blog mentoring Archives - Dine and Dish Food blog with family recipes Fri, 08 Oct 2021 10:26:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.dineanddish.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/cropped-DineandDish_Favicon-150x150.jpg blog mentoring Archives - Dine and Dish 32 32 Building a Blogging Community (Recipe: Banana Bread) https://www.dineanddish.net/building-a-blogging-community-recipe-banana-bread/ https://www.dineanddish.net/building-a-blogging-community-recipe-banana-bread/#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:26:26 +0000 https://www.dineanddish.net/?p=1327 I have been blogging for almost four years now, and while I am no expert at all to food blogging, I have seen a lot of things as the food blogging niche has completely exploded into something beyond belief. When I first started blogging, there was a small, intimate handful of us. Now, there are...

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The best banana bread recipe - creates a moist, tender loaf of flavorful banana bread!

I have been blogging for almost four years now, and while I am no expert at all to food blogging, I have seen a lot of things as the food blogging niche has completely exploded into something beyond belief. When I first started blogging, there was a small, intimate handful of us. Now, there are more food blogs than any one person can keep track of… it has gotten quite insane!

What I have noticed over the years, however, is there seems to be two different groups of bloggers. Neither “type” of blogger is good or bad… there are just two totally different philosophies on how they will build their blog.

One type of blogger is the blogger who is all about growth and development of their blog. It is all business and getting to the top of the mountain with ultimate success and financial reward as their main motivation. They are not in it to build friendships. They are not in it to assist others. They are in it for themselves and to become a brand name in food blogging. They believe the information they have is proprietary and they don’t really want to share their blogging tips, photography tips, etc. because it might help to make someone more successful than them. Twitter and other social media outlets are used as a marketing tool versus a chance to engage with others. This isn’t saying that they aren’t nice and kind… there are many bloggers who fall into this category who are some of the nicest people in the world. Their motivation when it comes to blogging is just purely business.

The other type of blogger is the one who thrives on building a community of people to help and support each other with their blogging efforts. They rally around each other, celebrate successes, promote each others blog posts, and do not see the other bloggers as competition. They look at working mostly with PR companies and brands that want long term, mutual relationship.  Their first thought isn’t “what’s in it for me” but instead “what’s in it for us”? Sure, it may take them longer to make it to the top of the mountain, but more than likely they won’t be standing there alone…they’ll have a support network of people they’ve built relationships with standing around them cheering them on.

One of my personal goals with blogging is to help as many people as possible find their way along their own, authentic blogging path. This is one of the reasons why I started Adopt a Blogger a little over three years ago. I wanted people to have a person they could trust and count on to provide that sense of community in this big blogging world. Adopt a Blogger will be launching again this month with a new website and a new format! I hope, if you are new or experienced, you’ll join me in building up our blogging community.

I am also excited to announce that I will be speaking about the value of building a blogging community at the BlogHer Food 2010 Conference in San Francisco. I’ll be on a panel with some bloggers that I truly admire: Elise from Simply Recipes, Ree from The Pioneer Woman and Alaina Browne of Serious Eats (I know… pinch me now. I am so lucky to be paired with such a great group of talented ladies!)

So with that, I leave you with this thought (and a link to a killer banana bread recipe from Simply Recipes). What kind of blogger are you? Do the actions you do everyday in regards to your blog speak volumes to the world about how you want to be perceived as a blogger?

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]]> https://www.dineanddish.net/building-a-blogging-community-recipe-banana-bread/feed/ 108 Ask a Blogger and Menu Plan Monday (Recipe: Special Spinach Salad) https://www.dineanddish.net/ask-a-blogger-and-menu-plan-monday-recipe-special-spinach-salad/ https://www.dineanddish.net/ask-a-blogger-and-menu-plan-monday-recipe-special-spinach-salad/#comments Tue, 23 Mar 2010 05:28:48 +0000 https://www.dineanddish.net/?p=1019 I’m starting a new weekly feature at Dine & Dish to go along with Adopt a Blogger. I always feel so bad when I can’t get everyone adopted out that wants to be. It is typically because they have signed up too late and matches for adopt-a-blogger had already been made. For those people, waiting...

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]]> I’m starting a new weekly feature at Dine & Dish to go along with Adopt a Blogger. I always feel so bad when I can’t get everyone adopted out that wants to be. It is typically because they have signed up too late and matches for adopt-a-blogger had already been made. For those people, waiting for the next round to come a long can mean losing out on critical mentoring they want during the first few months of blogging. Every day, I get questions from new bloggers wanting advice about this or that in regards to blogging, so I decided to start a feature here to help answer some of those pressing questions. I am in no way a blogging expert… which is why I am turning to those of you who have also been blogging for awhile to help answer the questions here in the comments section of the post. Hopefully, between us, we can help to mentor the newer bloggers who are in between rounds of Adopt-a-Blogger!

Each week I will feature questions from bloggers. If you have a question you would like answered, please email it to me at kristen <at> dineanddish <dot> net. I will post your question during one of the Ask a Blogger segments and will link back to your blog. Hopefully, we’ll get enough answers for you to help you out some!

The first question is one I get all the time…

“Posting every day on my blog is so hard to keep up with. Is it necessary to post every day? How many times is the right time to post during a week?”

My answer to this one is simple… you have to figure out a rhythm that works well for you. When I first started blogging 3 1/2 years ago, I wrote a new post every day. I soon found out that between cooking, photographing and writing a post each day, I was quickly getting burnt out. I eventually went to 3 times a week and felt like that fit what I was able to do much better and I enjoyed blogging a whole lot more. When I was posting so often blogging became more like a chore than something enjoyable. I think the key with blogging is to be consistent. If you post once a week, make it on the same day so that your readers know when they can expect to get new content from you (I know I need to practice what I preach, don’t I? 🙂 ).  Do what works for you and your readers. Is there a right or wrong answer to this question? Experienced bloggers…what do you think? I look forward to hearing what you have to say!

Now, at 11:58pm, here is my Menu Plan Monday menu for the week:

Special Spinach Salad (from my Sister-in-Law)

1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 bunch of romaine, torn
1 pkg (6 oz) fresh baby spinach
1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
3 cups shredded swiss cheese
1 med. red onion, sliced
1/2 lb. sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 can 15 oz mandarin oranges, drained

Poppy Seed Dressing:
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup canola oil
2 tsp. poppy seeds

1. In a small heavy skillet, melt sugar low heat add almonds and stir to coat. Spread onto a greased sheet of foil; break apart if necessary.
2. In a large bowl combine romaine, spinach, mushrooms, cheese, red onion bacon and oranges.
3. For dressing, in a blender, combine the vinegar, sugar , onion, mustard and salt cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream, stir in poppy seeds.
4. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sugared almonds.

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]]> https://www.dineanddish.net/ask-a-blogger-and-menu-plan-monday-recipe-special-spinach-salad/feed/ 38 Adopt-A-Blogger Adoptions https://www.dineanddish.net/adopt-a-blogger-adoptions/ https://www.dineanddish.net/adopt-a-blogger-adoptions/#comments Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:40:19 +0000 https://www.dineanddish.net/?p=386 I feel sort of like a proud mama and a matchmaker when I facilitate the Adopt a Blogger event. This year I did things a little differently. I entered everyone into an automated program that we use for drawing names at Christmas and let the little program do the match making. We are witnessing fate...

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]]> I feel sort of like a proud mama and a matchmaker when I facilitate the Adopt a Blogger event. This year I did things a little differently. I entered everyone into an automated program that we use for drawing names at Christmas and let the little program do the match making. We are witnessing fate at the hands of computers here and from the initial looks of things, I am really excited about the matches.

If you volunteered to Adopt a Blogger and your name is not on this list, please email me ASAP. I believe I got everyone who signed up under the original Adopt a Blogger post, but I have a feeling a person or two may have slipped through the cracks of a different post.

New bloggers – I had a ton of people sign up and unfortunately, had to stop accepting new bloggers because we had reached the initial limit and did not have a surplus of Veteran bloggers to adopt you all. I will make this a fairly regular event, so stay tuned to Dine & Dish for the next round!

Now without further ado, new bloggers, meet your mentors!

Just a quick reiteration of the expectations for Adopt-a-Blogger Round 2:

  • Newbies will commit to writing one post about their Veteran. Veterans will commit to doing the same. Trying a recipe out and posting this on your blog would count as well, as long as you are introducing each other and the blogs.
  • You will each add each other to your respective blogrolls.
  • Please link back to the original Adopt-a-Blogger Round 2 post when you do any Adopt-a-Blogger related posting. That way I can make mention of it here!
  • At the end of the 3 month mentoring time, where the Veteran will help the newbie find their way, I ask that the Veteran write one post linking back to this Adopt-A-Blogger post with a piece of advice for new bloggers. I also ask that the newbies write one post about what they have learned about blogging during the 3 month mentorship. Please note that by three months, I don’t mean that you have to be in constant contact with each other. Just keep in touch with each other for the three months and be available to ask/answer any questions that might pop up. The posts that you write for this piece of the Adopt a Blogger event will be included in a round-up at the end of the 3 month period.

I think that is it. Thank you so much to everyone participating this round! Have fun, keep in touch with how it is going and enjoy your new relationships!

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