most about blogging?
5. What do you like least about blogging?
6. If you had an unexpected free day what would you do?
7. What makes you laugh out loud?
8. If you had a super power what would it be?
9. Who inspires you the most?
10. What movie did you last see and did you enjoy it?
11. What are your ambitions for your blog in 2015?

Thank you again to Jas for nominating me.