I can’t believe it’s time. Time for me to reveal what I’ve been working so hard on. Not only that but more secrets đ but for now let me tell you how much I appreciate all of my followers and loved ones that have supported me and this blog (you know who you are) đ This little blog actually started out in December of 2010, just two LONG months after my daughter was born, it wasn’t even on wordpress. Then after an adjustment to motherhood, some family drama and a strong momma, Momma’s Meals was born in October of 2011. Click here for my very first recipe post đ I can hardly believe that it was exactly one year ago today that I added that post. You’ll die when you see what it was that I made. When I think of how far I’ve come since then. As a mother, as a blogger, as a daughter, as a wife………as a friend. I well up with tears. This journey has been fabulous. All of the mommy friends I’ve met along the way, my near and dear friends who have since offered me amazing support. My mother, one of biggest and bestest followers. I can’t forget my husband who never laughed at me when I began this blog, who not only never laughed, but did nothing but support me and encourage me along the way. My daughter who has given me more strength than I ever knew I had. She makes my life worth living, she makes the hardest of days all worth while. A simple smile and an ever so easy touch that makes my heart melt. Anyone who is a mother has felt this feeling. So with that……….now on to the good stuff!! How do you like the new design?? It’s purty huh……….Jenn at Munchkin’s Designs did awesome. Then after she was done and I got to really “get in there” I realized just how much more stuff I can do that I couldn’t do before, this upgrade is going to benefit me and you my friends!
The Introduction
The “Home” page is pictures of some of the yummy recipes I have in store for you here. Then a list of all my latest entries. “The About Me” page, well that’s a little obvious huh, I hate talking about myself but you can get to know me a little better through there, I did update it.  I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but over the past few months I’m really spreading my wings and getting in touch with foodie/mommy bloggers. I’ve ventured into baking, I featured The Messy Baker and She Makes and Bakes. They pulled the “baker” out of this Momma and I actually made amazing dishes thanks to them. I featured some great Mommy sites Mama’s Blissful Bites was a favorite of mine because Amber is such a great person and has become a friend of mine. I also featured a friend of mine, Jackie Lanthier, one of my biggest supporters, always encouraging me to be me. Or how about Shelby over at the Diabetic Foodie, so happy to bake something healthy. These great Co-Hosts are just a few of my favorites, these woman and so many others have become a part of my life. Thank You. If you haven’t noticed, Sunday Supper has it’s very own page. Click on “Weekly Link Ups” you will see Sunday Supper there. This group of people are amazing. I am so thankful to have met them, they truly feel like my family, they support me in my endeavors 100% and have taught me more about the blogging world than I could have ever dreamed of. A special thank you to Isabel and Nicole for making me realize that I can “do this”. I wanted a separate page for this mission because it’s so very important to me. If I don’t sit down and eat a family dinner every night with my husband and daughter I get upset, things happen, hubby works late, my kickboxing class is only offered at 5:30, appointments, things happen, but Sunday, to me that is a family day and thanks to this group I get to take part in such an amazing mission. Dear Madison, this is a section I will always hold near and dear, I carried over the first two parts I had previously written, but starting later this month, the 27th, I will be writing to her once a month. I decided on the 27th of each month because it’s the day she was born so why not start on her second birthday. I hope some day she treasures these letters. What’s up Momma? Well that will be every Tuesday. This is where I’ll fill you in on our week and what’s to come. Some chuckles, tears or whatever may happen that week.
Fish. Well, anyone that knows me must know that I don’t like fish. Anything fish. I told my readers a year ago that I would always provide you with dishes that contain fish because well I’m strange and all of you people probably like fish. However the agreement I made awhile back to myself, if you haven’t noticed, is I don’t post anything I haven’t made. Another words if I find a recipe I like, I hold onto it until I get a chance to cook it, then I post it. Yes I have A LOT of recipes on hold. So……I guess that would mean no seafood recipes. Sorry, you wouldn’t find any meat on a Vegan’s website would you? đ
OK well there are a few exceptions to the what I just said, there are a few dishes still on here that may look like this:
Well those are the ones that I do plan on making very soon and I didn’t have the heart to part with them. Also, if you see any posts from a long time ago that have errors on the page, well that is because some pictures didn’t carry over and I’m not going back through 500 posts to upload them đ
Momma Meal’s First Week
Tomorrow I’ll feature my very first Co-Host on the new site. Tina has an awesome Momma’s blog so you don’t want to miss this Feature. Featured Friday’s is now located underneath “Weekly Link Ups.” Sunday  join me for my weekly #SundaySupper where the crew and I will be providing you with some awesome “Comfort” Meals with the author Lee Woodruff. Who is this you ask?? Lee Woodruffâs latest book,  Those We Love Most,  is about family, love, tragedy, coming together and healing.  So this weekâs Sunday Supper theme was bornâŚ. Putting this on my must read list, when I get to read. I’m starting next week with the Crock Pot Challenge!! Monday the 15th starts the first day where I will be joined with Laura over at Small Wallet Big Appetite. She has an awesome site that I enjoy very much. Also joining us will be Sarah from Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends, and Melanie over at From Fast Food to Fresh Food, two other blogs I met through Sunday Supper that I love! I’ll also have some special friends that cooked a few Crock Pot dishes that I hope to share too, lots of crock pot recipes I guess! After the Crock Pot Challenge (CPC) I will be Choosing a winner of a new Crock Pot (still working out the details on how to choose this winner) and summing up all the yummy recipes that we’ve cooked up! Then comes Friday. Daddy’s birthday. No Featured Friday next week because it will be a special “Featured Monday” like it was for my birthday a few weeks ago. If you didn’t read it…...you should, it’s pretty funny.
My Next Step
Looking back at the beginning I can’t believe how far I’ve come and how much I’ve learnt about writing and technology. I have other goals in mind and I’m hoping to further my writing career. With no education or degree in it I have to put in the time first. I dealt with a lot of guilty feelings when putting Madison in daycare two days a week because I didn’t do it to go get a job and make money for my family. I did it so she would have the social skills to …….well “be a kid”. Another words she needed to get off of my hip!! But as guilty as it sounds, I did it for myself too. Taking my writing passion to the next level isn’t easy, it’s a lot of networking, searching on-line because I had no idea where to begin. So yes I still cook for my family, clean the house, run errands and care for everyone, but on top of it I’m pursing a new career, a passion, a step that I can finally be comfortable with telling all of you. It may not be tomorrow, it may not even be in the next five years, but this Momma is going places!! My hopes are for it to be in the shape of a book đ
What Changes For You
Absolutely Nothing. My new address is now officially www.mommameals.org. Facebook stays the same. Twitter stays the same. Even Pinterest stays the same, it’s the reason why I couldn’t bring myself to change the name of my website, I didn’t want to lose my faithful followers đ See those cute little flags at the top of the page……join me anytime. The only one thing I do need to ask you is to Subscribe to Momma’s Meals again đ I was totally bummed about this part, I have over 100 email subscribers and I couldn’t bring them over. To sign up just see the “Subscribe to Email” button on the right and plug-in your email. This allows you to get an email every time I post a new entry whether it’s a recipe, a Momma vent or anything. Please Please Please!! Did I say please?? My new email address is Momma@Mommasmeals.org. Other than that………that’s all that’s changing for you folks!
 What I’ve Learnt
Yes yes yes, I’ve already listed a lot of things that I’ve learned since Momma’s Meals was born. But this is what I’ve learnt over the weeks of changing sites. One, I should have a separate page for just “Mexican” cuisine. I think that can be arranged. I should also have a separate page for anything “Caprese” I’m a bit obsessed I think. I’ve also realized how picky I’ve become!! Yes picky…..(well never with spelling as you can see I always mess that up!) Like the fact that I’ve been working on this one post all day long!! Another thing I’ve learnt is my pictures are never going to be “perfect” I currently do not have a window in my kitchen, I know that has a lot to do with it. I have no natural light coming in. Soon I will though. Hopefully. I’m not going to be picky about them anymore because a lot of the time I’m snapping pictures while my 2 year old wines for her dinner, or the camera strap is laying in the actual dish!! Although I’ve come a long way with pictures. I’m happy with that.
The Weeks Ahead
[wowslider id="14"]
I know doesn’t that make you want to come back?? Did I reel you in yet?? Well as the weeks pass you’ll notice some advertisements will be up and running. Don’t worry it won’t be a lot. I hate clutter. Don’t you know that about me? Ask my husband, I throw things out all the time, things we need. Advertisement will allow me to make some money from this little blog of mine!
The Stats
750 Posts. Plus 1 because this one will be posted on there too. That means I’ve written 750 entries WOW!
1,116 Comments. I can’t thank you all enough for the comments. It shows love, it really does. Keep them coming. Never hesitate to make recommendations or let me know how a dish turned out for you.
60,196 Views. WOW, in one year that’s how many times my site has been hit. Â I’m very happy with that. Now let’s double it for next year!
618 Views in one day. Yes that was my most popular day, 618 views!! It was on Aug, 18th. It was the Top 10 Recipes of Summer…..So far. Wow do we love summer! Before that day it was a few Sunday Supper events, and before that it was for Superbowl Sunday.
122 Followers. Yes that is the amount of people who get my love emails!
2,182 Pages. Yes the page that has been viewed the most (besides my home page) is the Crock It Page. I’m quite proud of that since I love my Crock Pot. I call it the “Crock-It” Page for a reason, do you know what that reason is? “F*ck-It” đ
Please be patient as I still make some minor tweaks here and there, I’m still learning. I have so many more options now so it’s always a work in progress!! So thank you thank you thank you to all of you for helping me accomplish so much in the past year.As Madison says….”Wove You.”
