It amazes me that the smallest things in life are the ones that make us smile!  And these same small tokens give us the inspiration to do what we love!

The other day I received a comment on my blog that really did fill me with joy and made me feel as if I was doing this blogging lark for a reason.  Not just because I enjoy cooking, travel, writing and sharing but because other people seem to enjoy reading what I have to say.  I have family and friends who tell me how much they enjoy my blog and some who have even tried my recipes with much success.   I appreciate and love the fact I can share my stories and recipes with them and feel immense pride when someone close to me gets some form of enjoyment from my blog.  Sharing is caring!

But I must say it is a great joy to me when a stranger stumbles across my blog, is really enjoying it and even shares those feelings with me!  It spurs me on, gives me a boost and a bit more confidence that I am on the right path and I am right in sharing my stories, experiences, recipes and my joy of food, and the world (in which food plays such an important part).

We all have so much to say but often think that no one will be interested in our stories but I have found many people are excited about our lives, our loves and of course our recipes!  I feel so blessed; I’ve had a wonderful life, full of travel, full of love and full of food!  My mum has always loved cooking and looking after everyone.  I must take after her…  Having said that, when I think of my dear mother I have a little inward giggle as she still wants to cook and look after us all and she stills shops as if we are all still living nearby and will be coming for dinner every night!  Unfortunately she now lives on her own, my dad passed away about 5 years ago, and he always loved her cooking.  The kids, well we grew up, left home and are now scattered around Australia so she doesn’t get to do the cooking she used to.  Wish she lived closer as she makes the best chocolate chip biscuits, the most tender of roasts and the most heart and soul warming beef and vegetable soup you could ever want to eat!

I am salivating just thinking of all of her special recipes and I’m still trying to get her to help me perfect them as still to this day I cannot get mine to taste anywhere near as good as hers.

But I digress…….  Back to food and sharing!

Food is about life (nourishment), love (the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach), happiness, caring (mums chicken soup when you’re sick or steak and baked potato to help you get back on your feet).  Food is so much more than just something you put in your mouth to stave off those hungers pains.  Food is life, food is history, food is love, food is fun, food is travel and most of all food essential!

When you think about it we relate all of our sense to food. We base our travels around food, we celebrate with food, we have conversations over food.  Food is the lifeblood of our world and I feel so blessed that I live in a world where I can explore all the worlds’ cuisines and again share what I know.  So to be able to share is to be able to care!

I know many who love to eat but not to cook, love to explore but maybe not travel and most everyone I know loves to read.  So why not give them something fun, interesting and exciting to read.  Be an armchair cook or traveler.  That is still fun.  And as long as everyone out there keeps reading and I keep cooking, travelling, walking, eating and writing I will continue on my journey, hopefully with new friends as well as old friends in tow.  I have so much more to tell you, I will always be in my kitchen cooking and experimenting and when I’m not in the kitchen I will be out walking a new path, trying a new restaurant or travelling to old and new destinations.  This is what I love, this is my life and I am so grateful for it.

The world is my oyster, my cherry on top and all of my senses!

And as Samuel Chamberlain (Artist and Food and Travel Writer 1895-1975) once said:

‘The gentle art of gastronomy is a friendly one.  It hurdles the language barrier, makes friends among civilised people, and warms the heart.’

No truer words said…  It amazes me that many a deal has been made over a good meal, relationships form over romantic dinners, family differences can be resolved over the Sunday roast.  Our world revolves around food.

So lets eat!