11.17.2011

Inspiration (and a Giveaway!)


Blogging has been such a fun hobby that has introduced me to so many great sites. I have to say that when I first started this blog, I felt vulnerable and absolutely terrified. I didn’t even tell my friends and family about it for months, out of straight fear of rejection. Silly, I know. I turned to other blogs and sites for inspiration to get me going. After reading all of the comments that established bloggers’ posts generated and seeing their global reach, it was evident that these writers knew what they were doing and that I should continue to follow them through example.

Below is a list of the sites that I visit regularly. Some you may have heard of and some you may not have. These guys continue to inspire me to keep it real. I consider them to be incredibly successful, not because of their cookbook deals, income, or Twitter followers, but because of their dedication, honesty, and influence. I can only hope that one day my blog can be as successful as these!




Ah, does this guy have the life! David is a former pastry chef from San Francisco, who now lives in Paris as a writer. I love his candor about the ups and downs of living in Paris, and the humor he finds in difficult unforeseen adjustments, such as banking hours, cable connections, and language barriers. Living in Paris isn’t all about accordion playing and baguettes, you know. Truth be told, I secretly want David’s life. I follow his blog as he reviews Parisian wine bars and restaurants, posts delicious recipes, offers relevant travel or cooking-related advice, and gallivants around the world. He has also written six books and has more on the way. Not a bad gig, if you ask me.




Here’s another one who has it all figured out. Nicole Franzen is a Brooklyn-based food and lifestyle photographer, whose blog features fantastic photos from farms, markets, and restaurants. She also posts simple and healthy recipes that appropriately correspond with the season. Nicole is a self-proclaimed vegetable addict and loves photographing all types, which is perhaps why I love visiting her blog so often (I am completely addicted to veggies, as well). I dare you to try and find better photographs in the esteemed pages of Bon Appetit or Saveur. Although, her photos are most likely the ones in those mags anyway. Go Nicole!




If you need a good laugh and want some food porn, visit Joy’s blog, which has won possibly every blog award in the world. Joy lives in Los Angeles, where she writes her blog and highly-anticipated upcoming cookbook (Yay!). I love that her blog isn’t just all about food. Yes, she posts recipes all the time, but before she even gets around to the nitty-gritty of cooking, she often sidetracks about stories that have absolutely nothing to do with said-lemon poppy seed muffins or whatever it is she is baking that day. In her signature short sentences and witty conversational style, she is brutally honest. In one post, she talked about her disdain for bikinis: “Wait… does anyone ever feel like a babe in a bikini!? Who are these women? I bet their thighs don’t rub together…. that’s weird. My thighs rub together. It’s because I love rice pudding. Duh.” Needless to say, she’s hilarious.



Truth time. I originally wanted my blog to mirror Emily’s brilliant Cupcakes and Cashmere, which has the perfect mix of food and fashion; however, I veered away from the fashion aspect because a) it would have been a very expensive habit to maintain, and b) I can’t pose to save my life. Emily, on the other hand, manages to showcase amazing outfits without looking like a total goober. She also cooks up deliciously tempting comfort foods that make you wonder how she is able to fit into her skinny jeans the next day. A single shot of her holding a piece of candy prompts hundreds of girls to ask what shade of nail polish she is wearing. This girl has reach! Emily has a book coming out soon and I (along with zillions of other girls) absolutely cannot wait to scoop it up!



I heart Chris and Andrew from Immaculate Infatuation, a great site that reviews restaurants throughout the boroughs of New York City. Pretentious food snobs, they are not. If you want favoritism and brown-nosing, then head over to The New York Times. Otherwise, count on Chris and Andrew to be super honest about restaurants’ food, atmosphere, patrons, and value. In one of my favorite reviews, they dubbed Dos Caminos as a great place “to laugh at Euros in crazy outfits all day long.” Once I read that, they had my heart. Many friends often ask me for Manhattan restaurant recommendations since I used to live there, but I have learned to just send them directly to Immaculate Infatuation instead. It's easier that way. These guys know their stuff! Did I mention that they have their own App?



Have you ever watched a couple on TV or in a movie and wished that you could be friends with them? Jim and Pam from The Office are my TV couple of choice. For my favorite movie couple, it’s a three-way tie between Westley and Buttercup from The Princess Bride (as you wish), Edward and Kim from Edward Scissorhands (come on, free haircuts!), and Tom and Hannah from Made of Honor (have you seen his penthouse in NYC?). The blog couple that I would love to befriend is hands down Bryan and Laura DeLuca from Here, There, and Elsewhere. They are an adorable newlywed couple who recently started a blog that chronicles their once-in-a-lifetime trip throughout Europe. They post daily stories from either Laura or Bryan’s perspective, and are really honest about the trials and tribulations not only about married life, but also about international travel. Did I mention that they are hilarious? They post about Murse Mondays, where they include photos of Euro men sporting murses, aka man purses. They also share videos of Bryan’s beard growth watch and spontaneous dance parties. If you sit in a cubicle all day and want to live vicariously through them and their epic trip, visit their blog!
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There you have it. Those are the sites that I visit regularly. Did you notice a theme amongst them? Yes, that’s it – honesty. All of these writers speak from their hearts and are not trying to be something that they are not. They are, therefore, my Internet heroes and I thank them for their inspiration!

Now, it’s your turn. Do me a favor. At the end of this post, leave a comment about your favorite blogs and sites that you follow. Or, if you write a blog yourself, don’t be afraid to plug it. I would love, love, love to read it, whether it’s food-related or not. Even if your blog is just starting out and you aren’t completely sure which direction it’s going to take, I want to read it. Go ahead, self-promote. Let's boost traffic and make friends :)

But wait... THERE'S MORE! When you leave a comment, you are automatically entered in my very first giveaway! Here's your chance to win a $25 gift card from Whole Foods! That's right, you can score a sweet prize just by commenting on this post!

**** Contest is now closed. Thanks to all those who entered! ****
Here's how:

1) Simply leave a comment telling me about the blogs you follow or write yourself.


2) Follow me on Twitter and tweet this: I just entered to win a @WholeFoods gift card from @MyFareFoodie. Enter here: http://tinyurl.com/73r5t8h


3) To increase your chances of winning, leave an additional comment alerting me that you are a Twitter follower and that you have tweeted the above phrase.


Easy, right? I will announce the lucky winner on November 28th after a random drawing. Since my blog's comment form does not require you to enter your email address, be sure to check back on that day to see if you have won! Good luck!

I’ll leave you with a quote that I recently read:

“The scarier it is to hit ‘publish’ the louder the applause. Have faith in the words you write.”

Thank you for reading!!!

(P.S. I am not affiliated with Whole Foods Market in any way. I'm just a loyal and far-too-frequent customer)

38 comments:

Kristin Tracz said...

love your blog chrissy! way to get out there, and keep it coming xooxox

Anne M. said...

Chrissy, you KNOW I LOVE your blog! I'm also a huge Joy fan!

Anonymous said...

My blog is sassyagapi.blogspot.com
A few blogs I like, besides yours, are mybigfatgreekmove.blogspot.com

buildingtheblocks.blogspot.com

cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com

theglamandglitter.com

mylittleexpatkitchen.blogspot.com

AubreyLaine said...

I follow lots of home decor blogs!
littlegray88 at yahoo dot com

AubreyLaine said...

I tweeted about your giveaway!
littlegray88 at yahoo dot com

kaw said...

I love My Fare Foodie! So fresh and fun and inspiring - I can't get enough!

G said...

Yours is one of the very few blogs that I follow religiously! You have such unique ideas and recipes, and beautiful pictures!

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Shirley said...

Love your blog and chatter - so fun and creative. I was looking for links in your comments on the blogs you follow but didn't find any (unhappily) -- just a thought that perhaps you could emend it? Cheers from Memphis! - Shirley

Liza in Ann Arbor said...

Glad to hear I wasn't the only one terrified to start my blog. I love yours, funny and to the point. Food is amazing too. I too am a big fan of David (I think I found you there, intrigued by your blog name). Also, check out www.dinnerdujour.org and www.edible-ireland.com-both written by the witty and concise Kristin. For photo drooling, tartelette.com and latartinegourmande.com

CLP said...

Love your blog! Your flavor combinations are so fresh and fun. Your wit and honesty keep me coming back. Keep up the great blogging!

Deborah said...

One of my favorite blogs is Oh She Glows. Such an inspiration to prospective vegans and healthy living.

Unknown said...

My blog (thanks for visiting!): saturdayswithmaggy.blogspot.com

I found your blog via Bloglovin and have been reading for awhile now. This is def one of your best posts. I agree that the best blogs are the most honest and real ones, and if they achieve that, it doesn't really matter to me what their blog is about.

My favorites: Joy the Baker, Shutterbean, (do you listen to the Joy the Baker podcast?) Milk & Mode, Humble House, Vintch...

Anonymous said...

Great! thanks for the share!

Nicole Gamble said...

Interesting post, I am so glad that I have visited your site. Such a wonderful time reading this.

Philip said...

My favorite food blog is yours! You always have a fresh perspective and unique food combos I would have never thought of, but they totally work!

I also like Smitten Kitchen (their tomato sauce recipe is amazing), but your blog is tops! :)

Barbara Anne said...

Your blog shows a lot of thought and heart. Your recipes, wit, and honesty make for joyful reading. Happy Thanksgiving.

The Pilot's Daughter said...

Hi My Fare Foodie! You know I love your blog, your recipes are so creative and original! I follow you daily, Lunch in Paris and David Lebovitz!

The Pilot's Daughter said...

I just tweeted about your "giveaway" Happy Thanksgiving!

Mojgan Fay said...

My blog is www.somethinglemon.com where I post about things like fashion, music, and books and the food choices they inspire for me. I make food and I make mix tapes (on-line soundtracks) to listen to while I'm cooking and I dance around in my kitchen and I write about it.

Blogs that I find inspirational are The Smitten Kitchen and Orangette. And recently yours! What a nice corner of the web you have curated!

Mojgan Fay said...

I just tweeted about your giveaway. Happy Sunday! And here is a playlist to listen to if you are having bacon, eggs, and toast: http://rd.io/x/QVn51TNbWCc

Colleen at Forty Something Bride said...

I read Suzie the Foodie, she has a great blog. I also love Whole Foods. We spent way too much there this weekend!

Colleen at Forty Something Bride said...

Following and tweeted! https://twitter.com/#!/30Minutes4Me/status/141174865922228224

Anonymous said...

I couldnt have said it any better to be honest! keep up the awesome work. You are very talented & I only wish I could write as good as you do :) …

Dean France said...

Hello. We just found your blog this morning. It's so well written; we will definitely be trying some of your recipes. Your posts from Paris were great.
Speaking of favorite blogs, there are 2 Americans who've lived in the Loire valley for the past 9 years and blog daily about everyday life there, history, cooking, French culture, etc.
Here's a good recent example from Ken's blog:
http://ckenb.blogspot.com/2012/05/poulet-la-creme.html?m=0
Here was the day we met Ken and Walt in 2011:
http://ckenb.blogspot.com/2011/09/that-franco-american-affair.html?m=1
Here was a great Valencia orange cake on Walt's blog:
http://ckenb.blogspot.com/2011/09/that-franco-american-affair.html?m=1
Chrissy, thanks for creating a new favorite blog for us!
Dean and Jean
Seattle, WA

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