Wednesday, February 5, 2014

I've fallen out of love with my blog,
but can we still be friends?



Dear readers. I wonder how many of you still exist.

I am so sorry for my extended absence. I honestly feel quite supremely terrible for abandoning this blog without any explanation. Even knowing that my blog is just one of millions that fade away every day, I still feel I owe an apology to the empty space out there for dropping off the grid.

I can't believe it's only been a year since I started this blog – it feels like a hundred years (and at least ten years since my last post). It may seem like eons ago, but I still remember how insanely ecstatic I was about creating a new space to share my exploration of Greek vegetarian cooking. The blog gave me a real purpose and enormous enjoyment cooking, photographing and writing about every recipe. It was also really nice to tell you some of the stories about my Greek background, and my connection and love for the island of Limnos.

I’ve truly been amazed by the support both the blog and Facebook page have received – it’s wonderful to know so many people around the world love not only Greek food, but Greek Vegetarian food.

But in recent months, for a variety of reasons, my desire to blog has waned. To be quite honest, I’m actually not very good at blogging. I like to cook but I’m definitely no chef, so it takes me half the day to prepare a dish. I’m an okay photographer but I’m very slow at that too – it takes me another half day to style the shot, photograph and edit the images.

However the one thing I really struggle with, is writing. I love to write, but it can take me FOR EVER to write and edit a post for the blog. And my posts are by no means perfect. I am such a slow writer you could read War and Peace in the time it takes me to write my opening paragraph.

Needless to say, putting a post together for this blog is always an epic task for me.

But I didn’t mind at first. I had all the time in the world when I first started this blog – I’d just lost my full-time job and was itching for something to do to fill my days while I looked for work. My time was completely consumed with blogging and reading other people’s blogs. Every minute of every day I was obsessed with the world of blogging.

Being a vegetarian and living with a guy who’s not is hard enough, but when Tony made the radical but necessary decision (for health reasons) to go on a life-long low-carb diet a year ago, it didn’t give us much choice but to fend for ourselves when it came to meal times.

Our eating choices are so polarised you’d think we were from different planets. As you can imagine, motivation levels to cook and eat together are pretty low, which is a real shame as cooking together was something we both really enjoyed in the past.

So with no one to cook for but myself and the blog, I didn't really have any compelling reasons to get experimental in the kitchen. Spending half a day cooking something that I wouldn't normally cook for myself wasn't doing it for me anymore. And to be honest, the meals I do usually cook for myself really aren’t all that blog-worthy.

And then work got out of control.

When word got around that I was looking for freelance work I started getting a few jobs here and there, but before too long, a few jobs exploded into full-time work again. Even while we were on holiday in Greece last year I had work coming out of my ears which was great, but left me without much leisure time and eventually no time at all to spend on a blog that I was already falling out of love with.

But this is not good bye.

The passion for my blog may have subsided but there’ll always be a flame in my heart for cooking, photography and everything Greek. I know that at some stage my work will lessen and there will be days when I’ll be wanting to come back to the blog with my tail between my legs. I'm sure that flame will reignite from time to time and I’ll be burning to write another post for the blog. Even if there’s no one left to read my posts, it’s nice to know the blog will always be here waiting for me to come back to it one day.

So the Greek Vegetarian blog isn't going anywhere, it’s just that I won’t be updating it all that often. The recipes will always be here, as will the photos and stories of Limnos. And I truly hope that there is enough content here that will still be of interest to anyone that might come across these pages.

I don't know when I'll be back. I might try for a Greek Easter post since I completely neglected to cover that monumental event last year. Or perhaps I'll rope Tony into doing Meat Free Week again and write about that. But until then, I just want to thank you all for reading my posts and especially for all your wonderful comments.

This is not good bye – it is only "Ta leme argotera".

In the meantime, I hope we can still be friends :)

Lisa xxx


45 comments:

  1. Congrats on all the work! I completely understand the losing-blogging-mojo. I started my blog with the intention of veganising Greek recipes. But then I found that I was pretty much cooking for myself and it was kinda frustrating to go to all the trouble (in my case, with awful photos!). And then of course there was wanting to get a recipe correct enough to put on the blog. Not only that but my eating has changed, so I'm not really keen on trialing a few karithopitas or revani cakes-- I would end up eating it all and that's so not what I want!

    Keep us updated on Limnos, I really enjoy those posts. And if you go to any veg restaurants, let us know!

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    1. Thanks veganopoulous (have I ever told you how much I love your name?). It's good to know I'm not the only one having a bit of a blogging mojo-fizzle. We are going to Limnos again this year, in July, and I'll be sure to write about our adventures on the blog, with pics of course :). And hey yeah, funny you should mention veg restaurants – I've been investigating options in Athens and it's looking promising! So yes, I think I'll have to make a special effort to write a review or two here. Thanks veegs for being such a great supporter of my blog :)

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    2. No problem, you're very welcome!

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  2. Hi Lisa, I have lost the mojo for my blog as well , and hoping it comes back soon. Like you wrote it takes a lot to prepare, write, photograph an entry .... kudos to people who do it on a daily basis. Have you considered Instagram, you can easily post a picture , with a very very short comment , if at all , and still keep in touch with your followers . No recipes needed , a photo as they way is worth a thousand words. Think about it ☺

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    1. Oh I agree gourmet goddess, those people who blog every day are absolute troopers. Even if they’re getting paid to do it, coming up with fresh ideas every day aint easy! I love the idea of Instagram but I have the oldest phone in the universe and the camera on it is total rubbish. But I know what you’re saying. Communication with followers needn’t be an epic 18-paragraph post every time. Perhaps I should just upgrade my phone.. Thanks GG :)

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  3. I discovered your blog this past summer and love the variety of recipes as well as your wonderful travelogues and insights! As a vegetarian, you have opened my knowledge of Greek cooking with so many possibilities that I did not know existed and could not find elsewhere!

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    1. Hi Victor, thanks so much for your comment. I am really pleased that you’ve found some inspiration here. It never ceases to amaze me the number of people that keep finding my blog! I hope your exploration of Greek vegetarian cooking continues :) And hopefully I’ll be back here one day with some new recipes..

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  4. Thank you for taking the time to write such an articulate explanation. I've shared your blog with friends, been inspired by the posts and loved the photos. Being in the northern hemisphere, I'm working my way through some of the warming winter recipes and will continue to come back to try more of the rest. Best wishes for the future.

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    1. Thank you, KMSC, for taking the time to read my post without judgement. I hope you continue to enjoy the recipes and photos here and perhaps by the time Spring comes around in your part of the world I’ll have gotten over this silly phase!

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  5. Doing something indefinitely with the same joy and gusto we started out with is pretty unrealistic methinks. No matter what we do or who we are, sooner or later the impetus for whatever we were doing, wanes. This is life and in that sense, very natural. When our spirit calls us to begin adventuring in another direction, and if we are true to ourselves, we follow our bliss. :-)

    I suspect that when and if you have something to write about again it will come from the heart and therefore, it will surely be of interest to your greek-vegetarian food recipe followers. I, for one, will remain connected to your blog and should you post something again in the future, whether near or far, it will at that time wing it's way merrily into my mailbox in minutes, and I will be most happy to read your carefully crafted insights and to take-in the photographic scenery you painstakingly add to the mix.

    Catch ya later, Lisa!

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    1. Oh Demitra, what beautiful words you write. You bring a tear to my eye. Being true to ourselves and following our hearts is so important. My heart is spread among many things right now but I am sure I will fall for this blog again one day :)

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  6. Lisa, You make me smile. I started a blog (that I'm just beginning to get out there) last summer and STILL don't post daily. I like to think of it as something worth looking at when there's an event, thought or recipe compelling enough to put up for scrutiny. Strangely enough, I seem to have gathered a following in Europe. Not my expected target, but they make me happy. So, whenever you post, I'm here looking forward to hearing from you next time. So relax and do it your way!

    Stef

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    1. Thanks Stef, you’re right – keeping posts relevant and compelling and not just posting for the sake of it is the key to successful blogging. It’s amazing where the followers come from, isn’t it? A European following, hey? Many Greeks? :)

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  7. Oh, I'm so sad to hear this, but I definitely understand! And I kind of expected it after your posts slowed down. I'm glad you won't be taking your blog down altogether because I still need to work my way through your recipes. :) Your blog has really been one of my favorites this past year (and I read a lot of blogs, so I don't say that lightly!), but if your heart's not in it, it's silly to force yourself to do something you don't enjoy. I hope you keep in touch and stop in with a new recipe now and then!

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    1. Kiersten, you’re one of my favourite bloggers too. I’m a HUGE fan of yours. It still humbles me to think someone from the U.S. with such a massive following stops by and comments on my little blog. You are such a star and I’ve always admired your dedication to your work and genuine interest in communicating with your followers. Thanks for all the inspiration I gained from you and I hope that next time you visit to try one of my recipes, I’ll have posted a new one :)

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  8. Its so nice to see you back. I was sad that shortly after I discovered your blog, you stopped posting. As a person that is both Greek and a vegetarian, I had a huge connection with your blog and was so excited to see what you created. My boyfriend is also a meat-eater (and a veggie hater) so we almost never cook together, but that gives me the opportunity to REALLY experiment with food. I can add anything, and not have to worry about him not liking it. I also am not the greatest cook (I make the most basic of foods), photographer, or writer. Sometimes I too want to give up on my blog. But I do enjoy collecting and sharing vegetarian recipes. I really hope you keep posting. Even if you think your food, or photos, or writing isn't the best, all of your followers would love to see it! Good luck with tall of your future endeavors (which hopefully include blogging!).

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    1. Hey Little Monster, oh what bad timing for me to be fading off into the sunset just as you’ve discovered my blog! It’s so rare to meet other Greek vegetarians and it’s wonderful to know that you found such a connection with my blog. But like I said, it’s not good bye. I know I’ll be back one day and perhaps, like you, I will find a way to turn having a meat-eating boyfriend into a positive thing, and just go wildly experimental in the kitchen :)

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  9. I discovered your blog last year a few months before visiting Greece. It has been very inspiring to learn that greek food can be enjoyed by vegetarians. I will miss your posts but hopefully we will still hear from you from time to time especially during your greek trip this year. Good luck and remember, we'll be waiting. Kerry

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    1. Well that’s the wonderful thing about Greece, Kerry. It’s such a beautiful, inspiring country – I’m sure all I need to do to get my "kefi" back is to go back to Limnos :).

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  10. I'm glad this isn't goodbye, Lisa. I love your blog, I think you have something really special to share. I hope the break gives you a renewed blog passion and we see you again soon! x

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    1. Oh thank you Tara, I really appreciate your sweet words. I hope a break is all I need too :) And a break from work would be nice too, haha!!

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  11. I will miss your blog posts so much. You always had the most beautiful photos and seemed to post so often, so I can understand why you would find it all too much. I find I can only blog once a week, I have to keep the photos simple (with a point and shoot camera) and really keep the food connected to what I am cooking and eating to be able to maintain my blog with any kind of sanity. I hope you can find a way to share your food with us occasionally and most of all I hope you and Tony find food you can both share and enjoy.

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    1. Thank you Elizabeth :). I love your blog, and your pictures are pretty good for a point and shoot you know! You are right about keeping it real and connected. Maybe all I need to do is to rethink the way I see my blog – as another one of my favourite bloggers (Caitlin from Vegan Chickpea) once said, “we create these boundaries on something that doesn’t require boundaries at all”. Thank you also for your well wishes for Tony and I to find a common ground in the kitchen again :)

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  12. oh lisa, i love you! i can completely understand where you are coming from, i was there in september and october. if i never changed my blog to encompass more of my day to day life, it would absolutely not exist anymore.

    i love this space, and even if you post once a year, i'd be happy to still hear from you and read whatever you have to say. i'm actually just like you- i make two different meals for my husband and i every night since we have such different tastes, i almost always eat things that are not blogworthy, and i'm very slow when it comes to cooking, photographing, editing, and writing. blogging takes so much time.

    anyway, thank you for this post as i've been wondering about you, my friend <3

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    1. You're so gorgeous Caitlin. I know you went through a similar phase with your blog last year and I love that you came through knowing that taking a different direction was all you needed. I'm sure I will be drawn back to blogging sooner or later, perhaps with a new direction, or maybe in the same format – it might take until our next trip to Greece to get inspired again, but I know I'll be back one day :) Thanks for all your support and kind words Caitlin xx

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  13. Lisa, We will all be here whenever you may be inspired to post in the future. I can only imagine how daunting and all-consuming trying to maintain a daily blog can be! Mine are finite, restricted to telling the story of a particular trip. With a definitive beginning and end, it makes it a fun project. But there is no way I could maintain it on a daily, or even weekly! I have enjoyed your photos and stories and wish you the best in all your future endeavors.

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    1. Thanks for your kind words Melinda. You’re right about it being easier to work on a project that has a beginning and an end, and blogging about a holiday can be a lot of fun. Tony and I are going to Limnos again in a few months so I’m sure that will provide plenty of project-style blogging inspiration for me!

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  14. Ha!! And I am just about to write a post about your delightful 'briam' that you so nicely shared last year some time…..or perhaps the year before? No matter, we enjoyed that meal over and over again last summer when my garden was producing ALL the necessary ingredients! (ok not the olive oil but all else!)
    And now, it's that time of the year again when the eggplant, basil and tomatoes are lush and ripe and I am looking for simple easy dinners for my clan. I'm about to write a blog post linking to your recipe and I am pleased to see that you are still leaving it all here for us more culinarily challenged folks to view!!
    All the best in your new endeavours and thanks for all the effort that you put into these recipes that you shared in such a delightful manner. I will continue to get inspiration from them, I'm sure!

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    1. Thanks so much Evi, it’s wonderful to know you are so inspired by the recipes here. I really hope I can find the time to add some more recipes here one day because I certainly do have a lot more up my sleeve! And yes, Briam is a huge staple in our home too :)

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  15. As I LOVE Greece and Greek food, I was exstatic when I found your blog. I'm happy to have it as a refference and I'm hoping that you'll return with passion one day soon. Until then all the best.

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    1. Hi Deborah, thanks for your lovely comment. I hope to return here again some day too :)

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  16. We can, and we are! :-)

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    1. Thanks Shvetha! Hope all’s well in your part of the world :)

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  17. Hi Lisa. I just wanted to say your blog has been very useful in extending my last year Greek holidays way beyond the vacation. Thanks a lot for your fabulous recipes, especially the false meat balls and pumpkin and feta croquettes! I was secretly hoping you would post a recipe for zucchini and feta croquettes as well... :) All the best to you! Anna

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    1. Oh and I DO have a recipe for zucchini and feta croquettes Anna! If (when!) I return to the blog, I will make sure I post the recipe for them :)

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  18. Lisa, I have thoroughly enjoyed every single post and definitely still want to be friends!
    With love, Rachael

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    1. Aww thanks Rachael, that’s really sweet. I am still thoroughly enjoying your blog, especially your macarons :) xx

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  19. Thank you for posting so many plant-based recipes - good for our health and our beautiful planet!

    blog : global vegan fare

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  20. Hi Lisa. I've only just stumbled onto your blog tonight. I'm a long-time vegetarian but have rarely attempted to cook Greek dishes. I'm looking forward to trying some of your recipes. Thanks for all of the effort you've put into your blog.

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    1. Hello Jenny! Oh I’m sorry you found my blog in such an ‘unloved’ state! But glad you found it anyway :) Hopefully I’ll learn to love it again and will be back with another post soon.

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  21. Just found your blog today. I was thrilled to see how you adapted some great greek recipes. I am going to try your sifado tonight

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    1. Wow, I can’t believe people are still finding my blog after not posting for so long. I’m really pleased you’re going to try the mushroom stifado Barbara. It’s a really lovely heart-warming stew.

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  22. and then yes..a diet full of fruits and vegetables is great for that matter..strong-tasting fruits like pineapple or strawberries are the best.

    ειδησεισ τωρα ελλαδα

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