FEEDING THREE

The Video:

1. Explain why you chose the blog topic.

After a long discussion we finally decided as a group that food would be the most appropriate topic for our blog. We chose the topic of food as it is something that we all have in common and something we all enjoy on a daily basis. In choosing our topic we decided to keep it broad and not just focus on a particular segment of food i.e. food recipes, restaurant reviews and interesting facts about food. Keeping our topic broad meant that we were able to cover just about any aspect of food meaning that all three of us were able to contribute something to the blog on a regular basis. This also helped attract a wider audience because the topic was not only focused on one aspect.

However even though we didn’t focus on a particular aspect of food we did decide that we were going to blog about 'everyday' kind of food and not the spectacular fancy 5 star food you get at a fancy restaurant. The reason for making this decision was that we wanted our blog to be something that our followers felt comfortable with. Our variety in posts was also to ensure that there was something on our blog for just about everyone who followed us.


2. What were the largest challenges with a team assignment?

After having finally decided that we were going to make a blog about food we began creating the blog only to experience issues with Blogger and email accounts. Two of the three group members were having issues becoming co-authors on our initial blog ‘Glorious Eating’. However that problem was solved quickly through creating one gmail account that all members could use to log into the blog. This is the reason why we had a change in URLs from http://www.gloriouseating.blogspot.com to http://feedingthree.blogspot.com/ .‘Feeding Three’ became our new name as there was only three of us in the group and we’re all being fed everyday.

Even though we had decided on hotmail as our mean of communication right from the beginning of the assignment we were still faced with some initial communication issues. There was a lack of communication between members of the group at the beginning, this posed several problems for us as we weren’t too sure about who was doing what and we weren't aware of the blog progress. As a result of this members of the group were not contributing equally to the assignment and therefore jeopardising the groups potential to score the highest mark possible. Once these issues were properly addressed and discussed all group members became clear on what their individual role was, tasks were delegated to each member of the group in a way that when all tasks were completed all the requirements of the assignment would be met too. The delegation of the tasks was handled by having one member responsible for commenting on other blog posts, another member was responsible for posting regular tweets updating our progress and together as a team we designed the layout, constructed the report and published posts regularly.

On commencing university after our mid-semester break we were faced with yet another challenge. That challenge was an addition of a new member to our group which placed many challenges for the group as we had to reassign tasks so that the workload was evenly spread out between all four members of the group.


3. How did you come up with the final design that you used?

Deciding on a design for the blog was one of the most challenging parts of the assignment as a blog’s design should automatically tell a reader what the blog is about but at the same time it shouldn’t overwhelm the reader with too many images and flashing backgrounds etc. So after looking at various templates we all came to the conclusion that simplicity was the way to go. We agreed that the simpler the layout of our blog the more user friendly it would be as users would be able to navigate through the blog easily. Having a user friendly blog meant that we could attract more followers to our blog as they would be able to browse our blog with ease and not be overwhelmed by having too many gadgets and too many things happening all at once.

We chose to place an image of a plate of food in the header as this will allow anyone who comes across our blog to automatically recognise our blog as one about food. Initially we had also chosen to place our profile, followers, links and so on, on the left side however part of the assignment requirements was that such things were placed on the right side. After making such adjustments we also decided to change the colour scheme of our blog so that it became simpler and so that the colour scheme of the blog was neither clashing with nor detracting attention from our blog entries. This decision was made with the aim that our blog entries are what will catch our reader’s attention and hopefully interest them.

In regards to our blog entries we also tried to ensure that all entries contained a picture which practically summarised what the post was about. A picture tells a thousand words. By doing this we ensured that readers were able to obtain a brief idea about what the post contained and then from that deciding whether or not they were going to continue reading the post. The pictures were also intended to grab reader’s attention so that they are drawn into reading the post.


4. Compare a blog that has similar content to yourself, critically analyse your site comparing theirs.

Site: http://agoddessinthekitchen.blogspot.com/

The blog ‘A Goddess in the Kitchen’ is very similar to our blog in that the content and layout of both blogs is very casual and both blogs seem to use a casual, friendly and sometimes even humorous tone in their posts. Another similarity between the two blogs is that they don't focus on one particular aspect of food, their content is broad although our blog's content is a lot more diverse. The layout of both blogs is also very similar however our choice of header image gives our blog a more professional appearance. However it is quite obvious that the blog ‘A Goddess in the Kitchen’ is a well established one with a lot of experience as well as a decent number of followers in comparison to our blog.

The posts made on the blog ‘A Goddess in the Kitchen’ are also only composed by one person who is the sole author. This means that her posts flow on from one to another unlike our posts since there is only one voice making those regular posts. Our blog on the other hand has posts made by four different individuals with diverse views and voices.

The photographs posted on the blog ‘A Goddess in the Kitchen’ are also of higher quality than those pictures on our blog. Perhaps due to fact that our pictures are not photographs that we have taken personally but are what is available to us through the net. Whereas the photographs posted on the blog ‘A Goddess in the Kitchen’ are actually photos taken personally by the blogger, so she is therefore able to present her work to the reader through the perspective that she wishes for them to see it through.

Now I think everyone has heard this question over and over again. What would your last meal on earth be before you die? I know from experience I've heard it countless times although I've never really made a final decision on what my last meal would be. If I was to be asked everyday what it would be it would constantly change from day to day. So if I was to die anytime soon luckily enough knowing exactly when I was going to die I'd probably spend most of that time still thinking what my last meal would be.

So I would like to take some suggestions from anyone who has made up their mind on what their last meal would be. Would it be a fancy meal cooked by a top notch star chef or one of mum's classics or just plain old indulgence food.

Don't be fooled by the length of the recipe it's actually quite easy to make and I can guarantee you, from experience, one is never enough. You'll be rushing for seconds and you'll be lucky if there's any left.

It seems to me that a large percentage of Australians would much rather feed the bins than feed the needy. The three essential needs in life are food, clothing and shelter, yet so many Australians find it hard to gain 1 need let alone all three.

It is in actual fact frightening and disturbing to see the amount of food we waste each year. Studies in Metropolitan Sydney showed that the average household bin contains 11kg of garbage, 5.8kgs of that being compostable waste. 95% of this compostable matter was food waste. This problem is not only happening right here in Australia.

Imagine the difference it would make if this food was actually put to good use rather than thrown in our bins. There are millions of people out there who would do anything to have access to a proper meal everyday, which we seem to take for granted. Each year 2 million people rely on food relief in Australia at some point. There are plenty of charities and food groups out there who would love for people to donate food they would otherwise throw out. Some of these groups and charities include Second bite, fare share, Oz harvest, food bank and many others.


Now if those figures don't motivate people to do something about these problems i don't know what will, or maybe it takes an individual to experience first hand the feeling of not knowing when they'll eat their next meal to make a change.

So the next time your thinking of feeding your bin perfectly normal food just think of another alternative.

Whenever people think or begin to speak about food we are immediately drawn to images of our favourite dishes and foods. But then there's the negative side where its not all sunshine and butterflies, the wacky foods that people eat which may seem completely normal to them yet disturbing to others.

Although I am a strong believer in tasting and trying before judging, I cant seem to grasp the thought of people eating whether they'd be cooked or still jumping around things such as bats, cockroaches, grasshoppers, bees, flies and the list goes on and on. With this said it is interesting and fascinating watching people eat and enjoy these so called delicacies and thinking to yourself "does that really taste like chicken?"

So I feel it is a duty upon myself to present to my fellow food lovers a special very small collection of the weird. wacky and just plain outrageous foods available.

Just as an aside...
As part of our assessment, we need to do a lil post re: the blogs we've commented on.

Here they are:

http://mymotherhasfacebook.blogspot.com/2010/04/spam-on-facebook.html
http://food4three.blogspot.com/
http://isys100group2.blogspot.com/2010/04/why-do-people-listen-to-music-on-public.html
http://www.exclusivelyfood.com.au/2006/07/chocolate-caramel-slice-recipe.html
http://tasteofbeirut.com/2010/04/spaghetti-cake-with-kashkaval-cheese/
http://got-my-goat.blogspot.com/2010/05/mental-blanks.html#comments
http://isys100assig2-funnyvideos.blogspot.com/2010/04/funny-monkey.html#comments
http://sportsroomisys100.blogspot.com/2010/05/king-lbj-returns-to-his-throne.html
http://mymotherhasfacebook.blogspot.com/2010/05/mr-facebook-and-how-much-hes-worth.html
http://75.125.179.157/~sarahbra/2009/11/baby-s/

Here's a post that doesn't involve eating out :)

Quick and easy snack to make which does involve cheese, tomato sauce and bread. What? THREE ingredients only?

Spread the tomato sauce onto your slice of bread then top it off with some mozarella cheese. Chuck em under the grill for about 15-20 minutes? (Just keep an eye on it haha)

Easy snack :)

- Signing off, Nhi :)

"Chocolate by the bald man."

This is my favourite place for a good chocolate fix. I always order the Tutti-Fruitti waffle which comes with your choice of either one ($13) or two ($17.50) Belgian waffles with fresh strawberries, fresh bananas and vanilla ice cream. Perfect chocolate craving fix!

The waffle comes to you warm and has a nice bite to it and is drizzled in warm melted milk chocolate.

Located at:
Shop 2187/159-175 Church St Parramatta
City of Parramatta NSW 02150
(02) 9635 7566

http://www.maxbrenner.com.au/

- Signing off, Nhi :)

Well its interesting now that Masterchef has returned and everyone is all of a sudden that little bit more interested and enthusiastic towards food.

I mean we eat it everyday whether its day or night, hail or shine yet it takes something as simple as a tv show to encourage everyone to start making their own recipes or to have a go at a traditional family or cultural dish.

I know that Masterchef has driven me to try something new, to explore the dishes that surround us on a daily basis, dishes from around the world all delivered to our doorsteps, literally.

Its also great to see that the younger generations are getting into this, i know from experience my younger siblings create a stampede in trying to race to the tv to get the best seat when masterchef is about to start. Its great to see that they are so enthusiastic towards something so essential in our lifes and hopefully we can reach a time where the mothers can relax and the kids can take over dinner time and of course with adult supervision.

*sorry, no pictures as I feel so weird taking pictures in restaurants!*



Headed to eat lunch there today :) I've walked past this restaurant numerous times and always wondered what it was like. Silly me thought it was a Japanese restaurant lol but it wasn't!

When you first walk in, you're met with the cash register. It was a bit unusual for me in that I was to grab a menu from in front of the register and then place my order and pay for it then. The menu itself was straight forward. A mix and match menu! Choose what I'd like - beef, vegies, chicken, seafood, combination. Step 2 - what kind of noodles I'd like or maybe some rice? Soup? and then finally, what I'd want for flavour. I ended up just ordering a chicken pad thai. All up, it cost me $14 for the chicken pad thai and a can of coke. Pretty good value :)

I was surprised that it wasn't packed when I went. 1PM on a public holiday. However, whenever I walk past there around dinner time, it is always busy. A good sign?

Anyways, after I ordered and paid, the lady gave us a table number on a stick thing and we just chose anywhere to sit. The chicken pad thai came out in about 10-15 minutes - pretty average waiting time in my opinion.

The dish itself? Not bad. Lacking a tiny bit of flavour but can't complain. However, I did get a big chunk of tofu? The pad thais I usually consume has cubes of tofu? Serving size was generous and this place uses the thinner rice noodles for their pad thais. Some place prefer to use the thicker ones which I don't like.

The restaurant's decor was very clean and modern and not your typical Thai homestyle restaurant.

All in all, I recommend that you all head out to Parramatta and grab yourself some yummy Thai!

Located at:
175 Church St, Parramatta NSW 2150‎
(02) 9633 9402

- Signing off, Nhi :)

Cabramatta in Sydney's south-west is famous for its Asian cuisine and how affordable and delicious it is. My family headed to a restaurant there last weekend for lunch. We chose to eat at Won Kee, a Thai and Chinese restaurant.

Their menus came with 4x6in photos with the dish's name underneath. I thought this was very helpful as you could see clearly what you were ordering. So it was like ordering from a photo book :)
We ordered (keep in mind that this isn't its 'official' name lol):

Tofu (or bean curd?) with peas and you could have this mild or hot.

Tom Yum soup and same as above - mild or hot.

Steamed chicken with soya sauce and garlic.

Stir fry vegetables

Sizzling black pepper beef

Deep fried fish


Prices were very reasonable averaging about $14 a dish. Our whole lunch cost us $93 and that was for six of us! At a European restaurant, you can expect to pay approximately the same price just for two. PS: I'm not sure if the bucket of white rice was extra or not but it shouldn't cost you more than $5 for that bucket of rice :)


So would I come back? Definitely. I love this restaurant. It's on the quieter street in Cabramatta and is hardly busy. The foods always consistently delicious and you can't complain about the price!

Located at:
19 Arthur St, Cabramatta NSW 2166
(02) 9728 6718

- Signing off, Nhi :)
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Breakfast is an important meal of the day. It kickstarts your mornings and provide you with energy until lunchtime! With that said, I usually just grab an Up & Go on my way out the door during the week. However, with the "study break" upon us, I've found time to make me some breakfast!

One of the easiest breakfast food, in my opinion? French toast. Nothing French about it but whatever - it fills me up and tastes delicious! Eggs, milk, butter and bread. Too easy. Didn't have maple syrup so I substituted that with some strawberry jam. Delicious.


Classic favourite? Bacon and eggs! Yes, your cholestrol level has reason to be scared but indulge once in a while. You only live once :P

- Signing off, Nhi :)

What are we about? Well, before the bungle with Blogger and email accounts, we decided on 'Glorious Eating' as it was an ironic name for what we were going to blog about - food but the 'everyday' kind of food and not the spectacular fancy 5 star restaurant food.

But that didn't work out so I had to create an email account seperately for the group to login and blog and we couldn't use the 'Glorious Eating' URL anymore :( So 'Feeding Three' became the new blog URL and name. Why 'Feeding Three'? Well, there are only three of us in the group and we're all being fed everyday :P

Some difficulties in the other members becoming co-authors on the other blog at http://www.gloriouseating.blogspot.com meant that I had to create an email which everyone could access thus the move and change in URLs!

Designing a blog is one of the hardest parts. I mean, you got to find a medium between expressing what your blog is about through the layout as well as maintaining its ease of use without cluttering your blog with all these images and flashing backgrounds etc.

The image header would have something that's related to food - you know, cutlery, different dishes etc
Down the left side we'll have a box for our profile so you get to know who we are. There'll also be a followers and links box.
On the right would be where all our entries go :)

Anyways, so here's the storyboard again. Plus the colour scheme.