My 100th Blog Post – A Milestone!

As a new blogger, I’ve had lots of fun writing about what’s important to me, living and growing in Boquete, Panama. Eleven thousand, eight hundred fifty (11,850) visitors have opened my site. It’s really astounding!

Thanks to all of you for peeking at our lives here in Boquete, it’s an amazing place in which to live. The rainbows are spectacular, the air is clean, and coffee grown here, is the best in the world!

In a nutshell, the first 100 posts were mostly about the people I know and love, the folks I see every day, and the neighbors who give so much to our community. There have also been fellow food bloggers and readers from around the world whom I call friends, although I’ve never met them face-to-face. I’ve mentioned lots of famous people who have impacted my life in some way or another. The nearly 100 people named in my blogs are named again below, and I really appreciate the contribution each person has made to my life since moving to Boquete, nearly 8 years ago.

Would you like to guess the most popular article of the 100 blogs I have written? How about guessing the average amount of time each visitor spends on the site at each visit? The answers are given below.

Thanks so much to the real stars of the past 100 blogs! By name, they are: Lauretta Bonfiglio, Sharon James, Juan Linares, Renny Kranich, David Kent, Jon Day, Kurt & Norman, Erik Carrera, Charlie Collins, Alison Holst, Anne Necker, Maritrini, Joyce and Nick Newton, Tom and Caroline Bot, Richard Detrich, Tammyjo Eckhart, Danilo, Jerry Wager, Elvin, Dorothy Lamour, Jorge Ortega, Liz Lees, James Cagny, and Tova Speter.

Thanks to Nelson, Calixto, Belisario Torres, Kelly Herring, Jim and Cindy Eickhoff, Julia Quiroz, Cesar, Doris Day, Idu, Papa Ricco, Giovanni, Carrie and Jonathan, Violet, Patricia Martinelli, Carlos Williams, Amy Adams, Greg Henry, Gobbles, Clyde and Phyllis Stevens, Ruby McKenzie, Eddie Cantor, Marian and Ethan Becker, Hershel and Mikey, Grandma Gates, Zorida, Lee Zelter, Axel Schob, Kirsten Peck, Judy Garland, Gale Cellucci, Drick Perry, and Anayansi Menendez.

I so much appreciate David Necker, Eric and Jane, Lori Lynn, Dave and Erin Ross, Groucho Marx, Rachel White, Martine Heyer, Richard Meyer, Mickey and Squirt James, Frederic Chopin, Mario Batali, Edgar Castillo, Vasco Numez Balboa, Irma Rombauer, Julia Child, Craig Claibourne, Barbra Streisand, Michelangelo, Diego Rivera, Bill Streit, Bing Crosby, Emeril Lagasse and Steven R. Covey.

You can still guess the top blogs, these photos will give you a hint. The top, broad category is “Boquete Living”, including blogs about daily living in the Highlands of Panama.

The #1 blog in my first 100 articles, is “My Fiestaware Collection”, written October 8, 2009. The blog you visited almost as many times, at #2, is “Panama’s Coffee Cup – Cafe Duran”, dated January 8. The #3 blog is “Hollywood’s Golden Age of Dining”, written January 3.

At each visit, the viewer stays on boquetegourmet.com site an average of 2 minutes, 37 seconds, quite an amazingly long period of time, especially when there are millions of other sites to visit.

I’m so very grateful to all of you for your time these past several months, and I hope to make my second hundred articles even more interesting and fun! If you’d like to suggest a particular subject, please let me know. Thanks again for your support!

Hugs,
Cora

Five Foodbuzz Friends to Checkout

Over these last few months, I’m getting into the “Foodie” Culture of bloggers from all over the world. I’ve been recently selected as a Featured Publisher on foodbuzz.com, which is big honor for me.  I’ve made hundreds of “foodie” friends online during this time.

I’d like to share some of my favorites with you, as they are folks much like me, expressing themselves in a new and exciting way.

If you’d like to see my profile on Foodbuzz, please click this link and you’ll see what I mean about this exciting new hobby of blogging. You’ll see hundreds of interesting blogs and you can “graze” from one to another by clicking “next” at the top of the page.

My very favorite food blog is www.SippitySup.com, written by Greg Henry. Of course, he has been a personal friend of mine for many years.  Greg presented his “Hollywood’s Golden Age” cooking class in my kitchen last month. He has many awards for his creativity, lovely photos and “far-out” recipes.

Then, another favorite is www.dricksramblingcafe.blogspot.com, written by Drick Perry.  Drick calls himself a “home-style” cook specializing in southern Gulf-coast dishes from Alabama and Louisana.  His Bananas Foster and Christmas Morning Strata are a couple of my all-time favorite recipes.

Lori Lynn is writing an amazing blog, www.tastewiththeeyes.com. Lori’s photos have received much recognition internationally. I’ve tried to follow some of her techniques, but I have lots to learn. Lori’s also an excellent cook who uses interesting and unusual recipes.  She is a finalist in this month’s Foodbuzz 24-24-24 contest.

Don’t miss www.chocolatepriestess.com, by chocolate fanatic Tammyjo Eckhart.  I started to read her recipes and couldn’t quit.  She writes a “Saturday Sacrament” that showcases here favorite chocolate recipe for that week.  It’s a very fun blog, so have lots of time when you open Tammyjo’s link, especially if you love chocolate!

Last but not least, is www.tokyoterrace.com, by fellow foreign foodie friend, Rachel White.  Rachel lives in Tokyo and you’ll see some similarities between her blog and mine.  She has written me that she would love to present a cooking class in my kitchen.  I have especially invited her to visit Boquete and to cook in my kitchen.  Maybe she’ll recipricate, Tokyo here I come!

If you love food and cooking, you’ll find lots of inspiration from any of these friends of mine. You’ll find hundreds of similar sites written by experienced food writers from all over the world on www.foodbuzz.com, but I think I’m the only food blogger from Panama. If you find another “foodie” from here, please let me know.  I’ve been having fun posting articles about Boquete, never realizing how many new friends would come my way. 
Enjoy!
Cora