The Distracted Housewife

This Post was written by Cath from The Distracted Housewife .

1. Where are you based? On the west coast of Wales, near Aberystwyth. I came here to go to university in 1996 and have basically never left. I met my husband there, we got married in 2001 and bought an old cottage just before our first wedding anniversary. Karl and I have renovated it over the last few years: from nailed-up wallpaper, a scary tiled fireplace and unexplained hooks everywhere, we've created our family home.

2. How long have you been blogging? Since March 2007.

3. What's the best thing about food blogging? I cook a wider variety of dishes, rather than the same favourites every few weeks. I also love hearing that people have tried and enjoyed recipes I've posted.

4. What's the worst thing about food blogging? Figuring out the amounts I use for a lot of day-to-day recipes. I'm a bit of a bung-it-all-in-and-hope cook at heart. Striking the right balance between giving enough information and being patronising, for example when I write about making pastry or cooking pasta).

5. What inspires you to cook and write? My Mum is a great cook, and her Mum was too. I learnt to cook the old-fashioned way, by watching my Mum and helping her as I got older. Now my 3-year old is starting to really help me, rather than just making a mess. I have an ever-growing collection of cookbooks (my 'food porn'), which fuel my passion for cooking (and eating!). More than anything, I love to sit at the table with my husband and sons, watching them enjoy a meal I've cooked for them.

6. Where do you like to blog? In the sitting room, either after our evening meal while the children are are in the bath (if their Dad's home), or after they're tucked up in bed for the night (if he's not).

7. What's your signature dish? Either my Baked Spiced Chicken with couscous and - just about everyone I know has eaten it at least once - or Simple Tomato Soup - which was on my first ever blog post.

8. What about you might it surprise other bloggers to know? I used to weigh 19 stone and lost a lot of weight a couple of years ago when my first child was nearly a year old. I still love cooking and eating and never compromise on taste, I just restrain myself a little more often nowadays.