Where to Go from Here

I have had some hesitancy in writing recently because I am not sure of the direction I want to take with this blog.  My main intention was to share with other ICers some yummy things that I have found to eat.  I have always loved cooking and baking, and being diagnosed with IC was a serious shock to this love.  I am SO thankful that I love playing around in the kitchen.  If I didn't, I would be seriously frustrated with IC by this point.  It gets boring eating cottage cheese, plain chicken, oatmeal, vegetables, plain pasta, rice, etc. I've been diagnosed with IC for almost a year now, and that year has provided lots of fun yummy eats, but also many awful bland or icky failures in the kitchen.  My main plan in this blog is for it to be a place to share the yummy things.

However, over the past month or so, I have been wondering what else to share here.  Do people want to hear from many ICers? Should I "feature" an ICer every few weeks who could share their story with IC as well as some of their favorite foods and flare-fighting tactics?  Should I talk more about the current research about IC?  Should I talk deeply about my journey through IC- the good and the bad- like figuring out sex, the struggles of being in school with IC, should I run here on my painful/bad days, or should I keep this more as a building-up happy place?  

I've also had a little bit of hesitancy because so many recipes I make and post are simply things that I have found online and have adapted.  This seems like cheating in a sense- like I am not giving you something 100% original.  I know many bloggers share things like this and just post it as their own. I don't want to do this though- I want the original creator of the recipe, or at least the place I found it, to be given credit.  In the future, I plan on posting things from cookbooks and other blogs- I am just needing to take time and reach out to these authors.  Blogging, cooking, photographing, and sharing recipes takes a lot of time and I don't ever want to take this from another person! I guess for me, this is a place where you can come to find a lot of IC-safe recipes.  They might be completely original, or they might be adapted/copied and linked from another place on the web.  My intention is to show you a recipe that I have found delICious; its something that I've taken the time to make, adapt, eat, and share with others, something that I have tested and made that has been a scrumptious success.  

So this is where I am.  I have not (until now) advertised this blog, because I am scared!  I am, by no stretch of the imagination, an expert at IC.  I am just another person who was diagnosed with it, another person who's world was turned upside down by this condition.  I just also happen to have a love for writing and a love for reaching out to others who are frustrated and hurting.  

Today I am reaching out.  I am going to make an attempt at sharing this blog.  If you are here, I am guessing you heard that attempt- thank you!  Leave some comments and tell me what you want to hear.  I am hopeful that you ICers will have a voice and help me figure out what direction to take with this blog.  

And just so you know- my slow blogging hasn't been because of a lack of recipes or ideas.  I have been cooking up a storm in the kitchen!  I have many meals, side dishes, snacks, and desserts that I have made and photographed- they are all just waiting to be shared!  Yummy goodness like my favorite hummus recipe (what a staple!), a mouth-watering and super filling smoothie, "hamburger helper", blueberry scones, blondies, snickerdoodle muffins, oatmeal raisin cookies, homemade amazing rolls, and pesto, just to name a few.  I also have about 234534 recipes on my queue to make and adapt for us.  There is a lot to come here, and I am excited you are joining me for the journey!

Thanks for reading!

-Kristina