Twitter Blogpost - For Class

Sooo I tweeted 238 times since March 1st. 

A lot of those tweets happen to be LiveTwwets from our social media class. The majority of them are about social media and advertising.  But I alwatys tweet about things that I find cool online.  

I retweet a lot.  Enough to not want to count, but I would say it is about 30% of everything I tweet.  I retweet a lot of different people including peers, teachers, companies, and social media people.  When people tweet about something cool I usually want to share.  Retweeting is a good way to keep updated...offering your followers content without stealing other peoples ideas.  

To be honest, about 75% of all of my tweets had @ relplies on them.  I use Twitter as a social site - connecting with people.  We have conversations.  Or if I find something that is especially interesting I make sure to pass it on.  I @ reply when I live tweet too, which takes up a majority of those tweets. I reply to a lot of different people, but only people that I know personally (unless I am retweeting)

I am following 144 people, and 175 poeple are following me (something I am very proud of).

I would say my most positive experience happened once I started using TweetDeck, because it allowed me to be a part of so many other groups and keep in touch with conversations. 

I would say that my most negative experiences would be when I tried to sell my Brewers opening Day tickets.  People did not respond well when I @'ed them and they never responded.  I can see that this medium is too personal to connect with people in that way. 

All in all, Twitter has benefitted me in more ways than one.  I am always connected with news coverage and updated advertising ideas.  Becuase I understand how to use the tools I have been able to converse with people I never would have normally met. And I think that is very cool 

Melon Art

Some beautiful artwork in....melons?

Found this on Environmental Graffiti.

Look at this artwork. So Awesome.

I can't believe this art is made with fruit. I wonder how many melons each artist goes through in preparation...

You can't help but be impressed.

Cheers!

"The Baking Gals"

So I came across this site when researching other food sites.

These foodies get together once a month to bake for the troops. Awesome as it is, but they use social media to get the word out. Even awesome-er.

They have this web site, blog, e-mail list, and Facebook groups. They encourage repeat bakers to create a login on the site so they can update the blog on their baking parties.

http://www.bakinggals.com/

I really love it.

Cheers!

Who wouldn't love Clara.

I was really impressed by Clara, the 93-year-old host of Great Depression Cooking, when I saw how she was utilizing social media to spread her knowledge. Clara has over 10 Web-isodes of Depression cooking up on YouTube and her Web site. The woman has over 5,000 subscribers and almost 200,000 views on most of her episodes.

The woman is genius in more ways than one. First she is well versed in cooking, and it is clear that she has seen a lot in her 93 years. Moreover, she has YouTube web-isodes seen throughout the country--I am sure she has some technical support--but still...very impressive.

Enjoy her she is awesome! And to read more check out this article.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/tastebuds.html

Cheers!

Serious Eats is Seriously Sweet

I am always looking for cool foodie web sites, and Serious Eats is definitely one of those sites...

http://www.seriouseats.com/

Serious Eats is an interactive community that talks about all things food. Whether it is recipes, what the bloggers' eat, or information on popular chefs or Food TV shows.

The site is separated by different categories similar to the topics above, but that also hold daily forums where people can state their opinions about random topics.

Anyways I love this site....all of it!

Take a look. Let me know what you think!

Cheers!

Foodimentary...Twitter Style

I am lovin' on my new find on Twitter...Foodimentary.

They describe themselves as:
"Twitter's 1st Food~Fact~Tweeter Guaranteed to pepper your day with food, wine & green facts! Impress others with your food knowledge!"

This comes from http://www.foodimentaryfoodfacts.blogspot.com/

Essentially they keep my up on random food facts and Web sites. For example, this weekend according to Foodimentary is National Margarita Weekend! :-D

Another reason why I love Twitter...with all the National celebrations out there [just take a look at that blog and you will see there are a TON!] it is hard to keep updated, or even to keep checking. These holidays just show up on my Twitter homepage...awesome.

Cheers!!

Happy National Sticky Bun Day!

In celebration of National Sticky Bun Day I have decided to encourage your mouth to salivate by displaying pictures of sticky buns I found on the Internet. I hope you all take the time to eat a sticky bun!! Or if you are really feeling adventurous try and make some...like me. Well we will see I might not get all the way there today, but I sure had the intention of it!!

Cheers!

This is Why You're Fat

http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/

So funny. So gross. Yet so delicious.

This site allows readers to submit photos of food they have eaten that are disgustingly delicious.

The site is purely consumer driven, and allows for the public to share their food experiences, but discuss as well.

So if you are interested in Bacon wrapped meatloaf with a layer of mac n' cheese or deep fried Tootsie Roll on a Stick...this is your site.

Mr Orph He's Our Man!!!

After surfing a ton of the Web's food blogs I came across Mr. Orph's Kitchen.

http://mrorph.com/foodblog/index.php

Mr. Orph describes his site as "Seeking Culinary Excellence through Experimentation," and isn't that what cooking is all about?

I enjoy his site, not only because every time I stop in he seduces me with pictures of Creamy Leek and Potato Soup with Garlic or Red Wine Braised Short Ribs, but because he is actually trying these recipes himself.

The difference between Mr. Orph and the rest of us who try certain recipes just to eat them is that he tells the World Wide Web. Essentially he is spreading his knowledge about his curious cuisine.

I say, good for you Mr. Orph!! I have learned so much from your site outside of just recipes. Make sure to stop by the site if for nothing else to see the combinations of ingredients. It will make you tilt your head like a curious dog, but after the inital shock you might start to salivate.

Cheers to Mr. Orph!

I actually cooked this morning!

So after stopping by McDonald's at 10:57am and getting shot down when I asked for my Sausage McGriddle I went home...

So I made cinnamon rolls [out of a tin thingy of coarse] bacon, and scrambled eggs.

It wasn't much but it made me feel good about myself.

Cheers!

Facebook...the new recipe sharer?

A friend of mine works at Taste of Home and told me to check them out on Facebook. And sure enough they have quite a presence on the popular social networking site. They have a "Fan Page" with over a hundred fans and they also have a recipe application [widget-type idea].Lately I have noticed a lot of older people [my aunts, uncles, grandparents] joining the network this application can create relationships outside of their magazine and cookbooks. Fans are constantly connected to these cookbooks...for questions, more ideas, or ideas.

I question how many of the younger generations are truly interested in this adding this to their Facebook...I personally am attempting to remove the clutter from my profile. However, those who are just joining Facebook it doesn't seem like clutter at this point.

I am now a Fan of Taste of Home, and I will be enjoying some tasty Valentine's recipes.

Cheers!

What I want to eat right now...

I was watching Giada at Home not really one of my favorites, because she specializes in Italian food, but this caught my eye. She made what looked like an incredible cruton salad and I have not been able to stop thinking about it.

Let me know if you have tried this.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/crouton-salad-recipe/index.html

Enjoy and Cheers!

a book I am reading...

For a part of my social media class we are reading Groundswell a book about how the Internet is changing the way we consumer products, services, and how to market to these people.

As a part of this reading my professor wanted us to analyze the different between age groups and their place on the social technology ladder.

For example 80% of people between the ages of 18-24 [my age group] consider themselves Spectators of this social media revolution. People who have profiles [Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace], but do not actively participate in the features of the page on a daily basis. However, 74% of this age group defines themselves as Joiners. This is people who are using the main features of these sites, and also joining more sites or actively reading blogs or Tweets. The numbers here are all above the overall average, even including the most active in the social media ladder - the Creators.

So I decided to take this opportunity to test my interest in an older generation...these people are who, I think, are using a lot of these foodie sites that I keep looking into. I was curious where they stand in comparison to my generation. So I looked at people between the ages of 35-44. The profiler clearly shows that this generations is not as active in social media as the first, but the thng I find most interesting is that 71% are Spectators. This is important to my interest in how people communicate about food through social media, because this is a main target of people...and they aren't all INACTIVE. Further, this generation of people are above the average in almost all of the "rungs" of the ladder. This proves to me that people, no matter the age, are not denying the social media evolution. Instead they are embracing it benefits!


This is a really great book, and a really cool profile thing to play with. Check it out and see where you stand. http://www.forrester.com/Groundswell/profile_tool.html

Cheers!

Personal Trainer Cooking for Nintendo DS

I was watching TV the other day and this commercial. This Nintendo "game" can take you step by step through a recipe...just like the food network or your mom would.

It makes me wonder, though, it seems this would be intended for adults rather than children, and really how many adults are using Nintendo DS? Maybe more than I know...

I personally do not have a DS or this game, but I would hope that you could share recipes with others. That would be such a cool way to keep people connected.

Enjoy, and if anyone has tried this let me know...I am curious on how this works.

Cheers

#1 Free iPhone Application

 AllRecipe.com Dinner Spinner.

1. Choose Dish Type: Appetizers, beverages, main dishes, desserts...
   
2. Choose the Ingredients: What do you have in your pantry...
   
3. Choose the Desired "Ready In" Time: from recipes 20 minutes and under to all-day
   

Then shake [literally] the iPhone/iPod for recipes...not what you want.  Then shake again. 

If a recipe was off the chain...e-mail to a friend. 

Man, I want an iPhone. 

Cheers

Currently...what I want to eat

Ina Gartin is one of my faves. She hosts Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network. She focuses on simple sophistication.

I was watching her show the other day and my mouth was watering while she was making these Sticky Buns. (I wish I could have found video for it, but it was kind of difficult...sorry.)

What makes these babies even better they only take 30 minutes.

It is for sure on my To Do.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/easy-sticky-buns-recipe/index.html

Recipe Sharing

Recipe sharing seems to be the most common among "foodie social communicators." AllRecipes.com claims, "Looking for recipes? You’ve come to the right place. Allrecipes has more than 40000 free recipes - all created, tested, reviewed and approved by home cooks." In addition, "Supporting Members can edit, save & print recipes their way! " Similar sites include recipezaar.com and myrecipe.com

If you think about where you go for recipes...these sites make sense. You look to the most trusted sources....friends and family. These sites offer the same feedback friends and family will give with the same homestyle recipes.

It is ingenious.

Further, it is easier than having to go through your phonebook and talking to every aunt/cousin/sister/mother.

Your author....

So here goes. I am starting a blog about social media for a social media class. Because the social media realm is so immense and overpowering I decided to follow another passion of mine...food. So this is a blog about how people use social media to discuss, share, and inform about food.

This food theme comes partially from the fact that the only name I could think of for my blog was RitzBits Sandwiches (what I was eating when I created this blog), partially the amazing smells that come from down the hall in my apartment building (never from my apartment of course), and partially my obsession with the Food Network.

So I love eating. Fact. I HATE cooking. Fact. Am I a picky eating...Fact. I DO NOT EAT: pasta (of any sort...so no mac n' cheese, lasagna, spaghetti, etc.), fish (I know, I know, it is really good for you, and its "good," but I have a thing with textures), and eggs (scrambles, poached, yuck). Oh and mushrooms...

All that being said I am confident this topic can get very interesting, and I know that it will produces some serious insights...

So here's to online food...Cheers

Hey I have a Blog

sitting in social media...

learning about the Internet.