How did this blog get its name, anyway ?

A few people have asked me how this blog came to be known as "the beans blog". Inspired by my friend Khristas blog, in 2006 I started my first blog. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I didn't know people other than my family would read it and I didn't even realize blogs had names ! I was just writing and posting photos and then I started to meet other people ... all over the world ... who wrote blogs. People who shared similar interests and who wanted to connect. I started to notice in the comments and in links to my blog from theirs, people started referring to my blog as "simple beauty" after I had posted this photo ...

That was when I decided that my personal blog would be known as "Simple Beauty" ... but this post is not about THAT blog ...

It's about the Beans Blog, which I started in September 2007. A little bit of background might be helpful for you ... I live in Australia. I'm American, not that I grew up in America but that's a story for another day ! My family all live in the States now ... except me ... I married an Aussie and moved here in 1997 ! So ... 10 years into being here and I'm having lots of conversations with my Mom and my cousins and my best friend about all these healthy and yummy foods they are eating and I'm really feeling like I'd like to have a 'community' of healthy food conversations and recipes. What I had learned about blogging so far was that you could create a community of people with similar interests through a blog so ... it was time to start another one !

On the 25th of September 2007 I posted this very first post ... "Having become very discouraged with trying to find healthy recipes that I KNOW WILL BE GOOD ... I've decided to enlist the help of my Mom, two of my cousins and my best friend Shay. All are great cooks and amazingly healthy eaters ... I keep getting emails about all the great things they are cooking. So ... here is my attempt at getting all of those recipes and ideas and hints and tips and nutritional discoveries at my fingertips. Actually, it's more about me feeling like I'm a part of it all but we'll just keep that to ourselves !!"

I love salads, veggies, fruit, all that healthy sort of stuff. But, having never liked beans other than green ones, and knowing how good they are for you, part of my quest was to find good bean recipes ! To try them. And to like them ! In the spirit of giving it a good go, I made my blog address "Pass The Beans Please !!" And do you know what ? I actually LIKE beans now !! Here is the recipe that started to change it all ...

I don't remember how it all came about ... but eventually I had lots of other people posting to the blog ! My friend Khrista is amazing ! She helped me set everything up, continues to make great improvements to the blog, not to mention the great recipes she posts ! I love that she is so much a part of what happens here ... she was my blogging inspiration, after all !! Shay ... still doesn't post to the blog herself but she is a continual source of amazing recipes and encouragement ! My cousins Pam and Jill were both living with my Mom at the time the blog started (or maybe not but I'm no good with dates that aren't written down !) and great things were ... and still are coming out of that cooking team !! My Mom, of course, is who I inherited my love of cooking from ... and to whom I will forever be grateful ! From time to time, you'll also see posts from my Dad ! Those are some of my very favorite posts !! Pam and Jill's Mom ... my Aunt Jo joined the team at some stage and has contributed wonderfully and creatively ! I love that. My sister Ellie posts sporadically but incredibly. Her recipes are always ones I want to try and quickly become favorites and regulars !! Andrea and Hannah are recent-er additions but they are wonderful !! They are the sisters of my sister Ellie's husband. Ha ! It's a mouthful of a connection so it's easier (and closer to the truth) to just say 'they are family' ! One day, I hope to get their Mom posting ! But for now, I try her recipes and then post them ! Beth is someone I met through my Simple Beauty blog who wanted to be part of what was happening here. Michelle ... met her on facebook. We went to the same high school in Spain but didn't know each other. Doesn't matter though ! We know each other now ! :) And Grace ... my Korean friend who lived close to me in Australia. I went up to her one day and said "Hey ... I live close to you. Let's be friends!" We have been ever since ! She loves to cook and I love the international flair she brings to my life and to this blog !!

Somewhere along the way, someone ... (I think it was Khrista)... referred to Pass The Beans Please as The Beans Blog ... and it stuck !

I love what this blog has become ! I love the community it has created. I love the conversations it starts. I love the feedback I get from people who have been inspired to try something new. I love the friendships that have grown because of it. I love the inspiration I find here.

Thanks for being a part of it !

Oh ... and pass the beans, please .....