I’ve been invited by Gary Lum from yummylummy.com to join in a writer’s blog hop. It’s been great fun already and a really good way to get to know what inspires other bloggers and find out how they create their own individual style.

As I’m new to blogging, Gary has been a great help in getting connected to the Canberra food blogging community and introducing me to other energetic, welcoming people like Liz at bizzylizzysgoodthings.com . Elias from cbrfoodie.org has also been terrific and was the person who really got me started. He is also committed to connecting up Canberra foodies, so I’m very pleased Gary has passed the blog hop baton to Elias too.

So as it’s my turn to share…

Why do I write?

I’ve always had opportunities through work to talk and write about food, eating and healthy weight…and I love it! So blogging about good food and healthy weight just seems so right to me.

Having moved back to Canberra fairly recently, I’m spurred on by all the fantastic opportunities to eat out and discover all Canberra has to offer.

Also, for me, my blog is a really good way to organise and collect my thinking together in one place. And if someone else reads it and enjoys it as well, that’s a very lovely thought.

And being part of an interactive food blogging community just adds to all the joy.

How does my writing differ from others in the genre?

I think my writing is a bit different because I’m passionate about finding ways to enjoy foods I love and eat out often, without the inevitable ‘scale creep’. I also love the way people come together around good food and enjoy each other. So to be able to do this often and still keep a healthy weight, is really important to me. In fact, I think one of the big reasons it’s so hard to lose weight and keep it off, is because, traditionally, it’s involved feeling deprived of favourite foods and social eating occasions.

My style is strongly influenced by my work experiences. As a sole country dietitian in small towns, I became very pragmatic and tended to stick to the important stuff. I still like to work out the ‘take home tip’, to use less words and more images and pick photos that ‘say 1000 words’. I love seeing photos of meals that others post on twitter. It quickly tells me where and what the dish was, and often how good, how large and how much. (I also enjoy reading the descriptive narrative in others reviews!)

Over the years, I’ve learnt what works for people (and what doesn’t) and where to put the most effort for best effect. At the end of the day, it’s all about finding out what works personally and doing more of it, and just tweaking what you love, not giving it all up.

But it’s often also good to try out new ideas that work for others and that’s what I want to share.

How does my writing process work?

Ideas for writing are everywhere for me. Wherever I go to eat, when I read what others post, when I cook, I always seem to have an eye on ways to make it also work well for a healthy weight. (There’s always lots of posts in draft, waiting to see daylight.)

I’m still working in the nutrition space, so as new ideas come through, I think about how they would work best in real life, and that’s the start of another idea to write about.

What am I working on?

I’m still working on a series of suggested menus for sharing food at Canberra restaurants….. Discovering Canberra’s World Food Delights with friends.

But I’m soon heading to India, with some very fine eating planned, so hope to write about enjoying all the pleasure of food travel, but only bringing back extra kilos in the luggage. (The other blog where I write about my other passion is michelesindia.wordpress.com).

I really want (need) to work on the technical aspects of blogging. There’s immense room for finessing there!!!

And I’m really loving being part of the local Canberra food blogging community who share similar passions but where everyone contributes something unique and special. I’m finding a lovely generosity, honesty and willingness to share, both of ideas and of self.

Speaking of which…two fellow Canberra foodies whom I admire and appreciate are Eileen Tang from TheFoodAvenue.com and Shari Wakefield who blogs at goodfoodweek.blogspot.com

Eileen was born in Taiwan, which she tells me is a food-obsessed country, where the national pastime is eating. (Sounds wonderful!) Her blog, TheFoodAvenue.com, is her online diary – where she documents her food adventures. She says she likes to think she’s helping her readers find the best dishes to order, but it’s really just an excuse for her to photograph and eat ALL the foods! She also likes to post about her other interests and uses her style blog section as an excuse to buy ALL the fashions!

Eileen’s posts have a precious eye for detail – just the kind of detail I love to have before I head out – what’s on the menu, cost, value for money, decor, ambience, taste, texture, visuals. Many Food Avenue posts end up on my wish-list, but even if I can’t get to them all, Eileen helps me feel like I might have already been.

Shari‘s blog is also something special. It looks beautiful and is a work of art. But it’s even more impressive, given what Shari shares about the busyness in this season of her life. It’s encouraging to me, to see Shari still sharing the joys of her life while holding down all her other busy roles.

But I’ll let Shari tell you more herself…….

‘I’m in my mid-to-late twenties and I’m on the greatest journey of all … motherhood! I have a 14 month old and am currently pregnant with my second (due in October).

GoodFoodWeek started in 2008 as a way of sharing recipes with uni friends and family who were spread near and far.

It has evolved over the years to contain my ramblings as I’ve searched for a house, planned the perfect veggie patch, stumbled through farmer’s markets with my eye half open (because you need to be there at 6am to get the fresh eggs), gathered family and friends around a shared table, laughed out loud and enjoyed life to the fullest!’

GoodFoodWeek now covers four main topics: RECIPES, GARDENING, MOTHERHOOD and LIFE.