Update: Lost chances

T

traca

Well-known member
Hey all. Well, false alarm. I was so excited about the Oprah.com feature that I worked my tail off on my post. Today is my day to co-host for the Share Our Strength 12 Days of Sharing Project and I sent off the info to the Oprah folks. I've been up since 4:30 am to get it listed early enough for the East Coast folks.

I just received an e-mail from the Oprah contact. Was just told "We're not taking anymore bloggers." Grrr....(can you hear me cursing from here?) I sent a note asking for clarification. We'll see....Good thing I'm not seeking fame & fortune through blogging!

In case you're interested, I've included a link to the post. Perhaps it's the Oprah vibe that inspired a post that reads more like a confessional but what the heck! (I included a link to Mimi's cookie site too. Recipe is exactly like my mom's.)

C'est la vie! I'm going back to bed.

http://seattletallpoppy.blogspot.com/2009/12/sharing-our-strength.html

 
Shoots....

I just "congratulated" you on the previous post, which I JUST read

don't worry, something else is going to come your way, your blog is awesome!

 
The good news is, this project drove me to examine

another side of things. I'm proud of that post and I also was motivated to reworked my bio. I'm very happy with the result.

Over the past few years I've become "process-oriented" rather than "results-oriented". There's so much to be learned in the process....and I've seen things end up on the editing floor all the time. I learned to fall in love with working through a problem and just hope for the best when I get to the other side.

The other bloggers they profiled are great and are definitely more recipe-driven than I am, which is what I think the Oprah folks were ultimately looking for. I'm an odd duck in the food blogging world b/c my pieces aren't about recipes (today's post was an exception.)

So, lessons learned. Even though things didn't turn out the way I expected them, I'm happy.

 
Interesting.....

Food blogging is a mix and match of so many approaches! You have blogs with amazing photography, others catch you by the writing, some are, as you pointed out, recipe-oriented (Simply Recipes comes to mind)

I usually enjoy all different kinds, at different "moments" - sometimes I go for "food porn", because I love photography (even if I suck at it.. smileys/smile.gif but I am more fond of a balance between writing and recipes, the images taking a secondary role.

 
I have to say

I like the recipe driven blogs, but it's the stories I really love! I really enjoyed your entry much more than those posts that are just a few lines and a recipe.
I think if you are someone who really enjoys cooking, it's the process that drives us. (and then you get to eat the stuff)

 
If I have learned anything from you, Traca, is that it is your voice that matters.

You tell amazing stories and present things that no one else does. If being "successful" by Oprah's standards means that you deviate from your path then forget HER! If Oprah is looking for Melissa D'Arabian's style of simple recipe writing then she is missing out on a great thing with you. Courage! Just think back on how far you have come!

hugs!!

 
Donation made. Thank you for sharing your heart with us.

Your words touched a nerve, as good writing should. Not all Christmas memories are happy. The key difference is that we can choose to make the new ones happier.

 
I agree. We're drawn to different blogs & media mediums for different reasons...

I love visuals. Used to get the National Geographic and to this day, I still rarely read the articles. But the photos? Bookmarked, noted. Love them. I've drawn away from taking photos recently b/c I'm not happy with the outcome. This winter I'm concentrating on the technical side of photography and editing. smileys/smile.gif

Curious1 has a good point. Keep shooting. I'm making breads for the first time this winter. Can't wait to see your images! (By the way, just got a copy of Healthy Break Baking in 5 Minutes a Day. Have you seen it? The non-healthy version has sold over 300,000 copies!)

 
You are too nice.....

.... but I know there is a ton of room for improvement in my case....

I sent the photos I thought were ok to sites like foodgawker, and they always refuse them, criticizing either my composition, the lack of sharpness, colors... you name it, basically I get a virtual spanking every single time

but it's ok... maybe I'll get better with time (fingers crossed, but not really much hope.. smileys/smile.gif

 
I have the first version....

.... and it was the kind of bread that got me into baking bread more seriously.

But I always recommend a gem of a book for those interested in bread, particularly sourdough:

THE HANDMADE LOAF, by Dan Lepard

I fell in love with this book from the moment I opened it - and Dan Lepard is THE nicest man in the universe.... well, maybe one of the top ten smileys/smile.gif

http://bewitchingkitchen.wordpress.com/2009/07/15/the-handmade-loaf/

http://bewitchingkitchen.wordpress.com/2009/07/15/the-handmade-loaf/

 
Well...piffle on Harpo Enterprises...May I carry the message to....

Food blogging groups? It seems we all get comfy with our friends and don't venture too far from "home," but there are a boat load of food blogging groups out there!

I work for a school in a low income area, and I see these children daily. And the ones that don't even have the ability to hide it behind a nice house with a pretty lawn.

Today, many of those children have had their homes foreclosed on, and may live in a hotel room, or with another family if they're lucky. We have families living in sub-standard housing because it's all they can afford.

Traca...that teller could have been a little more compassionate! She could have told you to talk with your mom and dad, that they'd be able to explain it to you. Or at least tell you she was sorry to bring you sad news!! I hate having to make children sad enough to cry. I do my best to show them enough empathy so they don't go away feeling horribly wronged or worse...blaming themselves! Thanks for sharing... Apparently this is my Charity this season. We always select one...and this one has come along in a way that says..."I'm the one!" Merry Christmas Hon!

 
Glennis, thanks for your wonderful note. I have been doing a ton of research

on nutrition and the brain and it's astonishing how poverty has long-lasting effects, both physically and mentally.

I've recently been introduced to Share Our Strength and they're a fabulous organization. The founder, Billy Shore, worked in politics and was on Bobby Kennedy's presidential campaign staff. (Standing next to him when he got shot.) I was introduced to Billy by a friend who worked with him side-by-side after Katrina.

Another friend of mine, Kathleen Flynn, wrote a wildly successful novel, "The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry." (At last count, it sold over 300,000 copies and was just being sold in Chinese.) In the book, she spent time in Paris at the Cordon Bleu. Out on book tour, everyone asked if she was opening a restaurant or working in a kitchen somewhere. She felt weird saying she went just to learn how to cook. This summer, she's found a place to parlay that knowledge. Kat is working on a project, teaching folks how to stretch their food budget without eating commercially processed food. She's going into homes, working with families, helping them shop and cook. It's fascinating to hear about her work.

There are so many people out there in need...

 
I read her book! Loved it... Back to subject tho...

While I was perusing the SOS site, I realized they're part of the Summer lunch program...
I KNOW what part of the problem is there...ACCESSIBILITY and OUTREACH. I work at one of the sites that was a lunch site. People simply did not know their kids could come for lunch. And then...POOF! No more lunch. I guess hunger stops the day summer school stops?
What a mighty voice you have my dear!
This is powerful outreach. From you to me, to the mouths of hungry kids. I wonder if there's a way to get more kids to the sites so they can be fed...or more sites where they can get fed...

 
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