Blogging in Istanbul: My 7 Links

The blogging world still seems relatively new to me at times.

I can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since I started this site as a way to keep in touch with people back in the U.S. and share our stories from Turkey.

So I was surprised and delighted to have been nominated to participate in the blogging Seven Links Project. I was invited by Claudia at A Seasonal Cook in Turkey, a fellow Istanbul blogger, whom I have yet to meet, but hopefully will once the summer settles down. I would love to explore the markets of Kadıköy with her. =)

This project was initiated by Katie at Tripbase (See her blog post here.) Katie said:

“The idea is simple: bloggers publish 7 links from their blog to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again.”

It’s a way to recycle and revisit those old posts, or maybe you’ll get to read it for the first time. Either way I hope you’ll enjoy reading them.

My 7 Links:

My most beautiful post:  How does one try to be modest and chose for this category? I think I’ll have to choose a more recent post, Making Cheesecake with Friends. The cheesecake photo turned out perfect against the red background and the sun was shining through my apartment windows. I’ve been trying to improve my photography skills since I started this blog and I hope it shows.

My most popular post:  So far, it’s been A Hint of Paris, with 240 hits since February. To date, this post has received the most pageviews - maybe because it talks about the famed Laduree. Paris holds a special place in my heart because that's where my husband proposed to me in 2009.

May 2009 - only 2 1/2 short days to spend in Paris,
but it was worth it!

My most controversial post:  Since I write about food and travel, there isn’t much controversy in my life. However, if I would’ve have written how I truly felt about Dubai as an independent woman, then I might have stirred up some trouble. Let’s just say I hope we never get posted to live there.

My most helpful post: I guess I’d have to say the posts about our weekend trip to Edirne. Most expats here have never been and it was such an easy drive outside of Istanbul. In the Edirne posts, I tried to let people know why you should visit this city, especially to see all the wonderful architecture detailed in the mosques and bridges. Road trips are a must!

A post whose success surprises me:  My post about eating Mexican food in Istanbul, entitled Donde esta la comida Mexicana? Surprisingly, this post ranks second as the most popular with 180 hits since November. It still is extremely difficult to find decent Mexican food out in restaurants here, which is why it’s one of the cuisines I like to cook at home. I recently scored some masa harina from an expat who was moving. Empanadas anyone?

A post I feel didn’t get the attention it deserved:  I was surprised I didn’t get any comments on the Strolling Through Side post. Are people tired of seeing the ancient ruins from our trips? I hope not. The area of Side was a bit mysterious to me, and I enjoyed seeing the red poppies add such vibrant color to the background.

The post I am most proud of:  This is an even more difficult category. For myself personally, I would choose Creating cookies with children. At Christmas, I was happy to impart my knowledge onto my young niece and nephew when we were back in the states with our families. Family and friends have become even more important to us now that we live 5,000+ miles away from everyone in the U.S.

Christmas 2010: Aunt Joy spending time with our niece and nephew

And now I hand the baton off to the following:

Xani and Erin at Black Coffee and a Donut. Two sisters and good friends of ours that love to eat and cook in our former stomping grounds in Baltimore.

Sheryl, a great photographer and expat friend in Istanbul, at The Altered Passport

Samantha, an amazing artist and photographer currently traveling in Nepal, at Harika

Danielle, a friend and fellow cook back in the US, at Consumed My Culinary Adventure

Xiaolu, writes a blog I admire for the delicious food photos and recipes, at 6 Bittersweets

So here are THE RULES:

1.       The blogger is nominated to take part by another blogger.

2.       He/She publishes his/her 7 links on their own blog, one link for each category.

3.       He or she then nominates up to 5 more bloggers to take part.