I can’t believe its been four years since the first food blog was ever created – ha! At least that’s what I wrote on one of my first posts. You think that nothing really changes in your life day to day, but looking back on four years, we’ve been through a lot!
- You’ve read the story of how Hannahcame into the world
- You’ve read about how I met and married my amazing husband
- You supported us when Tony was in the hospital
- You cheered us when he came homefrom the hospital
- You watched the video of Hannah getting her car
- You watched Hannah graduatefrom high school!
- You watched my step-son Joe turn 20– in a few weeks he’ll be 23!
- You watched my family reunionin Hilton Head when my Aunt turned 80!
- You saw Tony turn 50!
- You read that My step-son Joe got engaged to his fiance Lizz!
- You supported us through Tony’s colon cancer – he’s now cancer free!
- we challenged each other in the second 101 days of summer challenge
- my mom turned 70!
- Tony’s hernia surgery. And his subsequent battle with c-diff that he had to suffer with for weeks on end.
- My brother Charlie, getting sick with Bob Hoskins Lymphoma – he’s done with chemo – woop!
- Hannah moved out and is now enjoying her junior year at a real university after community college!
- We both both got new cars this summer!
And lots and lots of recipes and good food in between. I have loved having this blog these past years – it is the perfect creative outlet for me and I have “met” some of the most amazing women that I otherwise never would have known they existed without this blog.
I remember being so excited that I got my 500th comment! And when I hit 40,000 page views after 7 months I thought “wow, people really like to read about me!” Tony actually did his first guest post on that milestone.
Now my stats tell me I’ve had 2001 posts, 39,941 comments and 950,020 page views. Wowza!
And while this started out as a weight loss/food blog, um, pretty sure I am back where I started from. I had the craziest notion when I started this blog that if I put myself out there, showed the number on the scale, that it somehow would magically guilt me into making better choices.
In fact, I emailed back and forth with Rachel yesterday, and even though she said she would keep my secret, you know what I made for lunch yesterday? A francheezie – an all beef hot dog sliced in half, put on a jimmy john’s day old bread, with really good American cheese and bacon and made a panini out of it. Um, pretty sure its time to make better choices!
So let’s start over, shall we?
The best news though? I haven’t coughed since Sunday!! Woop! My gym bag is packed and I plan on hitting the gym at lunch today. Again, thanks to all of my August challengers for your kind comments and emails about me being sick and not finishing my goals. Maybe I’ll make 100 miles in September?
So how was your long weekend? Ours was a perfect mix of lazy and productivity – loved it! I have some recipes to share later this week – parmesan focaccia – so easy this could be made on a week night, homemade corn tortillas, a marinated shrimp dish with creamy polenta, and a pork ragu that is amazeballs. And Tony made me his killer eggs! (He’s actually really sick of me mentioning every time he makes eggs that I tell him they are the best ever!)
My Mom, SIL and nephew came over for a bbq yesterday – I made ribs and my Mom brought this delicious grilled corn salad – I’ll have to get the recipe from her because it was amazeballs! And so was dessert. About 45 minutes before everyone came over I realized I never fixed a dessert! So I made an apple/blueberry crumble that was delicious – I’ll post that recipe later on this week too. And let’s just say that served with vanilla bean ice cream, this was most definitely insulin worthy!
So to thank all my loyal readers, just leave me a comment and tell me either:
- How long have you been reading My Bizzy Kitchen (formerly Biggest Diabetic Loser) or
- Which recipe have you made from this blog?
The winner will get . . . what ever blogger wants especially now that fall is upon us:
A portable, folding light box! Comes with four backdrops, two lights and a tripod. And the winner will receive a years subscription to Cooking Light, still my favorite food magazine.
I’ll pick a random winner this Friday, September 7. Good luck and thanks for reading! Off to put my food together for the day – make it a great day!
You were one of the very first blogs I started to read…I’m guessing it’s been about 3 years now?? Holy cow! I just realized how long it’s been. I feel like I’ve known you forever 🙂
Happy blog bday and hooray for fresh starts! I really really really want to win that light box. I have not been using my fancypants camera but if I had a lightbox i’m sure I would break it out more often!
I will answer both your questions — 1) How long have you been reading My Bizzy Kitchen (formerly Biggest Diabetic Loser): as you know I’ve been reading you since almost the beginning – must be close to 4 years!
2) Which recipe have you made from this blog? — I know I must have made something from your blog… I certainly star enough recipes to try! I think I have made your breakfast parfaits, a chicken soup/stew/chowder thing a year or 2 ago, and I finally started liking hot sauce because of you! LOL. I’m sure I’ve made more that I’m not remembering right now.
I still laugh every time you use the term “amazeballs” giggle. I think I have been reading you…oh…two years? Maybe three? Please don’t ask me to remember ’cause I can’t remember what I had for dinner last night, let alone what I have done [in total] these past four years.
Pooldad found me a Cooking Light cookbook at the thriftstore – hardcover – for 3 bucks and I LOVE this thing. The recipes are good for him and I just tweak them a bit to get the sodium down to m liking. So many “amazeballs” recipes. giggle And I am DEFINITELY trying the grilled corn salad – but thanks a lot Biz. Corn season is OVER here. Le’ Sigh. I will have to wait until next summer.
I hope you are feeling better in time for you 5K on Saturday – nothing worse than training for something than not being able to participate. [I know, I know -point out the obvious Skippy. Sorry] But I just ‘betcha’ you are up and at ’em come Saturday.
So yes, please, enter me in your lovely give away. Sounds cool and I think I qualify. heehee
Have a great one. 🙂
Don’t really know how long I have been reading/ following the life of Biz.bout 3 years
It has become habit to check and see what’s up with your life everyday.
Recipes no notreally ..don’t ever seem to be able to stick to one as written.
Always add or deviate but your ingredients spark my imagination and like you
Love to make a great buy at the grocery and that can start the meal!
Happy Blog Birthday!! I absolutely love reading your blog! The best part is, I usually see it in my inbox on my iPhone before I get out of bed. I *hate* mornings, so I’ll roll over, read your blog post, laugh a bit, then get out of bed. Good way to start the morning 🙂 -yay mountain time zone!-
I’ve been reading since sometime in Nov 2011 when you went Paleo. Your blog was referenced or came up on a search or something for one of your recipes and I’ve been hooked since! Wish I knew about it from the beginning! Cheers on the next year of blogging and new beginnings with that wretched scale! (I hate mine haha)
I started reading on March 31st,2012. One day before your operation bad ass. I’m not sure how I found you but I am so glad I did. I look forward to reading your blog daily and I find myself “jonesing” when you run off for a long weekend with a family member.
You have so many great recipes….I have made the granola,skinny bang bang shrimp, and I am in love with the simple baked corn tortilla chips. They are the only tortilla chips my family eats now. I am on the lookout for a solid dutch oven to bake some of those wonderful looking breads.
Congrats on the four years!
Congratulations!! I have been reading your blog forevah 🙂 Not a specific recipe but you have given me so many ideas!
Congratulations!!!
Ive been reading for about 3yrs and the first recipe I made( and still make) is your baja fresh salsa. Everyone loves it. I posted a 4 ingredient greek yogurt pancake in your comments last week. I thought of you as soon as I saw it.
Congrats on the big anniversary!! Blogaversary? haha I think I have been reading for about a year now, it is still one of my favorites to visit every day. I just went back and read the story about Hannah coming in to the world. Have a great week!
Hi Biz,
Happy Blogaversary!! Quite the milestone and pageviews…..that is great!! I have been reading and enjoying your blog only a short time, I think it was right around the time that Tony was dealing with colon cancer.
I have tried a few of your recipes and ideas. Went to http://www.fatsecret.com for one, have made quite a lot of chobani parfats with fruit and granola. Love seeing what you are having for breakfast. Made the hash browns in a muffin pan with eggs and ham (forgot the name).
That corn recipe your mother made sure looks great. I made freezer corn over the weekend and am now dehydrating corn and beans right now. I am putting my freezer corn on my blog in the next few days. I will let you know when I put it up….its my tried and true recipe, the corn tastes like “fresh” in the middle of winter!!!
Between you and Pinterest, my cooking experiences have been more exciting, I must have been in a rut or something. That portable folding light box looks like something I could really use to take pictures of my cards…….I am holding my breath for September 7th!!
YAY FOR YOU!!!! I ‘blogged’ consistently for a year and kind of went down hill from there. I’ve been an avid reader/follower/junkie for a little over a year (I think). Your blog is one I make sure to read EVERYDAY! I like your style and all the tidbits here and there.
My favorite recipes that I’ve made so far are: Christmas Morning Biscotti (I like to add a bit of cinnamon and orange zest), Cranberry Pecan Struessal Muffins (made many times b/c I freaked out and bought oodles of bags if fresh cranberries when they went on sale for .49 a piece), Mango Chicken Salad w Spicy Ginger Dressing (I LOVE LOVE LOVE the dressing – yahoo for sriracha), and I’m looking forward to making the pumpking infused cinnamon rolls you posted not too long ago.
wooops I forgot to add that even though you stopped actually keeping track of points at one point, I really appreciate and value that you kept including the nutritional info (BTW I’d love to know how/what site you use to do that? TIA).
Happy Blogoversary!! I’ve made too many of you recipes to list :). Look forward to reading your blog every day.
Are you kidding me? That light box has my name on it! I’ve been reading since you were the Biggest Diabetic Loser, I think for 2-3 years. Happy blogoversary! I can’t believe you have 2,000 posts-craziness!! I haven’t had anything to eat yet so I tried to skip the food part but dang, now my stomach is growling at me–furious I have none of that good stuff to put in it.
Congrats on 4 Bizzy years! I joined your kitchen about 31/2 years ago??? Love to read your blog first thing in the morning, you are inspirational AND hilarious!
I think one of my fave stories was about Rugs……….!
My fave recipe is bang bang shrimp. I don’t know how you do it, but we all love it and you keep us coming back for more! I have really enjoyed watching Hannah blossom into a wonderful, independent young woman.
(also love Tony’s input, he just cracks me up!!) 🙂 🙂
Congrats on 4 years! I have been reading you just this past year. I love your sense of humor and your hubby’s too. I found you through Veronica. I have read many of your older posts to catch up and to follow along. I’ve made your skinny bang, bang shrimp, ginger dressing and Tony’s fried rice. I have more bookmarked!
Happy Birthday Biz!
Wow, cannot believe I have been reading for so longhand gone thru all the milestones with you!
Still enjoy getting your email and readingeven though I only read a coupleof blogs these days.
Congratulations on your anniversary. I have been reading My Bizzy Kitchen for about a month. I haven’t made a recipe yet. One or two of your recipes have reminded me of ones I’ve used in the past. Or I’ve decided what to make for dinner because your menu sounded so good. Does that count?
Congratulations Biz! I wish I could remember how I discovered your blog, but it was almost 2 years ago. Your posts always make me smile and sometimes snort out loud!! You were such a tremendous source of encouragement during my Disney Marathon training last year. I appreciate every kind word.
Keep up the great work Biz. I wish you all the best in the year ahead.