Recap ~ Best of 2012

I am back to do one of my favorite round up, Best of year 2012. It's wonderful to catch up with what the bloggers have been doing the year that passed, be it either the delicious recipes, beautiful presentation with drool worthy pictures. One major aspect of food blogging that has grown tenfold, would be the quality of pictures that are been shared. Gone are days when one takes forever to learn about great pictures. The blogs that have sprung during the recent times, have great pictures and you can loose yourself in the way they appeal to you.

It's been a tradition doing this event, where I get to read the wonderful experience bloggers who send in their recap.

First to send in was Champa, my wonderful friend from Versatile Kitchen. Seeing her recap, I almost thought she a year long bakeathon! She highlights those recipes that were popular in each of the month. And the list is great list of recipes that you can surely attempt! I could see many that I can bookmark.

Then you have Usha from Veg Inspiration, contemplating on the year that passed away quite quickly. I had the same feeling as well. Though I remembered and thought of making the best of each day as it passed, the days flew. Though her blogging had been sporadic, nevertheless she has made up her mind to be more regular. Looking forward to her blogging more!

Another blogger whose recap I eagerly look forward is Graziana from Erbe in cucina. She always makes sure she sends in her recap. She does a very pretty collage of all the dishes/posts that she did over the year. If you are interested in gardening, this is one blog you should surely check out.

Next was from Rajani, my BM member. As I always enjoy her BM Posts, this was no less. She is witty and humorous and the humour comes across effortless. Reading her posts I always think why I don't write so witty. Read on to know what she was doing the year that went by, with pretty pictures that brighten the post so well..

Another blogger who never misses doing a recap for me, is Priyanka of Asan Khana. She is one happy person seeing all her resolutions for the year 2012 were met. Now I wish I could say the same..:)

Pavani sends in her collection of beautiful pictures and posts that made it to the top last year. Her pictures always makes me want to grab them right off the screen. It was wonderful reading her post and looking at those delicious pictures again.

For a person who started during January of last year, Preeti has surely come a long way in terms of the number of recipes.. She has actively been participating in many blogospere events. She comes up with a variety of dishes for a person who is still in college!

Another person who never misses to be part of this event, is Jaya of Spice and Curry. She just manages to do a recap, which listed some very pretty pictures. I surely want to try some of them myself.

Next comes a wonderful account from PJ, who gives such a detail account on how each post were received. It's always good to check out a blog that's very versatile in so many recipes.

And finally from me, my own collection of dishes and emotions that played high during the year that went by. I hope I get to do much more this year in terms of learning and doing things different.

I hope you enjoyed reading all the entries. Do take time to drop in a word at their spaces!

Memories the Essence of Life ~ Best of 2012!

It’s again that time of the year when you take a moment to ponder on what’s been and what’s to happen. As cliched as it may sound, the year again passed off very quickly. One of the main changes was my boys going to primary school, with it came so many changes that we had to take care of. With so many projects that they were given, which quite literally meant I sit up doing those work. It has been quite challenging and quite depressing as well, as I always end up doing the work at the last moment.

On the blogging front, I have been quite active in Spice your Life!, with Blogging Marathon keeping me going. I have literally racked and tortured my brain to come up with themes that were challenging for my members. More than my own challenging themes, I have been left with a sense of awe, seeing how well they came up with different recipes, meeting the theme requirement.

I started the year with the usual Sankranti special recipes, then went on to do some Melas like Chocolate Mela, Kabab Mela,, Indian Thali Mela, Cookie Mela, 30 Minutes Meal Mela which has been so wonderful. I had infact planned to make an eBook with the Thali Mela details, which is a work in progress.

I ended up doing Party Menu themes, which were so appreciated and asked for more.  In July, my parents left to visit my brother. That almost squeezed the interest I had in making anything new. I had to really struggle to meet my BM requirement.

With all the pressure I felt with no cause, I was determined that I should do Navratri Pooja for all ten days. So along with doing BM, I was planning for elaborate menus for the ten day long pooja. On the whole I was so happy that I finally managed to make it.

While all these were happening, on health wise I faced enforced bed rest twice this year. I had to really come in terms with these unexpected emergencies and forced to realize how we take the life so easy. I was determined that I should make the best of every moment. I started doing things that I might otherwise never do, as I never give time for those things. I was feeling so much better, knowing I had enjoyed life in the process.

On the whole, it’s been a year of perceptive inner thinking, making me want to look at things closer and find more meaning for doing what we are doing.

I do not have loftier things for next year planned. I would again want to take time to spend in every aspect of my day, filling it with things that make sense and meaning. Plan and make dishes that I have always wanted. I actually like the way I plan my BM, going through lists and arriving at recipes that meet the theme and also makes me more creative. That way I end up trying out all those bookmarked recipes, always forgotten.

I am never good at making resolutions. I always think, make a resolution, and break it at the earliest. So why even waste time wanting and planning to do something that I might never do.

However, being disciplined and systematic is something that’s innate to me, so will be doing whatever that will give me more experience and enjoyment in the process.

Here’s wishing all my readers a great year ahead and I hope to bring and share more joy from my Kitchen. 

As always this is for my Best of the Year 2012 Event.

Announcing the "Best of year 2012" Event!

However cliched it has been, let me repeat once again. The year has been so quick, yet so eventful. As we move on to the last month that makes up 2012, I take a moment to think back and ponder. Though I have been consistent in blogging over Spice your Life blog with Blogging Marathon, this space surely missed some action interim. 

I would surely want to think back and see how each month went by and what new dish I made that endeared to my family.

Keeping with the tradition, I would like to invite others who would want to take a moment off and look back and rejoice at what's been.

It can also be whatever else you want to share with me and your readers.

I am just giving few items for you to get started. It can be these or whatever you want to share:

1. Top 5 or 10 recipes of the year
2. Best dish of the month
3. Best recipe prepared from other blogs
4. Best Meal of the year
5  New things discovered in the year (can include anything related to cooking)
6. Best post or picture for each month or year
7. New blogs discovered
8. Cooking resolutions for the Year 2013!

Lets celebrate the new year with a recap of what we did during 2012!

Guidelines for the event.

1. Write your post by 31st December 2012.
2. Please use to the logo to spread the event.

3. In your post, include a link to this announcement.

4. Mail me your details to cooking4allseasons@gmail.com with the subject line "Best of 2012".

 

I hope you will enjoy doing this recap. 

 

Hoping to read the many wonderful things that happened around!

If you have time, do check out my best of the year posts that I did in the past - 2007, 2008,  2009, 2010 , and 2011 here.