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Sunday, July 31, 2011

7 Links

Mara chose me to do the the 7 Links challenge. I'd seen this on a few blogs, and I think it's a fun way to look back on your blog and share some of its hidden contents with readers.

1) My most beautiful post.

Wow, this one was hard. I just have a point and shoot that I'm not even that skilled at using. I think this roasted cabbage with grilled tofu turned out nice, though!

2) My most popular post.




Statistics-wise my baked chile rellenos and shortcut cubed steak stew have been neck and neck for months.

3) My most controversial post.

Kind of funny, but at the bottom of this post I mentioned John Besh, who spoke at my brother's CIA graduation. I poked fun at his blazer and periodically a random googler will end up there and get pissed at me for it. I delete them as they come in, but I've been called a b*tch more than once by "Anonymous."

4) My most helpful post.

I've done a few "how to" posts, complete with step by step pictures. I think the most popular is how to butterfly a chicken.

5) A post whose success surprised me.

I was pleasantly shocked to see such a warm response about my Project Food Blog entry, where you describe yourself as a food blogger. I wrote from the heart and wasn't sure people would take the time to read it. I've since made it my About page, since I think it does such a good job describing me and Dinner at Christina's.

6) A post that didn't get the attention it deserved.

I really need to do another post on this to take pictures and give it justice, but rustic cabbage soup rocks! I make it about once a month in the winter months. It is really, really good and healthy.

7) The post I'm most proud of.

I'm not really sure if I conveyed through the blog how badly Project Food Blog crushed me. I was eliminated after round 2, but thought I would make it much, much further. I went in there balls out.

I poured my heart out in my story, I spent 7 hours making tamales from scratch, and I spent a couple hundred dollars and three days cooking for the dinner. I was devastated to be knocked out, and didn't even go into my kitchen for a few weeks. It was the closest I've come to quitting blogging. I was bitter against the contest, the process, the judging, the voting, and those that moved on when I didn't.

So, the post I'm most proud of is the five course dinner for 9 that I planned, shopped for, prepped, decorated, cooked, plated, and served by myself. I still can't believe it when I look back, but it's there in photos so I know I did it!

7 bloggers whose 7 links I'd like to see:
Cheryl
Laura
Beth
Kristina
Ally
Jessie
Roz
at

7 comments:

  1. sophiaJuly 31, 2011 at 5:13 PM

    Christina, I was crushed for you when you got eliminated!!! I really thought you deserved it...while so many...frankly, didn't and still breezed on by because they are popular.

    Anyway, fun list! But haha, you can't really except cabbage soup to get tons of attention! Still, it sounds wonderful! Guess we have to taste it to know what the big deal is! ;-)

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  2. Kristina @ spabettieJuly 31, 2011 at 5:21 PM

    I'm with Sophia! I remember all of that and how the results sometimes seemed unfair. I've made tamales, I KNOW the work that goes into them (and the LOVE you undoubtedly put in as well!). If they have another one this year, would you do it again?

    and THANK YOU for tagging me - guess what, I JUST published mine this morning! :) XXO

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  3. ChristinaJuly 31, 2011 at 9:30 PM

    @Sophia -- very good point!!! haha I love cabbage, but I forget that sometimes it's a tough sell.

    @Kristina - if they had another this year I would do it a) seriously, if they promised to change the rules and construction of it, which they admitted there were problems and they were going to alter it or b) for fun, but NOT go into it expecting anything at all - zip, zero.

    It hurt to bad too give it 100% and realize it was set up to fail. If I have no expectations I would be fine doing it for fun.

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  4. Roz @ weightingfor50August 1, 2011 at 9:24 AM

    Hi Christina! OOOH...I've been tagged. Thanks! I will sift through my prior posts and see what I can come up with. Hope you are doing well. (and that the frog dish is doing well too!) Have a good week.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ally's Sweet and Savory EatsAugust 1, 2011 at 7:31 PM

    What a great idea Christina! Thanks for including me! I will definitely look through my posts and think of what to pick.

    On a side note, I am so very sorry about the project food blog disappointment. I can TOTALLY understand how you feel. There are times when I've also wanted to take a "break" from blogging, but I don't b/c of people like you out there wanting to read my stores/see my recipes!

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  6. BizAugust 2, 2011 at 10:55 AM

    I was so sad too you didn't make it farther - I totally thought you would - I still haven't even attempted to THINK to make tamales from scratch!

    You rock!

    ReplyDelete
  7. jenn@slim-shoppinAugust 6, 2011 at 8:18 PM

    I totally thought you should have gone farther too...

    I could never have done all that work as good as you did!

    Great post!

    ReplyDelete

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