Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

I want to go everywhere I haven't been, and back to everywhere I have been.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Meet Rachel!

Did you see my Facebook post recently, where I said I would feature my 100th Google Friend Connect follower?

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Rachel, from Rachel Cotterill was lucky 100! Actually, as it turns out, I was the lucky one, because I discovered a great blog, and Rachel had some fascinating answers to my very mundane questions.

It's funny how things work out...Rachel and I happen to share a couple of passions...namely traveling and baking, which makes me naturally drawn to her blog. She has been to some a-MAZ-ing places -- check out her travel map to see how much of the world she has seen! And, she's written a book about baking called Design Your Own Cookies.  Rachel is a woman after my own heart...anyone who travels the world leaving a trail of cookie crumbs is alright in my book!

I asked Rachel if she would answer a few questions about herself, which she graciously agreed to do. 

Rachel Cotterill

Rachel, introduce yourself!

I'm 30 years old, and married for five years (no kids, one gerbil). We live in a little  cottage in the Cotswolds, a rural area in central England. When I'm not blogging and writing, I'm a PhD student struggling to finish my thesis.

What is your blog about?

Mostly, vegetarian food and travel experiences. I love to bake, I love to eat, and I love to travel -- so it follows from there. I've thought about separating the two themes into separate blogs, but since I eat a lot when I'm traveling, it's not at all obvious how best to do that...so for now it stays a mish-mash.

How long have you been blogging?

I started blogging in late 2008. I'd just got married, we'd returned from our honeymoon taking the trans-Mongolian train across from Russia to China, and suddenly I felt like I had a few things I'd like to share with a wider audience. My blog has stayed on very similar themes ever since, since travel and food continue to play a central role in my life!

Do you have a favorite post?

Wow, that's a tough one, with over five years to choose from! But one I think has really stood the test of time is Snow, Hiking and Fear - any essay from the side of a Faroese mountain.


What are your hobbies/passions, aside from blogging?

One of my favourite things is to learn new things - so I'm constantly adding new hobbies to my collection, the latest being archery. Passions which have stood the test of time, though, include baking and writing (resulting in two fantasy novels and one recipe book, so far).

Of all the places you have traveled, do you have a favorite?

So far, I think it's Iceland. When I first met my husband, he mentioned that he was thinking of cycling around the ring road there, and we immediately knew we were going to do it together. Before the year was out we were living together and packing our panniers for a six-week camping trip. There's such an amazing variety of scenery: from glaciers and icebergs, to bubbling mud and hot springs -- and even a cold, black desert which was a very strange place to pitch a tent.

What is one random fact about yourself?

I used to live on a narrowboat. Nothing teaches you to be philosophical about everyday utilities like living in a disconnected metal box! The 'highlight' in that respect was probably when it got so cold one night that the diesel thickened up too much to flow to our heating system. Somehow, we survived, with hot water bottles and several layers of blankets.


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Thank you, Rachel!

I had a great time checking out Rachel's blog. She's got tons of recipes, but one that caught my eye was Lavender Shortbread, which I've already pinned. Her travel photos? They are gaw-geous! I hope you'll go and visit Rachel Cotterill...you'll enjoy her blog!
Speaking of enjoying...this turned out to be great fun.  I think I just may randomly pick another new follower to feature sometime soon. 

Will it be you



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16 comments:

  1. So nice to meet you, Rachel! My Hubs and I love to travel throughout the UK and I am now off to check out your blog {AND that lavender shortbread!!}. Thanks for sharing Rachel with us, Amy! xo

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  2. I am definitely going to pop over to her blog and do some reading when I have some time. Thanks for the introduction. xo Diana

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  3. That was an unexpected post and it turned out to be an intersting read. I'm off to check Rachel's blog.

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    1. Rachel's answers to my questions exceeded my expectations, and made this post really fun to do.

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  4. What a cool idea! I was at Rachel's blog just the other day. :) But I will certainly head over to visit more of her posts! Living on a narrowboat sounds very interesting...I would love to hear more about that!

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    1. Thanks, Michelle! I know, I can't imagine living on a narrowboat, but I'd sure like to read about it, too.

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  5. Dear Amy, Nice to meet Rachel.
    Blogging certainly gives the opportunity to meet lovely people.
    Have a nice cozy, warm and safe weekend.
    Blessings, Catherine

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    1. It is something that I did not anticipate when I started blogging, but it has been amazing meeting so many terrific people!

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  6. This was a fun feature! I enjoyed meeting Rachel and looking at her blog. She has gorgeous photos! She lives in an area that I'd love to know more about too. Thanks for featuring her today.

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    1. I am such a travel freak, that I couldn't believe how lucky I was that my #100 was also!

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  7. Thank you, Amy! This was fun - and it's been great to meet you and some of your readers :)

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    1. It was a lot of fun for me, too, Rachel. You happened to be an incredibly interesting #100!

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