To Much Time On My Hands?? {Rant #2}

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My rant today has to do with this article below:

Opinion: Faking It

If you read the post, all the way down towards the end, the author pretty much states that this new so-called trend of Stay at Home Moms having food blogs are "dumbing down" the culinary profession and food journalism. 

She also states that she has a problem with certain companies contacting amateur bloggers to help them advertise their products and states that (and I quote in her words):

" it makes my skin crawl a little to think that advertising dollars that could have helped sustain high quality food writing and recipe development, (not just Gourmet, but the great food writing and stunning photography newspapers and other magazines have lost to cutbacks), is going to people with a hobby and probably too much time on their hands."

Well let's see.....

I am a Stay at Home Mom.  This is a food blog.  And companies have contacted me to help with advertising their products.

Sounds to me she is a little jealous ;)

All things aside, she obviously does not have children.  Because if she did, she would not think that us Stay at Home Moms have 'free time' on our hands and that we are using our blog to fill up our free hours. 

My children are 4 and almost 6.  When I started this blog back in 2009, they were 1 and 3.  My free time was vastly limited back then and even though they are older now, my free time is still limited to a degree.  Anyone who has children, YOUNG children at that, will tell you that it takes a HUGE amount of work to raise them...whether you work outside the home or not.

Add on the fact that I am still struggling with my health issues and that we are a Military family who have absolutely NO family around to help us out when we need them , my free time is seriously few and far between these days.

If you take all that I have mentioned above....and combine it with doing what it takes to keep up with this blog....the cooking, the photography, the writing of the posts, etc... where is my free time??  Heck, to tell everyone the truth, I struggle to keep this blog up and running on some days.  Seriously...I do.  And there are days when I want to just throw in the towel and delete this whole entire thing.

But I don't.  

Granted, this is all strictly voluntary and no one is forcing me to do any of it.  However, I will not take it down or delete it because it is my safe-haven for when my life gets stressful.  When I have had to much of "mommy, mommy, mommy" and "honey where are my keys" (as Husband Man tends to ask alot) and "your child's school project is due on so and so date"....I turn to this blog to get me away from all of that.  Everyone has a vice...for some it's drinking, for others it's exercising and chocolate...for me, it's this.

As far as companies contacting me go, I do not seek them out.  Any company I have ever worked with in the past has approached me first.  And who am I to turn them down??  If I believe in their products and if I feel it's something my readers will enjoy, I am all for helping them get the word out.  I will not stop doing this.  

In my opinion, the companies are doing things right.  I am sure numerous amounts of research goes into who they will approach to help with advertisement.  And who better then to help get the word out about their products then mothers themselves (stay at home AND working)?

My recipes are taste tested by the most important critics in this household, my family :)  I would never put anything on this blog that would not pass inspection from the three blessings in my life.  I don't just post recipes just to post them and be done with it all.  Every single recipe that is posted on this blog are meals and treats that I have personally made.

If I receive the recipe from someone or obtain it from a cookbook or website, I always be sure to state it either in the title, in the post itself, or will put it under the "Recipe Source" sentence at the end.  I always give credit where it is due.

I have never claimed to be a 5 star gourmet chef.  I have never claimed to have worked in the finest restaurants where the elite of the elite go to dine every night.  I'm just a simple minded, down to earth, wife and mommy who enjoys cooking, baking, and writing....and sharing it on here.  If you want to read, awesome.  Welcome to the blog.  If you don't....there's a little "x" in the top right corner of your screen ;)  

Bottom Line:

Mommy food bloggers are here to stay (stay at home ones and working ones) so I think people need to start getting used to that ;)  We look up to all those who are in the culinary industry and look at them as the one's who have paved the road for us.  We all just need to get along and remember that it's not about who isn't a trained chef or who doesn't make the 4 course dinners.  It's about the food and about making cherished memories.  At least it is for me ;)

~End of Rant~