"It's time to move on. It's time to get going.
What lies ahead I have no way of knowing."
-Tom Petty
I started this blog more than 7 years ago. Way back in October of 2007, I had no idea all the things it would bring to my life: the friends; the job opportunities; the amazing people I've gotten to work with and collaborate with; the writing experience, the cooking and baking experience, and even the HTML and photography experience; the delicious plates of food, whether made in my own kitchen or at various restaurants I've visited through the years; and the list goes on.
The best of these is obviously the friends I've made along the way -- whether those I've met in real life, who have been out to dinner with me or come over to bake with me or even been guests at my wedding, to those I've never met but have exchanged emails with or had online conversations with. People say that when you're a "grown-up," it's harder to make friends. Well, this blog brought me some of the best, and for that alone, it was worth writing.
I guess by now you know where this post is going... I've been struggling for the past year with the decision of whether to keep Delicious Dishings going. And I took the past month off to do a little soul searching and figure out what would be the best thing for me. In the beginning, blogging didn't feel like work. I loved it. I was always excited to head into the kitchen, to take photos and copious notes as I adapted or developed recipes, to pick out bowls and linens and props. But lately it has felt like work, and I've started to realize how much of my time it consumes and all the other things I want to do with that time, and that's what ultimately led me to the realization that it's finally time to step away.
I'm sure there will be days when I will miss it immensely, days when I will want to share an incredible dessert I whipped up in the kitchen or sing the praises of a new restaurant I've visited or gush on and on about a new cookbook I've bought (because you know I'll still be cooking and baking up a storm, dining out, and adding to my already-too-big cookbook collection). But I realized that those things don't have to stop -- there's Twitter and Pinterest and Facebook for that. So I'm not thinking of this as goodbye. We'll stay connected, but in other ways.
I appreciate all your support, the time you've invested in reading, the feedback you've given, the photos of and emails about recipes you've tried... I wouldn't have kept this blog going as long as I did if it wasn't for all of you. Thanks for being there. Let's keep in touch!
Happy 2015! I wish you all the best!