Wednesday, December 2, 2009

FBC09 - When the Food Bloggers Connected

We will resume our regularly scheduled programming of food and other posts in a couple of days, but before that...

There isn't much I can say that hasn't already been said about Food Blogger Connect this past weekend, but here's what my checklist looks like:

  • Have fun! -check
  • Finally meet a lot of great people face to face -check
  • Try to take a lot of pictures -well not so check but I also knew everyone else would be clicking away (there are many posts and many other pictures to see besides my very few)
  • Have fun! -check
  • Make lifelong friendships established online concrete -check
  • Eat a lot of good food -check
  • And HAVE FUN! -check
I don't think I could have imagined in my wildest dreams that all those tweets and emails and chats would turn into this little group that is my blog family. Some photos courtesy of Deeba of some us meeting for dinner on Friday night:

The Twins! Deeba & Jamie
 The Twins: Deeba and Jamie

Mowie & Alessio
The Boys: Mowie and Alessio

Jamie, Hilda, Pam, Beth
More of the gals: Jamie, me, Pam and Beth

Slightly over two years ago, I read a post on What's for Lunch Honey? where Meeta talked about how difficult it was to find pecans at affordable prices and in reasonable rather than micro quantities in Germany. Having just brought back a couple of pounds of pecans from the U.S., I emailed her and offered to send her a big bag of them just for the pleasure of seeing what she would make with them. She replied back insisting that she would have to send me something in exchange, and thus a blog friendship was born over email. Occasionally we'd write each other and do Daring Bakers' Challenges together, and then with the Twitterization of the universe, we started talking to each other one way or another almost every day.
Awesome Presenting Triplets
The awesome Presenting Triplets: Jeanne, Jamie and Meeta


Jamie of Life's a Feast emailed me almost exactly one year ago now because she was intrigued that our backgrounds were both so multicultural and multilingual and we started leaving comments on each others' blogs, and Deeba I had known through her blog although we hadn't actually spoken directly to each other until we did so on Twitter. It is still amazing to me that meeting all these people face to face just felt like seeing friends I'd known all my life who'd simply been far away for a while, but not like meeting new people at all.
Sarah & Alessio
Lebanese Mezze and conversation: Sarah (Simply Cooked) and Alessio

There are more stories like this, with Mowie of the beautiful blog Mowielicious being a discovery on Twitter and Beth of Dirty Kitchen Secrets coming quickly on the heels of my discovery of Mowie's blog, she who was the point of inception and the engine that powered Food Blogger Connect to its culmination this weekend. With so many other bloggers, Claire, my most favorite fennel-head and possibly the funniest person in the room even with such comedic stars as Jeanne, and then Sunita, Pam, Alessio, Kang, Kerrin, Davina, Sarka and on it goes. New faces, new blogs, new friends at every subsequent event. Thank you all for making this so much fun! And now for a bunch of pictures from Saturday:

Jeanne on BloggerAid
Jeanne speaking about BloggerAid: Buy a Cookbook!

Meeta on Photography
Meeta giving practical tips on beautiful Food Photography

Kang getting into it
Kang getting into it: The Photography & later Social Media as a Fish Tank

Jeanne on Writing
Jeanne telling it like it is when speaking about Writing & Voice

Jamie on Writing
Jamie amused by Jeanne's quips during their Team Presentation

Meeta & Kang
Meeta sharing Jamie's amusement and Kang twittering away

Jeanne & Jamie on Writing
Jeanne and Jamie demonstrating Team work brilliantly

Beth as the MC
The cutest MC ever: Beth

Jamie & Meeta
Jamie and Meeta enjoying Beth's final words

The Most loveable Fennel - Claire
The most loveable Fennel-head ever: Claire
Thank you to Beth, Mowie and Jamie for being the little FBC train that could and my friends each with your own special links -cultural and personal- to me, to Meeta for being my long-lost twin, to Jeanne for being the Queen of comedy, to Kang for his infectious enthusiasm, to Deeba, my older sister, for coming from so far away (India!) loaded with goodies, to Pam, Alessio, Sunita for the sweets, the laughs and the friendship, and thank you to everyone I just met and the ones I didn't meet as well for joining us and participating, here's to new friendships and to the next Food Blogger Connect in June of 2010.

I think Kang may have actually gotten everyone else's write-ups listed on his blog, he definitely has everyone who was there listed with links to their blogs, but you can go see write-ups at Jamie's, Beth's, Mowie's, Jeanne's, Sarah's (Maison Cupcake), Sunita's, Davina's, Sarka's and there must clearly be more out there.
You can also go to "the" FBC website for a recap on the events and more coming soon...

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34 comments:

Bron said...

Oh this makes me so happy to see, what an amazing time you all had!
I truly hope I get to be in the same room as you all one day too, such a fun group of people you all are!

Y said...

What a fantastic gathering! Great photos too, Hilda!

Jamie said...

Sending you a great big huge hug, Hilda, and the weekend blew me away and changed my life and in you I have found a sister and a fabulous and fun person that I plan on seeing very often!

Meeta K. Wolff said...

how a bag of pecans can make friendships eh? I love you and thank you for being the best friend and for having me over. This truly was a dream come true! Hugz!

Mowie said...

Awwww, Hilda! Such a lovely post and I really like your shots. 'The little FBC train that could' - SO CUTE! =) We have to use that somehow. Love you lots my lovely, see you Saturday xxx

Jeanne said...

Oh Hilda - I think you may be my new best friend! Anybody that calls me a comedic star earns a place in my heart for life :) Although looking at the photos of me speaking I look so SERIOUS! A lovely post (great checklist!) and many happy memories of truly magical afternoon. when I'm back from South Africa in the new year, I am so making a date to have you, Mowie & Beth round to ours :)

diva said...

Claire is undoubtedly the cutest fennel head ever! beautiful pictures and oh, reading every new writeup that pops up makes me miss FBC so much more. was lovely to meet you and touch Popette's cheek. she's adorable! :)
i live in the east of central London by Old Street/Hoxton Square area. and would definitely love to meet up again and come round for dinner! oh i feel loved :D thank you, all you lovely foodies, for making me feel so welcomed!

xx

bethany (Dirty Kitchen Secrets) said...

It is sooo cool to read about how you and Meeta met! What a great story! It was so lovely to meet you finally and you are as sweet, sincere and fascinating in person and as for the little papoose- that girl has me on my knees everytime- what a gorgeous bundle of joy! Remember whenever you need a babysitter- pick me and Chris!! XOXO

And Jeanne- That's the even funnier part; you're cracking jokes with a serious face on!

Unknown said...

Hello Hilda, another lovely round up, it's been great to hear about the weekend from everyone's different perspective.

Papoose is totally gorgeous, I will never forget her expression sitting in that high chair at Natural Kitchen surrounded by food blogger paparazzi!

Nic said...

Nice write-up and lovely photos. Was great to meet you, bring on FBC10!

Daily Spud said...

Ah, sorry not to have met you at FBC but I hope there'll be a next time - I have my sights set on FBC10 for sure!

sunita said...

Oh Hilda! It was so lovely to meet you and the rest of the gang. I am still reliving each and every moment of that fabulous weekend. And the li'l papoose, I haven't stopped raving about her- she's an absolute darling. We'll have to meet again, soon. I am missing everyone so much!

Sarah said...

Hi Hilda, it's another Sarah! Thanks for all your work in organising FBC. What an amazing day. It was great to meet everyone and be inspired by the new ideas. Maybe I'll get to speak to you more over Twitter and at the next meeting. :)

Deeba PAB said...

Awwwwwwww sweet sweeeeeeeeeeeet you girl! Can't even believe that I met you, your sweet A & gorgeous papoose....want to relive it again. Loved meeting you, your wonderful family & wish we had more time together!! Love ya lots...thanks for everything, including Ottolenghi!{{{HUGS}}}

Sari @ Cook Your Dream said...

Wonderful post Hilda, I love the way you and Meeta met! :) And I'm very happy I met you! You are very nice and sweet person and together with cute Papoose you are conquerors of hearts! :) Hope to see you soon!

marla (Family Fresh Cooking) said...

I so wish I lived closer and could have been a part of this awesome event. So many inspirational people in one room! Hopefully one day I can take part in this event :) Glad to hear it was such a success!

Stacy said...

Looks like an amazing time!

Eric Woods said...

Just trying to help haiti s'more

Anonymous said...

This is great! Thanks for the opportunity.

Anonymous said...

Love it!!!

pixiemama said...

I swear there is nothing more fun than getting together with fellow bloggers.

Reading Widely said...

Looks like a lot of fun!

Unknown said...

Commenting for Haiti again; your blog is making me wish I could cook/bake.

Katie said...

such pretty ladies!

Anonymous said...

It is amazingly fun to get together with other bloggers.. last weekend I gathered with 14 other folks (many of whom blog) to run the DisneyWorld Marathon. We raised $64,000 to buy an ambulance for Heartline Ministries in Haiti. Since then, the world has fallen out from under us. I appreciate so much what you (and your sponsor) are doing to help the country that we love.

Linda said...

praying for Haiti

Pat said...

So glad the weekend was all that you hoped it would be.

queencake and titangirl said...

a comment for haiti

Meg Kat said...

Sounds like such fun!

Dbe said...

Great pictures...makes you feel like you were there.

Unknown said...

Prayers for Haiti!

Kat said...

What fun that must have been!

Unknown said...

#Haiti

This looks like an enormous amount of fun was had by all.. thanks for sharing your experiences and the great pictures!

Anonymous said...

comment comment. thanks for the good work.

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