Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Say Hello to Meandering Eats!



Cupcakes from the lovely Influx Cafe in San Diego's Golden Hill neighborhood

Well, it's been happening for a while. The changes in layout and color. The new (and intentionally temporary) header. Larger photos, better photography, and hopefully better writing. Last, but certainly not least, a new name.

This humble little piece of the interweb is now Meandering Eats.

What? Not enough fanfare?

(Note: The transition will be taking place all day today. Please bear with me as the URLs transfer and I change a bunch of little things. Definitely let me know if I missed anything!)

I've been working on this for a while, and I am really excited to switch over to a brand-new name. In many ways, it's reflective of 2011 so far. New start, new approach, new outlook.

I had been thinking of changing the name for a while. When I started Adventures of an Amateur Foodie, I intended the title to reflect my belief that a good meal can be found anywhere and I was going to chronicle the good ones in my life. "Amateur" because I was an enthusiastic student. "Foodie" because I loved food.

I'm one of those people who plan trips around where to eat. I love geeking out about techniques. I read cookbooks, for crying out loud. I eat. I eat too much for my own good. Somewhere along the way, "foodie" began to take on a negative connotation. It wasn't just about being enthusiastic or knowledgeable. Words like "sanctimonious" "fussy" "arrogant" and "obnoxious" began to be associated with it.

Whoa, there. Hang on a minute. I'd like to think (hope) that none of those words describe me. Okay, I hope they don't describe me regularly.

The name is also a mouthful. It isn't very imaginative. Based on the amount of "Adventures of..." blogs out there, it definitely isn't unique. And when the word "amateur" is in your blog's name, you are bound to receive visitors looking for, um, more prurient images. Hey, I do dabble in pictures of things that can drive one wild with desire... but not those kinds of photos!

It was when I found that someone had arrived on my blog with the keywords "amateur fat tuber" (?!) that I realized it was time for change. After Food Blog Camp, I knew it was going to happen. I was asked about my blog and my intentions for it. Actually, I was asked about my goals, to which I answered, "Ummm... med school?"

Yeah, that wasn't the answer I was supposed to give, but in thinking about the answer, I realized that I was a blogger with many hats. I want to write about the great eating in my life with fabulous photos. I post recipes, I write about restaurants, and I log my travel adventures. In the end, this is a chronicle of food. And the food comes from my kitchen, my trips, my adopted hometown, my actual hometown, my friends' kitchens, and the list goes on. My path to good food is a windy one, hence Meandering Eats was born.

The Nitty-Gritty
  • URL is changing to http://www.meanderingeats.com (the old address will redirect to it)
  • My contact information is moowiesqrd [at] meanderingeats [dot] com
  • My feed will still be done via Feedburner and the links will be updated. However, you will have to resubscribe to the new feed.
  • I am unable to switch email subscriptions over, so you'll have to resubscribe when the Meandering Eats subscription form goes up. Sorry!
  • Twitter is the same. Follow me @moowiesqrd.
  • The switchover to the new URL will finish in a few days and might have glitches, so please let me know if you encounter any problems
As Meandering Eats starts to build its own identity, look for future posts about:
  • An amazing San Diego bakery combining two wonderful things: cupcakes and beer
  • Treats I had in New Zealand, a place that holds many wonderful memories for me. I can't properly express the sorrow I feel at seeing the recent devastation in Christchurch
  • An event to combat childhood hunger while bringing together San Diego's awesome food bloggers and bakers
Please join me in spreading the word about Meandering Eats! I'm really excited about continuing to work and improve on this blog. My life has taken so many unexpected turns in the last couple of years and blogging fell by the wayside. Now, it's become a place of solace and relaxation. I have met so many awesome people and experienced so many fun things because I've been posting swill on the internet.

Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

39 bites:

moowiesqrd said...

Thanks, Julie! Hopefully we'll get a chance to hang out soon!

moowiesqrd said...

Thank you, Alisa!

moowiesqrd said...

Disqus rocks! And thanks for the comment... I'm so glad you dropped by! :)

moowiesqrd said...

I wholeheartedly agree! Thanks, Kelly!

moowiesqrd said...

Thanks, Lori!

Lori @ Recipegirl said...

Congrats- it looks great!

kellypea said...

Hearty congrats to you! It looks fabulous. My site is always in transition, and I actually enjoy it. Let's face it -- it has to feel good to exist in a place that at least reflects something about us, right?

Jun Belen said...

A belated congratulationss on your blog relaunch! It looks pretty. Love the clean look and blue logo! Here's to more delicious eats!!

P.S. Isn't Disqus cool? Love the Reactions below.

Alisa said...

I love the changes you made to your blog Marie. Congrats, it looks really wonderful! Cheers to meandering eats!

vincent said...

Hello

We bumped into your blog and we really liked it - great recipes YUM YUM.
We would like to add it to the Petitchef.com.

We would be delighted if you could add your blog to Petitchef so that our users can, as us,
enjoy your recipes.

Petitchef is a french based Cooking recipes Portal. Several hundred Blogs are already members
and benefit from their exposure on Petitchef.com.

To add your site to the Petitchef family you can use http://en.petitchef.com/?obj=front&action=site_ajout_form or just go to Petitchef.com and click on "Add your site"

Best regards,

Vincent
petitchef.com

Damaris said...

It does look awesome. Good job.

Julie M. said...

It looks awesome! You've really done a great job of rebranding yourself. Hello Meandering Eats! :)

moowiesqrd said...

Yay! I'm so glad to hear that... thank you, David!

moowiesqrd said...

Awesome! Thanks for dropping by!

moowiesqrd said...

Thanks! Influx is one of the better cupcakeries in San Diego, methinks. Their red velvet is delicious!

Moowiesqrd said...

Thanks! The cupcakes were delightful... Influx is one of the better cupcakeries in San Diego, methinks.

David said...

Love the new look..so clean and beautiful! : )

leanne said...

Yay! That's an exciting announcement! (and tasty looking cupcakes, too)

moowiesqrd said...

Thanks, Kate! I seriously wondered about that search term for a while. And the beer... the best San Diego has to offer. ;) Hope you're doing well!

moowiesqrd said...

You're probably one of the few readers that's followed me from the early days. :) Thank you so much!

moowiesqrd said...

A g&t dedication to me? *bow, bow* Awesome! Love you, too!

moowiesqrd said...

Me, too, Amber. Me, too. :)

moowiesqrd said...

Yay! Thanks, Fran!

Kate said...

Good for you Marie. The blog looks great and I love the reasoning behind the change. Had to laugh at the search terms "amateur fat tuber". Very nice light in your beer pictures too...

Dennis said...

Great new look Marie! Looking forward to your future posts!

Aimee said...

HURRAH MARIE! It looks awesome! Love the new header. It's such a fresh, new beginning for you - can't wait to see how you decide to take it going forward. I dedicate tonight's gin and tonic to you! Love you, lady! Keep it up!

Amber said...

Oh boy! So excited about this new adventure! :)

Frantasticfood said...

Congrats on the new name! It's great. I am adding this to my reader now. :)

moowiesqrd said...

Thanks, CC! I appreciate it!

caninecologne said...

Hi there! Love the new blog and title! I already change the link on my blog! :) Looking forward to your posts...

moowiesqrd said...

Thanks, Sally! Good luck with yours!

moowiesqrd said...

Right? I was at the point where I was really disliking my blog's name. This works a lot better for me.

moowiesqrd said...

Thanks, Darlene!

moowiesqrd said...

Do it! :) I found that taking one step at a time was key, so I made little changes until I was ready to switch the name.

Mary said...

Congrats on the change! I've been thinking about changing the name of my blog, too, but haven't really put the thought or effort into it. You may inspire me to actually do it now!

Darlene said...

Yay Marie! It looks good. Can't wait to read more.

elizabeth_TMFP said...

I like it! I like the new header very much and getting rid of the "foodie" (not that I think you embody any of the negative traits, but this is a more dynamic name).

Sally said...

Marie, I love your new look and title! I know it's a lot of work but I think you will be happy with the changes (mine is still a huge work in progress, not nearly as far along yet). I look forward to reading more. I am signing up right now to all your new addresses.

Jennifurla said...

I have just stumbled upon you! Great blog...look forward to reading more.

39 bites