First 'Catering' Order!

Tweet

As I went to create this post, I realized this is my 500th blog post on this blog: how incredible! And about something so neat too! This blog has been so great to me -- I've used it to vent, reflect, share... and so much more! Some things are just better expressed written, don't you think?

Now onto the post itself...

So earlier today, I had my first small "catering" order picked up. Perhaps, it will be the start of something? I love cooking, so this was a fun experience. Who knows, maybe sometime in the future "What's for Dinner" may lead to something so much more.

My friend's mom placed an order of a few different things, and I'll admit: I was excited and nervous at the same time. Cooking for your family/friends is one thing, but there is added pressure when you are being paid to do it. Suddenly, there are expectations. You know what I mean? It's not just experimenting in the kitchen to see what/how the end result will be. It's don't mess up someone else's dinner. When I go out to restaurants, I expect my food to be a certain way [and don't like to be disappointed]. I don't want to disappoint either.

As I was thinking of my favorite dishes to make, I realized something-- a lot of the things I make are best served fresh. Isn't that the case for most meals? How does one go about using that in the catering world? Dishes just aren't the same after a while, even if they are reheated. I feel like that will be a challenge for the perfectionist in me.

I guess in that sense, desserts are so much easier. Some get better as they sit, others can be refrigerated  There are options to work with. Yes, there are desserts that need to be eaten warm, etc. but you aren't limited.

I can't end this post without thanking my friend Maria. I've had so many people encourage me to advertise and start a home-based catering service for so long, and I have always been so hesitant. This may have just been the push I needed. If it is, indeed, the start of something more -- I hope all those that have encouraged me so far will keep me humble... and be the constant reminder to me, that first and foremost: this is something I like doing.

It's personal first. Business second.

Blogger App

Tweet

I am not sure when it happened, but Blogger finally has an app for the iPhone!

Maybe (probably not) it is just what I need to start blogging more frequently again.

From time to time, I used to continuously check to see if Blogger came out with an official app, and then gave up on it. Much to my surprise tonight, as I was searching through apps on my iPhone, I found the Blogger app!

I just installed it and am actually using the app to write out this post to test it out.


P.S. Don't forget to leave me a comment below on your thoughts! As always, I'd love to hear from you.

A-Z Blog Challenge

Tweet

Me, being the big blogging procrastinator I am (I still have half written drafts yet to be published from months ago), signed up for the A-Z Challenge a few days ago spontaneously.

Why, you ask? I'm not sure myself. It might be exactly what I need to get back to blogging more often. Either that, or make me never want to write another blog post in my life. We'll see.

What is it? Bloggers participating are supposed to post something on their respective blog every day in April except for Sundays.  In doing this you will have 26 blog posts--one for each letter of the alphabet and each day your post is supposed to involve the letter of the alphabet for that day.

Will I really post every day for a month? We'll see. I hope so!

I think the biggest challenge for me (even more than actually posting everyday) will be keeping the integrity of my blog already. As in, not to just post for the heck of posting... but to have blog posts that actually make sense and seem as if I would have written them anyways.

Are you participating?

By the way, is it a bad sign that I still don't know what I'm writing about for tomorrow?

 P.S. Don't forget to leave me a comment below on your thoughts! As always, I'd love to hear from you.

Bloggerversary

Tweet

When I started blogging three years ago, I wasn't sure how much (or how often) I would actually end up blogging, how consistent I would be, or whether it would end up being just another one of those short lived things.

But looking back and seeing the 300 posts I've written in 3 years, I am quite happy (and surprised) that I've stuck with it.

Writing has always been a way for me to get things out of my system, and it's been a great way to keep track of what's going on in my life and around me. From time to time, it's neat to go back and reflect on what I had written about at any given time... which was a huge part of why I started blogging in the first place.

I wonder what the next three years will bring...

Do you blog? What's your main reason for blogging?


 P.S. Don't forget to leave me a comment below on your thoughts! As always, I'd love to hear from you.

Blogger Uncovered

Tweet

I'm currently being featured in the Blogger Uncovered segment by Adori Graphics.

Head over by clicking here to read my answers (to the questions asked by her readers)!

Is there anything YOU want to ask me? Leave a comment on this post with questions, and I'll answer them soon.


 P.S. Don't forget to leave me a comment below on your thoughts! As always, I'd love to hear from you.

International Women's Day

Tweet

When you think about it,

it wasn't too long ago when women couldn't vote.
it wasn't too long ago when women didn't have the opportunity to be educated.
it wasn't too long ago when women couldn't work (and when they did, it was under horrible conditions).
it wasn't long ago when there were unfair hiring practices, and NO paid maternity leave and affordable child care available.
it wasn't long ago when it was legal for employers to pay a women less than a man for the same work.


BUT, we still have a long way to go!

These issues are just a few issues from a LARGE spectrum of issues women continue to face everyday.



P.S. Don't forget to leave me a comment below on your thoughts! As always, I'd love to hear from you.

School Lunch Project

Tweet

I just found this blog via twitter, and it's definitely a blog of interest. It's a teacher who plans to eat school lunches every school day in 2010. She makes a note of what she ate that day and adds a photo in her daily blog posts as a part of her 'School Lunch Project'.


She says:

It's very challenging to teach students when they are eating school lunches that don't give them the nutrition they need and deserve. Oftentimes what is served barely passes muster as something edible. And after a meal high in sugar and fat and low in fiber, they then must pay attention in a classroom.

From what I can remember from when we were in school, most of the food was junk. Fries and pizza were what was considered to be a 'lunch meal' daily for most students. Worse, when students got tired of that - they resorted to cookies instead to change up the pace.

It's no wonder students have a hard time concentrating. I like this teacher's idea... what a creative way to get a sense of what's going on.




P.S. Don't forget to leave me a comment below on your thoughts! As always, I'd love to hear from you.

New Blog Layout

Tweet

On a much brighter note, Louise at Adori Graphics designed a new look for my blog. She installed it for me this morning and it turned out great! She was great to work with, and really captured 'me' well. Thanks Louise!

I really liked my old design as well, but I had had that for a while and was ready for a change.

So, what do you guys think?

Um, Why Does This Guy Speak Better Urdu Than Me?

Tweet

I came across this blog yesterday and I was hooked. Like I have been constantly reading it every chance I get and will probably be done catching up on all the past posts by tomorrow (even though I should be reading for classes...). It's written by an American women who is married to a Pakistani guy who is narrating her experiences. Some are HILARIOUS observations, others are explanations of her different experiences, but most of all - all of them are honest insights on how this women sees it.

It's so neat to read from the perspective of someone from the outside looking in and thinking oh-so-many-times 'I know what she means' and 'haha, she's so right about that'. I mean, even though we live in the United States (and lived in and grew up in Canada before), we have still lived this life style from day one in some senses... this women came into it a few years ago - so she notices things a lot more.

Anyhow, here I am enjoying reading her old posts, and I get to one where she links to the video below where an American speaks such clear Urdu that it is ridiculous. Not to mention, embarrassing for me!  Urdu is my native language yet  there are times I have to think in my head (or out loud) for what the correct terminology would be in Urdu for the phrase I'm thinking of in English. Or half way through a sentence in Urdu, I'll find myself suddenly and automatically speaking in English. I was in awe of how well this man - this foreigner- could speak it with such great stamina, pronunciation and whatnot!

Here's the video:




P.S. Don't forget to leave me a comment below on your thoughts! As always, I'd love to hear from you.