NOT cool!!

Hello good people! It's been a minute since I posted new recipes. I apologize for this! I have been so busy working on several projects, and of course juggling that with everyday life and family has made it difficult for me to post as regularly as I'd like to. Please bear with me. I do appreciate each and every one of you who takes the time to stop by and see what's cooking. I thank you for your love and support because without you, there'd be no Stella's Meza. Once I get everything worked out, I promise I'll return with many new recipes. One thing has not changed-I still have a passion for cooking and sharing recipes :)

So the other day, I found a few minutes to spare and decided to check in on the members of this site. I love doing this as it humanizes the members when you can place a face to a name. People then are just no longer numbers or statistics anymore. This also gives me an opportunity to support your sites if you have any. Besides cooking, things like fashion, beauty, home decor and travel are other areas in which I have great interest. So if you have sites related to these aforementioned areas, don't feel shy. Let me know and I'll stop by and show some love by becoming a member. That's the least I can do to thank you for your support over the years.

In my quest to get to know you guys better, I stumbled upon something that bothered me enough for me to say something. I believe I experienced a true "I can't" moment.

Food is universal. If you talk about a certain food, chances are, someone else has also heard of it, seen it or eaten it. More so with the advent of the Internet. So unless I come up with a recipe that I refer to as "my creation", chances are, it's already out there. It would be pretty ignorant of me to assume otherwise. The name of the dish might differ (depending on where you're from), but the ingredients and preparation techniques might be very similar (not identical. Similar). I get it. I really do. What I don't get, is how an individual's post on their blog/website will mirror my thoughts down to the nuances I use while posting recipes. Not one, not two (I stopped after reading three posts). I'm talking from the chitter-chatter I write down when introducing a recipe, right down to the serving suggestions that I give at the end of my recipes. Something's wrong with that picture.

I'm not claiming to be a blogger with Shakespeearian prowess behind the keyboard. I'm just saying that what little I do as far as wordplay, however mundane it may seem to you, I work hard to think of and put down In my own words. I'm aware there's some telepathic communication that occurs between twins. But let it be known that I don't have a twin. So if you see my exact wording in a cooking blog/website other than Stella's Meza, for a recipe that you've already seen here, I can assure you that it's certainly not written by me. I haven't had the honor of being a guest blogger on anyone's cooking blog yet. It's OK to use a recipe from another blog/website, so long as you get permission from the blog/website that you're getting the recipe from. Alternatively, let it be known in your post that the recipe you're posting is "adapted" or "loosely adapted" from the source (please do make mention of the source. That's just common courtesy). Anything short of that, in many parts of the world, would be considered plagiarism. Not a good look :/. Drawing inspiration is completely different than sucking the meaning out of someone else's hard work. If the point of giving my blog an honorable mention in yours is for the soul purpose of copy/pasting my posts, and if that's the reason you became a member of Stella's Meza in the first place, I'd rather we don't associate at all. You're welcome to stay a member after this if you feel so inclined as long as you stop this behavior. I won't mention names as YOU know yourself and I'm pretty sure you're reading this, sourcing for your next post. In your credit, you take great pictures. Just work on writing in your own words, and you'll be a great blogger. Mkay?

OK. I'm done venting. On a lighter note, I'd like to wish you all happy holidays and a prosperous and creative new year!