With a heart full of gratitude I raise a glass to toast the first birthday of the Steemit Culinary Challenge.  Who could have predicted how enriching, how much fun this challenge would be, for both participants and host.  When I first joined Steemit in August 2016 I certainly felt the buzz... I think everyone felt it, and our instincts were yelling 'this is the beginning of something really cool!'  It was easy to find kindred spirits and enticing blogs and contests for whatever interests we have, and in no time at all I'd found the foodie corner where all was merry, and I made myself at home.

  “After a week or two of perusing the vast variety of talents, experiences, lives of the Steemit community I quickly sensed one very important thing – this site is special. I don't just mean the Steem dollars, it's more important than that: it seems to have this rather wonderful effect on people - it draws them out of themselves, it reveals something raw and courageous. There's a hearty vibe emanating from the Steemit community, like a large table bearing tasty treats, and a crowd of smiling faces beckoning you to join the feast. And it's for this reason I'm so excited... Steemit celebrates audacity and diversity, and everybody fits in. It's like a really good New Year's Eve party where all are welcome and having a good time.”  
 

Back then of course I had no idea what lay in store for me over the coming year. I thought I'd enjoy it, maybe make some pals, maybe get chance to have my recipes appreciated. But in reality my Steemit experience over the last 14 months has been rich beyond my most hopeful expectations. I have real friends. I'm part of a genuine community that cares about me enough to notice if I'm ever absent.  I've picked up knowledge that's made huge positive impacts on my life, diet, and family. I've made money and I've bought things I needed with it. I first participated in and now host the longest-running food contest on Steemit.  I have exciting visions and ideas for the future of my blogging.  Overall it's been one of the most life-changing experiences I've ever had, and I will be thankful forever. 

For those of you who don't know this already, the Steemit Culinary Challenge wasn't my creation.  It began about 18 months ago as the 'Steemit Food Challenge' by @givemeyoursteem, who disappeared from Steemit after only 4 rounds (possibly health issues) and so by October last year @englishtchrivy decided to re-start the challenge under its new name the Steemit Culinary Challenge.  Then in March this year @englishtchrivy reliquished her role as host and invited me to take over... and I was delighted to accept! 

The contest was well-liked right from the start and ever since has played a significant role in bringing Steemians together from all around the globe, providing a foodie corner for us to hang out and connect, a space to create, and a way to share diet-changing and life-changing information and recipes. But I can't possibly take credit for the awesomeness of this contest.  Three different hosts, many different kind-hearted sponsors, logo designers, upvoters and re-steemers, talented and enthusiastic participants, everyone who supports from the sidelines... It truly is a community creation, and it will always have a special place in my heart.

When I was a participant in the SCC one of the loveliest touches was how @englishtchrivy would send individual winner's 'trophies' to us (see below).  I thought that gave the SCC a wonderful sense of warmth and showed appreciation for the efforts of participants, which is why I continued this tradition when I took over.  I entered 12 times and won 12 prizes, and I'm very proud of this (not in a 'showing off' kind of way, I'm not driven by ego).   Preparing for the SCC each week gave me chance to get really creative and honestly I looked forward to it with great fervour.  I like to look at my trophies from time to time to remind myself what can be achieved when I follow my bliss.  And if you fancy the look of any of these creations, just click on the links for the recipes :-)

My Entries for the SCC:

#3 Smoothie Showdown: "Good for Mama, Good for Baby"

#4 Super Salads: "Lucky Shamrock Salmon Salad"

#8 La Pasta Perfetta: "'Meaty' Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese"

#9 New Year On A Platter: "Peas on Earth"

#11 Cheeseless Burger: "The Carefree Cow Veggie Burger"

#12 Purely Paleo: "Sea, Sand and Salmon"

#13 The Finest Fish Dish: "Black Venus Trout Pasty"

#14 DIVINE LEMONed DESSERT: "Sticky 'n' Sweet Lemon & Ginger Cups"

#15 Roast It: "Earth's Roast"

#16 Tacos for a Tech Savvy: "The Abominable Veggie Taco"

#18 Tasty, Wholesome Meals for Weight Loss: "Satiating Slimmer's Salad"

#19 Sweet and Savoury Crepes: "Baked Khorasan Crepes with Hazelnut Caramel & Banana Filling"

In a recent interview with SteemMag by @infovore I was asked if I have any plans for the future of the Steemit Culinary Challenge, and the answer was yes!  At the time I couldn't give details, but some of you may have seen that last week I announced my intention to compile and publish the first Steemit community recipe book, and will do this through my new contest "Make It Healthy".  This contest will run alongside the SCC and is about creating homemade healthy alternatives to processed products.  Winning recipes will eventually be made into a book with the purpose of providing a public resource to aid healthy diet and lifestyle choices.  

There will be some changes to the SCC which are yet to be put in place over the next few weeks.  I've been working on a bunch of ideas in conjunction with @heart-to-heart - host of #veganwednesday - who shares a similar compelling desire to promote health and real food, and also to feel comfortable with what we promote (see her latest post on this).  And the two of us know plenty of others we can (and will) bring on board to help out with this project.  It's not about fame and fortune, but about healing, wellness, treating our bodies and environments in the way nature intended, inspiring change not with judgement and preaching but with great recipes and truth that speaks for itself.  Suffice to say I'm pretty excited about the future and hope many of you will want to support and join in with this project too... the more the merrier I always say!

For healthy vegetarian, sugar-free, additive-free recipes for meals and snacks, and the Steemit Culinary Challenge, please follow me!   Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks regarding the new contest and recipe book.
 

Many thanks.

Image kindly created for me by @sashagenji